The Magic of Hangul (Part 3): Start Reading Korean in Minutes

11 May, 2025

Reading English feels like scanning a line of text.
Reading Japanese or Chinese often means memorizing entire symbols.

But reading Korean?

It feels like putting a puzzle together — one block at a time.

Each word is a mini structure

Korean isn’t written letter by letter.
It’s written in blocks.

Each block contains a full syllable.
Usually a consonant, a vowel, and maybe another consonant.

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• 한 = ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ
• 글 = ㄱ + ㅡ + ㄹ

You don’t just sound them out.
You build them.

It’s visual. And it clicks.

Once you know the pieces, you start to see the structure in everything.

• You see rhythm in the spacing
• You spot patterns in the shapes
• You feel the language locking into place

And the more you read, the more natural it becomes.

It’s not just reading. It’s assembling meaning.

A few sounds to try

Here are some consonants and vowels to get you started:

• ㄱ = g/k
• ㄴ = n
• ㄷ = d/t
• ㅁ = m
• ㅂ = b/p
• ㅅ = s
• ㅇ = silent (at the start), ng (at the end)

Vowels:

• ㅏ = a (as in “father”)
• ㅗ = o (as in “go”)
• ㅜ = u (as in “boot”)
• ㅣ = i (as in “ski”)

Try building a few

Here are some real Korean words using simple blocks:

• 나 = na (I, me)
• 고 = go (to go)
• 무 = mu (radish)
• 김 = gim (seaweed)
• 손 = son (hand)

Now try making your own:

• ㄱ + ㅏ = ?
• ㅂ + ㅜ = ?
• ㅁ + ㅗ + ㄴ = ?

It’s kind of fun, right?

Final thought

There’s always more to study.
But being able to read even a few words — that’s when it starts to feel real.

What’s next?

If you’re starting to see how Korean letters combine, here’s where to go next:

• Part 1: Hangul is easier than you think
  Korean letters aren’t hard. In fact, they’re easier than English.

• Part 2: How Korean letters fit together
  Letters don’t just sit side by side. They *combine. Here's how.*

• Part 3: Start reading Korean in minutes
  You’ve seen the pieces. Now it’s time to put them together.

• Part 4: You can read these words now!
  A few shapes turn into real words — like magic.

• Part 5: What to say after “Annyeonghaseyo”
  You know how to greet someone. Here’s what comes next.

Want to see how real Korean sounds?

Once you’ve learned Hangul, try picking up Korean through music and lyrics:

• Pookie — And the K-Pop Drama Behind the Smile
• Midnight Special — A Song About Lingering, and a Member Who Never Leaves

← Back to Korean Expressions