These are two simple tips I discovered while using Memrise to learn Korean vocabulary, which I think make learning a language with Memrise more effective: Mistype things on purpose. Yes, you read that right. See, Memrise is driven by an algorithm. This algorithm works on a principle of spaced repetition – if you input the word…
Korean notebooks for writing Chinese characters are probably one of the most uniquely Korean things, due to the special relationship between Hanja and Hangul. → Do you need to learn Hanja to know Korean I’ve always loved Korean stationery, even without realizing it’s Korean. And sometimes even without realizing what it’s for. When I first bought these Korean…
Learning a language, especially perhaps a language like Korean, can be disheartening at times. → How to learn Korean language For a while you feel like you are making progress. You put in a lot of effort, your vocabulary is slowly increasing, you finally grasp that one grammar rule that puzzled you for months and then… you get…
Useful Chinese Characters for Learners of Korean is Darakwon’s Korean textbook teaching Korean Chinese characters (also called Hanja). → Do you need to learn Hanja to be fluent in Korean. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. At no additional cost to you I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post that…
Is it necessary to learn Hanja to be fluent in Korean? No. But here is why I am learning Hanja anyway: The story begins a thousand years BC… Just kidding. Well, that IS how far back the Chinese characters date, but I don’t need to go that far back to tell my story. My decision to learn them is…
Trustworthy Korean online shopping sites are a lifeline for those who yearn for newest Korean fashion, cosmetics, clothes, or something a bit more traditional like Korean food, books, stationery and crafts – but don’t live in Korea or close to a Korean community. Since I’ve spent last four years struggling with finding reliable Korean stores with…
Here is the simplest way to add Korean keyboard on Windows 10. (Click here to see how to enable Korean keyboard in older Windows) All you need is the keyboard you are already using and a device running Windows 10. You don’t need to buy any additional computer keyboards nor do you need special software. Korean keyboard…
After a few years of going through several textbooks I have made my list of the best Korean pronunciation books. Korean pronunciation is central in learning how to speak Korean language properly. No matter how well you know grammar and how many words you’ve memorized, if you can’t understand and be understood you will be…
Whether we love learning Korean language or are required to learn it without much consideration to our preference, we all want to do it quickly. After all, time is limited, but maybe even more important, at least when our confidence is concerned, are doubts that riddle us if we don’t learn as fast as is…
Korean calligraphy is an art of writing Hangul and Hanja. Unlike Western calligraphy, which is written with a rigid instrument, traditional Korean calligraphy is created with a soft and flexible brush. With the characteristic strokes which change in broadness and speed, on a usually white sheet of paper, its general appearance reminds of other East Asian…
That K-pop is an unstoppable force is proved by the fact that I’m here, reviewing a book that covers it inside and out, despite (sort of) successfully navigating around it for the better part of last four years. Admittedly, being obsessed with Korea and remaining ignorant of K-pop is a pointless endeavor and one you…
I already mentioned I like trying out Korean textbooks in an endless search for one that suits me the best. You can imagine my pleasant surprise when publisher Tuttle offered to send two books pertaining to Korea for me to review – one of which was the Second Edition of ‘Elementary Korean’, a textbook for beginner learners of…
In the first part of how to learn Korean vocabulary, I gave tips on extracting and learning Korean words from sources that might be fun for you and showed how that extra bit of fun might aid your memory. And there is no denying that Korean export which millions of people around the world find fun…
Learning even the basic vocabulary of Korean language can, and usually does, take years, so it makes sense to carefully choose which words to learn first. After all, what use is it that you know how to name all the bones in human body in Korean when you can’t even greet someone yet (unless you’re…
Favorite Kpop song poll that started a week ago has ended yesterday. INFINITE “The Chaser” won with a big lead, taking 42% of all the votes. More than 1100 people voted for it! I knew Kpop is popular, but I was really shocked by the turnout. Especially considering that I never wrote about Kpop before,…
Next up in my list of articles about learning Korean language is one on learning Korean vocabulary. I have many tips I would like to share with you, and one of those is to use what interests you and what you are passionate about to introduce new Korean words into your learning. You will learn a…
Moakey is a Korean keyboard for touchscreen devices. If you are planning to download Korean keyboard for Android I recommend you try this one out. It is rather different, and more fun if I may say, than the usual kind of Korean (and Latin) keyboards where you hit the keys as the letters come one…
