How long it takes to learn Korean?

Do you want to study the Korean language? If so, you might ask yourself, how long does it take to learn Korean? Read on!

The cultural elements of Korea have contributed to the growing fame of the Korean language. For instance, the “Hallyu” has inspired fans from far and wide to study Korean.

The dream of higher education in Korea, scholarships, hobbies, and career prospects are some added benefits of exploring everything Korea and Korean.

Every student who starts heading towards Korean linguistics asks this at least once. “How long will it really take to learn Korean?”

This is a pretty tricky question.

It is hard to answer since the time needed to study Korean differs from one person to another. Several factors also influence the duration!

But we all deserve the answer. No?

Well, I don’t blame you. It’s an obvious question.

How could we start our journey toward Korean fluency without knowing how long it will take?

So, setting a reasonable timeline and deadline is a requisite step to the SMART goal.

So, let’s start!

Language learning is unquestionably hard

Acquiring a tongue does seem exciting and fun. But what people often don’t realize is it’s a life-changing decision.

Learning a language is complex, and mastering any language takes time. As far as I know (and I have done plenty of research to reach this conclusion), there is no shortcut.

In my experience, most underestimate the time frame. Thus, it is better to have realistic expectations about what you can do and how long it will take to learn.

It takes years of effort, a learning attitude, and a connection to and passion for that purpose. So, every aspect plays an essential role.

Suppose you have some strong motives why you should learn Korean. If so, it will encourage you to persist and overcome your challenges.

If you don’t have strong reasons to move forward, you will surely stop at some point. Without a plan and zeal, reviewing the pending lessons may be challenging.

You will also quickly get bored and might quit within 3-12 months. You’re not going to learn much of Korean in any case. That’s why most don’t go beyond the beginner’s level.

Don’t believe me?

Just see the number of people learning Korean. Now, see how many speak well and can do jobs requiring Korean.

For example, talking with locals as an ESL teacher in Korea. It won’t even be 1%.

Hence, keep a language goal and your inspiration to achieve it each time. Let’s discuss this in depth.

6 Factors determine the time to learn Korean

So, to answer your main topic, let’s examine how long it takes to learn Korean.

The required time depends mainly on a few factors. This covers your passion, language difficulty, mother tongue, Korean proficiency level you want to reach, and how you learn!

Let’s investigate further!

1. Your native language matters

Acquiring a new tongue depends on your native language as well. Thus, the more you are familiar with your target language, the faster you can learn.

For example, a Korean student will probably take much longer to become fluent in Spanish than someone from Brazil or Portugal.

Romance languages, such as Spanish and Portuguese, have much in common.

The writing system, geographical closeness, and grammar rules also make a big difference.

Korean may seem more straightforward to a Japanese, Mandarin, or even Hindi speaker.

However, I don’t consider it essential since Korean is a language isolate, per research.

This means it is not related to any known language or language family. Knowing any tongue doesn’t help much when studying Korean.

Some relations exist between Korean and other languages but don’t count them as significant. Ultimately, you must learn from ground zero and put effort into reaching the top floor.

The length of time also depends on your previous experience with languages. When you learn your first language that differs from your mother tongue, you also understand how to acquire a language.

2. Language difficulty

Although all languages are difficult to some extent, they are not all equally hard to learn. Some are more complicated than others.

The most popular and known research is from the FSI, the US Foreign Service Institute.

The study is from English speakers’ perspectives. It has four groups of easy and challenging languages. The authors also gave a specific timeline for learning Korean.

Unfortunately, according to the FSI’s research, Korean is a “Super-hard language for native English speakers.

Hence, the result of mastering Korean, at least to TOPIK level V or advanced KLAT, would take around 88 weeks, that is 2,200 hours.

This doesn’t include self-teaching, as per their recommended 1:1 ratio of classroom and self-study. Thus, to reach an advanced level, double the time to 4,400 hours.

Not only that, but Korean is also hard for native European (e.g., French, German, Italian) speakers.

However, the practice and hard work depend on the student.

Suppose you give more time for the language to settle with the sound and formation. You will become more observant and learn faster, even if the tongue is tricky.

It becomes a bit easier for those who speak the Indian language as the grammar and structure are somewhat comparable.

As the Korean language follows Subject – Object – Verb formation, Indian languages follow the same.

