What is the difference between Sino-Korean and native Korean numbers?

Sino-Korean numbers are commonly used for dates, money, minutes, and larger numbers, while native Korean numbers are typically used for counting people, objects, and hours.

How do you choose between 은/는 and 이/가 in Korean?

은/는 marks the topic or contrast, while 이/가 marks the grammatical subject, often introducing new or emphasized information.

How is the Korean consonant ㅇ pronounced?

At the start of a syllable, ㅇ is silent; at the end, it is pronounced as the ng sound in “sing.”

Free Course Image Learn Hangul and Korean Grammar for Beginners (Step-by-Step)

Free online course Learn Hangul and Korean Grammar for Beginners (Step-by-Step)

Duration of the online course: 6 hours and 44 minutes

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Read and write Hangul with confidence and build real beginner Korean grammar skills in this free online course, plus numbers, dates, particles and pronunciation.

In this free course, learn about

Identify and pronounce Hangul consonants, including position-based sounds (e.g., ㄱ rules)
Read and write Hangul with 10 basic vowels and 11 double vowels; form syllable blocks
Apply key pronunciation rules: ㅅ by vowel group, 의 at word start, and initial ㅇ as silent
Understand major Korean learning differences and basic sentence structure (verb at the end)
Use topic particles 은/는 correctly based on final consonant and topic contrast
Distinguish topic 은/는 vs subject 이/가 and use 이/가 appropriately in sentences
Mark objects with 을/를, choosing the correct form based on whether the noun ends in a consonant
Use core location/time particles (e.g., 에, 에서, 부터, 까지, (으)로) and when to use 에서
Count with Sino-Korean numbers (to 10,000) and native Korean numbers (to 99) by context
Say months/dates using Sino-Korean numbers + 월 (e.g., September) and date expressions
Tell time and days of the week; ask “What time is it now?”
Introduce yourself and use beginner-appropriate greetings in common situations
Conjugate present tense in polite/highest polite styles; choose endings by stem final consonant
Make negative sentences using the safe beginner pattern 안 + verb/adjective (and related forms)

About the free online course

Start understanding Korean from the very first syllable by learning Hangul the practical way. This beginner-friendly course guides you step by step from the Korean alphabet to core grammar, so you can stop relying on romanization and begin reading, writing, and pronouncing words with confidence. You will learn how consonants and vowels combine into syllable blocks, how to write them correctly, and how key reading rules change sounds depending on position and surrounding letters. Along the way, targeted practice helps you recognize similar-looking characters and improve clarity when speaking.

Once you can decode the script, the course moves into everyday language you can use immediately. You will learn to count using both Sino-Korean and native Korean number systems, then apply them naturally to common situations such as dates, months, and telling time. These essentials make real-life tasks easier, from scheduling plans to understanding simple Korean content online.

To help you form correct sentences, the course introduces Korean sentence structure and the building blocks that make meaning clear: topic and subject markers, object particles, and common location and time expressions. You will also practice present tense endings and polite styles so your Korean sounds appropriate in typical conversations, including introducing yourself and using beginner-safe greetings. Finally, you will learn a reliable method for making negative sentences, giving you more control over what you can express. By the end, you will have a solid foundation in Hangul and beginner grammar that supports further study and helps you progress faster with less guesswork.

Course content

Video class: Korean Alphabet: All Consonants (Hangul) 12m
Exercise: Which statement correctly describes Hangul (the Korean alphabet) introduced in the lesson?
Video class: Korean Alphabet: 10 Basic Vowels (Hangul) 10m
Exercise: How should the consonant ㅅ be pronounced depending on the vowel group it is combined with?
Video class: Korean Alphabet: How to Write in Korean? (Hangul) 08m
Exercise: What is the rule for using the circle consonant ㅇ at the start of a syllable?
Video class: Korean Alphabet: 11 Double Vowels (Hangul) 04m
Exercise: How should the syllable 의 be pronounced when it appears at the start of a word?
Video class: Hangul: Full List of Reading Rules in Korean 14m
Exercise: How is the consonant ㄱ (kiyok) generally pronounced depending on its position?
Video class: Korean: Pronunciation practice (similar letters) 05m

