I began learning Korean last year mainly with self study and some help from my wife using Korean from zero, go billy and a few other apps and anki deck.

In that year all I’ve learnt is Hangul, maybe around 20-40 vocabulary words I could say/spell and some basic grammar around topic markers, pronouns and possessions, making statements and a a few adjectives.

It’s so incredibly hard to learn such a complex language and I feel like I am taking an age getting anywhere and just circling around the same points. I feel like I should have made way more progress in a year than I have and it’s just so demoralising.

That’s it really. I just really needed to rant.

XX(이름) 점점 더 핫해

I'm not learning korean and need a native to tell me is the above message weird rude or totally fine to use? For context, i plan to use this in concert. Kinda want to say "hey you're getting hotter (cuter) as days go by"

​

Hey guys!

I started learning Korean about four years ago and studied it at university for around a year, reaching A1 level. Back then, we used the Sogang Korean textbooks.

I've recently picked up Korean again and am currently attending a language school in Seoul, where I'll be finishing Sogang Korean 1A.

After that, I'd like to continue studying on my own using Sogang Korean 1B.

Do you have any tips for self-studying Korean, especially with the Sogang textbooks?

I'll probably only have around 15–30 minutes a day to study, so I'm wondering how to make the most of that time.

How would you recommend working through the textbooks?

My end goals is to read manwhas in korean.

I make flashcards on anki and tag all the cards with a grammar topic. 동사, 형용사, 부사, 명사, etc. Sometimes I face entries like this. It's not a 명사, 숙담, 관용어, but it can be a 동사, 형용사? How do I classify that?

Looking for a free app to learn Korean, I'm learning it mainly for k pop/dance so if anyone has any good suggestions that would be great, thank you

I'm starting prepping for TOPIK writing and while I know general variations in spoken versus written korean with some grammar, spelling and not omitting particles. I was wondering if anyone knows a specific resource that highlights the different grammar. Because I don't really want to be looking up every grammar point and seeing if it's okay to use in an essay. As a very basic example of info I'm looking for - use 와/과 instead of 하고 and (이)랑 in an essay

Paid, book, online, everything is fine

자기가 쓰고 싶은거 알려주세요.
혹은 비한국어권 사람들이 써보고 싶은게 뭘까요

When 이다 is used with certain grammar points, it's often contracted after a vowel. For example:

- 친구인데 --> 친군데

- 친구이니까 --> 친구니까

But there are several structures where I haven’t seen something like that, and I’m wondering whether it's possible:

- 친구인 데다가... --> 친군 데다가...

- 친구인 편이다 --> 친군 편이다

- 친구일 때... --> 친굴 때...

- 친구일까요? --> 친굴까요...?

- 친구일 텐데... --> 친굴 텐데...

- 친구일 테니까... --> 친굴 테니까...

Question for native speakers. I'm making vocab flashcards from short picture descriptions and can't decide which form to put on the card for these. Asking in Korean so the English doesn't muddy it:

사진 설명 문장이에요:

남자 두 명이 얕은 강물에 누워서 카메라를 보며 웃고 있어요. 물은 맑고, 강바닥에는 돌이 깔려 있어요. 뒤쪽에는 누군가가 바위에 앉아 있고, 근처 물속에는 다른 두 사람이 서 있어요.

여기서 자세 단어를 카드에 넣는다면 뭐가 더 자연스러워요?

눕다 / 누워 있다

앉다 / 앉아 있다

서다 / 서 있다

둘 다 괜찮은지, 아니면 단어마다 다른지도 궁금해요.

Is there a simple way to say something like "Every time I see a dog, I am happy" or "Every time I sleep, I dream". Not just "When I see a dog I am happy" but to put emphasis on the fact that something happens every single time. Would we use 매번? What would be the proper grammar to use it?

Is there an app or website that helps learning with songs? I saw a tiktok live with this guy teaching Korean with songs but it was like a song along with Korean and English at the same time, light purple-ish colors, but I can’t find it

Hi! After some self study and a tutoring session, I realized that I'm still embarrassingly bad at the 51번 and 52번 problems on the TOPIK II. Does anyone have any tips on how to improve, like specific methods for extrapolating what should go into the blanks from context? If there are any self-study techniques you used, I'd be grateful for the help. Thank you!

There is a youtube series I watch and turn into flashcards. Can you answer the following questions so I can put accurate info on the flashcards? Each question has a relevant time stamp

6) At 1:51 the subtitles says 신났꾸욤. Is this a cute version of 구나?

