Super simple Korean alphabet formula-2 ‘Bottom consonant’

How to solve the Korean consonant structure very easily

The "bottom consonant" structure of Korean is a language system that is difficult to find in other languages except Chinese. Therefore, one of the most difficult things for foreigners to learn Korean is the "bottom consonant" structure of Korean. However, once you understand the principles of Korean pronunciation, you feel for yourself that it is "very systematic and scientific."

However, the pronunciation of the bottom consonants are unified into several representative sounds. In other words, 14 consonants are pronounced as eight representative sounds. Based on these concepts, there are two things you must remember. 

First, in Korean, "a bottom consonant" is pronounced only half of their original sound when hearing or writing consonant, and most of them are pronounced by instantaneously closing the sound with the lips or the tip of the tongue.

Second, as I have already explained in the previous post, if a consonant "o" comes immediately after a syllable used as a bottom consonant, it will move to the position of the consonant "o" immediately after it and to be pronounced as its original sound.

If you don't understand these basic principles, it can interfere with your Korean listening and writing skills.

The table below is made into two tables that are very easy to see how Korean consonants are pronounced when used as a bottom consonant.

It's a Korean eating culture. The picture above shows bulgogi in the middle of the table, which is well known to foreigners. The brown color on the plate is Korean soup.

Korean consonant consonant structure

It was displayed through international phonetic symbols, with red in English, black in Japanese, and blue in Russian. And below the red line is a case in which consonants that are difficult to find in other languages are used as "the bottom consonants."

It's a fusion Korean style menu. There are stir-fried beef in the middle of a plate and various vegetables around it, which are rounded like spring rolls and eaten.

Sujeonggwa is one of the traditional drinks in Korea, and is made by floating dried persimmons and pine nuts by sweetening ginger and cinnamon (can also be added) with honey or sugar in boiling water. Especially in summer, it is very delicious to put ice pieces in Sujeonggwa and drink them cool.