LinguaTwenty-four letters, and one rule
You have met ten vowels and nine consonants, and one rule that puts them together: the vowel decides where the consonant sits. That is nearly the whole writing system. What is left – the bottom consonant and the combined vowels – is the next unit, and neither of them changes the rule you already know.
| Block | Its two letters | Arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| 가 | ㄱ + ㅏ | side by side |
| 고 | ㄱ + ㅗ | one above the other |
| 시 | ㅅ + ㅣ | side by side |
| 무 | ㅁ + ㅜ | one above the other |
Reading a block is therefore a two-step habit: find the consonant, then find the vowel and say them in that order. Written Korean gives you the pieces in the order you pronounce them, top-left to bottom-right, which is why the alphabet can be learnt in an afternoon and read for a lifetime.
A consonant and an upright vowel: two letters, drawn left then right.
The same two kinds of letter, but the flat vowel sends the consonant to the top.
나비a butterfly
머리a head
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 나비 | butterfly | 나비가 날아요. A butterfly is flying. |
| 오이 | cucumber | 오이가 싸요. Cucumbers are cheap. |
| 머리 | head | 머리가 길어요. The hair is long. |
| 바다 | sea | 바다가 보여요. The sea is visible. |
| 소 | cow | 소가 있어요. There is a cow. |
| 나무 | tree | 나무가 많아요. There are many trees. |
Exercises
This lesson has 9 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- trace the letter: 2
- fill the gap: 2
- match the pairs: 1
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which block puts its consonant on top?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.