Korean from scratch: where to start? How to learn Korean.

The Korean language is traditionally considered isolated group. Nevertheless, it is spoken by almost eighty million people in the world.

Korean is spoken not only by Koreans living in North and South Korea, but also by those who live outside historical homeland. The birth of the Korean language is attributed to the period of the existence of three kingdoms that were located on the territory of the Korean Peninsula: Baekje, Silla and Goguryeo. Moreover, there is every reason to believe that the language of the kingdom of Silla is the ancestor of the Korean language, and the language of Koguryeo is the ancestor of Japanese.

In the state of South Korea, the official language is the Seoul dialect. It carries (as, indeed, other dialects of Korean) many loanwords from American and Chinese. Dialects in both South and North Korea are distributed according to the provinces. So, there is a dialect of Chuncheon, Gangwon, Gyeongsan, Jeolla. The smallest province in South Korea is Jeju Island and almost the entire southwestern coast of the country speaks the Jeju dialect. Due to the status of the official state language, Seoul dialect helps communication between representatives of different language groups in South Korea. Having common roots, all dialects have something in common with each other and have minor differences in spelling and pronunciation. The exception is the Jeju dialect, which cannot be understood by speakers of other language groups. This is a consequence of a certain isolation of Jeju from other population groups.

Since 2000, the South Korean government has officially approved the romanization of the Korean language (writing Korean words in Latin), which is designed to make life easier for tourists. However, the peculiarities of the local writing, which allow one to arbitrarily change the consonants in a word when writing it, easily turn "coffee" into "kopi", and "golf" into "goppy". Despite such confusion, a couple of phrases learned with the help of a phrase book will greatly facilitate the tourist's stay in South Korea. Although at first glance, Korean writing seems complicated, it is quite simple. Sounds are assembled into blocks, forming syllables, and those, in turn, into words.

indicate that he is one of the most important languages in the world. During training, a person will have to learn all its nuances and features.

1. Korean has 10 vowels and 14 consonants (24 letters in total), 11 double consonants and 5 double vowels (these are called diphthongs).
2. The Korean language is characterized by a certain feature - during the conversation there is no pronoun "you". Often it is simply omitted or the word "sir" is used during the conversation. People of low social status are referred to as "uncle" and "aunt".

   

3. The capital of South Korea is Seoul, which means “capital” in Korean..

   

4. There are only three hundred different surnames for 80 million people.

   

5. Korean is one of the most polite languages ​​in the world. But this hinders and often confuses Europeans during its study. Proper communication in Korean involves indicating the status of the interlocutor during the conversation. There are appropriate words for this. Thus, a person shows that he knows the language and culture of the local population.

   

6. In 1443, scientists developed Hangul, the basic alphabet.. This was the main instruction of the sovereign - Sejong the Great. Koreans love to tell the legend that the creator was a Buddhist monk. Koreans do not write hieroglyphs, although it does not immediately seem so.

   

7. In a time when there was no Hangul, Koreans used "hancha" to write.. It was based on Chinese characters. Today, khancha is used in literary works and scientific papers. So it was not possible to find out exactly what caused the creation. Some legends say that it was based on a letter rectangular shape from the Mongols. According to other sources, this idea came to Sejong the Great when he was looking at the fishermen's nets. Another crazy idea - the shape of the letters resembles the movements that the human mouth makes during the pronunciation of various sounds.

   

8. 50% of words are of Chinese origin. This is logical, since once Korea was part of China for almost 2 thousand years. Much borrowed from Vietnamese and Japanese.
9. Over the past decades Korean borrowed a lot of words from English.

   

10. Most of words formed by the principle of gluing. To guess what they mean, you should translate all the components. Take, for example, the word "vase". It is formed by merging two words: "vessel" and "flower". The "nostril" was obtained by connecting the "hole" and the "nose".

    

11. Almost all modern Korean names consist of three words.. The first is the surname, the other two are the personal name. For example, Bao Van Duk or Than Ling Kui. Each word means something: the state of nature, human emotions and more. Most of the names do not have any signs that indicate gender. The same name can be called both a man and a woman. Only friends or relatives can call a person by name. From the side stranger it may seem like an insult.

    

12. Korean has two types of numerals. One of them is of Chinese origin, the other is of Korean origin. For numbers less than a hundred, the Korean version is used, for numbers more than 100, as well as the count of time, the Chinese version. In general, the rules for using different numerals are very confusing. This can cause some difficulties during language learning, especially if it is a beginner.
13. Nearly 80 million people around the world are native speakers of Korean.

