Learn Korean free: a 7-day starter path
Three free tools, about 15 minutes a day. Start with your own name, learn to type Korean, then count, tell time and pay. No sign-up, no app, nothing to install.
- Day1
Write your name in Hangul
Type your English name and see it in Korean letters — Jennifer → 제니퍼. Each letter is explained, so you learn the alphabet through a word you already know.
Start Day 1 → - Days2–4
Type Korean on your own keyboard
Step-by-step lessons on the standard Korean layout: home row, top row, double consonants, syllable blocks, then real K-pop and K-drama words. No Korean keyboard needed.
Start Day 2 → - Days5–7
Count, tell time and pay in Korean
Korean has two number systems. Learn which one to use for age, time, prices and counting things — 세 시 반 (3:30), 만 오천 원 (₩15,000) — then take the real-life quiz.
Start Day 5 →
Day by day
- Day 1 — Your name in Hangul
Convert your name, read it letter by letter, and print the Hangul chart below. Try a friend's name or your favorite idol's stage name too.
- Day 2 — The home row
Consonants live on the left hand, vowels on the right. Build your first syllable blocks: 마, 나, 아, 하나.
- Day 3 — The top row
Add ㅂ ㅈ ㄷ ㄱ ㅅ and ㅛ ㅕ ㅑ ㅐ ㅔ. By the end you can type words like 바다 (sea) and 저 (I).
- Day 4 — Bottom row, Shift and 받침
The last keys, double consonants with Shift, combined vowels, and bottom consonants. Then type your own name in Korean.
- Day 5 — Two number systems
Sino-Korean (일 이 삼) for dates, money, minutes and phone numbers; native Korean (하나 둘 셋) for counting things, age and hours.
- Day 6 — Counters and your age
커피 세 잔, 친구 두 명, 스물한 살: before a counter word, 하나 둘 셋 넷 become 한 두 세 네. Warm up with K-pop and K-drama words.
- Day 7 — Time, prices and a final test
Read any clock and price tag, take the real-life quiz, and finish with a 1-minute typing speed test.
Free printable Hangul chart
All 40 Korean letters with their names, romanization and the key that types each one, plus the 140 basic syllable blocks (가 to 히) — one page, US Letter and A4. Free to print for personal and classroom use. Direct download, no email.
Download PDF (45 KB)Why this order?
Your name is the easiest first word: you already know how it sounds, so every Korean letter in it has an anchor. Typing comes next because typing a word forces you to split it into letters, which is the fastest way to remember how syllable blocks are built. Numbers come last because they need reading skills — and because they are what you meet first in Korea: prices, bus numbers, times and your age.
Practice packs
Name tracing pack — $3Keyboard sticker & typing pack — $4Korean numbers practice pack — $5Hangul beginner workbook — $7
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. All three tools and the Hangul chart are free, with no sign-up and no email. They run in your browser. Optional printable practice packs may be sold later; the free tools stay free.
How long does it take to learn Hangul?
Most learners can read the 24 basic letters within a few days of short practice, because each syllable block is built from letters in a fixed pattern. Fluent reading takes longer — this path gets you started, it does not make you fluent.
Do I need a Korean keyboard?
No. Korean is typed on a normal keyboard: you switch the input language to Korean in your computer or phone settings, and the letters map onto the keys you already have. The keyboard layout page shows every key.
Which number system should I learn first?
Learn native Korean 1–10 (하나…열) for counting things and your age, and Sino-Korean 1–10 (일…십) for money, dates and minutes. You need both from the first day of a trip — Day 5 covers both side by side.