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How to learn Korean by yourself

Jan 13, 2025 Ian

Hey there! So, you’re thinking about learning Korean on your own? That’s awesome! 🥳 It might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but trust me, with the right approach, it’s totally doable—and even fun. Let me walk you through how you can get started and keep going.

Contents

1. Figure out why you’re doing this

Before you dive in, ask yourself: why do you want to learn Korean? 🤔 Having a clear reason makes it way easier to stay motivated. Maybe you want to understand your favorite K-dramas without subtitles, chat with Korean friends, or pass a TOPIK exam. Whatever it is, write it down and remind yourself when you’re feeling stuck.

2. Learn hangul (it’s easier than you think)

First things first: learn Hangul, the Korean alphabet. ✍️ It’s super logical and not as scary as it looks. You can knock it out in a week if you practice a little every day. Here’s what you can use:

  • Websites: How to Study Korean, Talk to Me in Korean
  • Apps: Lingodeer, Lingory
    • Warning: Duolingo is okay for learning hangul, but I recommend using somethinge else as you progress.
  • YouTube: Just search for “Learn Hangul”—there are tons of great videos.

Practice reading and writing simple words like “공부” (study) or “태그” (tag). 📝

3. Make it a daily thing

Consistency is everything. 💪 Even just 30 minutes a day adds up over time. Here’s a quick idea for a daily routine:

  • 15 minutes: Learn some new vocab with an app like Anki or Memrise. 📚
  • 10 minutes: Go over a bit of grammar (online lessons or a textbook). 🧐
  • 5 minutes: Listen to something in Korean—a song, podcast, or short video. 🎧

Oh, and if you’re looking for a fun way to stay consistent, check out Daily Tokki. 🐇 It’s an email-only language learning service that sends you a question in Korean every day. You reply with your answer, and it gives you personalized feedback. It’s a great way to practice a little bit each day without feeling overwhelmed.

And don’t forget, AI tools can be helpful as well! 🤖 ChatGPT or Claude can help you practice writing sentences, explain tricky grammar, or even role-play conversations in Korean.

Example schedule

  • 🌅 Morning: Pick up 5-10 new words.
  • 🍴 Lunch break: Watch a quick YouTube video.
  • 🌙 Evening: Write a few sentences with your new words.

With this schedule, if you do it for a year, you’ll have between 1500 to 3500 words! That’s plenty to be able to get around no problem in Korea day-to-day!

4. Find resources that work for you

There’s a ton out there, so don’t stress about finding the “perfect” resource. Try a mix and see what clicks. 🤓 For me, getting out the pen and paper and has been the best thing to cement lessons into my brain.

Grammar and vocabulary

Speaking and writing

  • Use apps like HelloTalk or Tandem to chat with native speakers. 💬
  • Start a daily journal in Korean, even if it’s just simple sentences like “Today I ate bibimbap.” 🥢
  • Daily Tokki! 🐇 for writing

Reading

  • Naver Webtoon 📚 - web cartoons that have fun dialogs (lot of K-dramas come from here!). The text is selectable, so it’s easy to look up vocabulary.
  • Donga Kids News - general news site, but with simplified language meant for child readers. However, it doubles as an excellent place for Korean learners to read too.
  • Kimchi Reader - Kind of related, but it is an extension that allows you to save Korean words as you read them across the web

5. Surround yourself with Korean

Immerse yourself as much as you can, even if you’re not in Korea:

  • Change your phone’s language to Korean (yes, really! 📱).
  • Label stuff around your house in Korean. 🏠
  • Play Korean music or podcasts while you’re cooking or chilling. 🎵 (I’ve become a fan of “old” Korean songs called “Trot” (트로트))

6. Don’t be shy about speaking

Speaking is scary, I get it. 😅 But it’s also the best way to improve. Here’s what you can try:

  • Shadowing: Listen to Korean audio and repeat it out loud. Mimic the intonation and rhythm. 🎤 Listen on 0.25x speed if you need to!
  • Language exchange: Apps like HelloTalk or italki are great for finding partners. 🤝
  • Talk to yourself: Narrate your day in Korean. It feels weird at first but works wonders. 🗣️
    • Forcing yourself to think in Korean, when you would normally think in English (or your native language) makes it a habit to start to incorporate Korean in everyday life. It also helps find critical gaps in which vocabulary or grammar you are missing and gives a path towards finding those grammar.

7. Keep track of your progress

Tracking progress is super motivating. 📈 Here’s how:

  • Keep a journal of what you learn each day. 📝
  • Try mock TOPIK tests every now and then. 🧪
  • Record yourself speaking Korean and listen back after a few months to see how far you’ve come. 🎙️

8. Celebrate small wins

Learning Korean is a marathon, not a sprint. 🏃‍♂️ Celebrate the little things:

  • Recognizing a word in a K-drama. 🎬
  • Having a short convo in Korean, even if it’s just “Hello” and “Thank you.” 😊
  • Finishing your first textbook or app course. 🎉

And when you hit a wall (because you will), take a step back, breathe, and remind yourself why you started. You’ve got this. 화이팅! 💪

Want to learn more Korean? Give Daily Tokki a try — we'll give you personalized feedback on your answer to a new question every day.