The HanDa Blog
Korean lessons, study guides, and product news — from the team building an AI Korean tutor.
9 Korean Phrases for Making Plans with a Friend
From "Are you free this weekend?" to "Sorry, I'm running late" — the Korean phrases friends actually use to set a time, pick a place, and cancel without being rude.
Greeting Coworkers in Korean: 안녕하세요 at the Office
In a Korean office you don't say "good morning" — you say 안녕하세요 with the person's title. Here's the whole day: arriving, passing in the hall, and leaving first.
9 Uses of (으)로 in Korean: By Bus, In Korean, With a Spoon
(으)로 marks how, with what, and which way. Nine everyday sentences showing by bus, in Korean, with chopsticks, this way, and more — plus when to use 에 instead.
-(으)면 in Korean: How to Say "If" and "When"
Korean uses one ending for both "if" and "when": -(으)면. Here's the form, the irregulars, when natives pick -(으)ㄹ 때 instead, and the mistakes learners make.
9 Ways to Use -(으)ㄴ 적이 있다: "Have You Ever" in Korean
-(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 is how Korean says "have you ever..." — nine natural examples, the difference from plain past tense, and when natives drop the 이.
-(으)ㄹ까요? in Korean: "Shall We?" and "Do You Think?"
-(으)ㄹ까요? means both "Shall we?" and "Do you think?" — and the subject of the sentence tells you which one. Here's how to form it, use it, and answer it.
9 Korean Counters You Can't Skip: 개, 명, 마리, 잔, 권
Korean puts a counter word after the number: 사과 세 개, not "three apples." Here are the nine counters you actually need, with example sentences and the trick that makes them stick.
Korean Consonants ㄱ ㅋ ㄲ: Plain vs Aspirated vs Tense
Korean has three consonant sounds where English has two. The difference isn't b vs p — it's breath and pitch. Here's how to hear 달, 탈 and 딸 apart, and how to say them.
Korean Weekly — Nov 2 – Nov 8
35 beginner Korean words, 7 grammar patterns and 7 drills from Nov 2 – Nov 8.
9 Ways to Say "Not" in Korean: 안, 못, 없어요, 아니에요
English negates with one word: don't. Korean splits the job between 안, 못, -지 않다, and verbs that have their own negative form. Here's which one to use, with examples.
9 Korean Sound Words for Eating: 냠냠, 꿀꺽, 후루룩
냠냠, 꿀꺽, 후루룩, 아삭아삭 and more — the Korean sound words Koreans actually use at the table, with natural examples and the nuance a dictionary skips.
Korean Words for "Broken": 고장 나다, 깨지다, 부러지다
English has one word for "broken." Korean has a different one for machines, glass, bones, zippers and paper — plus a polite way to say it broke without saying you broke it.
9 Korean Words for "Cut": 자르다, 썰다, 깎다, 끊다
Korean splits "cut" across nine verbs. Here's when to use 자르다, 썰다, 깎다, 다듬다, 베다 and 끊다 — with natural examples for the kitchen, the salon and the phone.
Korean Words for Open and Close: 열다, 닫다, 켜다, 끄다
In Korean you don't "open" a light. 열다, 닫다, 켜다, 끄다, 틀다, 잠그다 — which verb to use for doors, lamps, music, taps and locks, with natural examples.
9 Korean Phrases for Subway and Bus Etiquette
From 잠시만요 to 벨 좀 눌러 주세요 — the nine short phrases that get you on, through and off a Korean subway car or bus without stepping on anyone.
Seollal (설날): 세배, 떡국 and Korean New Year Greetings
새해 복 많이 받으세요 doesn't mean "Happy New Year" — it means "receive a lot of luck." Here's what to say at Seollal, how 세배 works, and why 떡국 makes you a year older.
10 Korean Words for Riding the Subway: 환승, 갈아타다, 막차
Transfer, exits, express trains, the last train home — the ten Korean subway words and phrases you'll actually use underground, with natural examples.
How to Offer Your Seat in Korean: 여기 앉으세요
On a Korean bus or subway, the polite thing is short: stand up and say 여기 앉으세요. Here's the sentence, the softer version, and how to accept or decline when someone offers you a seat.
9 Korean Commands You Hear in Every K-Drama: 잠깐만, 가지 마, 비켜
K-drama characters bark short one-word orders at each other all day. Here are nine you hear constantly, what they really sound like, and the polite versions you should actually use.