Video class: Count in Korean: Sino-Korean Numbers (1-10.000) 08m
Exercise: Which is the correct Sino-Korean way to say 10,000?
Video class: Count in Korean: Native Korean Numbers (1 - 99) 05m
Exercise: Which situation uses native Korean numbers (not Sino-Korean)?
Video class: Months and Dates in Korean 06m
Exercise: Which expression correctly forms the month name “September” in Korean using Sino-Korean numbers + 월?
Video class: How to Introduce yourself in Korean? 10m
Exercise: Which greeting is most appropriate to use as a beginner when meeting someone in Korean in most situations?
Video class: Learn Korean Fast: 6 Major Differences 12m
Exercise: In Korean basic sentence structure, where does the verb usually go?

Video class: Korean: Topic particle ?/? 09m
Exercise: When should you use ~은 vs ~는 with a noun (or similar unit) in Korean?
Video class: Korean: Present Tense 1/2 (???, ???, ?/? ????, ????) 05m
Exercise: Which sentence ending is used to ask a question about a noun in the highest polite level?
Video class: Korean: Present Tense 2/2 (???, ???, ???, ???) 06m
Exercise: Which sentence ending should be attached to a verb/adjective stem that ends with a consonant in a declarative sentence?
Video class: Korean: Nominative Case (?/?) vs. Topic particle (?/?) 12m
Exercise: Which statement correctly describes how to use the nominative case marker ~이/~가?
Video class: Korean: Accusative Case in Korean: Noun ?/? 02m
Exercise: Which particle should you use to mark the object when the noun ends with a consonant?
Video class: Korean: 5 Prepositions (?, ??, ??, ??, (?)?) 12m
Exercise: Which particle is generally used with action verbs to mean “at/in” (e.g., study, learn) rather than with state verbs like 있다/없다?
Video class: Korean: Time and Days of The Week 08m
Exercise: Which expression correctly means “What time is it now?” in Korean?
Video class: Korean: Also, Possessive Particle, Plural Form (?, ?, ?) 07m
Exercise: When attaching the particle ~도 (also/too) to a noun that already has a case particle like ~이/~가 or ~을/~를, what usually happens?

Video class: Korean: Negative Sentences (? ??, ?) 04m
Exercise: How do you make a negative sentence from a verb or adjective stem using the safest beginner method?
Video class: Korean: Cannot, ? ?? VS. ??? 03m
Exercise: Which form correctly expresses “I can’t go to school this week” (meaning it’s not possible)?
Video class: Korean: Present and Future Tenses (???, ???, ???, ???, ?) 06m
Exercise: How do you form the Future tense for most Korean verbs/adjectives in this lesson?
Video class: Korean: Past Tense (?, ?, ?) 08m
Exercise: How do you choose the correct past tense suffix (~았 / ~었 / ~였) for a Korean verb or adjective?
Video class: Korean: Past Tense (?, ??) 03m
Exercise: Which past-tense suffix should you attach to a noun/pronoun that ends with a consonant?
Video class: Korean: 5 Prepositions (??, ??, ?, ???, ???) 06m
Exercise: Which particle should you use to mean “to (a person)” when you need to show extra respect?
Video class: Korean: 11 Question Words in Korean 13m
Exercise: Which sentence correctly follows the word order rule for a question with an action verb (verb at the end) using "where" with ~에서?

Video class: Korean: Politeness Levels (??, ??, ??, etc.) 06m
Exercise: Which sentence ending should you use in the polite informal level for a noun that ends with a consonant (e.g., 책)?
Video class: Korean: Honorific Particles and Titles (??, ??, ???, ?, ?) 13m
Exercise: What is the key difference between honorific particle ~(으)시 and polite formal endings ~ㅂ니다/~습니다?
Video class: Korean: Conjunction ' AND ' (?/?, ?, ??/??,??) 08m
Exercise: Which particle should you use to connect two nouns when the first noun ends with a consonant?
Video class: Korean: Irregular Verbs and Adjectives 10m
Exercise: How does a ㅂ-irregular verb/adjective usually change when its stem is followed by a vowel?
Video class: Korean: Conjunction ' BUT ' (??, ???, ???) 07m
Exercise: Which rule correctly describes how to use ~지만 to mean “but/however” in Korean sentences?
Video class: Korean: Conjunction ' IF ' (?, ??) 06m
Exercise: Which conditional ending should be attached to a verb/adjective stem that ends with a consonant to mean if?

