Hello and goodbye

Korean is written in Hangul, a real alphabet with letters for consonants and vowels. The letters are not written in a row like English: they are grouped into square blocks, one block per syllable. 한 (han) is ㅎ (h) + ㅏ (a) + ㄴ (n). A consonant at the bottom of a block is called the batchim. A block can't start with a vowel, so a silent ㅇ fills the first place: 안 (an) is ㅇ + ㅏ + ㄴ.

You don't need to read Hangul yet. Every Korean sentence in this course also has a Latin spelling, the official romanisation. It follows the sound, and sounds change where blocks meet, so 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) is written with an m where Hangul has ㅂ. Vowels: a as in “father”, eo like the “o” in “hot” said with open lips, eu like “u” in “put” without rounding, ae and e like “e” in “bed”. The alphabet is explained step by step on the reference pages.

In Korean the verb comes last. 저는 교사예요 (jeoneun gyosayeyo) is word for word “as for me, teacher am”. 저 (jeo) means “I”, and 는 after it marks the topic, what the sentence is about. 예요 means “am, is, are” and is written together with the noun before it.

Many Korean endings have two forms. Which one you use depends on whether the word before ends in a consonant (a batchim) or a vowel. After a consonant: 은 and 이에요. After a vowel: 는 and 예요. 서연 (Seoyeon) ends in ㄴ, so 저는 이서연이에요 (jeoneun Lee Seoyeonieyo). 교사 (gyosa) ends in a vowel, so 교사예요 (gyosayeyo).

다니엘 (Daniel) ends in ㄹ, so Daniel says 저는 다니엘이에요 (jeoneun Danierieyo). Before a vowel ㄹ sounds like an r, and the romanisation shows that. Your nationality is your country + 사람 (saram, person): 한국 사람 (Hanguk saram), a Korean.

To say what you are not, use 아니에요 (anieyo) with 이 after a consonant or 가 after a vowel: 미국 사람이 아니에요 (Miguk sarami anieyo), I'm not American; 교사가 아니에요 (gyosaga anieyo), I'm not a teacher. Learn it as a phrase for now. 저도 (jeodo) means “me too”: 도 (too) takes the place of 는.

To say where you're from, put 에서 왔어요 (eseo wasseoyo), “came from”, after the place: 캐나다에서 왔어요 (Kaenadaeseo wasseoyo), I'm from Canada. Ask 어디에서 왔어요? (eodieseo wasseoyo?), where are you from?

Korean has two goodbyes. Say 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo), “go in peace”, to someone who is leaving. Say 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo), “stay in peace”, to someone who is staying. If you both leave, you both say 안녕히 가세요.

A yes/no question uses the same words as a statement. Only your voice goes up at the end, and in writing you add ?: 캐나다 사람이에요. (Kaenada saramieyo.), I'm Canadian → 캐나다 사람이에요? (Kaenada saramieyo?), are you Canadian?

Question words stay in the place where the answer goes, and the verb stays last: 어디에서 왔어요? (eodieseo wasseoyo?), where are you from? → 토론토에서 왔어요 (Torontoeseo wasseoyo), I'm from Toronto. The first two question words are 뭐 (mwo), what, and 어디 (eodi), where. 뭐 ends in a vowel, so it's 뭐예요? (mwoyeyo?), what is it? (The 이 in 이름이 is a particle you'll meet in chapter 4.)

Notice that Seoyeon never says “you”: 미국 사람이에요? (Miguk saramieyo?) is just “American are?”. Korean leaves out “I”, “you” and other words that are clear from the situation, and adults hardly ever use a word for “you”. Chapter 3 shows what people say instead.