Pronunciation Guide to Everyday Korean Phrases201

Korean is a vibrant and expressive language spoken by over 77 million people worldwide. While its unique alphabet and grammar may seem daunting at first, mastering the pronunciation of everyday Korean phrases is a great way to connect with the culture and make your interactions more authentic.

To achieve accurate pronunciation, it's essential to understand the basic sounds of Korean. The following guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of vowels, consonants, and diphthongs, along with examples of common phrases.

Vowels

Korean has 10 basic vowel sounds, each with its own distinct pronunciation:
아 (a): Pronounced like the "a" in "father"
어 (eo): Pronounced like the "u" in "fur"
이 (i): Pronounced like the "ee" in "feet"
오 (o): Pronounced like the "o" in "bone"
우 (u): Pronounced like the "oo" in "boot"
야 (ya): Pronounced like the "ya" in "yard"
여 (yeo): Pronounced like the "yu" in "yule"
li>의 (wi): Pronounced like the "wi" in "winter"
에 (e): Pronounced like the "e" in "egg"
애 (ae): Pronounced like the "ay" in "say"

Consonants

Korean has 19 consonant sounds, including:
ㄱ (g): Pronounced like the "g" in "good"
ㄴ (n): Pronounced like the "n" in "nice"
ㄷ (d): Pronounced like the "d" in "dog"
ㄹ (r/l): Pronounced like the "r" in "red" or the "l" in "love"
ㅁ (m): Pronounced like the "m" in "mother"
ㅂ (b/p): Pronounced like the "b" in "boy" or the "p" in "paper"
ㅅ (s/sh): Pronounced like the "s" in "sun" or the "sh" in "shoe"
ㅇ (ng): Pronounced like the "ng" in "sing"
ㅈ (j): Pronounced like the "j" in "jump"
ㅊ (ch): Pronounced like the "ch" in "chair"
ㅋ (k): Pronounced like the "k" in "kill"
ㅌ (t): Pronounced like the "t" in "table"
ㅍ (p): Pronounced like the "p" in "pool"
ㅎ (h): Pronounced like the "h" in "hot"
ㅁ (m): Pronounced like the "m" in "man"
비 (b): Pronounced like the "b" in "boy"
디 (d): Pronounced like the "d" in "dog"
게 (g): Pronounced like the "g" in "good"
끼 (k): Pronounced like the "k" in "kill"

Diphthongs

Korean also has a number of diphthongs, which are combinations of two vowel sounds:
ㅏ이 (ai): Pronounced like the "ie" in "pie"
ㅏ우 (au): Pronounced like the "ow" in "cow"
ㅗ이 (oi): Pronounced like the "oy" in "toy"
ㅗ우 (ou): Pronounced like the "ow" in "bow"
ㅜ이 (ui): Pronounced like the "ooey" in "gooey"

Common Phrases and Pronunciation

Now that you have a grasp of the basics, let's look at some common Korean phrases and their pronunciation:

Phrase
Pronunciation


안녕하세요 (Hello)
ahn-nyong-ha-se-yo


감사합니다 (Thank you)
kam-sa-ham-ni-da


미안합니다 (I'm sorry)
mi-ahn-ham-ni-da


네 (Yes)
ne


아니요 (No)
ah-ni-yo


뭐예요? (What is it?)
mwo-ye-yo?


잘 지내세요? (How are you?)
jal ji-ne-se-yo?


맛있어요 (It's delicious)
mas-it-eo-yo


즐거웠어요 (It was fun)
jeul-geo-weo-sseo-yo


다음에 봐요 (See you later)
da-eum-e bwa-yo

By incorporating these pronunciation tips into your daily interactions, you'll enhance your ability to communicate effectively in Korean and deepen your understanding of the language.

2024-11-23

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