Language

One of the most difficult things about traveling is language barrier. Once this barrier is broken, we realize that we are all the same. It is difficult to gauge the goodness in people; it is even more difficult to do it without communicating.

The Hangul (Korean) language is hard to learn. That is what I was told when I was in the U.S. But now that I am in Korea, Koreans tell me it is one of the easiests languages to learn. However, they say English is hard to learn when I teach it to them. How interesting?

When we are born in a country, we are surrounded and immersed in that language and culture. As a result, we do not have to think about these things. But when we leave that comfort zone amidst that people and the language we know, our eyes are opened. We see what we did not see. We leave the cave and Plato is by the light waiting.

I am resolved to learn Korean. My efforts will be recorded here. Learn with me.
Here are a few words I have learned:
I want (as in when ordering food) [igor] = This [chuseo] = give me please
man = namcha
woman = yocha
mashita = tates good
uptha = there isn’t
itda = there is

I was told by one of my supervisors that the easiest way is to learn the vowels and the aphabet. Once I have done so, I will post that here for those interested in learning Korean as well.

The alphabet
The Korean Alphabet

Consonants

The Korean Alphabet

Consonants

? g, k sound: ka
? b, p sound: pa
? k sound: ca
? n sound: na
? s sound:sa
? t sound:ta
? d, t sound:tha
? ng, silent sound:ah
? p sound:pa
? r, sound:ra
l ? j sound:tah
? h sound:ha
? m sound:ma
? ch sound:cha

Vowels

? a
? o
? yu
? ya
? yo
? eu
? eo
? u
? i
? yeo

Once you have mastered the consonants and the vowels, all that is left is combining the letters and or vowels by “sound” in order to form words or sentences.