Introduction

You want to learn Korean. But where do you start? This question stops many beginners.

I know how you feel. I’ve been there. When I started learning Korean, everything was new and confusing at first. There was so much information. I didn’t know what to do first.

My name is Anna and I have been teaching Korean for 14+ years. I’m not a native speaker and I learned Korean myself. Now I help others start their Korean learning journey.

I’ve created a simple first week roadmap. It works. I’ve used it with hundreds of students. Follow this, and you’ll have a solid foundation.

Let’s get started.

Day 1: Learn Hangeul

This is your first task. Learn the Korean alphabet.

Many beginners skip this. They use romanization instead. Don’t do this. It will slow you down later.

Hangeul has 40 letters. That’s it. You can learn them in a few hours, in just one day..

Here’s your task for day 1:

• Learn all 19 consonants
• Learn all 21 vowels
• Practice reading simple words 
• Write each letter 5 times 

Your goal is to read basic Korean words without romanization.

Time needed: 2-3 hours, but even an hour of practice a day would do, if you are consistent.

Day 2: Hangeul Practice

Don’t move on yet. Practice Hangeul more.

Your task is to continue getting used to reading in Korean:

•Review all 40 letters

•Read 20 simple Korean words, words you use daily

•Practice writing Korean words, start with very simple ones

•Use flashcards to practice and see your progress so far

Your goal is to feel comfortable reading Korean.

Time needed: 1-2 hours, you can take breaks. A fresh brain digests new information better.

Day 3: Learn Your First 20 Words

Now that you can read Korean, it’s time to learn words.

Start with greetings and basic words related to daily life. This way every time you encounter that word in your daily life, you’ll remember the new word you learned in Korean. 

Your task is to learn 20 basic words.

• Don’t just memorize, use flashcards to practice
• Say each word out loud, let your brain practice using the new and “scary” language
•  Write each word at least 3 times, be deliberate, don’t just hurry to finish.

Your goal is to know 20 useful Korean words well.

Time needed: 1-2 hours, but again, take short breaks, walk a little, get a snack or simply move your body. This will help you learn faster.

Day 4: Start Learning Basic Sentence Structure

Korean sentences work a little differently than English. This confuses many beginners, but it’s not difficult or complex. Just different.

English sentence structure:

Subject + Verb + Object (I eat rice) 

Korean sentence structure: Subject + Object + Verb (I rice eat)

Your task is to understand how Korean sentence structure works, make a few simple sentences, and practice a lot!

Time needed: 1-2 hours, but you’ll need to practice this often, not just one day. Once it sticks, you won’t forget it. Just make sure your foundation is good.

Day 5: Learn Basic Particles in Korean

Particles are small words, endings that show the function of words in sentences. This is another difference with the English language. Korean relies heavily on particles such as 이/가, 은/는, 을/를) attached to nouns to show their role. Think of them as little helpers.

Let’s start with these three, they are used the most.

• 은/는 (eun/neun) - topic marker
• 이/가 (i/ga) - subject marker
• 을/를 (eul/reul) - object marker

Your task is to:

•  Learn when to use each particle and get comfortable using them
• Practice making sentences with particles (start with very simple sentences)

Example: 저는 학생이에요 (I am a student)

Time needed: 1-2 hours, but make this a daily habit until you feel comfortable using them. 

Day 6: Learn 20 More Words (Or more if you want to)

You need to keep building your vocabulary. Now that you can form simple sentences, this is a good way to introduce new vocabulary and start wondering about simple daily grammar.

Your task for today is to:

• Learn 20 more essential words (and use them in sentences, of course)
•  Focus on daily life words (food, family, activities, hobbies, K-opo, K-Drama)
• Review previous 20 words and use them in sentences

Time needed: 1-2 hours top, but feel free to practice longer. Just don’t forget to take breaks, 

Day 7: Time to Review and Practice More

Here’s what you need to do today:

This step is very important. You need to review everything you learned during the week in order to see your weak points so far. This will help you learn faster and make the process more rewarding.

• Review all Hangeul letters
•  Review all 40 words you learned
• Practice making simple sentences
•  Read simple Korean texts (topics like hobby, school, friends, etc)
• Test yourself with flashcards

Time needed: 1-2 hours is enough. If you see some areas you could improve, write them down and come back to it after a break.

What You’ve Achieved

After one week, you can:

• Read Korean (know all 40 hangul letters)
• Know 40 basic but essential words
• Make simple sentences with them
• Use basic particles in sentences

This is a solid foundation. Now you’re ready to start growing your vocabulary even more and learn simple grammar.

Common First Mistakes Students Make

By avoiding them you’’ learn much faster than you initially may have expected.

Mistake 1: Feeling motivated and moving too fast

This is sometimes counter-intuitive but rushing to learn a lot doesn’t help. Master Hangeul first, make sure it sticks. Then move to words, practice. Then grammar. Take your time on each step. You don’t have to finish this in just one week. We all have our schedules, so don’t feel guilty if you can’t squeeze in a 2 hour study session. What’s more important is to be consistent. Even 30 minutes a day can do wonders if consistent.

Mistake 2: Using only romanization

Stop using romanization after day 2. Force yourself to read Hangeul. It’s the only way to improve. That being said, romanization is amazing for beginners when you want a quick reminder. But don’t make using it a habit. 

Mistake 3: Not practicing daily

Practice every day. Even 15 minutes helps. Even if you don’t learn much that day, your brain adds a green check mark for that day, and you’ll be more confident that your discipline works. Consistency always beats intensity.

Mistake 4: Trying to learn everything and wanting to be fluent fast

Focus on basics first. Don’t try to learn advanced grammar yet. Remind yourself that this is a marathon, and you need to plan it well ahead.  Build your foundation first.

Mistake 5: Giving up too soon before you see your progress

The first week can feel both rewarding and overwhelming. At first you see your first progress, get inspired. Then you stumble upon particles, some grammar, and your brain starts to panic. That’s normal. Just slow down, take a break, and come back to where you left it. It will get better, I promise.  

What’s Next After This?

After your first week, your foundation is all set. Now you’re ready for:

• More vocabulary (aim for 100 words but don’t rush)
•  More grammar (verb conjugation, tenses, negation, etc)
• Reading practice (small, easy texts, like fairy tales,sentences from  children’s boos
• Listening practice (anything you enjoy, your favorite K-pop or K-drama interviews will do just fine)

Final Thoughts

Starting to learn Korean can feel exciting, scary at times, motivating and disheartening. But if you are strategic about it, the rewards are way, WAY higher than the setbacks. 

Remember: Every expert was once a beginner. I started where you are now. So did every Korean learner. I made all the mistakes you are going to make, and I’d do it all over again. 

Keep going. Stay consistent. You’ve got this!

Have questions about your first Korean learning week? Leave them in the comments. 

Good luck with your Korean learning journey. 화이팅!