Basic Korean Lesson 1.01: The Vowel 이

In this lesson, we will learn about the vowel 이 which sounds as “i” as in beet.

Hangeul	이
Phonetic Symbol	[ i ]	*from the International Phonetic Alphabet)
Romanization	i	*from the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, 2000)

This vowel, as you can see, is written as a small circle with a straight, vertical line on its right side. That’s your vowel /i/. Very simple, right?
Do your best to be familiar with this vowel, memorize its appearance, so that you will be able to combine it with the other vowels that we will be studying next time.
Now, for you to get familiar with the 이 vowel, we will put it into use. You might find this technique a little strange, but all the same, as long as it is effective. First, we will use the vowel as a substitute for the sound /i/ in English words.

b이t
m이tshop
s이horse
Eth이opia
st이l
s이nior
sc이nery
swarm이ng

Are you now familiar with the vowel 이? Let’s take it to the next level by using it in Korean words this time.

dar이	the moon
ra이to	lighter (a borrowed word)
이 jusoui upyeonbeonhoga mwoyeyo?	What’s the zip code for this address?
Urin cheonsaengyeonbun이ya.	We’re a match made in heaven.
Gaeuleun dokseoeui gyejeol이ya.	Autumn is season for reading.
이geo eolmayeyo?	How much is this?
이 jusoui upyeonbeonhoga mwoyeyo?	What’s the zip code for this address?
Naneun silmang이yeyo haeyo.	( I am / I feel) disappointed.
Geugeoseun) maeryeokjeok이yeyo haeyo.	It is charming.
Geugeoseun) gamdongjeok이yeyo heayo.	It is moving. (moving here refers feeling, not movement)

More Korean Lessons <<|>> Korean Lesson 1.02