Learn Korean with Mia Level1 Lesson1: Free Korean Lesson for Beginner

 

# Lesson 1‑1 – Consonants, Vowels & Final Consonants

Welcome to Lesson 1‑1 of Studio Mia's Beginner Korean Hangul Curriculum! In this first lesson, we’ll explore the building blocks of the Korean writing system: consonants, vowels, and the concept of final consonants (받침). By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to read, write, and pronounce these essential elements of Hangul with confidence.

What You’ll Learn in This Lesson

㉠ Basic Korean consonants (자음) – Learn the shape and pronunciation of key letters.
㉡ Basic Korean vowels (모음) – Understand vowel shapes and how they sound.
㉢ Final consonants (받침) – Learn what they are and how they affect pronunciation.
㉣ Reading & Writing Practice – See examples, write characters, and practice reading.
㉤ Exercises – Test your knowledge through writing and pronunciation drills.

Korean Consonants (자음)

Here are four essential consonants you’ll encounter frequently:

Pronunciation Drill:
    * ㄱ: Start with a soft “g,” like game
    * ㄴ: Keep it as noon
    * ㄷ: Between dog and tug, softer than English “t”
    * ㄹ: Tap your tongue lightly against the palate

Korean Vowels (모음)

Vowels rely on mouth shape and tongue position. Here are four basic vowels:

Pronunciation Drill:
    * ㅏ: Open your jaw slightly, say “ah”
    * ㅑ: Add a slight “y” glide, “yah”
    * ㅓ: Round your lips softly for “uh”
    * ㅕ: Glide into “yeuh”

Final Consonants (받침)

In Korean syllables, consonants at the bottom are called 받침 (batchim). They alter pronunciation subtly and affect syllable structure.

Focus today on the basic final consonants: ㄱ, ㄴ, ㄷ. When they appear at the bottom of a syllable block:
    * ㄱ → /k/ sound (like “k” in book)
    * ㄴ → /n/ sound (as in fun)
    * ㄷ → /t/ sound (lighter “t,” not aspirated)

Examples:
    * 국 (guk): like “gook”
    * 난 (nan): similar to “nan” in banana
    * 닫 (dat): like “dat,” short “a”

Reading & Writing Practice

Let’s build simple syllables using consonant + vowel, and then add final consonants:

Writing Practice:
    Try drawing each syllable in your notebook. Notice how the final consonant sits underneath the vowel.

Sample Sentences & Pronunciation

Putting our syllables into context:
    * 가방이에요. (ga-bang-i-e-yo.) – “It’s a bag.”
    * 이건 국이에요. (i-geon guk-i-e-yo.) – “This is soup.”
    * 저는 한국 사람이에요. (jeo-neun han-guk sa-la-mi-e-yo.) – “I am Korean.”

Focus on the final consonant endings:
    * 국: “guk” – ends with a /k/ sound
    * 한국: “han-guk” – the first 받침 /n/ flows into the next syllable

Exercises with Mia

A. Reading & Pronunciation
    Read aloud the following syllables:
        가, 나, 다, 라, 국, 난, 닫

B. Writing Practice
    Write these out by hand:
        i. 가 + 받침 ㄱ = 각 (kak)
        ii. 나 + 받침 ㄴ = 난 (nan)
        iii. 다 + 받침 ㄷ = 닭 (dak – actually chicken; advanced, but fun!)

C. Example Sentence Completion
    Fill in the blank:
        i. 이건 ___ 이에요. (soup) → 국
        ii. 제 이름은 ___ 라고 해요. (Name starts with ra‑) → 라은?
        iii. 저는 ___ 사람이에요. (KOREAn) → 한국

D. Listening Practice
    Use an online Hangul audio resource (e.g. Forvo, TTS). Type ‘각, 난, 닫’ to hear each syllable’s pronunciation. Repeat and compare.

What’s Next?

Continue the momentum with Lesson 1‑2: “What is Hangul? – The origins, design principles & why it works.” We’ll delve into the fascinating history of King Sejong’s creation of Hangul, the logic behind its design, and why it’s one of the most efficient writing systems in the world.