Korean taught block by block, from Hangul syllables to formal reports
Korean lessons span A1 to C2 in reading, listening and writing. Learners build Hangul syllable blocks, read dates in year-month-day order, and choose between polite conversational endings and formal written requests.
At A1 and A2, learners assemble Hangul letters into syllable blocks and read form labels, hotel and delivery messages, and short notices. Through B1 and B2 they write emails that put the action first and discussion replies that agree on one point while questioning another. At C1, learners distinguish casual, everyday polite, formal professional and impersonal report endings, and turn a file request to a client into an indirect question. The honorific examples contrast a teacher’s statement with the writer’s report to a manager.
Groups that are new to Hangul can learn the block system side by side, and groups that already read it will find choosing the speech style each reader expects is one of the threads in the later lessons.
Lessons
50
Questions
470
writing questions
168
reading questions
206
listening questions
96
Levels
A1–C2
Script
Hangul
What Korean asks of an English speaker
Letters stacked into syllable blocks
Hangul letters are grouped into one block per syllable rather than written in a line. A vertical vowel sits to the right of the consonant, as in ㄱ + ㅏ = 가, and a horizontal vowel sits below it, as in ㄱ + ㅗ = 고. A syllable that begins with a vowel still needs a silent first consonant, shown in ㅇ + ㅏ = 아. A final consonant, the 받침, goes at the bottom of the block, as in 집, house.
ㄱ + ㅏ = 가
consonant beside a vertical vowel sign forms one syllable
ㄱ + ㅗ = 고
the same consonant above a horizontal vowel sign forms one syllable
ㅇ + ㅏ = 아
silent initial consonant beside a vertical vowel sign forms one syllable
받침
final consonant
집
house
Four speech styles in the verb ending
Korean signals the relationship between writer and reader in the ending of the verb, and the C1 register lesson names four styles: 해체 for close relationships, 해요체 for ordinary polite exchanges, 합니다체 for formal professional or public writing, and 한다체 for impersonal reports and academic prose. Beginners work in 해요체, as in 고마워요, thank you. By B1, a work email commits to a meeting with the formal 참석하겠습니다, I will attend.
해체
intimate style
해요체
polite everyday style
합니다체
formal style
한다체
plain written style
고마워요
thank you
참석하겠습니다
I will attend
Endings and particles attached to words
Much of Korean grammar arrives as small pieces fixed to the end of a word. At A1 the polite ending meaning "it is" or "I am" depends on the sound before it: 예요 follows a vowel, as in 민지예요, and 이에요 follows a consonant. At A2, 지하철로, by subway, uses -(으)로 for a means of transport, and 토요일에는 frames something that happens on Saturdays. The lessons also leave out a subject the reader can already infer instead of adding a pronoun for you.
예요
is/am (after a vowel)
민지예요
I am Minji
이에요
is/am (after a consonant)
지하철로
by subway
-(으)로
by means of
토요일에는
on Saturdays
Reading a Korean form
The A1 form lesson has learners read each label before entering a value: 이름 is name and 생년월일 is date of birth. Dates in the lesson run from year to month to day, as in 2000년 5월 12일, and an age can be written 25세.
이름
name
생년월일
date of birth
2000년 5월 12일
May twelfth, two thousand
25세
age twenty-five
Try two questions from the course
Both are taken unchanged from the Korean lessons, with the explanation learners see after answering.
A1 · Exchange basic information in simple written interactions
A friend writes 어디에 있어요? Which reply means “I am at the library”?
B2 · Participate effectively in written discussions
태호: 휴게실 전체를 조용한 업무 공간으로 바꾸면 좋겠습니다.
윤아: 집중할 공간이 더 필요하다는 점에는 동의해요. 다만 휴게실은 대화와 휴식을 위한 곳이기도 하니, 창가 쪽 절반만 조용한 구역으로 정하면 어떨까요?
What compromise does 윤아 propose?
What each level covers
A1 Read and type Hangul syllable blocks, recognize signs and schedules, fill in a form with name, nationality and date of birth, and write short polite notes of thanks or apology.
10 skills at A1
Recognize foundational Hangul jamo, syllable blocks, and Korean numerals
Produce foundational Hangul syllable blocks in familiar words
Recognize familiar words and basic phrases in short written texts
Understand basic spoken phrases when delivered slowly and clearly
Complete simple forms with personal information
Write very short simple personal messages
Understand simple written instructions supported by context
Recognize basic information in signs, notices, and schedules
Follow very simple spoken announcements
Exchange basic information in simple written interactions
A2 Read personal messages and service texts, reserve, exchange or chase a late delivery in writing, and describe a routine with time words and the particle for transport.
8 skills at A2
Understand short simple personal messages
Follow basic spoken information about everyday matters
Read simple public information and service texts
Write short everyday messages for practical purposes
Describe routine matters in simple connected writing
Handle simple written transactions
Understand simple directions and instructions
Extract key details from short factual texts
B1 Read the Korean meeting notice that asks for an attendance reply by Wednesday and advance review of its attached agenda, then write a formal attendance confirmation with a vegetarian meal request.
8 skills at B1
Understand the main points of clear texts on familiar matters
Understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters
Write connected texts on familiar topics
Express opinions, plans, and experiences in writing
Manage routine written correspondence
Understand straightforward narratives and descriptions
Follow straightforward presentations and media on familiar topics
Summarize factual information from straightforward texts
B2 Ask which date a Korean writer means by next Friday, and read the lounge discussion’s proposal to make only the window-side half quiet while keeping space for conversation and rest.
8 skills at B2
Read articles and reports that present arguments and viewpoints
Understand extended speech and presentations with clear structure
Write clear detailed texts on a range of subjects
Write reasoned arguments supporting a point of view
Participate effectively in written discussions
Understand specialized texts in familiar fields
Identify stance, tone, and implication in spoken discourse
Synthesize information from multiple written sources
C1 Use honorific verb forms when a teacher is the subject and humble wording when promising to pass a message to a department head, read a promise to review a proposal internally as noncommittal, and spot ironic praise for a process that held five meetings without a decision.
8 skills at C1
Understand long complex texts across a range of domains
Understand extended speech with implicit meaning and complex structure
Write well-structured detailed texts on complex subjects
Adapt style, register, and conventions to purpose and audience
Manage complex written interactions fluently and appropriately
Understand implicit meaning, nuance, and rhetorical effect in written texts
Take effective notes from complex spoken input
Evaluate and synthesize information from complex written sources
C2 Interpret a Busan-dialect remark telling a junior there is no need to run for the train, a retiring official's text declining an expensive watch from a junior colleague on rule grounds, and a contract proviso that cancels a liability exemption when notice of delay is not given within three business days.
8 skills at C2
Understand virtually all forms of written language
Understand virtually all forms of spoken language
Produce polished, effective texts for demanding purposes
Compose nuanced persuasive arguments
Handle demanding written exchanges with precision and flexibility
Interpret subtle pragmatic and cultural references
Critically synthesize diverse written and spoken sources
Edit and transform texts while preserving nuance and effect
Korean with a group
During a Korean session, the room works on one challenge together: picking the reply to a question about where someone is, reading a hotel booking confirmation, or judging what a colleague's conditional agreement in a team thread actually commits to. Everyone answers at the same time after joining with a room code. The host sees where the room keeps slipping, for instance on particles or on which speech style fits, without a public ranking of names, and Yolango sets the next challenge to match. Learners can carry on practicing by themselves between sessions.
