Consonants:
* Basic Consonants: These are the foundation of the alphabet:
* ㄱ (g) ㄷ (d) ㄹ (r/l) ㅁ (m) ㅂ (b) ㅅ (s) ㅇ (ng) ㅈ (j) ㅊ (ch) ㅋ (k) ㅌ (t) ㅍ (p) ㅎ (h)
* Compound Consonants: These combine two basic consonants to create a single sound.
* ㄲ (kk) ㄸ (tt) ㅃ (pp) ㅆ (ss) ㅉ (jj)
Vowels:
* Basic Vowels: These are the core vowels:
* ㅏ (a) ㅑ (ya) ㅓ (eo) ㅕ (yeo) ㅗ (o) ㅛ (yo) ㅜ (u) ㅠ (yu) ㅣ (i) ㅔ (e) ㅖ (ye) ㅐ (ae) ㅒ (yae) ㅚ (oe) ㅟ (wi) ㅢ (ui)
Putting it Together:
1. Syllables: Hangul is written in syllables, where each syllable is made up of one consonant and one vowel (or a consonant, vowel, and another consonant).
2. Syllabic Blocks: Each syllable is written in a "syllabic block," which is a square shape with a consonant on top, a vowel in the middle, and an optional consonant at the bottom.
Example:
Let's look at the word "안녕하세요" (annyeonghaseyo - hello)
* 안 (an): The consonant "ㅇ" (ng) sits on top, the vowel "ㅏ" (a) in the middle, and the consonant "ㄴ" (n) at the bottom.
* 녕 (nyeong): The consonant "ㄴ" (n) is on top, the vowel "ㅕ" (yeo) in the middle, and the consonant "ㅇ" (ng) at the bottom.
* 하 (ha): The consonant "ㅎ" (h) is on top, the vowel "ㅏ" (a) is in the middle.
* 세 (se): The consonant "ㅅ" (s) is on top, the vowel "ㅔ" (e) is in the middle, and the consonant "ㅇ" (ng) is at the bottom.
* 요 (yo): The consonant "ㅇ" (ng) is on top, the vowel "ㅛ" (yo) is in the middle.
Learning Resources:
* Online Courses: Many free and paid online courses are available on websites like Memrise, Duolingo, and Udemy.
* Apps: Apps like "Learn Hangul" and "Korean Alphabet" offer gamified learning experiences.
* Books: There are plenty of beginner Korean textbooks that cover the alphabet.
* YouTube: You can find numerous video tutorials and lessons on YouTube.
Remember, practice makes perfect! The more you read and write Hangul, the easier it will become.