Comprehensive Korean Self-Study Guide for Beginners: Lessons 1 & 2

Korean Self-Study Lesson 1&2

Welcome to your ultimate self-study guide for learning Korean! This online textbook is designed specifically for English-speaking beginners. In this comprehensive guide, you will master basic greetings, introducing your nationality, identifying everyday objects, and understanding fundamental Korean sentence structures. Let’s begin your Korean language journey!

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Lesson 1: 안녕하십니까?
저는 마이클입니다
(Hello? I am Michael)

In this lesson, you will learn how to formally greet someone, state your name and nationality, and understand the most fundamental building blocks of a Korean sentence: Topic Markers and the Polite Copula.

1. Dialogue: Meeting Someone for the First Time

Read the dialogue below out loud. Pay close attention to how the words are naturally pronounced in conversation.

마이클: 안녕하십니까? 저는 마이클입니다. 미국 사람입니다. 만나서 반갑습니다.
[Pronunciation Guide: 안녕하심니까? 저는 마이크림니다. 미국 사라밈니다. 만나서 반갑씀니다.]
(Michael: Hello. I am Michael. I am an American. Nice to meet you.)

유강: 마이클 씨, 안녕하십니까? 제 이름은 유강입니다. 저는 중국 사람입니다. 만나서 반갑습니다.
[Pronunciation Guide: 마이클 씨, 안녕하심니까? 제 이르믄 유강임니다. 저는 중국 사라밈니다. 만나서 반갑씀니다.]
(Yugang: Hello, Mr. Michael. My name is Yugang. I am Chinese. Nice to meet you.)

2. Vocabulary & Cultural Notes

• 저 (Jeo) / 제 (Je): This means “I” and “My” in a polite, humble form. When speaking to someone for the first time or to an older/higher-status person, you must use “저” instead of the casual “나 (Na)”. “제” is the contracted form of “저의” (my).
• 사람 (Saram): This word literally means “a person” or “people”. In Korean, you express your nationality by combining the [Country Name] + 사람. For example:
  • 한국 (Korea) + 사람 = 한국 사람 (Korean person)
  • 미국 (USA) + 사람 = 미국 사람 (American person)
  • 중국 (China) + 사람 = 중국 사람 (Chinese person)
  • 일본 (Japan) + 사람 = 일본 사람 (Japanese person)
• 씨 (Ssi): Attached to a person’s name to show respect, equivalent to “Mr.”, “Ms.”, or “Miss” in English. You should never attach “씨” to your own name! Example: 마이클 씨 (Correct), 저는 마이클 씨입니다 (Incorrect).

3. Grammar Explanations

Grammar Rule 1: N은/는 (The Topic Marker)

In English, sentence roles are determined by word order (Subject + Verb + Object). In Korean, particles (markers) are attached to the end of nouns to specify their role. 은 and 는 indicate that the attached noun is the main topic of the sentence.

• Use 은 when the noun ends in a consonant (Patchim):
  • 이름 (Name) ends in ‘ㅁ’ → 이름은
  • 마이클 (Michael) ends in ‘ㄹ’ → 마이클은
• Use 는 when the noun ends in a vowel (No Patchim):
  • 저 (I) ends in ‘ㅓ’ → 저는
  • 유강 씨 (Mr. Yugang) ends in ‘ㅣ’ → 유강 씨는

Grammar Rule 2: N입니다 (To be – Am / Is / Are)

입니다 is the formal, polite form of the verb “to be” (am, is, are). Unlike English verbs that come before the object, Korean verbs always come at the very end of the sentence. It attaches directly to the noun without any space.

• 저는 미국 사람입니다. → I [Topic] America person [am]. = I am an American.
• 제 이름은 유강입니다. → My name [Topic] Yugang [is]. = My name is Yugang.

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Lesson 2: 이것이 무엇입니까?
(What is this?)

Now that you can introduce yourself, let’s learn how to ask about surrounding objects using demonstrative pronouns, subject markers, and how to deny something using negative sentences.

1. Dialogue: Identifying Classroom Objects

Practice reading this conversation between a teacher and a student named Naomi.

질문자 (Questioner): 이름이 무엇입니까?
(What is your name?)

나오미: 제 이름은 나오미입니다.
(My name is Naomi.)

질문자: 나오미 씨는 일본 사람입니까?
(Are you Japanese, Naomi?)

