Essential Korean Podcast

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Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. Ready to elevate your Korean skills and join a vibrant community of learners? Join the EK Community at my.essentialkorean.com for engaging courses, comprehensive resources, exclusive content, and great conversations on diverse Korea-related topics with other members. Visit our membership page to choose a plan that gives you access to episode transcripts and an enhanced learning experience with weekly classes and study sessions alongside like-minded people. Let’s embark on this wonderful journey together!

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Welcome to Episode 15 of the Essential Korean Podcast! In this episode, we explore one of the most fascinating aspects of the Korean language: Speech Styles, specifically the Polite Style (존댓말) and Casual Style (반말).
🎯 What you’ll learn in this episode:
What Korean speech styles are and how they’re used in daily conversations
The cultural significance of 존댓말 [john-deht-mahl] and 반말 [bahn-mahl]
Insights into how speech styles reflect relationships and social dynamics in Korean culture
This topic can be tricky for beginners, especially if your native language doesn’t have a similar system. But don’t worry—Teacher Kay will guide you through the basics so you can start recognizing and using these styles naturally. Plus, you’ll gain deeper insights into Korean culture and how people relate to one another through language!
✨ What’s next?
In the next episode, we’ll tackle Speech Levels—a related topic often confused with Speech Styles. Stay tuned as we demystify this concept and help you navigate the intricacies of Korean communication!
💬 Share your thoughts in the comments: Which aspect of 존댓말 or 반말 do you find most intriguing?
#EssentialKorean #LearnKorean #KoreanSpeechStyles #PoliteVsCasual #EssentialKorean #SpeakKorean #KoreanCulture #KoreanLessons #KoreanForBeginners #KoreanGrammar #KoreanPractice #DailyKorean #LanguageLearning

• Home page: www.essentialkorean.com
• Community: my.essentialkorean.com
• https://www.instagram.com/essential.korean

Send us a Text Message.

Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. Ready to elevate your Korean skills and join a vibrant community of learners? Join the EK Community at my.essentialkorean.com for engaging courses, comprehensive resources, exclusive content, and great conversations on diverse Korea-related topics with other members. Visit our membership page to choose a plan that gives you access to episode transcripts and an enhanced learning experience with weekly classes and study sessions alongside like-minded people. Let’s embark on this wonderful journey together!

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Welcome to Episode 13 of the Essential Korean Podcast! In this episode, we focus on two foundational Korean verbs: 있다 and 없다. These verbs are essential for expressing presence, absence, and possession in Korean.
🎯 What you'll learn in this episode:
The meaning and usage of 있다 ("to be present" / "to have")
The meaning and usage of 없다 ("to be absent" / "to not have")
How to use these verbs in sentences with five new nouns (non-loanwords)
By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to confidently say what exists and doesn’t exist as well as what someone has and doesn’t have—all in Korean!
✨ Episode Structure:
1️⃣ Lesson with Speaking Practice: Step-by-step breakdown of each verb and example sentences
2️⃣ Mini Quiz for Review: Test and reinforce your understanding
Follow along with Teacher Kay as you repeat after her, answer questions, and practice actively. By the end, you’ll find yourself confidently speaking Korean in no time! 🌟
💬 Let us know in the comments how you’re using 있다 and 없다 in your own sentences!
#LearnKorean #KoreanVerbs #EssentialKorean #SpeakKorean #있다없다 #KoreanForBeginners #KoreanLessons #KoreanPractice #KoreanGrammar #DailyKorean #LanguageLearning
If you have any suggestions or requests for future episodes, email us at [email protected]. We love to hear from you!

• Home page: www.essentialkorean.com
• Community: my.essentialkorean.com
• https://www.instagram.com/essential.korean

Send us a Text Message.

Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. Ready to elevate your Korean skills and join a vibrant community of learners? Join the EK Community at my.essentialkorean.com for engaging courses, comprehensive resources, exclusive content, and great conversations on diverse Korea-related topics with other members. Visit our membership page to choose a plan that gives you access to episode transcripts and an enhanced learning experience with weekly classes and study sessions alongside like-minded people. Let’s embark on this wonderful journey together!

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Welcome to Episode 14 of the Essential Korean Podcast! In this episode, we dive into the foundational terms that will set you up for success in learning Korean grammar. By breaking down key concepts, this lesson will help you understand how verbs function and how phrases in Korean naturally come together with the “yo-ending.”
🎯 What you’ll learn in this episode:
1️⃣ Korean Verbs in Dictionary Form
2️⃣ Verb Stem (VS)
3️⃣ Verb Continuative Stem (VCS)
We’ll practice with 7 verbs—5 previously introduced and 2 new ones—and explore how to transform these into meaningful Korean phrases. Even for familiar verbs, you’ll see them in a new light, as this lesson reveals the building blocks of advanced Korean grammar.
✨ Why this lesson matters:
Understanding these fundamental forms will make tackling more advanced Korean grammar much easier. Once you master how verbs are derived and extended, the rest of Korean grammar will feel more approachable!
💡 Are you ready? Follow along with Teacher Kay as she breaks it all down. Repeat the phrases, answer the questions, and find yourself speaking Korean with confidence! 🌟
💬 Share in the comments which verb transformation you found most interesting or helpful!
#LearnKorean #KoreanGrammar #KoreanVerbs #EssentialKorean #SpeakKorean #KoreanLanguage #KoreanLessons #KoreanForBeginners #KoreanPractice #DailyKorean #LanguageLearning
If you have any suggestions or requests for future episodes, email us at [email protected]. We love to hear from you!

• Home page: www.essentialkorean.com
• Community: my.essentialkorean.com
• https://www.instagram.com/essential.korean

Send us a Text Message.

Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. Ready to elevate your Korean skills and join a vibrant community of learners? Join the EK Community at my.essentialkorean.com for engaging courses, comprehensive resources, exclusive content, and great conversations on diverse Korea-related topics with other members. Visit our membership page to choose a plan that gives you access to episode transcripts and an enhanced learning experience with weekly classes and study sessions alongside like-minded people. Let’s embark on this wonderful journey together!

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Welcome to Episode 12 of the Essential Korean Podcast! In this episode, we dive into the fundamentals of Korean sentence structure with two featured sentences that are both practical and easy to remember:
💬 Key Sentences:
· "나 한국말 공부해요." : I study Korean.
· "나 김치 먹어요." : I eat kimchi.
🎯 What you’ll learn in this episode:
· The 3 key aspects of Korean sentence structure
· How to construct and use simple, functional Korean sentences
· How to practice applying these structures to other sentences
✨ Episode Structure:
1️⃣ Lesson with Speaking Practice: Break down each sentence step-by-step and practice saying it aloud.
2️⃣ Application Practice: Use what you’ve learned to build your own sentences in Korean!
Join Teacher Kay 케이쌤 to repeat the phrases, answer questions, and gain confidence in speaking Korean. By the end of this episode, you’ll be equipped with the tools to create simple Korean sentences on your own! 🌟
💬 Let us know in the comments how you’re applying these structures to your Korean practice!
#EssentiaKorean #LearnKorean #KoreanSentenceStructure #EssentialKorean #SpeakKorean #KoreanBasics #KoreanGrammar #KoreanPractice #KoreanLessons #KoreanForBeginners #DailyKorean #LanguageLearning
If you have any suggestions or requests for future episodes, email us at [email protected]. We love to hear from you!

• Home page: www.essentialkorean.com
• Community: my.essentialkorean.com
• https://www.instagram.com/essential.korean

Send us a Text Message.

Welcome to the Essential Korean Podcast, where I help break down the nuances of the Korean language to help you become a more aware and confident speaker of Korean. Ready to elevate your Korean skills and join a vibrant community of learners? Join the EK Community at my.essentialkorean.com for engaging courses, comprehensive resources, exclusive content, and great conversations on diverse Korea-related topics with other members. Visit our membership page to choose a plan that gives you access to episode transcripts and an enhanced learning experience with weekly classes and study sessions alongside like-minded people. Let’s embark on this wonderful journey together!
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Welcome to Episode 6 of the Essential Korean Podcast! In this episode, you'll expand your Korean skills by learning five essential greetings and farewells for daily life situations. We'll continue the journey from Episode 1, imagining an exchange student starting a new adventure in Korea, and practice expressions for a variety of real-life scenarios.

🎯 By the end of this episode, you'll be able to confidently use these essential phrases:

• 안녕하셨어요: Greeting someone you haven’t seen for a while
• 어서 오세요!: Welcoming someone
• 안녕히 가세요: Bidding farewell to someone leaving
• 안녕히 계세요: Bidding farewell to someone staying
• 수고하세요: Saying goodbye to someone at work

This episode is divided into three engaging parts to help you:
1️⃣ Learn the phrases with clear examples
2️⃣ Review with a mini quiz
3️⃣ Practice actively in context

Tune in, follow along, and repeat after Teacher Kay. By the end, you’ll find yourself confidently speaking Korean in various everyday situations! 🌟

💬 Which greeting or farewell do you think you’ll use first? Let us know in the comments!

#LearnKorean #KoreanGreetings #EssentialKorean #SpeakKorean #KoreanForBeginners #KoreanLessons #KoreanPhrases #KoreanPractice #KoreanLanguageLearning #DailyKorean #KoreanFarewells

If you have any suggestions or requests for future episodes, email us at [email protected]. We love to hear from you!

• Home page: www.essentialkorean.com
• Community: my.essentialkorean.com
• https://www.instagram.com/essential.korean