Practice Korean with native speakers
Korean builds politeness into every sentence, and the quickest way to get a feel for it is talking with people who use it daily. On Speakblend you chat with Korean speakers who are learning English and trade practice both ways. It is free on iPhone and Android.
Where Korean is spoken, and when to talk
Korean is the language of South and North Korea, and of Korean communities in China's Yanbian region, the United States, Japan and Central Asia. Seoul speech is the standard you hear on TV and in textbooks. Around Busan, the Gyeongsang dialect rises and falls more sharply, and Jeju has a dialect of its own that many mainland speakers find hard to follow.
South Korea keeps Korea Standard Time (UTC+9) all year, with no daylight saving. Nine in the evening in Seoul is lunchtime in London and early morning on the US East Coast. Profiles show each person's native language and what they are learning, and the Match tab filters by language, nationality and distance.
10 conversation starters in Korean
Romanization (Revised Romanization) is a reading aid written for this page. Speakblend does not add it to chats.
안녕하세요!반가워요.
Reading: annyeonghaseyo! bangawoyo.
Hello! Nice to meet you.
어디에살아요?
Reading: eodie sarayo?
Where do you live?
요즘뭐해요?
Reading: yojeum mwo haeyo?
What are you up to these days?
한국어공부한지6개월됐어요.
Reading: hangugeo gongbuhan ji yukgaewol dwaesseoyo.
I've been studying Korean for six months.
무슨음식좋아해요?
Reading: museun eumsik joahaeyo?
What food do you like?
A safe, endless topic.
추천해줄노래있어요?
Reading: chucheonhae jul norae isseoyo?
Any songs you'd recommend?
이거자연스러워요?
Reading: igeo jayeonseureowoyo?
Does this sound natural?
Paste your sentence after it.
천천히말해줄수있어요?
Reading: cheoncheonhi malhae jul su isseoyo?
Could you speak slowly?
말편하게해도돼요?
Reading: mal pyeonhage haedo dwaeyo?
Shall we talk casually?
Ask before you drop the polite endings.
좋은하루보내세요!
Reading: joeun haru bonaeseyo!
Have a good day!
Write it yourself
Trace the faint letters with your finger or the pointer. Each syllable block fits its own square. Then write it again on the empty rows below, without the guide.
Hello! Nice to meet you.
Mistakes learners make when speaking Korean with natives
Going casual too early.
Polite -yo endings are the safe default with anyone new. Casual speech (banmal) between strangers can sound rude, so wait until your partner offers it, or ask with starter 9.
Saying "you".
너 (neo) is for close friends and younger people, and 당신 (dangsin) sounds cold in chat. Use the name with 씨 (ssi), or leave "you" out: 민지 씨는 뭐 좋아해요? (Minji ssineun mwo joahaeyo?, "What do you like, Minji?").
Topic and subject markers.
To introduce yourself, 저는 학생이에요 (jeoneun haksaengieyo, "I'm a student") is natural. 제가 학생이에요 stresses "I am the student", as if answering "who?".
Konglish.
Borrowed English shifts meaning: 핸드폰 (haendeupon) is a mobile phone, 서비스 (seobiseu) is something extra on the house, and 아이쇼핑 (aisyoping) is window shopping.
How translation and voice messages help
A translated message shows the result under the original in the same bubble, so the Hangul stays in front of you: reading practice in every message. Translation covers 130+ languages, and Auto Translate can handle a whole chat while you are a beginner. If you translate your own draft into Korean (long-press the translate button and set Translate To to Korean; the default is English), check the ending with your partner, because translation chooses a politeness level for you.
Translation gives meaning, not sound. For the sound, ask for a voice message, play it at 0.5x and scrub back to hear where one syllable ends and the next begins. With MAX, a voice message can also be transcribed, so you see the Hangul for what you just heard. When you feel ready, start a voice call (audio only); a 3-minute call or a finished chat game earns your friendship's Silver Passport stamp.
A sample exchange in Korean and English (illustrative)
Written for this page as an example; not a real member conversation. Alex, in Toronto, is learning Korean. Jiwoo, in Seoul, is learning English.
Alex
안녕하세요, 지우 씨! 요즘 뭐 해요?
(Hi Jiwoo! What are you up to these days?)
Jiwoo
회사 다니고 영어 공부해요. And you?
(I go to work and study English.)
Alex
저는 한국어 공부해요. 너는 몇 살이에요?
(I study Korean. How old are you?)
Jiwoo
Haha, 너 is a bit casual for us! Try 지우 씨는. I'm 27, by the way.
Alex
아, 지우 씨는 스물일곱 살이에요? 저도요!
(Oh, you're 27? Me too!)
Jiwoo
그럼 말 편하게 해도 돼요! Voice call later?
(Then we can talk casually!)
Korean practice: questions and answers
Do I need to read Hangul before I start?
It helps a lot. Hangul has 24 basic letters, and many learners read it slowly after a few days of practice. Speakblend does not romanize chats, so reading Hangul lets you follow messages and their translations side by side.
Should I use polite or casual Korean with my partner?
Start polite, with -yo endings. Switch to casual speech only when your partner suggests it or agrees when you ask.
Why do Korean partners ask my age?
Age shapes which speech level people use, so the question helps them talk to you properly. Answer or skip it, as with any personal question.
Can I call Korean speakers on Speakblend?
Yes, with a voice call from any chat. Calls are audio only; Speakblend has no video calls.
Is Speakblend free?
Yes, on iPhone and Android. MAX is an optional weekly, monthly or yearly subscription.
Download Speakblend free on the App Store or Google Play.
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