나오미: 네, 일본 사람입니다.
(Yes, I am Japanese.)

질문자: 이것이 무엇입니까?
(What is this?)

나오미: 그것은 안경입니다.
(That is a pair of glasses.)

질문자: 그것은 일본어 책입니까?
(Is that a Japanese book?)

나오미: 아니요, 이것은 일본어 책이 아닙니다. 한국어 책입니다.
(No, this is not a Japanese book. It is a Korean book.)

2. Vocabulary: Core Demostrantives and Objects

Korean	English Meaning	Usage Note
이것 (I-geot)	This (thing)	Object is close to the speaker.
그것 (Geu-geot)	That (thing)	Object is close to the listener.
저것 (Jeo-geot)	That thing over there	Object is far from both speaker and listener.
무엇 (Mu-eot)	What	Interrogative pronoun used for asking questions.
네 / 아니요	Yes / No	Polite and formal responses.
안경 / 책 / 의자	Glasses / Book / Chair	Everyday nouns.

3. Grammar Explanations

Grammar Rule 1: N이/가 (The Subject Marker)

While 은/는 highlights the broad topic or contrast of a sentence, 이 and 가 focus tightly on the specific subject performing the action or being described. It answer questions like “Who?” or “Which exact thing?”.

• Use 이 when the noun ends in a consonant:
  • 이것 (This) + 이 → 이것이 무엇입니까? (What is this specific thing?)
  • 이름 (Name) + 이 → 이름이 무엇입니까? (What is your name?)
• Use 가 when the noun ends in a vowel:
  • 의자 (Chair) + 가 → 의자가 있습니다. (The chair exists.)
  • 누구 (Who) + 가 → 누가 마이클입니까? (Who is Michael?)

Grammar Rule 2: N입니까? (Am / Is / Are…? – Question Form)

To turn a statement ending in 입니다 into a formal question, simply change it to 입니까?. The word order stays exactly the same, but your voice should pitch upward at the end.

• 그것은 일본어 책입니까? → Is that a Japanese book?
• 한국 사람입니까? → Are you a Korean person?

Grammar Rule 3: N이/가 아닙니다 (To Not Be / Negative Form)

To negate a noun (to say “It is not [Noun]”), you use the pattern Noun + 이/가 아닙니다. Notice that the noun being negated must take the subject marker (이/가), not the topic marker.

• 저는 선생님이 아닙니다. → I am not a teacher. (선생님 ends in consonant ‘ㅁ’ → 이)
• 그것은 의자가 아닙니다. → That is not a chair. (의자 ends in vowel ‘ㅏ’ → 가)

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Lesson Exercises: Check Your Progress

Test your understanding of the grammar and vocabulary covered in Lessons 1 and 2. Write down your answers on a separate piece of paper or practice typing them out.

Part A: Topic Markers (은/는)

Fill in the blanks with either 은 or 는 based on the final syllable of the noun.

1. 저_____ 마이클입니다. (I am Michael.)
2. 제 이름_____ 유강입니다. (My name is Yugang.)
3. 이 사람_____ 미국 사람입니다. (This person is an American.)
4. 마이클_____ 학생입니다. (Michael is a student.)

Part B: Subject Markers (이/가)

Fill in the blanks with either 이 or 가.

1. 이것_____ 무엇입니까? (What is this?)
2. 이름_____ 무엇입니까? (What is your name?)
3. 그것은 책상_____ 아닙니다. (That is not a desk.)
4. 의자_____ 아닙니다. 시계입니다. (It is not a chair. It is a watch.)

Part C: Dialogue Completion

Complete the following conversations with logical responses using formal polite speech (입니다 / 아닙니다).

• Q1: 가: 이것은 한국어 책입니까?
  나: 아니요, 그것은 한국어 책____________________.
• Q2: 가: 중국 사람입니까?
  나: 네, 저는 중국 사람____________________.

Congratulations! You have completed the comprehensive guide for Lessons 1 & 2. Keep practicing and writing these structures to build fluid confidence!

💡 Practice Makes Perfect: Free PDF Download Don’t just read—write and test your skills! To help you master Korean faster, you can download our free workbook featuring:

• Korean writing grid boxes for beautiful stroke order
• Fill-in-the-blank grammar exercises (은/는, 이/가)
• Dialogue completion challenges

Click below to get your free printable worksheet: