The World of Languages · Koreanic
Korean · 한국어 (Hangugeo)
Written in Hangul, an alphabet invented on purpose in the 15th century, and the voice of K-pop, K-drama and Korean cinema.
- 82 million native speakers
- 82 million speakers in total
- Hangul script
- FSI Category IV · 88 weeks
- Official in 2 countries
Where Korean is spoken
Tap or hover over a country. Colours show the language's status, based on Unicode CLDR territory data (population estimates mix sources and years).
Top countries by speakers
- South Korea · 대한민국Official language · 52M (100%)
- North Korea · 북한Official language · 23M (88%)
- China · 중국Official regionally · 2.1M (0.15%)
- United States · 미국Widely spoken · 1M (0.3%)
Key numbers
- Native (L1) speakers
- 82 million
- Second-language (L2) speakers
- 1 million
- Total speakers
- 82 million
- Source
- Ethnologue (2026), via Wikipedia
Korean at a glance
Korean is a Koreanic language native to Korea, which makes up the majority of the language's 81 million speakers. It is the official language of both North Korea and South Korea. In the south, the language is known as Hangugeo (South Korean: 한국어), and in the north, it is known as Chosŏnŏ (North Korean: 조선어). Since the turn of the 21st century, Korean popular culture has spread around the world through globalization and cultural exports. Korean uses the Hangul alphabet.
From the Wikipedia article Korean language (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Name in Korean
- 한국어 (Hangugeo)
- Family
- Koreanic
- Writing system
- Hangul (24 basic letters grouped into syllable blocks)
- Direction
- Left to right
- Official in
- South Korea, North Korea
- Codes
- ISO 639-3
kor· Glottologkore1280· Q9176 - Writing sample
모든 인간은 태어날 때부터 자유로우며 그 존엄과 권리에 있어 동등하다. 인간은 천부적으로 이성과 양심을 부여받았으며 서로 형제애의 정신으로 행동하여야 한다.
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights…”
Linguistic profile
How hard is Korean for English speakers?
The US Foreign Service Institute puts Korean in Category IV: about 88 weeks (2200 class hours) of full-time study to reach professional working proficiency.
Source: FSI language learning timelines. See all languages ranked: hardest · easiest.
Feature values from the World Atlas of Language Structures (WALS Online, CC BY 4.0).
The Korean script
Hangul (24 basic letters grouped into syllable blocks). Tap a character to hear it.
The 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels of Hangul; they combine into syllable blocks.
Useful Korean phrases with pronunciation
Numbers 1–10
- 하나 hana
- 둘 dul
- 셋 set
- 넷 net
- 다섯 daseot
- 여섯 yeoseot
- 일곱 ilgop
- 여덟 yeodeol
- 아홉 ahop
- 열 yeol
Days of the week
- Mon 월요일
- Tue 화요일
- Wed 수요일
- Thu 목요일
- Fri 금요일
- Sat 토요일
- Sun 일요일
Everyday words
- water 물 mul
- cat 고양이 goyang'i
- dog 개 gae
- coffee 커피 keopi
- beer 맥주(麥酒) maekju
- bread 빵 ppang
- book 책(冊) chaek
Phrases and words checked against Wiktionary; days and months from Unicode CLDR. Audio uses your browser's built-in Korean voice when available.
Dialects and varieties
Seoul (standard)
Seoul and Gyeonggi
The basis of South Korean standard language; “-yo” endings for polite speech: 고마워요 gomawoyo.
Gyeongsang (Busan)
Busan, Daegu
Strong pitch contours; “mwohano?” (what are you doing?), and a reputation for sounding blunt.
Jeolla
Gwangju and the southwest
Its rich intonation and the all-purpose filler word 거시기 (geosigi, “that thing / whatchamacallit”) are strongly associated with Jeolla.
Jeju
Jeju Island
So different that UNESCO lists Jejueo as critically endangered and it is often treated as a separate language.
North Korean (Munhwaŏ)
North Korea
Purist coinages replace many English loanwords. The best-known example is 얼음보숭이 (eoreumbosungi) for ice cream, where the South says 아이스크림.
Hear the dialects
Fun words, untranslatables and false friends
정
jeong
A deep bond of affection and loyalty that builds up over time between people.
눈치
nunchi
The art of sensing other people's moods: reading the room.
한
han
A collective feeling of sorrow, longing and unresolved grievance.
대박
daebak
Jackpot! Used for anything amazing.
False friends for English speakers
| Korean | Looks like | Actually means |
|---|---|---|
| 핸드폰 haendeupon | hand phone | mobile phone |
| 원룸 wollum | one room | studio flat |
Curious facts
- Hangul was created in 1443 under King Sejong the Great and published in 1446 as Hunminjeongeum. Korea celebrates Hangul Day each October.
- The shapes of Hangul consonants were designed to represent the position of the mouth and tongue.
- Korean has speech levels: the ending of a sentence changes with the relationship between speakers.
- Word order is subject–object–verb, like Japanese, with particles marking roles.
- Many Korean words have Chinese roots (Sino-Korean), and there are two number systems: native (hana, dul, set) and Sino-Korean (il, i, sam).
Famous Korean-speaking voices
Singers & musicians
Writers & poets
Film & TV
Other famous figures
Descriptions from Wikidata; photos from Wikimedia Commons under the licences shown.
Korean culture now
Squid Game
South Korean television series (2021–2025)
Parasite (2019 film)
2019 South Korean film by Bong Joon Ho
K-pop
South Korean popular music genre
Crash Landing on You
2019–2020 South Korean television series
Gangnam Style
2012 single by Psy
Korean Wave
Global rise in popularity of Korean culture
Learn Korean on YouTube
Free lessons from teachers and channels with Korean courses. Videos load only when you press play.
The story of the language
Quick quiz: how well do you know Korean?
Where to learn Korean
Korean Content Portal
Korean videos, with smooth progress from teachers' channels to native content.
LangMagicThe Endless Book
Read text you can understand, in the style of your favourite author and genre. About 30 languages.
LangMagicLangMagic Speak
Speaking lessons built around your topics, from materials you choose.
LangMagicLangMagic Meet
A virtual meeting platform built for language lessons, with follow-up exercises.
FreeWikivoyage Korean phrasebook
Free travel phrasebook with pronunciation guide
FreeWikibooks: Korean
Free, open textbook
FreeOmniglot: Korean
Script, pronunciation and useful phrases
FreeWiktionary: Korean dictionary
Free multilingual dictionary
Sources
- Speaker numbers: Ethnologue (2026), via Wikipedia.
- Countries, populations, alphabets, days and months: Unicode CLDR 46.
- Classification: Glottolog 5.3. Grammar features: WALS Online.
- Introduction: Wikipedia, Korean language (CC BY-SA 4.0). People and culture: Wikipedia and Wikidata. Images: Wikimedia Commons.
- Writing sample: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1, from the Unicode UDHR collection. Phrases and words: Wiktionary. Difficulty: US Foreign Service Institute.
- Map: Natural Earth via world-atlas (public domain).