This is precisely the opposite of English.

Example:

English: I ate a hamburger. (SVO)
Korean & Hindi: I hamburger ate. (SOV)

Learning Hangeul

Learning the script is the first step in any language acquisition process. For some, it is painful. And form some well… pretty easy.

Korean is the easiest and most phonetic of the three most popular East Asian languages: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. It is consistent and easy to understand.

The ‘Hangul’ is only used in South Korea. In North Korea, the same is ‘Chosŏngŭl.’ Despite some variations, they are relatively small and can be ironed out very quickly.

But as a learner myself, I can assure you that the double consonants and pronunciations later become bothersome. Most people, like teachers, don’t even explain this on the internet.

3. Your surrounding

The immersion technique is effective, and that’s why living where you are acquiring the language helps a lot. Yet, I know that not everybody can afford to live in South Korea.

As the pandemic arose, it brought chaos. But humans adapted to online platforms for meetings, schooling, jobs, etc.

We can consider online language exchange sessions. You don’t exactly need to live in Korea to learn Korean.

Video or voice calls with your language partner can significantly change your speaking skills.

Some websites and apps with such facilities are HelloTalk, Tandem, and personal tutors on Italki, Verbly, Preply, etc.

Residing in a country of your target language is always considered the best language-learning method.

But again, nothing could be helpful if you are unwilling to converse.

But if you’re at it, you will find people you can practice with. So, just be proactive and find like-minded learners in the age of the ever-connected world.

4. Your learning resources

Textbooks are the first thing any Korean learner searches for. However, students are blessed with fresh, new material in Korean.

No matter when you start studying, you will find incredible resources online. The list is infinite, from audio and video lessons to podcasts and e-books.

Some of them are famous websites like Talk to Me In Korean, 90 Days Korean, Korean Class 101, and many YouTube channels like Spongemind, Motivate Korean, and much more like these.

Study materials are available in bunches, but the thing is that you need to get involved with the language and the culture.

Textbooks have grammar, but talking in front of either your teacher or friend would help you learn even faster, better, and more enjoyable.

A language school or a teacher can provide the best instruction in Korean. So, if possible, go for it.

This will let you know what words you can use and where. Plus, systematic study, doubt-clearing sessions, interaction, and their experience make it valuable.

Textbooks and even online dictionaries translate You as 너 (Neo) and 당신 (Dang-shin).

But, if you address this to any Korean, it will offend them.

너 (Neo) is valid only in 반말 (informal form) with the people you are close with. Not even with your parents.

당신 is always shown in dictionaries as a formal way of saying You. Instead, it is not. You can only hear this word in any old, middle-aged couple’s conversation.

It, of course, can confuse you as a student. Therefore, as in many dramas, you can see 당신 frequently. One such example is Hotel Del Luna.

But avoid using it. You can just call people by their designation. For example, 선생님 (Seong-seam-Nim) is a teacher, 사장님 (Se-Jang-Nim) is a boss, etc.

You can also add 씨 (Sshi) 님 (Nim) in front of anyone’s name to make it sound formal and respectful.

5. Making use of Korean entertainment content

K-dramas and K-pop are the root cause of the Korean wave. So, it’s necessary to watch them not only for entertainment purposes but for learning as well.

This is especially true of Korean entertainment, such as variety shows like Knowing Brothers, Running Man, The Return of Superman, and many more.

However, what makes Asian TV shows different from others is their editing.

You can see many idioms and phrases from it and even note them down.

They even take close-up shots of their cast’s reaction to simple moments, like 긴장 (Kin-Jang) is Nervous, 민망 (Min-Mang) is Embarrassed, 걱정 (Kheog-Jeong) is Worried, etc.

The time to lose yourself in the world of beautiful dramas to learn Korean is now!

Viki and Netflix are there to help you with their Korean subtitle feature.

For example, GOT7, a K-pop boy band, has seven members and three foreigners.

So, they are bound to make mistakes when speaking Korean.

Like NCT, another boy group has 23 members, and 13 of them are foreigners.

So, if you watch these bands’ shows, you will discover many things without realizing it, and laughs would be a plus factor.

In GOT7’s Hard Carry, people learned the correct word and pronunciation of 귤 (Gyul), meaning Tangerine.

