Korean/RWP/Lesson 5

Consonants learned so far: hide the following: Vowels learned so far: hide the following: Welcome back! This is the fifth lesson of "Learn to read, write and pronounce Korean". This lesson covers some variations on the letters you already learned. The consonant ㅋ (kieuk) ㅋ (kieuk) ㅋ (kieuk) stroke order.png Aspirated velar plosive.ogg The first new letter is the consonant ㅋ (kieuk): Letter (jamo): ㅋ Pronunciation: [kʰ] The first new letter to learn is ㅋ (kieuk). It looks and similar to ㄱ (giyeok) but has an additional horizontal line, which indicates that ㅋ is aspirated. That is, ㅋ is pronounced with a burst of air. As you may recall, the difference between aspirated and unaspirated sounds is easily demonstrated by putting a hand or a lit candle in front of your mouth and saying "can" ([kʰæn]) and then "scan" ([skæn]). You should either feel a puff of air or see a flicker of the candle flame with "can" that does not appear with "scan". So, ㅋ (kieuk) is pronounced like the c in can. Exercise Try writing the following words in Korean: Cuba (hint: Ku-ba) 쿠바 Lusaka (hint: Ru-sa-ka) 루사카 Chicago (hint: Si-ka-go) 시카고 kilo (hint: kil-lo) 킬로 Hamburg (hint: Ham-bu-reu-keu) 함부르크 Denmark (hint: Den-ma-keu) 덴마크 Oklahoma (hint: O-keul-la-ho-ma) 오클라호마 class (hint: keul-lae-seu) 클래스 Nebraska (hint: Ne-beu-rae-seu-ka) 네브래스카 Try guessing the meaning of following Korean words: 모로코 Morocco 바스켓볼 basketball 홍콩 Hong Kong 알래스카 Alaska 슬로바키아 Slovakia 케이크 cake 캄보디아 Cambodia 캔자스 Kansas 헬싱키 Helsinki 카메라 camera The vowel ㅑ (ya) ㅑ (ya) ㅑ (ya) stroke order.png Iotized open front unrounded vowel.ogg The first new vowel to learn is ㅑ (ya): Letter (jamo): ㅑ Pronunciation: [ja] The first vowel to learn is ㅑ (ya). It looks and sounds similar to ㅏ (a). The additional short line indicates that the pronunciation begins with a short "y" sound (IPA: [j]). So, ㅑ (ya) is pronounced like the ya in yahoo, the German word ja, and the Russian word я (IPA: [ja]). In the terminology of phonetics, ㅑ (ya) and the other four vowels in this lesson are the iotized versions of vowels you already learned. Exercise Try to guess the meaning of the following Korean words: 야운데 Yaounde 케냐 Kenya 킨샤사 Kinshasa 레이캬비크 Reykjavik 노바스코샤 Nova Scotia The consonant ㅌ (tieut) ㅌ (tieut) ㅌ (tieut) stroke order.png Aspirated ? plosive.ogg The next new letter is the consonant ㅌ (tieut): Letter (jamo): ㅌ Pronunciation: [tʰ] ㅌ (tieut) looks and similar to ㄷ (digeut) and but has an additional horizontal line, which indicates that ㅌ is aspirated. That is, ㅌ is pronounced with a burst of air. Again, to demonstrate the aspiration, put a hand or a lit candle in front of your mouth and say "tone" ([tʰəʊn]) and then "stone" ([stəʊn]). You should either feel a puff of air or see a flicker of the candle flame with "tone" that doesn't appear with "stone". So, ㅌ (tieut) is pronounced like the t in tone. Exercise Try writing the following words in Korean: Seattle (hint: Si-ae-teul) 시애틀 Boston (hint: Bo-seu-teon) 보스턴 elevator (hint: el-li-be-i-teo) 엘리베이터 Malta (hint: Mol-ta) 몰타 Amsterdam (hint: Am-seu-te-reu-dam) 암스테르담 vitamin (hint: bi-ta-min) 비타민 Austria (hint: O-seu-teu-ri-a) 오스트리아 guitar (hint: gi-ta) 기타 Rabat (hint: Ra-ba-teu) 라바트 table (hint: te-i-beul) 테이블 Try guessing the meaning of the following Korean words: 온타리오 Ontario 테니스 tennis 토론토 Toronto 인터넷 Internet 이집트 Egypt 호텔 hotel 라트비아 Latvia 맨하탄 Manhattan 넥타이 necktie 테네시 Tennessee The consonant ㅍ (pieup) ㅍ (pieup) ㅍ (pieup) stroke order.png Aspirated bilabial plosive.ogg The next new letter is the consonant ㅍ (pieup): Letter (jamo): ㅍ Pronunciation: [pʰ] ㅍ (pieup) looks and sounds similar to ㅂ (bieup) and but has an additional horizontal line, which indicates that ㅍ is aspirated. That is, ㅍ is pronounced with a burst of air. Again, to demonstrate the aspiration, put a hand or a lit candle in front of your mouth and say "pin" ([pʰɪn]) and then "spin" ([spɪn]). You should either feel a puff of air or see a flicker of the candle flame with "pin" that doesn't appear with "spin". So, ㅍ (pieup) is pronounced like the p in pin. Exercise Try writing the following words in Korean: opera (hint: o-pe-ra) 오페라 Pennsylvania (hint: Pen-sil-be-i-ni-a) 펜실베이니아 pizza (hint: pi-ja) 피자 Florida (hint: Peul-lo-ri-da) 플로리다 Poland (hint: Pol-lan-deu) 폴란드 Panama (hint: Pa-na-ma) 파나마 Try guessing the meaning of the following Korean words and names: 파리시 Paris 프랑스 France 엘파소 El Paso 싱가포르 Singapore 골프 golf 미시시피 Mississippi 팩스 fax The consonant ㅊ (chieut) ㅊ (chieut) ㅊ (chieut) stroke order.png Aspirated ? affricative.ogg The next new letter is the consonant ㅊ (chieut): Letter (jamo): ㅊ Pronunciation: [ʨʰ] ㅊ (chieut) looks and sounds similar to ㅈ (jieut) and but has an additional horizontal line, which indicates that ㅊ is aspirated. That is, ㅊ is pronounced with a burst of air. Again, to demonstrate the aspiration, put a hand or a lit candle in front of your mouth and say "chin" ([tʃʰɪn]) and then "gin" ([dʒɪn]). Ignoring the difference in use of the vocal cords, you should either feel a puff of air or see a flicker of the candle flame with "chin" that doesn't appear with "gin". So, although there is no precise English sound for ㅊ (chieut), it is pronounced similar to the ch in chin. Exercise Try writing the following words in Korean: Incheon (hint: In-cheon) 인천 bench (hint: ben-chi) 벤치 kimchi (a traditional Korean dish, hint: gim-chi) 김치 Try guessing the meaning of the following Korean words: 매사추세츠 Massachusetts 칠레 Chile 차드 Chad The vowel ㅕ (yeo) ㅕ (yeo) ㅕ (yeo) stroke order.png Iotized open-mid back unrounded vowel.ogg The next new vowel to learn is ㅕ (yeo): Letter (jamo): ㅕ Pronunciation: [jʌ] The vowel ㅕ (yeo) looks and sounds similar to ㅓ (eo). The additional short line indicates that the pronunciation begins with a short "y" sound (IPA: [j]). So, ㅕ (yeo) is pronounced like the you in young. Exercise Try to guess the meaning of the following Korean words: 현대 Hyundai 노무현 Roh Moo-hyun (pronounced as [no.mu.hjʌn]) Try to write the following in Korean: Pyongyang (hint: it is pronounced like Pyeong-yang) 평양 The vowel ㅛ (yo) ㅛ (yo) ㅛ (yo) stroke order.png Iotized ? rounded vowel.ogg The next new vowel to learn is ㅛ (yo): Letter (jamo): ㅛ Pronunciation: [jo] The vowel ㅛ (yo) looks and sounds similar to ㅗ (o). The additional short line indicates that the pronunciation begins with a short "y" sound (IPA: [j]). So, ㅛ (yo) is pronounced like the yo in yoga. Exercise Try to guess the meaning of the following Korean words: 요르단 Jordan 쇼핑 shopping Try to write the following in Korean: Toyota (hint: Do-yo-ta) 도요타 Tokyo (hint: Do-kyo) 도쿄 The vowel ㅠ (yu) ㅠ (yu) ㅠ (yu) stroke order.png Iotized ? rounded vowel.ogg The next new vowel to learn is ㅠ (yu): Letter (jamo): ㅠ Pronunciation: [ju] The vowel ㅠ (yu) looks and sounds similar to ㅜ (u). The additional short line indicates that the pronunciation begins with a short "y" sound (IPA: [j]). So, ㅠ (yu) is pronounced like