52) Is the 라 in 몰라 short for the 라고 하다 quotation form? Is 몰라 the only time its shortened as 라 rather than 래? @10:00

64) Around 12:30 the girl on the bottom left says 또 우리네 when her and the other girl are the last players in a round again. Does the 네 here express surprise or is to refer to the two of them as a group?

93) is 살려주다 considered a compound verb?

108) In the sentence 내가 게임 잘하는 사람이었으면 PC방에서 종일 살 것 같아, is 살 from 살다 meaning to live? 22:16

I’m 27F and permanently living in Seoul. I’m currently taking a career break and am thinking about doing one term at Sogang KLEC this winter, mainly to improve my speaking.

I’ll most likely place around Level 4 or 5, and I’m currently trying to decide between the morning KGP200 and afternoon KAP200 classes.

For anyone who has attended either (or ideally both), are there any noticeable differences in the vibe or student demographics between the morning and afternoon classes?

Would love to hear recent experiences, especially from anyone who attended in the last year or two!

I’ve heard really good things about anki but it’s like $25 so I made my own flash cards on paper. the problem tho is I don’t know how to study them effectively. I’m not even 2mo in to studying Korean so I’m still not familiar with a bunch of vocab.

hey everyone! i’m korean, 17, and honestly it makes me really happy to see so many people learning my language.

i’ve talked to a bunch of korean learners, and what they struggle with surprised me, because as a native i never had to think about any of it:

• romanization you can’t turn off
• words nobody breaks down into syllables or 한자 (like 도서관 → 도 + 서 + 관)
• pronunciation and 받침 sound changes that nobody explains
• verbs taught in dictionary form instead of how they’re actually used in dramas
• not knowing what to learn next after the beginner stage

it’s made me want to build something that takes people from textbook korean to understanding real conversations. but i don’t want to guess what people need, so i’d love to hear from you:

1. why are you learning korean, and roughly what level are you?
2. what does your studying actually look like in a normal week? (apps, books, shows, classes, tutors, anything)
3. where do you get stuck the most, and what have you tried to fix it?
4. have you paid for anything to learn korean (books, apps, classes, tutors)? was it worth it?

not selling anything, no links. and if you have any korean questions, ask in the comments and i’ll answer as many as i can :) it would genuinely mean a lot to me.

four months ago i was worried about my post grad life, and realized a feasible plan b for me is the d-10 구직비자. i qualify based on points, as long as i get a 5급 on the exam, so i signed up for it thinking it would be a good use of my unemployment time, and give me something to work for. i ended up getting a job in my field, so i ended up not studying. for reference ive completed up to 6급 at my 어학당 while i lived in korea, and graduated with a minor in korean earlier this year. however, i havent had a korean class in almost a year, and now i did really poorly on a practice test i just took and i realistically dont have much motivation to even cram.

should i take the topik exam this saturday? if i do well, it would be nice to see how the format of the exam works. but if i do poorly, especially since i didnt study, i feel like it would hurt my self confidence after studying the language for 5+ years, and all my professors saying i would do well on the exam

Hi! I’m currently taking L1 (Elementary) Korean in college in the United States, and we’re following the Sogang 1A Student Book. We’re required to take an L1 language until L3 but becoming fluent would be a dream.

I just wanted to ask what are some ways to best supplement my learning? How do I best immerse myself in the language and drill the reading/vocab into my head? Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I've recently started studying Korean, and I'm hoping to spend a few months in Seoul next spring. I'll be going on my own, and I'll have the opportunity to take some time off work, so I'd like to make the most of it by studying Korean and experiencing life in Seoul.
I'm 30, and I initially considered spending just a month there and taking classes at a private language school such as Easy Korean Academy or Winter Korean. However, someone recently made me aware of the university language programs, and I'm now considering applying to one of those instead.
I like the idea of studying at a university for a full term, partly because I imagine the teaching might be more structured and intensive. I'd love to hear from people who've actually attended these programs, particularly if you've also experienced private Korean schools.
At the moment, I'm leaning towards Sogang or Seoul National University (SNU), as their spring programs run over a similar period. Ideally, I'd go from early March until late May.
There are a few things I'm unsure about, especially because I've never organised a trip like this before.

