Basic Vowels¶
Quick Reference
10 Basic Vowels organized by type:
| Vertical Vowels | Sound | Horizontal Vowels | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | a (ah) | ㅗ | o (oh) |
| ㅑ | ya (yah) | ㅛ | yo (yoh) |
| ㅓ | eo (uh) | ㅜ | u (oo) |
| ㅕ | yeo (yuh) | ㅠ | yu (yoo) |
| ㅣ | i (ee) | ㅡ | eu (uh) |
Detailed Explanation¶
Korean vowels are highly systematic. They are based on three fundamental elements:
- · (천/天 - heaven/dot)
- ㅡ (지/地 - earth/horizontal line)
- ㅣ (인/人 - human/vertical line)
All vowels are combinations of these three elements, making them easy to learn and remember.
Vertical Vowels (세로 모음)¶
These vowels have a vertical line and are written to the right of the initial consonant.
ㅏ - a sound¶
- Sound: Like 'a' in "father"
- Composition: ㅣ (vertical) + · (dot on right)
- Position: Bright, yang vowel
- Examples: 아버지 (father), 사과 (apple), 가다 (to go)
ㅑ - ya sound¶
- Sound: Like 'ya' in "yacht"
- Composition: ㅣ (vertical) + ·· (two dots on right)
- Note: Adding a dot makes ㅏ → ㅑ (y-sound)
- Examples: 야구 (baseball), 약 (medicine), 얘기 (talk/story)
ㅓ - eo sound¶
- Sound: Like 'u' in "uncle" or 'aw' in "awful"
- Composition: ㅣ (vertical) + · (dot on left)
- Position: Dark, yin vowel (opposite of ㅏ)
- Examples: 어머니 (mother), 서울 (Seoul), 저기 (over there)
ㅕ - yeo sound¶
- Sound: Like 'yaw'
- Composition: ㅣ (vertical) + ·· (two dots on left)
- Note: Adding a dot makes ㅓ → ㅕ (y-sound)
- Examples: 여기 (here), 교 (church), 겨울 (winter)
ㅣ - i sound¶
- Sound: Like 'ee' in "see"
- Composition: ㅣ (vertical line only)
- Note: One of the three fundamental elements
- Examples: 이 (this), 시간 (time), 김치 (kimchi)
Horizontal Vowels (가로 모음)¶
These vowels have a horizontal line and are written below the initial consonant.
ㅗ - o sound¶
- Sound: Like 'o' in "go"
- Composition: ㅡ (horizontal) + · (dot above)
- Position: Bright, yang vowel
- Examples: 오다 (to come), 고기 (meat), 노래 (song)
ㅛ - yo sound¶
- Sound: Like 'yo' in "yoga"
- Composition: ㅡ (horizontal) + ·· (two dots above)
- Note: Adding a dot makes ㅗ → ㅛ (y-sound)
- Examples: 요리 (cooking), 교회 (church), 효도 (filial piety)
ㅜ - u sound¶
- Sound: Like 'oo' in "food"
- Composition: ㅡ (horizontal) + · (dot below)
- Position: Dark, yin vowel (opposite of ㅗ)
- Examples: 우유 (milk), 주스 (juice), 수업 (class)
ㅠ - yu sound¶
- Sound: Like 'you'
- Composition: ㅡ (horizontal) + ·· (two dots below)
- Note: Adding a dot makes ㅜ → ㅠ (y-sound)
- Examples: 유리 (glass), 우유 (milk), 류 (Ryu - name)
ㅡ - eu sound¶
- Sound: Like unrounded 'oo' (lips spread, not rounded)
- Composition: ㅡ (horizontal line only)
- Note: One of the three fundamental elements; no exact English equivalent
- Examples: 으 (hmm), 슬프다 (to be sad), 크다 (to be big)
Vowel Harmony (모음조화)¶
Traditional Korean follows vowel harmony principles:
Yang (Bright) Vowels¶
ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅗ, ㅛ - Associated with bright, positive concepts
Yin (Dark) Vowels¶
ㅓ, ㅕ, ㅜ, ㅠ, ㅡ - Associated with dark, negative concepts
Neutral¶
ㅣ - Can go with either group
Traditional pattern: - Yang vowels combine with yang: 아/어 verbs → 아 (가 + 아 = 가) - Yin vowels combine with yin: 아/어 verbs → 어 (서 + 어 = 서)
Examples: - 가다 (to go) + 아요 = 가요 - 서다 (to stand) + 어요 = 서요
Modern Korean doesn't strictly follow this rule, but understanding it helps with verb conjugation patterns.