the English word you. Exercise Try to guess the meaning of the following Korean words and names: 뮤지컬 musical 메뉴 menu 컴퓨터 computer 뉴욕 New York 슈퍼 super(market) 뉴스 news 알베르트 아인슈타인 Albert Einstein Try to write the following in Korean: New Jersey (hint: Nyu-jeo-ji) 뉴저지 Newfoundland and Labrador (hint: Nyu-peon-deul-laen-deu Lae-beu-ra-do) 뉴펀들랜드 래브라도 Utah (hint: Yu-ta) 유타 New Delhi (hint: Nyu-del-li) 뉴델리 New Hampshire (hint: Nyu-haem-peu-syeo) 뉴햄프셔 Mogadishu (hint: Mo-ga-di-syu) 모가디슈 Houston (hint: Hyu-seu-teon) 휴스턴 New Zealand (hint: Nyu-jil-laen-deu) 뉴질랜드 New Mexico (hint: Nyu-meg-si-ko) 뉴멕시코 The vowel ㅖ (ye) ㅖ (ye) ㅖ (ye) stroke order.png Iotized close-mid front unrounded vowel.ogg The next new vowel to learn is ㅖ (ye): Letter (jamo): ㅖ Pronunciation: [je] The vowel ㅖ (ye) looks and sounds similar to ㅔ (e). The additional short line indicates that the pronunciation begins with a short "y" sound (IPA: [j]). So, ㅖ (ye) is pronounced like the Ya in the English word Yale. Exercise Try to guess the meaning of the following Korean words and names: 예멘 Yemen 예수 그리스도 Jesus Christ Try to write the following in Korean: Jerusalem (hint: Ye-ru-sal-lem) 예루살렘 Sarajevo (hint: Sa-ra-ye-bo) 사라예보 The vowel ㅒ (yae) ㅒ (yae) ㅒ (yae) stroke order.png Iotized open-mid front unrounded vowel.ogg The next new vowel to learn is ㅒ (yae): Letter (jamo): ㅒ Pronunciation: [jɛ] The vowel ㅒ (yae) looks and sounds similar to ㅐ (ae). The additional short line indicates that the pronunciation begins with a short "y" sound (IPA: [j]). So, ㅒ (yae) is pronounced similar to the ye in the English word yet. Exercise Try to guess the meaning of the following Korean words and names: 나폴레옹 보나파르트 Napoleon Bonaparte Try to write the following in Korean: Jakarta (hint: Ja-ka-reu-ta) 자카르타 Plato (hint: Peul-Ra-Ton) 플라톤 Maputo (hint: Ma-Pu-Tu) 마푸투 Quito (hint: Ki-To) 키토 Connecticut (hint: Ko-Ne-Ti-Keos) 코네티컷 Ethiopia (hint: E-Ti-O-Pi-A) 에티오피아 Pakistan (hint: Pa-Ki-Seu-Tan) 파키스탄 Qatar (hint: Ka-Ta-Reu) 카타르 Charlie Chaplin (hint: Char-Li Chae-Peur-Lin) 찰리 채플린 Empire State Building (hint: Em-Pa-I-Eo-Seu-Te-I-Teu Bil-Ding) 엠파이어스테이트 빌딩 Rockefeller Center (hint: Rog-Pel-Leo Sen-Teo) 록펠러 센터 Socrates (hint: So-Keu-Ra-Te-Seu) 소크라테스 Portugal (hint: Po-Reu-Tu-Kal) 포르투갈 coffee (hint: Keo-Pi) 커피 Afghanistan (hint: A-Peu-Ga-Ni-Seu-Tan) 아프가니스탄 counter (hint: Keo-Un-Teo) 커운터 Kathmandu (hint: Ka-Teu-Man-Du) 카트만두 sports (hint: Seu-Po-Cheu) 스포츠 sports car (hint: Seu-Po-Cheu Ka) 스포츠 카 trumpet (hint: Teu-Reom-Pes) 트럼펫 North Dakota (hint: No-Seu-Da-Ko-Ta) 노스다코타 Kentucky (hint: Ken-Teo-Ki) 켄터키 South Dakota (hint: Sa-U-Seu-Da-Ko-Ta) 사우스다코타 California (hint: Kael-Li-Po-Ni-A) 캘리포니아 party (hint: Pa-Ti) 파티 Vatican (hint: Ba-ti-Kan) 바티칸 Calcutta (hint: Kael-Keo-Ta) 캘커타 Copenhagen (hint: Ko-Pen-Ha-Gen) 코펜하겐 Turkey (hint: Teo-ki) 터키 raincoat (hint: Re-In-Ko-Teu) 레인코트 British Columbia (hint: Beu-Ri-Ti-Si-Keol-Leom-Bi-A) 브리티시컬럼비아 Tripoli (hint: Teu-Ri-Pol-Li) 트리폴리 tape (hint: Te-I-Peu) 테이프 apartment (hint: A-Pa-Teu) 아파트 café (hint: Keo-Pe) 커페 campus (hint: Kem-Peo-Seu) 켐퍼스 classmate (hint: Keur-Le-Seu-Me-I-Teu) 클레스메이트 End of lesson 5 Very good! You have now learned almost all of the Korean letters. When you are ready, continue to the last lesson, Lesson 6, to learn the last of the letters: the "tense" consonants and other digraphs. (It will be easy because they are all based on letters you already know.) Consonants learned so far: hide the following: Vowels learned so far: hide the following: