2. Korean alphabet - Hangul

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The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, is the writing system used in South and North Korea. Hangul was created during the 15th century, under the reign of King Sejong, with the aim of promoting literacy among the commons, as earlier writing systems were complex and dominated by the elite.

Hangul is a phonetic system and consists of 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels. Unlike English, where letters are written in linear sequence, Hangul letters are grouped into blocks for each syllable. Each syllable block consists of a minimum of two and a maximum of four letters, including at least one consonant and one vowel.

Hangul consonants are based on three fundamental forms that represent three characteristics of the universe: heaven, earth and human. Each consonant, therefore, is a combination of three basic elements: a vertical stroke representing man, a horizontal stroke representing the earth, and a dot representing the sky. Vowels, on the other hand, are based on three elements: a dot representing the sun, a horizontal line representing the earth, and a vertical line representing man.

Basic Hangul consonants are ㄱ (giyeok), ㄴ (nieun), ㄷ (digeut), ㄹ (rieul), ㅁ (mieum), ㅂ (bieup), ㅅ (siot), ㅇ (ieung), ㅈ (jieut), ㅊ (chieut), ㅋ (kieuk), ㅌ (tieut), ㅍ (pieup), and ㅎ (hieut). The basic vowels are ㅏ (a), ㅑ (ya), ㅓ (eo), ㅕ (yeo), ㅗ (o), ㅛ (yo), ㅜ (u), ㅠ (yu), ㅡ (eu), and ㅣ (i).

In addition to the basic consonants and vowels, Hangul also has compound consonants and vowels. Compound consonants are formed by combining two basic consonants, while compound vowels are formed by combining two basic vowels. For example, the compound consonant ㄳ is formed by combining ㄱ and ㅅ, and the compound vowel ㅘ is formed by combining ㅗ and ㅏ.

To write in Hangul, you must first identify the syllable you want to write, then write the initial consonant in the upper left corner of the syllable block, followed by the vowel to the right or below the initial consonant, depending on the orientation of the vowel . If there is a final consonant, it is written below the vowel.

For example, to write the word "hanguk" (Korea) in Hangul, you would start by writing the initial consonant ㅎ (h) in the upper left corner of the syllable block, followed by the vowel ㅏ (a) to the right of the initial consonant , forming the syllable "ha". You would then write the initial consonant ㄴ (n) in the upper left corner of the next syllable block, followed by the vowel ㅡ (I) to the right of the initial consonant, and the final consonant ㄱ (g) below the vowel, forming the syllable " neuk". So the word "hanguk" is written like "한국" in Hangul.

In summary, Hangul is a unique and efficient writing system that reflects Korean philosophy and culture. With its logical and consistent structure, Hangul can be learned easily by anyone, regardless of age or background. Therefore, learning Hangul is the essential first step for anyone who wants to learn the Korean language.

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