Putting It All Together
Over the last four lessons, you have learned Korean consonants, vowels, syllable blocks, and pronunciation rules. This lesson is where you put those skills to work by reading real-world Korean text.
The goal is practical: by the end of this lesson, you should be able to walk through a Korean city and read signs, greet people, and understand simple sentences.
Common Signs (표지판)
These are the signs you will encounter most often in Korea. Practice reading each one by breaking it into syllable blocks.
Transportation Signs
| Sign | Romanization | Meaning | Where You See It |
|---|---|---|---|
| 출구 | chulgu | Exit | Subway, buildings |
| 입구 | ipgu | Entrance | Subway, buildings |
| 지하철 | jihacheol | Subway | Subway stations |
| 버스 | beoseu | Bus | Bus stops |
| 택시 | taeksi | Taxi | Taxi stands |
| 공항 | gonghang | Airport | Airport signs |
| 역 | yeok | Station | Train/subway stations |
| 비상구 | bisanggu | Emergency exit | All buildings |
| 주차장 | juchajang | Parking lot | Buildings, streets |
| 정류장 | jeongnyujang | Bus stop | Streets |
Building Signs
| Sign | Romanization | Meaning | Where You See It |
|---|---|---|---|
| 화장실 | hwajangsil | Restroom | Everywhere |
| 남 / 여 | nam / yeo | Male / Female | Restroom doors |
| 남자 / 여자 | namja / yeoja | Man / Woman | Restroom doors |
| 엘리베이터 | ellibeiteo | Elevator | Buildings |
| 계단 | gyedan | Stairs | Buildings |
| 안내 | annae | Information | Public buildings |
| 금연 | geumyeon | No smoking | Public areas |
| 주의 | juui | Caution | Various |
| 위험 | wiheom | Danger | Construction, etc. |
| 영업중 | yeongeopjung | Open (for business) | Shops |
| 준비중 | junbijung | Preparing / Closed | Shops |
Food & Shopping Signs
| Sign | Romanization | Meaning | Where You See It |
|---|---|---|---|
| 식당 | sikdang | Restaurant | Streets |
| 카페 | kape | Cafe | Streets |
| 편의점 | pyeonuijeom | Convenience store | Streets |
| 약국 | yakguk | Pharmacy | Streets |
| 병원 | byeongwon | Hospital | Buildings |
| 은행 | eunhaeng | Bank | Streets |
| 세일 | seil | Sale | Shops |
| 할인 | harin | Discount | Shops |
Basic Greetings & Expressions (인사말)
Korean greetings follow a politeness system. For now, learn the polite forms (ending in -요 or -니다), which are safe to use with anyone.
Essential Greetings
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | Hello | Any time of day, any situation |
| 안녕히 가세요 | annyeonghi gaseyo | Goodbye (to someone leaving) | When the other person is leaving |
| 안녕히 계세요 | annyeonghi gyeseyo | Goodbye (to someone staying) | When you are the one leaving |
| 감사합니다 | gamsahamnida | Thank you (formal) | Formal situations |
| 고마워요 | gomawoyo | Thank you (polite casual) | Casual-polite situations |
| 죄송합니다 | joesonghamnida | I'm sorry (formal) | Apologies, formal |
| 미안해요 | mianhaeyo | I'm sorry (polite casual) | Apologies, casual |
Useful Short Expressions
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 네 | ne | Yes |
| 아니요 | aniyo | No |
| 실례합니다 | sillyehamnida | Excuse me |
| 잠시만요 | jamsimanyo | Just a moment |
| 괜찮아요 | gwaenchanayo | It's okay |
| 몰라요 | mollayo | I don't know |
| 주세요 | juseyo | Please give me |
| 얼마예요? | eolmayeyo? | How much is it? |
| 어디예요? | eodiyeyo? | Where is it? |
Pronunciation Notes on Greetings
Let us apply the pronunciation rules from Lesson 4 to these greetings:
| Written | Applied Rules | Actual Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | ㄴ+ㄴ → [ㄴ+ㄴ] (same), liaison | [안녕하세요] |
| 감사합니다 | ㅂ+ㄴ → 비음화 (ㅂ→ㅁ) | [감사함니다] |
| 죄송합니다 | ㅂ+ㄴ → 비음화 (ㅂ→ㅁ) | [죄송함니다] |
| 괜찮아요 | ㄶ받침 + ㅇ → ㅎ disappears, ㄴ links | [괜차나요] |
| 실례합니다 | ㄹ+ㄹ, ㅂ+ㄴ → 비음화 | [실례함니다] |
Notice how 감사합니다 is spelled with ㅂ but pronounced with ㅁ due to nasalization. This is why learning pronunciation rules is essential.
