OK, in my previous post I taught you the Hangul alphabet and its pronunciation, now we'll move on to how Korean is structured in syllables and how to type it on your keyboard.


Part 1 - How to type in Korean in XP or Vista:

Step 1: Enter your control panel

In XP:

Click on Date, Time, Language and Regional Options.

Then click on Add Other Languages.

A panel will come up with a section marked "Supplemental Language Support." If it isn't already checked, check the box that says "Install files for East Asian languages." It may ask you for your XP disc, if you don't have it....you are basically screwed unless someone else can make a copy of a disc for you :/ Because as far as I know, Microsoft has stopped providing them as an add-on download.

Anyway, hopefully you are able to install the files without a problem. After you've done that, on the same panel there is a box that reads "Text Services and Language Options." Then there should be a Details box beneath it. Click that, and another panel will open with two options: "Default Input Language" and "Installed services."

If Korean isn't already installed, you will have to install it now by hitting the Add button next to the "Installed Services." A drop-down list of languages will appear, select Korean and hit OK and it should now appear in the Installed Services List.

Now, a note about the default input language. I usually have mine in Korean (you can still type English with your default language being Korean.) I do this because if you don't set your default language to Korean, when you switch windows or applications, your language will go back to English, and you'll have to keep manually resetting it to Korean everytime you want to type in Korean, and it'll be a pain. So I highly recommend putting your default language to Korean.

In Vista:

Click on Clock, Language, and Region, and then under Regional and Language Options click on "Change keyboards or other input methods."

Click the "Change Keyboards" button.

Set your default language to Korean and click the "Add" button next to "Installed Services" to add the Korean IME to your computer.

Click OK, restart if needed, and you should be done!

After you've set your default language to Korean and restarted, all you have to do is hit the right alt key on your keyboard and your input mode will be changed to Korean. However, the Hangul keyboard has its own setup, completely independent of the U.S. keyboard. Unlike Japanese and Chinese, you can't enter the word's romanization and have it automatically change...you must memorize the location of each Hangul character in order to type your words. So here is a site that will teach you the layout of the Hangul keyboard. It looks intimidating, but it only took me a day or so to fully memorize.

<a href="http://www.declan-software.com/korean_ime/korean_ime.htm#keys" target="_blank">http://www.declan-software.com/korean_ime/...an_ime.htm#keys</a>



Part 2 - General Pronunciation of Korean
This is a repost from my pronunciation thread to conveniently aid you while you are looking at the structure. This is the general pronunciation and does not take into account the exceptions of Korean pronunciation. For those, please see my pronunciation thread.

Consonants:
1 - k
2 - kk (tensed)
4 - n
7 - t
8 - tt (tensed)
9 - r,l
A - m
B - p
C - pp (tensed)
E - s (t at the end of a syllable)
F - ss (tt when followed by a consonant)
G - silent at the beginning of a syllable, ng at the end
H - ch
I - ch (tensed)
J - ch (aspirated)
K - k (aspirated)
L - t (aspirated)
M - p (aspirated)
N - h

Vowels:

O - a
S - eo
W - o
\ - u (pronounced oo)
a - eu
c - i (pronounced ee)
P - ae
T - eh
Q - ya
U - yeo
[ - yo
` - yu
R - yae
V - yeh
X - wa
Y - wae
] - weo
^ - weh (as in web)
_ - wi (pronounced wee)
b - uey



Part 3 - Structure Of Korean

Like English, Korean is read from left to right, but it is also read from top to bottom. Thus, if you have the syllable \, you begin with the N, then read the O, and finally the 4 to get the sound "Han."

Syllables must consist of at least 1 consonant and 1 vowel, but they can consist of up to 4 characters (1 or 2 additional consonants, never additional vowels) altogether, as in the following examples:

}, I,