Korean Language Tutorial

Lesson 3

Korean lessons: Lesson 3

How to make a character out of alphabet

Each character is designed to represent one syllable, the structure of which may be described as (C)V(C), where C stands for a consonant, and V does a vowel--(C) means that the consonant in the position is optional.

(C) + V + (CC)
initial consonant vowel final consonant (coda)

Some vowels are placed on the right side of the initial consonant; some are placed underneath the initial consonant: Vowels ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅣ (and their derivatives, i.e. ㅐ, ㅔ, ㅒ,ㅖ) are placed on the right; and vowels ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ are placed undersneath the initial consonant. Final consonants are always placed at the bottom.
E.g)
ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅁ = 감 [kam]
ㄱ + ㅜ + ㄱ = 국 [kuk]
ㄲ + ㅜ + ㅇ = 꿍
ㄴ + ㅏ = 나 [na]
ㅎ + ㅘ = 화 [hwa]
ㅇ + ㅐ = 애 [ae]
ㅇ + ㅗ + ㅅ = 옷 [ot]
ㄱ + ㅗ + ㄷ = 곧 [kot]
ㄲ + ㅗ + ㅊ = 꽃 [kkot]
ㅂ + ㅏ + ㅌ = 밭 [pat]
ㅎ + ㅡ + ㄺ = 흙 [hu^(r)k]
ㅇ + ㅓ + ㅄ = 없 [o^p]
ㄸ + ㅓ + ㄼ = 떫 [tto^(r)p]

NB) Final consonant clusters: ㄳ, ㄵ, ㄶ, ㄺ, ㄻ, ㄼ, ㄽ, ㄾ, ㄿ, ㅀ, ㅄ

Except for ㄺ, ㄻ, ㄼ, ㄽ, ㄾ, ㄿ, ㅀ (ones with ㄹ placed before another consonant), when followed by another consonant or nothing, the second consonant of the cluster becomes silent. This second consonant will come alive when there is a vowel after it.

값 = kap "price"
값 + 과 = kap kwa "price and"
값 + 이 = kapsi "price (with a subject particle)"

Final clusters with 'ㄹ+consonant' fomp3ation are pronounced with slight irregularity. As for ㄺ, ㄻ, ㄼ, ㄾ, ㄿ, the foregoing liquid sound [ㄹ] of the cluster is ignored when followed by another consonant or nothing. This ㄹ comes alive when the cluster is followed by another vowel. However, Seoul speakers (and many other regions too) tend to throw in a touch of liquid sound for the ㄹ even when the cluster is followed by a consonant or nothing.

삶 = sa(l)m "a living"
삶 + 이 = sal mi "a living (with a subject particle)"

In clusters ㄽ and ㅀ, however, [ㄹ] is alive even when followed by another consosnant.

끓 + 고 = kku^l k'o "boil and.."

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