Video class: Korean: How to count things? (17 Measure words) 04m
Exercise: Which sentence follows the correct particle rule for Korean measure words?
Video class: Korean: Imperative Mood (???, ????, ??, ???) 05m
Exercise: Which sentence ending is used for polite formal commands when the verb stem ends with a consonant?
Video class: Korean: How to say Before 05m
Exercise: Which form is used to say “before” with a verb (e.g., “before going to school”)?
Video class: Korean: Conjunction ' Because ' (??, ???, ???, ??/??/??) 10m
Exercise: Which conjunction should be used to give a reason when making a command/request/invitation (e.g., “Come tomorrow because I’m busy today”)?
Video class: Korean: In Order to, Going to (?, ??, ??, ???, ?? ??) 08m
Exercise: Which statement correctly describes the difference between ~(으)러 and ~(으)려고?
Video class: Korean: How to say 'I have to' in Korean? (?/?/?? ??) 07m
Exercise: Which grammar pattern is used to express “I have to / I need to / I must” in Korean, choosing the form based on the last vowel of the verb stem?
Video class: Korean: How to say 'While' in Korean? (???, ???) 08m
Exercise: When using the grammar construction (으)면서 to express two simultaneous actions, what is the required condition in basic usage?
Video class: Korean: Adverbs, Comparatives, Superlatives (~?, ?? ?, ?, ??, ??) 05m
Exercise: Which words are used to form the superlative degree ("the most") for adjectives and adverbs?

Video class: Korean: Listening Practice (Level 1, Dialogues 1 - 12) 24m
Exercise: How do you politely say “This is a desk” in Korean?
Video class: Korean: Sense of Service (?/?/? ??, ???) 06m
Exercise: When should you use -아/어 주다 in Korean?
Video class: Korean: Noun Modifiers (?/?; ?; ?/?) 09m
Exercise: In Korean, where is a noun modifier placed in relation to the noun it describes?
Video class: Korean: Noun Modifiers (?, ??, ??, ??) 06m
Exercise: Which modifier particle emphasizes that an action happened regularly in the past but does not happen anymore?
Video class: Korean: Propositive Mood (??? / ???, ?/?/??, ?) 05m
Video class: Korean: ? ?? Don't do, Let's not do, Shouldn't have done 05m
Exercise: Which construction is used to prohibit an action (tell someone don’t do something)?

Video class: Korean: I want to (? ??, ? ?? ??, ? ?? ??, ? ??) 04m
Exercise: Which form is typically used to express a third person’s desire (e.g., “He/She wants to…”)?
Video class: Korean: I can, I cannot (?/? ? ??, ?/? ? ??) 03m
Exercise: Which grammatical construction is used to express that you cannot do something in Korean?
Video class: Korean: Future Tense, Assumption (?/? ???) 05m
Exercise: When the construction -(으)ㄹ 거예요 / -(으)ㄹ 거예요? is used with adjectives, what meaning does it usually express?
Video class: Korean: Shall we? (???? ????) 02m
Exercise: Which grammar construction is used to suggest doing something together, ask the listener’s opinion, or make a guess in question form?
Video class: Korean Grammar: A ?/?/??? 04m
Exercise: Which Korean form correctly means “The water has become clean”?
Video class: Korean Grammar: N (?)? 03m
Exercise: Which sentence correctly uses -이나 to mean or (choosing between options)?

Learn aboutKorean Grammar

Explore free online Korean grammar courses designed to help beginners and advanced learners master sentence structure, particles, verb conjugations, honorifics, and everyday usage. Study at your own pace, build accurate speaking and writing skills, and earn a certificate upon completion to showcase your Korean language progress.