Y-vowels and combined vowels

LessonAdd a line, mix two vowels

박쌤 Good news: you already know the basic vowels. The others are built from them.

박쌤 Rule 1: add a second short stroke and you get a “y” sound. ㅏ → ㅑ (ya), ㅓ → ㅕ (yeo), ㅗ → ㅛ (yo), ㅜ → ㅠ (yu).

박쌤 Rule 2: ㅐ and ㅔ both sound like the “e” in “bed”. Add a stroke and you get ㅒ, ㅖ: “ye”.

박쌤 Rule 3: put two vowels together and say them fast, as one sound. ㅗ + ㅏ = ㅘ (wa). ㅜ + ㅓ = ㅝ (wo). ㅗ + ㅣ = ㅚ (oe, like “we”). ㅜ + ㅣ = ㅟ (wi). ㅡ + ㅣ = ㅢ (ui).

박쌤 Three rules, and you can read every vowel in Korean!

Letters야 · 여 · 요 · 유

One extra line = a “y” sound!

Word 야 ya · 여 yeo · 요 yo · 유 yu

Examples 야구 yagu baseball · 여자 (yeoja) — woman · 요리 (yori) — cooking · 휴지 (hyuji) — tissue

You already know 유, from 우유!

Letters애 · 에 · 예 and the combined vowels

Two letters, one sound… and vowel combos!

Word ㅐ ae · ㅔ e · ㅖ ye · ㅘ wa · ㅝ wo · ㅚ oe · ㅟ wi · ㅢ ui

Examples 개 gae dog · 게 (ge) — crab · 예 (ye) — yes · 사과 (sagwa) — apple · 뭐 (mwo) — what · 귀 (gwi) — ear · 의자 (uija) — chair · 회사 (hoesa) — company

Guided readingShopping list

Grandma's shopping list. Read it for her!

야 · 여 · 요 · 유 · 애 · 에 · 와 · 워 · 위 · 의

사과 · 배 bae pear · 우유 · 휴지 · 고기 · 게 · 무 (mu) — radish

할머니 : 아이고, 우리 서준이 다 컸네! Oh my, my Seo-jun is all grown up!

Sounds여 or 요?

Open or round?

Word 여 (yeo) / 요 (yo)

Astuce Mouth open, lips relaxed.

Astuce Round your lips.

SceneAt Mangwon market

One word, three meanings!

서준 할머니, 이거 뭐예요? halmeoni, igeo mwoyeyo? Grandma, what's this?

할머니 사과야. sagwaya. It's an apple.

서준 사… 과… 사과! 이거는요? sa… gwa… sagwa! igeoneunyo? Ap… ple… Apple! And this one?

할머니 그건 배야. geugeon baeya. That's a pear.

서준 배? 배는 바다에 있어요! bae? baeneun badae isseoyo! A boat? Boats are in the sea!

할머니 아이고, 이 배는 먹는 배야! aigo, i baeneun meongneun baeya! Oh dear, this 배 is the one you eat!

SceneWhat's cooking?

Grandma's secret recipe!

서준 할머니, 뭐 해요? halmeoni, mwo haeyo? Grandma, what are you doing?

할머니 요리해. yorihae. I'm cooking.

서준 무슨 요리요? 고기? museun yoriyo? gogi? What dish? Meat?

할머니 아니. ani. No.

서준 그럼… 게? geureom… ge? Then… crab?

할머니 아니! 서준이가 좋아하는 거! ani! seojuniga joahaneun geo! No! Something Seo-jun loves!

서준 아! 라면! a! ramyeon! Ah! Ramyeon!

QuizRead these words

Can you read these 5 words?