Study Hanguel, the Korean Alphabet Part 2 (Consonants)

Study Hanguel Part 1 (Vowels): Click here.

CONSONANTS (자음)

There are 19 consonants in the Korean Alphabet. They are divided into 14 basic consonants and 5 double consonants. These consonants can't be used alone. Thus, they must be placed into a word block or syllable with a vowel. 

These are the 14 basic consonants:

ㄱ   ㄴ   ㄷ   ㄹ   ㅁ   ㅂ   ㅅ

ㅇ   ㅈ   ㅊ   ㅋ   ㅌ   ㅍ   ㅎ

These consonants can be used before or after a vowel. If a consonant is placed before a vowel, it is called a beginning or initial consonant. 

When used as an initial consonant, these are the sound the consonants produce:

ㄱ  = [k/g] 

ㄴ  = [n]

ㄷ  = [d/t] 

ㄹ  = [r/l]

ㅁ  = [m]

ㅂ  = [b/p]

ㅅ  = [s/sh]  * pronounced as sh when followed by the vowel ㅣ (i). Therefore 시 is read as "shi".

 ㅇ = has no sound**

**It just serves as a placemarker because every syllable must start with a consonant. In syllables that begin with this consonant the first sound pronounced is the vowel.

ex: 우유 = uyu (milk) 

ㅈ  = [ts/dz]

example: 사자 = saja (lion)

The remaining basic consonants are aspirated. They are pronounced with the sound of a breath or the letter "h". 

 

ㅊ = [tsh/ch] 

ㅋ = [kh] 

ㅌ = [th] 

ㅍ = [ph]

ㅎ = [h]

Vocabulary

나라 = nara (country) 

야구 = yagu (baseball) 

오리 = ori (duck) 

비누 = binu (soap) 

치마 = chima (skirt) 

두부 = dubu (tofu) 

바지 = paji (pants) 

소리 = sori (sound) 

포도 = podo (grapes) 

네모 = nemo (square)

5 Double Consonants

These consonants have tensed sound and are strongly articulated.

ㄲ = [k'] 

ㄸ = [t'] 

ㅃ = [p'] 

ㅆ = [s'] 

ㅉ = [ts']

Now that we have finished all the initial consonants, it's time to study about the ending or final consonants. 

All consonants, except for ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅉ, can be attached to the bottom of the syllable. They are called ending or final consonants. However, there are only 7  different ways of pronouncing all final consonants.

The final consonant is pronounced linked when it meets a vowel. The sound is carried to the next syllable. 

example:

음악 = eum-ak (music) 

** when you read it, it is pronounced as 으막 (eu-mak).

한국어 = han-guk-eo (korean language) 

** 한구거 (han-gu-keo)

할아버지 = har-a-beo-ji (grandfather)

** 하라버지 (ha-ra-beo-ji)

앉아요 = anj-a-yo (sit)

** 안자요 (an-ja-yo)

So, that ends our lesson. I hope you learned something from this. Til next time!