Learn Korean by reading

Once you can read Hangul, you can start reading Korean stories. Contos has 45 Korean series from A1 (beginner) to B2 (upper intermediate), in standard Seoul Korean, written in Hangul with ordinary Korean spacing and no romanisation. A1 chapters are 78–145 spaced words long, every word can be tapped for its meaning, and chapters 1 and 2 are free.

Korean stories by level

Browse every Korean series

Korean guides

Korean phrases

Korean vocabulary

How do you start reading Korean stories?

Learn Hangul first. The stories are written entirely in Korean script from A1, with no romanisation, so you need to be able to sound out syllable blocks before chapter 1. Our guide to learning Korean by reading covers the alphabet and a daily plan.

After that, A1 is closer than it looks. Korean leaves a space after each word together with the particles and endings attached to it, so a sentence has fewer spaced units than its English translation has words. That is why A1 chapters, at 78 to 145 spaced words, look short on paper but carry more than the number suggests. Each unit can be tapped on its own, ending and all.

Read slowly, block by block. At A1, sounding out the Hangul is part of the exercise.
Find the verb at the end. Korean sentences finish with the verb, so read to the full stop before you guess.
Notice the particles. 은/는, 이/가 and 을/를 on the end of nouns tell you who does what.
Read chapter 2 the next day, and review the words you tapped as flashcards.
Move up with your vocabulary. Contos moves you to A2 at 500 known words, B1 at 1,500 and B2 at 4,000.

Why does the Korean sound formal in some sentences and casual in others?

Because Korean changes its verb endings to suit who is speaking to whom, and the stories show you the main styles from the first chapter. Most series are narrated in the plain written style used in novels and newspapers, ending in -다. A few A1 series narrate in the formal polite -ㅂ니다 instead. The characters, meanwhile, talk to each other in the everyday polite -요 form, or in casual speech when they are family or close friends.

지은은 회사에서 일한다.

Jieuneun hoesaeseo ilhanda.

Jieun works at a company.

잘못 보낸 메시지 (The Wrong Message), A1 chapter 1. Plain narration: 일한다 is the written form of 일하다, to work.

보리는 작은 개입니다.

Borineun jageun gaeimnida.

Bori is a small dog.

벤치의 비밀 작전 (The Bench Conspiracy), A1 chapter 1. Formal polite narration: 입니다 means "is".

아, 네. 안녕하세요. 저는 그냥 지나가는 길이에요.

A, ne. Annyeonghaseyo. Jeoneun geunyang jinaganeun girieyo.

Oh, yes. Hello. I'm just passing by.

The same chapter. Seoyun is talking to a stranger on a park bench, so she uses the polite -요 ending and the humble 저 for I.

You don't need to master the styles before reading. Seeing the same verb with different endings, in situations you understand, is how the system starts to make sense.

Where are the Korean stories set?

Mostly in Seoul: a cheap flat in Gangnam with a door that shouldn't be there, a tteokbokki stall at Gwangjin Market, a detective agency at Namdaemun Market and a bookshop in a narrow lane in Seongbuk-dong. Others go to a hillside house in Daegu, a night train out of Seoul Station and a country town at Chuseok. The everyday Korea in them gives you words that rarely appear in textbooks:

떡볶이tteokbokkispicy rice cakes, sold from market stalls
포장마차pojangmachaa street food tent or stall
목욕탕mogyoktanga public bathhouse
팔순 잔치palsun janchian eightieth birthday feast
웹툰weptuna webtoon, a comic read on a phone

The Korean stories hub lists every series by level and genre, and shows how the Korean changes from A1 to B2.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to learn Hangul before using Contos?

Yes. Korean stories in Contos are written in Hangul from A1, with no romanisation. Hangul has just 24 letters, and A1 chapters make good reading practice as soon as you know them.

Is there romanisation in the stories?

No. The text is Hangul only, spaced as ordinary Korean is. Tap any word to see what it means in that sentence.

Is Contos Korean standard Seoul Korean?

Yes. The stories are written in standard Korean, set mostly in Seoul, with others in Daegu, Daejeon, Jeonju and the coast.

Can I read Korean stories for free?

Yes. Chapters 1 and 2 of every Korean series are free in the Contos app, in your browser or on iPhone and iPad. Contos Premium unlocks the rest.