When speaking about countries with world-renowned cultures, the first thought that crosses most people’s minds is arguably the Land of Morning Calm. Whether it’s their cuisine, fashion, or entertainment, Korean culture has now undoubtedly extended far beyond its country’s borders and has reached all corners of the globe. And when speaking about culture, language is something that will always be part of the picture. With the continuous rise in Korean entertainment popularity, the desire to enjoy their favourite media without translations have incentivised fans to take the initiative and learn Korean in Singapore.
While Korean isn’t doesn’t rank high in the list of most spoken foreign languages, there are still sizable communities of Korean-speaking people around the world, and it roughly has 76 million native speakers to date. Although considered to be a difficult language, becoming fluent in Korean is, in reality, relatively easy. Listed below are some reasons why Korean is a unique and fascinating language to learn.
1. The language has its own script
One of the unique and interesting aspects of the Korean language is its writing system, the Hangul alphabet. According to linguists, the Hangul script was created by King Sejong the Great during the 15th century and is considered one of the youngest alphabets in the world with a near-perfect phonetic system.
Hangul is composed of 10 consonants and 14 vowels, making it an alphabet with only 24 letters. They’re grouped in syllable blocks, with every syllable consisting of an optional consonant, a mandatory vowel, and another optional consonant.
2. The shape of its letters replicate the tongue
Prior to the creation of the Hangul, Koreans used the Chinese alphabet and characters called Hanja for their language. However, many commoners found Hanja difficult to master, so Hangul was created to improve their literacy. Compared to the other writing systems in Asia, Hangul is far more straightforward to learn.
The unique thing about the Korean language is that its letters are shaped in a way that mimics the tongue. Upon closer inspection, you can see that they replicate the form that your tongue makes to pronounce the characters. This makes it easier to remember the Hangul characters and more fun to learn the Korean language.
3. It has verb endings and nouns that signify formality
Given how hierarchical Korean culture is, it is no surprise that its language places utmost importance on formality and politeness. Honorifics are vital for Koreans, and you will most likely encounter them whenever you talk to Korean-speaking people. This kind of formality is evident in Korean through its use of verb endings and special nouns as a way of showing respect and courtesy.
Honorifics are used according to the age or status of the person you’ re conversing with. This is the reason why you will frequently hear Koreans ask your age when they first meet you. Aside from age and status, Korean honorifics also indicate the level of relationship you have with the person. The closer you are, the fewer honorifics they will use.
Conclusion
Korea is indeed a most interesting and must-visit country that’s home to a language that’s equally compelling to take up and master. If you’re interested in adding Korean to your list of known languages, then sign up for a Korean class in Singapore now! Here at Korean Explorer, we will help you master Korean so that you can satisfy your fascination and love for the language. Whether you want to learn basic Korean, earn intermediate Korean skills, or get a good TOPIK score, we will make sure that you achieve your language learning goal!