The official language of the Republic of Korea is Korean. Korean refers to "the language spoken by Koreans primarily on the Korean peninsula". Currently, this language is used by about 70 million Koreans living in South and North Korea, as well as about 3 million 500 thousand compatriots abroad.

Origin of Korean

The most convincing theory of the origin of the Korean language is the theory that this language belongs to the Altaic family. Altaic family of languages ​​The Altaic family of languages ​​includes the Tungus-Manchu, Mongolian and Turkic branches. It is common among the peoples inhabiting the territory from Siberia to the Volga. The Korean language and the Altaic language family The theory of relationship between the Korean language and the languages ​​of the Altaic family is based on their structural similarity. In particular, for the vocalism of the Korean language, as for most of the Altaic languages, synharmonicity is characteristic - likening vowel sounds in a word to a root vowel. The features of consonantism in the Korean language (in particular, restrictions on the occurrence of phonemes in positions at the beginning of a word) can also be attributed to a feature inherent in the phonological systems of the languages ​​of the Altaic family. In terms of morphology, in its structure, the Korean language, like other Altaic languages, is agglutinative, that is, it is characterized by the mechanical attachment of affixes to the unchangeable stem of the word.

Korean in the South and North

The years of the division of the country into North and South led to the divergence of the Korean language and the formation of the northern and southern variants. However, although it is possible to talk about the appearance of differences in the meaning and use of a particular word, as well as in the use of modern terms, this is not a serious obstacle to understanding the interlocutor's speech. The difference in the languages ​​used in the two Koreas should be considered as the difference between two dialects of the same language. Efforts are currently being made to smooth out the existing language differences. So, joint research is being carried out by scientists from the North and the South.

Dialects of Korean

There are six dialects in Korean. These include: northeastern ㅡ includes dialects of the provinces of Hamgyongbukto, Hamgyongnamdo and Yangando - in the North; northwestern ㅡ it includes the dialects of such North Korean provinces as Pyonganbukto, Pyongannamdo, Chagangdo and the northern part of the province of Hwanghaedo; southeasternㅡ spoken in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do and surrounding areas; southwesternㅡ common in the provinces of Jeollabuk-do and Jeolla-nam-do; the dialect of Jeju Island and surrounding islands; central ㅡ including dialects of the provinces of Gyeonggi-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, Chungcheongnam-do, Gangwon-do - in the South, and most of the province of Hwanghae-do - in the North.

Korean writing

The Korean alphabet Hangul is an example of a unique original writing

Creation of the Korean alphabet

The Korean Hangul alphabet was created in 1443 under the leadership of the fourth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty, Wang Sejong, in the 25th year of his reign. The corresponding royal edict was promulgated in 1446 and was called "Hunmin jongum" ("Instruction to the people about correct pronunciation"). It consisted of a main text and a commentary on the principles of Korean letter formation and usage. Initially, the Korean alphabet consisted of 28 letters: 11 vowels and 17 consonants, which, in turn, formed syllables. The syllable was divided into three parts: “initial” (consonant), “middle” (vowel) and “final” (consonant) sounds.

Giving Korean writing the status of "state writing"

Even after the publication of this first monument of the Korean alphabet official documents written in ancient Chinese. It took another 450 years before the Korean script became the "state script", thereby replacing the ancient Chinese language: this status was given to Hangul in November 1894 by the Supreme Decree No. 1 "On the form of official documents."

Korean writing in modern times

Actually, the term "Hangul" was first proposed by a Korean linguist named Chu Si Kyung (1876 - 1914), and put into circulation in 1913. And from 1927, the Hangul magazine began to be published - a periodical that became widespread. The word itself can be translated as "Korean writing", as well as "great writing" and "the best writing in the world", which conveys the spirit of the original source - the treatise "Hunmin jongum". In 1933, the Korean Spelling Unification Project was proposed by the Society for the Study of the Korean Language, according to which the four pre-existing letters of the alphabet were abolished. Since then, Korean writing has been composed of 24 letters, 10 of which are vowels and 14 are consonants.

