Learn Korean
Korean Flashcards for Hangul, Vocab, and TOPIK
Hangul is easy. Honorifics and particles are the real work. Ellie generates decks for each layer plus TOPIK-aligned vocabulary.
Korean has around 80 million speakers, mostly in the Koreas and diaspora communities. It is a Category IV language per FSI — around 2,200 classroom hours to professional proficiency — but the writing system is the exception. Hangul was designed to be learnable in a day and it lives up to that; the hard parts are honorifics (multiple politeness levels baked into verb endings), particles (grammatical markers attached to nouns), and word order (SOV, opposite of English).
Ellie generates Korean decks for each layer. Hangul reading in the first week, particles by the end of month one, honorifics starting month two, and vocabulary continuously alongside reading practice.
Hangul first — it's a one-week job
Hangul has 24 basic letters (14 consonants, 10 vowels) grouped into syllable blocks. The shapes are systematic — consonants echo mouth position. Most learners read hangul comfortably after 5–7 days of 20-minute practice sessions.
Honorifics — three levels most learners use
Formal polite (합니다체), informal polite (해요체), and casual (반말). Verb endings change; noun replacements happen (밥 rice → 진지 for elders). Beginners learn 해요체 first (universally polite), add 합니다체 for formal settings, and reserve 반말 for close friends. Ellie decks tag each card with its politeness level.
TOPIK levels
The Test of Proficiency in Korean has six levels across two exams (TOPIK I covers 1–2, TOPIK II covers 3–6). Ellie ships pre-built decks aligned to each level.
- TOPIK 1: 800 words, basic survival
- TOPIK 2: 1,500–2,000 words, everyday conversation
- TOPIK 3–4: 3,000–4,000 words, work-level
- TOPIK 5–6: 5,000+ words, professional / academic
Frequently asked questions
How long to TOPIK 2?
6–12 months of consistent daily practice. K-drama immersion accelerates significantly.
Can I mine from K-dramas?
Yes. Paste subtitles; Ellie extracts new vocabulary with the sentence as context. The Talk To Me In Korean and How to Study Korean textbooks pair well with mining.
Are honorifics really that important?
Yes. Using the wrong level with an elder or superior is a social error. Even native speakers navigate carefully in mixed-age settings. Learn the three main levels early.
What about hanja (Chinese characters)?
Rarely used in modern Korean writing. Some newspapers and academic texts include them for disambiguation. Not required for TOPIK.
Is Korean easier than Japanese?
Different, not easier. Hangul is easier than kanji. Korean grammar is comparable to Japanese in difficulty. Vocabulary overlap between the two is high due to shared Chinese roots.
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