Lesson/6
Contents
Hangul 5/5
This is the final lesson on Hangul. We cover the most difficult part of Hangul--syllable combinations.
General Rule of Thumb
There are some rules here, and they do make sense, but perhaps it's better just to see these rules in action.
The basic idea is to ask what happens when you actually try to say the two consonants at the same time. Sometimes the consonants must change, sometimes they combine, or sometimes, they stay the same.
Rule 1: Fill the hole.
When you have final consonant followed by ㅇ, then the final consonant moves up.
- 간이 = 가니
When there are two different consonants on the bottom, the last one moves up.
- 읽어 = 일거
Note: A ㄷ or ㅌ that moves up and is followed by an ㅣ will change into ㅈ or ㅊ.
- 같이 = 가치
Rule 2: ㅎ Aspirates
If the bottom consonant is a 'hard' consonant (ㄱㄷㅂㅈ), and it is followed by ㅎ, then it is changed into its aspirated form.
- 익히 = 이키
- 읽히 = 일키
Note: The rule about ㄷ/ㅌ plus ㅣ still applies.
- 앋히 = 아치
Rule 3: Nasals make more nasals.
The nasals (ㄴㅁ) following hard consonants change them into their corresponding nasals.
- 앋미 = 안미
- 악마 = 앙마
Rule 4: Mischievous ㄹ
Of all the consonants, ㄹ is the most mysterious and mischievous.
- ㄹ at the bottom is an 'l' sound (unless it changes according to the rules below.)
- Double ㄹ is an 'l' sound.
- Any ㄴ followed by or preceded by ㄹ will change into ㄹ rather than ㄹ changing into an ㄴ.
- ㄹ changes into ㄴ when following a nasal (except ㄴ which would change into an ㄹ).
- Hard consonants followed by ㄹ change into their nasals. The ㄹ will then change into ㄴ.
- Koreans have a really hard time with words that start with ㄹ. They will often just drop it. ("Lee" is actually from Chinese "ri/li". Koreans pronounce it "이"). Or they might say it like an 'l'. Or they might put a short '으' before it.
Examples:
- 알 (al)
- 아라 (a-ra)
- 악리 -> 앙니 (ang-ni)
- 압리 -> 암니 (am-ni)
- 알리 (al-li)
- 안리 -> 알리 (al-li)
- 알니 -> 알리 (al-li)
- 알다 (al-da)
- 라 (a? la? eu-ra?)
Keep in mind that Koreans are not Japanese. Whereas Japanese do not have an 'l' sound at all, Koreans do, but Koreans only pronounce it in specific conditions. Koreans have difficulty with certain English words because they get 'r' and 'l' confused.
Rule 5: Hard consonants combined with another consonant make a double-consonant sound.
When a hard consonant follows any other consonant, it ends up making a harder sound, like the double consonant sound.
Practice
It's time to practice reading Korean. You'll get plenty of exposure to the patterns, and soon you won't even know you're following any special rules. It will seem like the way you are reading it is the only way it can be really read.