Composition of a syllable in Korean writing

The three letters of the Korean alphabet, the so-called "initial", "middle" and "final", written in a certain order, form a syllable. The "initial" letter is represented by a consonant. The fourteen simple consonants of the Korean alphabet form various combinations with each other; thus, total number there are more consonants. The "middle" letter in the Korean syllable is a vowel. There are ten simple vowels, but they also form combinations, increasing the actual number of vowels in the Korean alphabet. The "final" letter, like the "initial" one, is a consonant. It may or may not be present in a syllable. Characteristics of Korean writing Combinations of consonants and vowels form syllables, which can be assessed as a highly scientific and at the same time easy to learn method. The most scientific writing on the planet "The most scientific writing on the planet" - such an assessment of Hangul has received wide recognition in the world. The basis for such a statement is the originality of Korean writing and the effectiveness of the combination of various characters. Vowels and consonants are easily distinguished from each other, 28 simple letters of the alphabet are placed in a clear sequence, entering into various combinations both vertically and horizontally, and forming a neat square. Of particular note is the scientific nature of the writing of consonants, which, by their image, clearly reflect the position of the lips, mouth and tongue during their pronunciation.

For many, the Korean language seems mysterious and super complex, because it is so different from ours. in front of you 8 interesting facts about Korean to help you understand it a little better.

1. There are only 24 letters in the Korean alphabet.

Many people imagine the Korean alphabet to be very difficult with large quantity characters, but it only has 24 letters. Moreover, 10 of them are vowels.

For example, recall that in English there are 5 vowels, but most of them have several sounds. So in different words letters can be read differently. But each Korean vowel corresponds to only one sound.

It turns out that there are only 14 consonants in the Korean alphabet, and many of the sounds that exist in English or Russian are simply not there (for example, “Z” or “F” from English).

2 . The Korean alphabet (HANGUL) can be learned in just 90 minutes.

The Korean alphabet was invented with the specific goal of making it easy to learn. All consonants have a form that will help you memorize them using almost just one lip shape. The spelling of vowels is also easy to remember.

3. 80 million people around the world speak Korean

Most of them, of course, live in South and North Korea, and in addition, one of the provinces of China uses the Korean language. You will find Korean speakers in Japan, USA, Russia and other countries.

4. D The dialects of regions in Korea are very different from standard Korean.

The Korean spoken in Seoul is called "Standard Korean". It is used by the media, important state statements are made on it. But, since Korea is a country of mountains, many regions are very isolated from each other. Because of this, the language in different areas can be very different. That's why many Seoulites have a hard time understanding the man from Busan.

5. There are many loanwords in Korean.

Most loanwords come from in English or directly from Japan. So for example, the word "motorbike" — "oto-bai" from the word auto-bike.

Other languages ​​can also be found in Korean, such as "bbang"(bread) from Portuguese, and "arubaituh"(part-time job, part-time job) from German.

6. Many of the remaining words have Chinese roots.

At one time, Chinese culture made a huge contribution to the formation of an active vocabulary of the Korean language.

7. There are two counting systems in Korea.

One of the counting systems was created on the basis of the Korean language, the other has Chinese roots, the numbers here have a similar sound to Chinese. Often, Korean language learners get confused about how to apply each of these systems in practice. But do not give up or despair!

8. North Korean is gradually becoming an independent language.

Despite the fact that a large difference in pronunciation and dialects existed even before Korean War, truly languages ​​​​became alien after the separation. Significant impact foreign languages into South Korean and the isolation of North Korea has led to the fact that now many words that have the same meaning on one side and the other have become completely different. For example words "ice cream", "rainbow", "friend", "lunchbox"- in two Koreas they sound completely different.

Which of the facts seemed to you the most interesting? And what unusual facts do you know about korean?

Few know how to learn Korean. Share useful tips, hints and simple exercises. Fly in!

South Korea is an economically developed, beautiful and livable country where Europeans, both tourists and expats, are treated very well.

If you come here for a week or two to relax, then you will be quite enough.

But if your plans are to live and work here, then you will have to master the state language of this country.

How to learn Korean quickly and without much stress?

This is not to say that you have set yourself a simple task, because Korean is not one of those languages ​​that you can learn - just spit.

And yet, this task is easy to cope with man of sense who is not afraid of the difficulties that come his way.

7 reasons to learn Korean

Some of my readers will probably resent:

“What is this topic? Well, it is clear that you need to learn English or - after all, the main languages ​​​​of international communication. It would be nice if they also learned Chinese - in view of the opening prospects or one of the beautiful European languages- for the soul. But what about Korean? Let the Koreans teach him!”

And my readers will be wrong!

Even if this is not the language of your ancestors, this does not mean at all that you do not need it.

