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I can read it, but I understand nothing. What now?

The short answer

That is the normal state right after learning kana or Hangul: you can sound words out, but you do not know them yet. Step 2 is meaning. Learn words inside short sentences, with audio and a translation, and meet each one several times in things you watch. Reading sounds is the key; vocabulary is the door.

Why it feels this way

An alphabet maps letters to sounds. It tells you nothing about meaning. On one popular "you just learned Hangul" post, most comments said the same thing: “I can read anything but I dont know what any of it means.” You are not behind. You finished step 1.

Step 2: meaning

  1. Short sentences with a translation. Read along while listening.
  2. The most common words first. A few hundred everyday words cover a big share of daily speech.
  3. Meet each word 3+ times in different clips or lines.
  4. Review the sentences you liked in a spaced-repetition deck.
“You don't begin by guessing. You begin by being shown.”Languy · from a recorded lesson

Where to get those sentences

Learner channels, graded readers, song lyrics with translations, short clips. For Korean, Lingram, our app, shows one real line at a time with how to say it and what it means. Free tools are in the directory.

“So that translation is your training wheels. You don't begin by guessing. You begin by being shown.”Languy · from a recorded lesson

Questions people also ask

How many words do I need to understand basic conversations?

Estimates vary, but the first few hundred high-frequency words already let you catch a lot of everyday speech. Learn them in sentences, not lists.

Should I learn grammar now?

Look up grammar when a pattern keeps confusing you. Meaning through sentences first; grammar as a map, not a wall.

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