Numbers Preview (숫자)
Korean has two number systems, which you will study in depth later. Here is a brief preview:
Sino-Korean Numbers (한자어 수)
Used for dates, money, phone numbers, addresses, and counting above 100.
| Number | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 영/공 | yeong/gong |
| 1 | 일 | il |
| 2 | 이 | i |
| 3 | 삼 | sam |
| 4 | 사 | sa |
| 5 | 오 | o |
| 6 | 육 | yuk |
| 7 | 칠 | chil |
| 8 | 팔 | pal |
| 9 | 구 | gu |
| 10 | 십 | sip |
Native Korean Numbers (고유어 수)
Used for counting items (with counters), hours, and ages.
| Number | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 하나 | hana |
| 2 | 둘 | dul |
| 3 | 셋 | set |
| 4 | 넷 | net |
| 5 | 다섯 | daseot |
| 6 | 여섯 | yeoseot |
| 7 | 일곱 | ilgop |
| 8 | 여덟 | yeodeol |
| 9 | 아홉 | ahop |
| 10 | 열 | yeol |
Quick Usage Examples
| Situation | System | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Sino-Korean | 삼천 원 (samcheon won) | 3,000 won |
| Phone number | Sino-Korean | 공일공 (gong-il-gong) | 010 |
| Counting items | Native Korean | 두 개 (du gae) | 2 items |
| Time (hour) | Native Korean | 세 시 (se si) | 3 o'clock |
| Time (minute) | Sino-Korean | 삼십 분 (samsip bun) | 30 minutes |
| Date | Sino-Korean | 이월 삼일 (iwol samil) | February 3rd |
Simple Sentences
Now let us read complete Korean sentences. Do not worry about grammar yet — just focus on reading the Hangul characters.
Self-Introduction
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 저는 학생입니다. | Jeoneun haksaengimnida. | I am a student. |
| 이름이 뭐예요? | Ireumi mwoyeyo? | What is your name? |
| 한국 사람이에요. | Hanguk sarамieyo. | I am Korean. |
| 미국에서 왔어요. | Migukeseo wasseoyo. | I came from America. |
| 만나서 반갑습니다. | Mannaseo bangapseumnida. | Nice to meet you. |
At a Restaurant
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 메뉴 주세요. | Menyu juseyo. | Menu, please. |
| 물 주세요. | Mul juseyo. | Water, please. |
| 이거 얼마예요? | Igeo eolmayeyo? | How much is this? |
| 맛있어요! | Masisseoyo! | It's delicious! |
| 계산해 주세요. | Gyesanhae juseyo. | Check, please. |
Getting Around
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 화장실이 어디예요? | Hwajangshiri eodiyeyo? | Where is the restroom? |
| 이 근처에 역이 있어요? | I geuncheoe yeogi isseoyo? | Is there a station nearby? |
| 오른쪽으로 가세요. | Oreunjjogeuro gaseyo. | Go to the right. |
| 왼쪽으로 가세요. | Oenjjogeuro gaseyo. | Go to the left. |
Comprehensive Reading Practice
Read the following paragraph. Try to read it out loud, applying the pronunciation rules you learned.
한국에 오신 것을 환영합니다!
안녕하세요. 저는 김민수입니다. 한국 서울에서 왔어요. 한국어를 공부하고 있어요? 정말 좋아요! 한글은 쉽고 재미있어요.
한국에는 맛있는 음식이 많아요. 김치, 불고기, 비빔밥을 먹어 보세요. 서울 지하철은 편리해요. 지하철역에서 출구 번호를 잘 보세요.
감사합니다. 화이팅!
Breakdown
| Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 한국에 오신 것을 환영합니다! | Welcome to Korea! |
| 안녕하세요. | Hello. |
| 저는 김민수입니다. | I am Kim Minsu. |
| 한국 서울에서 왔어요. | I came from Seoul, Korea. |
| 한국어를 공부하고 있어요? | Are you studying Korean? |
| 정말 좋아요! | That's really great! |
| 한글은 쉽고 재미있어요. | Hangul is easy and fun. |
| 한국에는 맛있는 음식이 많아요. | Korea has a lot of delicious food. |
| 김치, 불고기, 비빔밥을 먹어 보세요. | Try eating kimchi, bulgogi, and bibimbap. |
| 서울 지하철은 편리해요. | The Seoul subway is convenient. |
| 지하철역에서 출구 번호를 잘 보세요. | Look carefully at exit numbers at subway stations. |
| 감사합니다. | Thank you. |
| 화이팅! | Fighting! (expression of encouragement) |
Pronunciation Challenges in the Paragraph
| Written | Rule | Actual Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 맛있는 | 받침 ㅅ + ㅇ (liaison) + 비음화 | [마신는] or [마딘는] |
| 한글은 | 받침 ㄹ + ㅇ (liaison) | [한그른] |
| 쉽고 | 받침 ㅂ + ㄱ (경음화 does not apply here) | [쉽꼬] |
| 먹어 | 받침 ㄱ + ㅇ (liaison) | [머거] |
| 있어요 | 쌍시옷 받침 + ㅇ (liaison) | [이써요] |
What is Next?
Congratulations! You have completed the Hangul reading section of this course. You can now:
- Recognize all 40 Korean letters (19 consonants + 21 vowels)
- Combine letters into syllable blocks
- Apply pronunciation rules to read naturally
- Read common signs, greetings, and simple sentences
In the next lesson, you will learn how to type Korean on your keyboard — an essential skill for practicing, searching, and communicating in Korean.