There are at least 7 good reasons to learn Korean:

1. In the ranking of the popularity of languages, Korean is ranked 12th, while German, French, and other more publicized languages ​​are ranked behind it.
2. In total, almost 80 million people speak Korean.
   And these are not only residents of South Korea and the gloomy DPRK, but also numerous representatives of the diaspora scattered around the world.
3. The history, culture and traditions of Korea have ancient roots and are very interesting, but you can study them only if you know the Korean language.
4. South Korea is a country with a strong economy that is quite willing to provide living and working conditions for foreigners.
   And here one cannot do without knowledge of the state language.
5. The 2018 Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang and if you want to volunteer, it's not too late to try and learn Korean.
6. Several Korean companies operate in Russia.
   Knowing their language will be a powerful advantage in finding employment.
7. Universities in South Korea have a good reputation and are willing to accept foreign students, but they teach in the state language.

You can't learn Korean without knowing the alphabet and basic words

Naturally, the study should begin with the development of its alphabet.

The Korean language has a system of characters that seem very exotic to people who are used to the Cyrillic or Latin alphabet, but this is only at first.

The alphabet that is still in use today was invented in the middle of the 15th century during the reign of the imperial Joseon Dynasty.

Now there are only 24 letters in it (consonants - 14, vowels - 10), but do not rush to rejoice at this discovery, because there are also double consonants and vowels, together with which as many as 40 letters are obtained.

And that's not all the "good" news: the Koreans decided that their own hieroglyphs were not enough for them, so they borrowed another 3,000 wondrous characters from the Chinese.

They are used to refer specifically to Chinese words and concepts.

If you have just started learning, then do not touch these Chinese characters for now, focus on the basic alphabet.

When you master the alphabet, move on to memorizing basic words:

• names of numbers, months, days of the week;
• greetings and farewells;
• running verbs;
• so-called "tourist phrases", etc.

You yourself understand that the more vocabulary you have, the faster you will speak fluently.

How to learn Korean on your own?

People by different reasons want to learn new languages.

And, of course, each of those who wish chooses the most convenient way of studying for themselves in order to demonstrate good results as quickly as possible.

Some who are especially brave decide to learn Korean on their own.

If you are among them and have chosen selfeducation(that is, without a tutor or courses), then you are one of the people who do not look for easy ways.

Korean cannot be called very simple, and the hieroglyphs are confusing for many.

To make it easier for yourself, you should use various tools:

Audio and video lessons.

Since Korean is becoming more and more popular (especially among young people), there are enough sites on the net with special exercises, lessons and courses that help in a few months (with due diligence, of course) to demonstrate good results.

You can look for help on the following resources:

• http://lingust.ru/korean/korean-lessons,
• http://www.goethe-verlag.com/book2/RU/russki-koreyskiy-online.html,
• https://hosgeldi.com/kor/

and others.

Tutorials and dictionaries.

If you prefer to learn new knowledge the old fashioned way, then go to a bookstore.

Of course, the range of dictionaries, tutorials and phrasebooks may not be as rich as, for example, in English, but you will definitely find something.

1. Application https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bravolang.korean&hl=ru, which you can conceive on your smartphone to study not only at home, but also use every free minute for learning.

Movies and series in Korean with subtitles in their native language.

Here on this resource you can learn more about this method: http://maximof.com/kor.html.

How to learn Korean with qualified help?

If you do not find the strength to learn the Korean syllable on your own, then no one will blame you for cowardice and cowardice, because it is really difficult.

Today in large cities of Russia and Ukraine there are courses and tutors where you can learn almost any language.

You can:

1. Attend group courses if you are not shy a large number witnesses and grasp new information quickly enough.
2. Study with a tutor at home - so all the attention of the teacher will be paid only to you, and individual training allows you to plan the lessons the way you need it.
3. Studying with a tutor via Skype is a relatively new, but gaining momentum, method.

Tips for learning Korean step by step

presented in the video:

Language immersion is an enjoyable and effective way to learn Korean

Naturally, no linguistic schools, courses, tutors, tutorials, online lessons and other tools can be compared in efficiency with this method.

Fully immersed in language environment You can see great results within a month.

But let's be honest: this method suits people who are risky, not poor, who have enough to implement their plans.

To get started, you can go to South Korea as a tourist and try to communicate with the locals as much as possible, even if at first you will not be very good at it.

There is another way - to find a job here, for example, in the tourism sector.

Knowledge of English may be enough at the first stage, and you can master the state language in the course of communication with local residents.

By the way, hotels aimed at tourists from former countries The USSR is happy to hire those who are fluent in English and Russian.

For those who think how to learn korean in short terms I would suggest a combination of the above methods.

This will help shorten the learning curve.

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