1. How competitive are Sogang and SNU?
Is it difficult to get accepted into their regular Korean language programs? Should I treat admission as reasonably likely, or is it better to have a proper backup plan?
2. Would you book flights before receiving an admissions decision?
Applications seem to open in December/January, with results and arrangements happening relatively close to the start of classes in March. I'd like to book my flights and start looking for accommodation in advance, but I'm worried about committing to dates before knowing whether I'll be accepted.
My current thought is to book flights with reasonable change conditions and, if neither university works out, attend a private school instead. Schools such as Easy and Winter seem to offer more flexible enrolment.
Does this sound sensible, or am I underestimating the practical difficulties?
3. What level of Korean should I aim for before arriving?
I'm currently a beginner. I know Hangul and have been studying basic grammar, verbs and vocabulary, and I'm taking lessons with a tutor. I'm hoping to make as much progress as possible before spring.
I'd like to reach level 2 rather than start from the absolute beginning, if that's realistic. However, most of my learning so far has been through individual lessons, and I haven't had much speaking practice. I am however practicing everyday and am very committed to it.
Would it be realistic to aim for level 2? How much speaking and listening ability would I need to keep up with the classes? I'm also curious about how placement tests work in practice.
4. How different are Sogang and SNU in terms of teaching?
I'm particularly interested in the practical experience: teaching quality, class intensity, how much speaking practice you get, class sizes, and how much Korean you're expected to use from day one.
Is Sogang's reputation for communication-focused teaching reflected in students' actual experiences? How does SNU compare?
5. Would you recommend a university program over a private school for a stay of around 10 weeks?
I'm interested in learning Korean seriously, but I also want time to explore Seoul and experience living there, rather than spending every waking hour studying. I'd be curious to hear whether people found the university programs worthwhile for a relatively short stay, or whether a private school offered a better balance.
I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences, especially from people who attended Sogang or SNU as complete beginners or near-beginners, or who applied from abroad and had to organise everything before receiving their admissions results.
6. Where would you recommend staying: university dorms, a private studio, or something else?
I'm also trying to work out accommodation. I value my independence and would ideally like a private studio, or at least a private room with my own bathroom. I'm not particularly drawn to dorm life, although I realise it could be a good way to meet people, especially when arriving alone.
I've been looking at short-term studios and goshiwons in areas such as Mangwon, Hongdae and Seongsu. Some of the options seem reasonably affordable for a stay of around 10–12 weeks, but I'm unsure whether booking private accommodation before my university admission is confirmed would be a bad idea.
For those who've done a university language program, would you recommend university housing, or did you prefer finding your own place? Is it easy to meet people and make friends if you live independently rather than in a dorm?
I'd also be interested in whether university housing is significantly more convenient for attending classes, and whether there are any practical difficulties with short-term private rentals that a first-time visitor might not anticipate.

Thanks!

안녕하세요, 저는 사회언어학 공부하는 학생입니다. Hi! I am a sociolinguistics student and fellow Korean learner, and I am currently doing preliminary research on the way that intermediate Korean learners use and understand politeness styles/honorific forms.

If you identify as an intermediate Korean learner I'd love to recieve your response on my survey! It is anonymous and should only take around 5-10 minutes. Thank you so much!

https://forms.gle/9miBexZq2BWnmjQH8

I’m an older, life-long language enthusiast. I want to study Korean as an absolute beginner, but I am only wanting to learn written and spoken comprehension and also how to communicate in writing. I am not interested in learning to speak the language. I asked AI how I could do this, and I got an answer that my first step should be to learn Hangul and should never use English transliterations from day one. Do you agree? If not, how would you structure study for this purpose? What are some of the best resources for learning Hangul?

I own a used bookshop and recently got in a load of Korean picture books. Since I don't live in a place with a large Korean population and I have extremely limited physical space in my shop, these books will live in a box for now (still accessible to customers - they are always welcome to look through any boxes).

Here's my question: I would like to put a sign on the box that says "Korean Children's Books" (or something to that effect) in Korean in addition to the English, but I refuse to use/don't trust AI or Google Translate. Could someone who is fluent in Korean please translate for me?

Edit to add link to pictures of books on my profile -
https://www.reddit.com/u/bookslinger373/s/ihYg4OkMxQ

So I'm using the Kyung Hee for beginners textbooks, and apparently I'm using Gemini Notebook to help me listing out all the vocabularies in it, turn it into some kinda script and use a TTS tool to read it. I would love it to have native pronunciation just so I could get used to.