Jackson, a Chinese group member, kept pronouncing it as 규르 (Gyu-leu), confusing the other native Korean members.

He later learned it, but it was fun and a learning moment.

One more thing that helps make your Korean improve faster is listening to your favorite celebrities’ interviews repeatedly.

Listening to them without subtitles helps you understand how the sentences are structured.

This activity improves your listening and speaking skills will improve even more.

South Korea makes some of the best and most highly rated flicks. If you enjoy watching films, you can reach your language goal. There are plenty of good movies to help you learn Korean.

So, don’t just use them for pleasure expectations. But take advantage of them. Learn from them. Easy and Effective!

6. Positive attitude and correct approach

Learning anything requires the correct attitude and approach. If you think you will not get anything from your target language, you may not proceed.

In language learning, sometimes breaks are necessary. So, take a break even if you don’t understand a grammar pattern.

In Korean especially, topic (은/는) and subject (이/가) markers are troublesome.

So, the only two options are pausing or continuing your studies without stressing yourself.

It’s because understanding this concept takes a while. You have to spend time with the language while observing it to absorb its use.

Also, many students follow the daily routine of mugging up 10-30 words. But, again, this depends on your capacity.

But learning just any words each day is never a good option. If those terms are not associated with your life, how will it help you?

You will eventually forget it.

If you are learning vocabulary for religion or politics, the terms needed for your daily life are pen or laptop.

Then what do you think is more important?

Of course, 펜 (Phen – Pen) & 노트북 (No-Theu-Bhug – Laptop).

So, just don’t learn unnecessary vocabulary at the beginning stage. Know only when it is helpful.

Try not to get frustrated.

Languages are connected to culture, so there are some things you won’t understand only with your linguistic ability.

Either find a teacher or friend or do a Google search on the topic. It’s just another advantage of human translators over AI translators: They can’t understand the culture.

Conclusion: Time to learn Korean

Korean is, without a doubt, a complex language for an English speaker to learn. But, more than complexity, it is time-consuming.

Just see how children learn a new language. They absorb through interaction all the time.

As long as it’s within kids’ reach, a language problem doesn’t matter to them. They are not even aware of that until they become semi-fluent.

Learning takes an extended period, but that is how they master any language. Time and consistency, that’s it! If it made sense, it makes sense!

You can do the same with the proper method, persistence, desire, and motivation. This isn’t rocket science!

Ultimately, it is not the number of hours you practice but how regularly you want to link with the Korean language that matters most. The right strategy and guidance are just the icing on the cake!

How many hours a day should you study Korean?

That is subjective and depends on your commitment, schedule, and aim.

For example, if you just want to study it as a hobby, 15-20 minutes is enough. In 6 months, you can hold a few minutes of conversations and easily read plenty of texts.

What if you need the EPS-TOPIK score for the work permit? Depending on your target level, one year of study will suffice.

If you can only work 30 minutes a day, so be it. You may reach an intermediate level in 5 years or more.

However, if you are serious and want to achieve something fast, give it more time every day/week.

1-2 hours daily or 5-10 hours weekly will cut the journey into 2 years. But the main point is don’t give up midway. And one day, you will get there like every successful learner.

If you follow all these steps and are ready to work hard, you will be good in no time.

How long does it take to learn Korean fluently?

What does fluency mean?

It takes into account two aspects: ease and accuracy.

Fluency doesn’t always mean perfect, but it is comfortable with a few errors. The Korean experts are fluent, but remember, they don’t even know everything.

As per my interaction with many Korean teachers, specialists, researchers, and learners, fluency in Korean takes a freaking long time.

The average time to learn Korean may differ depending on the level you wish to acquire, your approach, and the time you spend.

Your progress may take more if you are doing everything yourself.

You will be able to achieve fluency or an advanced level in 3-5 years. This is what you need to explore career options in Korean, such as translator or interpreter.

After all, language learning is a lifetime process. We don’t even know everything about our native language, either.

However, conversing and communicating in Korean daily doesn’t take long. You can make it happen in a few months!

Just focus on quality and not just quantity! Think Pareto principle — 80% of outputs (results) come from our 20% inputs (causes).

So, relax and study! Any language is within your reach if you have the interest and purpose. Korean is no different!

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post. Share your views in the comment section below.