Learning a new language takes a lot of effort and time. For Western learners, tackling Korean can feel even more challenging because it’s so different from their native languages. But don’t worry—I’ve got one simple tip that can make your Korean language journey much smoother!
I’ve dabbled in a few languages myself, including English, Thai, Japanese, and Chinese. Through my experiences, I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out how to learn a language more effectively. Today, I’ll share my most important insight—something I always emphasize to my Korean students.
Think in the Language, Not Your Own
One of the biggest struggles learners face is word order. When you try to form sentences by first thinking in your native language and then translating them into Korean, mistakes happen. For example, many of my students say things like "두 명 친구" when they mean "two friends."
Why is this a problem? Korean word order differs from English. In English, you say the number before the noun, like "two friends." But in Korean, the noun comes first, followed by the number:
Correct: 친구 두 명
Here are more examples to illustrate this point:
- 저는 한국 친구가 두 명 있어요. (I have two Korean friends.)
- 저는 여동생이 한 명 있어요. (I have one younger sister.)
Learning from My Thai Experience
When I learned Thai, I realized that some languages have even more unusual word orders. For example, when I talk to my Thai teacher, I wanted to say "I have one Thai friend." But the sentence structure in Thai looks completely different:
- English: I have a Thai friend.
- Korean: 저는 태국인 친구가 한 명 있어요. (I Thai friend one have.)
- Thai: ผมมีเพื่อนคนไทยหนึ่งคน (I have friend Thai one.)
See how different they are? This is why thinking in your native language first and then translating can be inefficient and lead to mistakes.
So, what did I do? I added this Thai sentence to a flashcard and practiced it repeatedly. It was an incredibly practical sentence because I actually had a Thai friend, so I could use it often whenever I talk to Thai people.
Once I mastered this sentence, it became easier to tweak it. For example, if I made more Thai friends, I’d only have to change the number. If I wanted to talk about family instead, I’d simply swap out "Thai friend" for "family."
Here’s my single most important tip for learning Korean (or any language):
Memorize and repeatedly practice sentences you use often.
The more useful sentences you can recall instantly, the more confident you’ll become in speaking Korean. Over time, these sentences will naturally build up, and your Korean skills will improve dramatically.
Boost Your Progress with the Right Tools
For serious learners, I recommend checking out the Podo Korean app. It’s packed with practical sentences that I personally created. With just one click, you can save a sentence, its translation, and its audio to a flashcard for easy review. Use this method consistently, and you’ll be amazed at how far you can go.
Ready to get started? Click the link below to download the app and start building your Korean fluency today!