Syllable Formation¶
With Vertical Vowels¶
Consonant on left, vowel on right:
| Structure | Example | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ + ㅏ | 가 | g + a |
| ㄴ + ㅏ | 나 | n + a |
| ㅅ + ㅣ | 시 | s/sh + i |
| ㅇ + ㅓ | 어 | silent + eo |
With Horizontal Vowels¶
Consonant on top, vowel on bottom:
| Structure | Example | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| ㄱ + ㅗ | 고 | g + o |
| ㄴ + ㅜ | 누 | n + u |
| ㅁ + ㅡ | 므 | m + eu |
| ㅇ + ㅗ | 오 | silent + o |
Complete Words¶
| Hangul | Breakdown | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 나 | ㄴ + ㅏ | I/me |
| 너 | ㄴ + ㅓ | you (informal) |
| 우리 | ㅇ + ㅜ + ㄹ + ㅣ | we/us |
| 사람 | ㅅ + ㅏ + ㄹ + ㅏ + ㅁ | person |
| 고기 | ㄱ + ㅗ + ㄱ + ㅣ | meat |
| 우유 | ㅇ + ㅜ + ㅇ + ㅠ | milk |
Y-Vowel Pattern¶
Notice the systematic pattern for creating y-vowels:
| Basic | Y-version | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| ㅏ (a) | ㅑ (ya) | Add one dot |
| ㅓ (eo) | ㅕ (yeo) | Add one dot |
| ㅗ (o) | ㅛ (yo) | Add one dot |
| ㅜ (u) | ㅠ (yu) | Add one dot |
The dot represents the 'y' sound, making the system highly logical.
Common Vowel Pairs¶
These pairs often appear in words:
| Pair | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ㅏ + ㅣ | 사이 | between |
| ㅗ + ㅏ | 좋아 | like (verb) |
| ㅜ + ㅣ | 우이 | friendship |
| ㅡ + ㅣ | 의 | of/possessive |
| ㅓ + ㅗ | 서오 | (rare combination) |
Practice¶
- Which vowel is one of the three fundamental elements and sounds like "ee"?
- Write the syllable: ㅅ + ㅏ = ?
- What is the y-version of ㅗ?
- Which vowel has no exact English equivalent and sounds like an unrounded "oo"?
- Are vertical vowels written to the left or right of the consonant?
- Write the syllable: ㅎ + ㅗ = ?
- Which vowels are considered "yang" (bright) vowels?
- What is the difference between ㅏ and ㅓ in terms of dot position?
- Write these syllables: 나, 너, 노, 누
- Which vowel is neutral in vowel harmony?
Show Answers
1. ㅣ (i) 2. 사 (like in 사과 - apple) 3. ㅛ (yo) 4. ㅡ (eu) 5. To the right of the consonant 6. 호 (like in 호랑이 - tiger) 7. ㅏ, ㅑ, ㅗ, ㅛ 8. ㅏ has the dot on the right (bright/yang), ㅓ has the dot on the left (dark/yin) 9. 나 (na), 너 (neo), 노 (no), 누 (nu) 10. ㅣ (i) - it can combine with either yang or yin vowelsNext Steps¶
Continue to Compound Vowels to learn the 11 compound vowel combinations!