Section 02 · 음절
Syllable blocks
How the letters stack into squares.
Every Korean word is written as a sequence of blocks, one per syllable. Inside each block, the letters are stacked, never left to right like English, not really. The shape of the vowel tells you how to arrange everything.
Two shapes, two stackings
There are two kinds of vowels: vertical (like ㅏ, ㅣ, ㅓ) and horizontal (like ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ).
- When the vowel is vertical, the first consonant sits to its left: 가 = ㄱ + ㅏ.
- When the vowel is horizontal, the first consonant sits above it: 고 = ㄱ + ㅗ.
Two or three letters
A block has either two or three letters:
- Two letters: a consonant and a vowel. 가, 나, 다, 고, 누.
- Three letters: add a final consonant on the bottom, the 받침 (batchim). 강 = ㄱ + ㅏ + ㅇ. 달 = ㄷ + ㅏ + ㄹ.
Next: the final consonant isn't just a consonant.