Learn Korean

How to type in Korean: add a Korean keyboard on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android

TUREFF• •0
Typing in Korean is easier than most learners expect. You do not need a special keyboard: the standard layout, called the 2-set or dubeolsik (두벌식) layout, puts every letter on an ordinary QWERTY key, and your computer or phone builds the syllable blocks for you. Here is how to switch it on and how it behaves.

Windows

  1. Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
  2. Under preferred languages, choose Add a language and pick Korean (한국어). You only need the keyboard, not the display language.
  3. Switch input languages with Windows key + Space.
  4. Once Korean is selected, toggle between Korean and Latin letters with the right Alt key (the 한/영 key on a Korean keyboard). The taskbar shows 가 for Korean and A for English.

Mac

  1. Open System Settings > Keyboard, then under Text Input choose Edit next to Input Sources.
  2. Press +, choose Korean, and add 2-Set Korean.
  3. Switch with Control + Space, or with the Globe or Caps Lock key depending on your settings.

iPhone and iPad

  1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard.
  2. Choose Korean, then Standard (the 2-set layout). The 10-key option is a phone-style layout many Koreans use one-handed, but Standard is easier to learn on.
  3. Tap the globe key on the keyboard to switch.

Android

Most Android phones use Gboard or Samsung Keyboard. In Gboard, open the keyboard's settings, choose Languages > Add keyboard, pick Korean and select the 2-set (QWERTY) style layout. On Samsung Keyboard, go to languages and types and add Korean. Swipe the space bar or tap the globe to switch. Menu names vary a little between phone makers.

Where the letters are

The layout is logical once you see the pattern: consonants on the left hand, vowels on the right.
  • Top row, left: ㅂ ㅈ ㄷ ㄱ ㅅ (Q W E R T)
  • Middle row, left: ㅁ ㄴ ㅇ ㄹ ㅎ (A S D F G)
  • Bottom row, left: ㅋ ㅌ ㅊ ㅍ (Z X C V)
  • Top row, right: ㅛ ㅕ ㅑ ㅐ ㅔ (Y U I O P)
  • Middle row, right: ㅗ ㅓ ㅏ ㅣ (H J K L)
  • Bottom row, right: ㅠ ㅜ ㅡ (B N M)
Hold Shift for the doubled consonants ㅃ ㅉ ㄸ ㄲ ㅆ (on Q W E R T) and for ㅒ and ㅖ (on O and P). Combined vowels are typed as their two parts: ㅘ is ㅗ then ㅏ, ㅝ is ㅜ then ㅓ, ㅢ is ㅡ then ㅣ. Double final consonants work the same way: ㄳ is ㄱ then ㅅ.

How syllable blocks form as you type

You never press anything to "finish" a block. You type letters in reading order and the keyboard decides where each one goes. Type ㅎ ㅏ ㄴ and you see 한. Now type ㄱ: it sits under 한 for a moment as a possible final consonant. Type ㅜ next and the keyboard moves the ㄱ forward to start a new block, giving 한구. Finish with ㄱ and you have 한국. That moving consonant surprises everyone at first. It is the system working correctly: a consonant followed by a vowel always starts a new syllable. If a block looks wrong, check your spelling rather than the keyboard.

Tips

  • Learn by touch, not by stickers. Stickers are fine for a week, but looking down slows you more than it helps. Type the layout pattern above a few times a day.
  • Practise with words you already know: 감사합니다, 안녕하세요, 사랑해.
  • Free typing practice sites and apps exist; searching for 한글 타자 연습 finds many.
  • On a phone, turn off autocorrect for Korean at first so you can see your own mistakes.
  • If a Korean word appears as single letters (ㅎㅏㄴ), the input method is in the wrong mode. Switch languages off and on again.
Once you can type, you can search Naver, message Korean friends and write in this room. Post your first typed sentence, or ask about a layout problem, in the comments.

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