Those that follow this blog regularly might have noticed that it’s been quite a while since the last time I wrote anything. And they may think I have given up. Well, you won’t get rid of me that easily :) I didn’t get discouraged because of the breakup nor did I get tired of writing…
Practicing typing Korean has been the easiest part of learning Korean language for me so far, and the one where I could see the improvement the fastest. Hangul, the Korean alphabet, has only 24 letters so it’s pretty straightforward to input it with any keyboard. The difficult part is learning to not type the way I did –…
Korean keyboard stickers are not just there to be cute but are actually very useful. If you you’re going to type Korean on a physical keyboard, i.e. you’re going to push the buttons instead of tap on a touch screen, you’re going to have to know which key corresponds to which Hangul character. → cute…
It’s difficult when we realize something nice is no longer available. Yes it’s not easy for me that it’s over. But when I look back, I can only recall something nice. How lucky and happy I was. I heard and saw it can get ugly when people break up like they forget everything and They…
I’ve been planning and organizing my Korean language learning for years now. When I first started learning Korean I thought I just needed to memorize the words, learn the rules for forming sentences and that would be it. Then, when I proudly stood in front of Kimchi Man and spat out a sentence in Korean…
As I went through the photos he made publicly available on Interpals, I had noticed there were quite a few photos of him in a military uniform. He didn’t strike me as a military type of guy so I asked him about it. He had explained right away that South Korea has mandatory military service…
It’s been a rough couple of days. It’s difficult smiling. And it’s difficult getting used to not having him in my life. I’m still not there yet. Actually, we have stayed in touch but it’s so different now. So… official. It’s been a whole week. It seems much longer. I thought the fact we both…
Kimchi Man and Oegukeen are no more. We broke up. I know many people are going to ask “What happened!?” Nothing happened, really. Which I guess was the problem. Both of us got very ill, at different times and from different illnesses, but with the same results: our lives were put on hold. And in…
Are Korean men more aggressive and violent compared to Western men? Do Korean men beat their wives? This is the latest concern one of our readers is having. Lily asked: Hey! I’ll start off by saying your blog is extremely helpful and comforting so thank you! :) I actually have a question about…
<- Your Korean love stories #2 Few months ago we started a new Your Story section where people who don’t have any questions to ask about the dating scene with Korean guys but would like to share their romantic or heart-breaking stories can do so. We’ve been getting many stories with amazing variety of happy…
This morning a Korean pronunciation book I’ve ordered has finally arrived. I was so excited to open the package and finally take a look at the book after the whole Kindle fiasco. But I haven’t even set the package on the table and the doorbell rang again. Mailman must have forgotten something. But no, this time…
Having a Korean boyfriend means getting a few question asked over and over again, every time people find out who you are dating. “Is he from North or South Korea?”. South of course. “Aren’t they really poor there?” You’re thinking of North again. “Are Koreans Buddhists?” Most are atheists actually, but there is fair share…
Are Korean men like what we see in Korean drama? Does an average Korean guy behave like characters do in Kdrama? This is the latest question we answer. Linda asked: I happen to like Korean drama, but not like a fanatic fans who hunts everything about k-drama, but I am able to do a…
Marina T. 真理菜 asked: Hi you two love birds ^^ I’m curious about something. I live vegan, I guess you know what that means, so I was curious how Korean guys see all this. I’m always imagining that Koreans (man or women) wouldn’t want to be with a vegetarian or vegan person, since they/we don’t…
South Korean flag consists of four black trigrams and um-yang (음양) symbol called taegeuk in Korean (태극) lying on a white background. The meaning of elements of Korean flag are explained in the infographic: Click on the image to see the South Korean flag infographics in larger size. You might also like: What…
The most amazing thing happened on Friday to Loving Korean: our latest article “Is it normal to talk to strangers in Korea?” got featured on a tbs eFM radio’s 1013 Mainstreet show. In Korea! I accidentally found out on Saturday and even though I was really happy and thought it’s so cool I felt a bit…
Is it normal and common to talk to strangers in Korea is the newest question we attempt to answer: Anonymous asked: Hello, I’m heading to Seoul in March and studying Korean for one month by myself, I would like to know is it common to talk to strangers in bookstores, coffee shops and make some local…
<- Your Korean love story #1 While it may seem that romances with Korean guys are a rare experience for non-Korean women (even more so for Western women), many sweet and bitter-sweet stories you submitted to Your story section may prove otherwise. Isn’t it wonderful that we live in the age of fast internet and…
Loving Korean | Boyfriend in Korea 