알겠습니다 Meaning: How to Say "Got It" in Korean
알겠습니다, 알겠어요, 알겠어, 알았어 — Korean has a different "got it" for every person you answer. Here's the one idea that makes the choice easy.
9 Korean Words for Fate and Destiny in K-Dramas: 운명, 인연
Subtitles translate both 운명 and 인연 as "fate," but Koreans use them very differently. Nine words for destiny you hear in every K-drama, with natural examples.
Korean -더라 and -더라고요: Reporting What You Saw Yourself
-더라고요 is the ending Koreans use to report something they saw or experienced themselves. Here's the nuance subtitles flatten into plain past tense.
10 Korean Words for Buying K-pop Concert Tickets (티켓팅)
예매, 티켓팅, 피켓팅, 취소표, 양도 — the Korean words fans actually use when fighting for K-pop concert tickets, each with a natural example sentence.
덕분에 vs 때문에: How to Say "Thanks to You" in Korean
덕분에 means "thanks to," and it only works for good outcomes. Here's why idols say 팬 여러분 덕분이에요 and what 때문에 would sound like instead.
9 Korean Words for Trading K-pop Photocards (양도, 교환)
양도, 구해요, 나눔, 택포 — the Korean words fans use when buying, selling and swapping photocards, with example lines you can actually post or send.
9 Korean Phrases for Asking for Directions: 어떻게 가요?
Stop someone politely, ask the way, and understand the answer. Nine Korean phrases for asking for directions, plus what locals actually say back.
How to Return or Exchange Something in Korean: 환불되나요?
At a Korean store, you don't announce what you want — you ask whether it's possible. Here's the dialogue, the phrases that matter, and what to say when the answer is no.
9 Ways to Use -아/어 주다 in Korean: Doing Something for Someone
-아/어 주다 turns a plain verb into a favor. Nine real sentences showing how to ask politely, offer help, and say thank you for what someone did for you.
한테 vs 에게 vs 께: How to Say "To Someone" in Korean
한테, 에게 and 께 all mean "to a person" — the difference is how formal you sound and who you're talking about. Here's how natives choose, plus why 에 never works with people.
9 Ways to Say Can and Can't in Korean: -(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다
-(으)ㄹ 수 있다 means "can" and -(으)ㄹ 수 없다 means "can't." Nine real sentences showing the form, when Koreans pick 못 instead, and the 줄 알다 trap.
Korean -고 있다 vs -아/어 있다: Which "Is Doing" Do You Need?
앉고 있어요 or 앉아 있어요? One means you're in the middle of sitting down, the other means you're already seated. Here's how to pick the right one every time.
에 vs 에서 in Korean: 9 Sentences Showing At, To, and From
English uses "at" for both standing somewhere and doing something there. Korean splits them. Nine sentences that show exactly when to use 에 and when to use 에서.
How to Say "He Said" in Korean: -다고 했어요 and -대요
The intermediate plateau usually isn't vocabulary — it's that you can say your own thoughts but can't relay anyone else's. Here's the one pattern that fixes it.
Korean Weekly — Oct 26 – Nov 1
35 beginner Korean words, 7 grammar patterns and 7 drills from Oct 26 – Nov 1.
9 Korean Sentences That Leave Out 'I' and 'You'
Korean drops 저 and 너 whenever context makes them obvious. Nine everyday sentences that show when to leave the pronoun out, when to put it back, and why 당신 is a trap.
Korean Honorific -(으)시-: Why It's 하세요 and Not 해요
Korean politeness has two dials, not one: the ending you choose, and the honorific -(으)시- inside the verb. Here's what it does and a default that keeps you safe.
10 Korean Words for "Wash": 씻다, 감다, 빨다, 닦다
English uses "wash" for hands, hair, clothes and dishes. Korean uses a different verb for each one. Here are 10, with natural examples and the nuance a dictionary skips.
Korean Words for "Put": 놓다, 두다, 넣다, 담다
English uses "put" for everything. Korean splits it into four verbs depending on where the thing goes — on a surface, in a container, or left behind for later.
Fast vs Early in Korean: 빨리 vs 일찍, 빠르다 vs 늦다
빨리 is about speed, 일찍 is about the clock. Here's how Koreans split fast, early, slow and late — and the mistakes that give learners away.
9 Korean Phrases for Splitting the Bill: 더치페이 and N빵
Who pays in Korea, how to ask for separate checks, and the exact lines Koreans say at the counter — from 따로 계산해 주세요 to N빵 하자.
김장 (Kimjang): Korean Kimchi-Making Season and What to Say
Every late autumn, Korean families make kimchi for the winter. Here's what happens on 김장 day, and why Koreans say 김치를 담그다 instead of 김치를 만들다.
10 Korean Phrases for Taking Out the Trash (분리수거)
Korean trash is sorted, and the bag costs money. Here are 10 phrases for 분리수거, 종량제 봉투 and 음식물 쓰레기 — plus what your neighbors will say to you.
What to Bring to a Korean Housewarming (집들이) and What to Say
At a Korean housewarming you bring toilet paper or laundry detergent — not wine. Here's why, and the Korean you need at the door, at the table and on the way out.
9 Korean Phrases for Comforting Someone in K-Dramas
울지 마, 내가 있잖아, 고생했어 — the lines K-dramas use to comfort someone, what they really mean, and which ones are safe to say to a boss.
왜 그래 vs 왜 이래 vs 왜 저래: "What's Wrong?" in Korean
Subtitles turn all three into "What's wrong with you?" But 왜 그래 is concern, 왜 이래 is push-back, and 왜 저래 is something you never say to someone's face.
8 Korean Phrases to Say at a K-pop Fansign (팬사인회)
You get about ten seconds at a fansign. Here are eight short, natural Korean lines you can actually say to an idol — and how each one lands.
응원할게요 Meaning: "I'm Cheering for You" in Korean
응원할게요 is the phrase K-pop fans use to say "I'll be supporting you." Here's what 응원하다 really means, and when Koreans pick it over 파이팅.
9 Korean Phrases Idols Say on Stage at K-pop Concerts
From 소리 질러! to 조심히 들어가세요 — the nine Korean lines you'll hear between songs at a K-pop concert, and what each one is really asking you to do.
What 파이팅 (Fighting) Means in Korean and How to Use It
파이팅 doesn't mean "fight." It's the shout Koreans give before the hard thing starts — and the one thing fans say most. Here's how to use it without sounding off.
8 Korean Greetings That Aren't Real Questions: 식사하셨어요?
식사하셨어요? means "Have you eaten?" but it's really just "hello." Here are 8 Korean greetings shaped like questions, and exactly what to say back.
Ordering at a Korean Café: What to Say and What They Ask
One sentence orders any drink in a Korean café — and the staff only ever asks you two questions. Here's the whole exchange, plus what to say when it goes off script.
8 Korean Phrases for Getting a Haircut at a Korean Salon
Walk into a Korean 미용실 and get the haircut you actually wanted. Eight phrases, what the stylist asks you, and what to say when it's coming out too short.
How to Ask Someone's Age in Korean: 몇 살이에요?
Age decides how two Koreans speak to each other. Here's the polite way to ask, the softer sidestep natives prefer, and what to say once you know the answer.
-아/어 보다 in Korean: 9 Ways to Say "Try Doing Something"
-아/어 보다 turns any Korean verb into "give it a try." Nine real uses — recommending food, asking to try clothes on, saying you've never done it — with the nuance natives hear.
-기 전에 and -(으)ㄴ 후에: Before and After in Korean
How to say "before" and "after" in Korean: -기 전에 attaches to a plain stem, -(으)ㄴ 후에 needs the past modifier, and neither clause ever carries tense.
8 Ways to Use -잖아요 in Korean: Saying "You Know That"
-잖아요 points at something your listener already knows. Eight natural uses, the nuance natives feel, and the one way it sounds rude.
-지 마세요 in Korean: How to Tell Someone Not to Do It
Korean doesn't say "don't" with 안. It swaps in the verb 말다: 하지 마세요. Here's the form, every speech level, and the softer options natives use with strangers.
Korean Word Order: 8 Sentences That Show How It Works
Korean puts the verb last and marks roles with particles instead of position. Eight short sentences that show the pattern — and how to stop translating word by word.
Korean Weekly — Oct 19 – Oct 25
35 beginner Korean words, 7 grammar patterns and 7 drills from Oct 19 – Oct 25.
9 Ways to Say "Maybe" in Korean: 아마, 혹시, 글쎄요
"Maybe" in Korean isn't one word. 아마 means probably, 혹시 softens a question, 글쎄요 dodges one — nine natural ways to hedge, with examples.