7 Korean Tongue Twisters to Help You Learn Korean
Picking up a new language isn’t always easy or fun, especially if you don’t enjoy memorising vocabulary or learning the theory behind grammar and sentence structures. What if we told you there are interesting ways to promote all aspects of language development?
A fun and amusing way to learn another language is through the use of tongue twisters—phrases designed to be difficult to articulate properly. Whether you’re planning to learn Korean or another language, there are many tongue twisters you can find online that serve as excellent pronunciation exercises to help improve speech and fluency. By challenging yourself to read them out, you train your tongue to move in specific ways and create different sound sets of the Korean language.
Learn More: How to Improve Your Korean Language Speaking Skills
Additionally, tongue twisters help sharpen your ears to the Korean language. As you’re speaking, you are made to listen to yourself, evaluate your delivery, and make adjustments to your pronunciation as you go along.
Keen on using tongue twisters to help you learn Korean better? Here are a few common Korean tongue twisters to get you started!
1. 네가 그린 기린 그림은 못 그린 기린 그림이고 내가 그린 기린 그림은 잘 그린 기린 그림이다.
ne-ga geu-lin gi-lin geu-lim-eun mos geu-lin gi-lin geu-lim-i-go nae-ga geu-lin gi-lin geu-lim-eun jal geu-lin gi-lin geu-lim-i-da.
English translation: The drawing of a giraffe that you drew is a poorly drawn drawing of a giraffe, and the drawing of a giraffe that I drew is a well-drawn drawing of a giraffe.
The vocabulary words you can learn in this tongue twister are:
a. 그림 (geu-lim) — drawing, painting
b. 기린 (gi-lin) — giraffe
c. 그리다 (geu-li-da) — to draw, to paint
2. 간장 공장 공장장은 장 공장장이고 된장 공장 공장장은 강 공장장이다.
gan-jang gong-jang gong-jang-jang-eun jang gong-jang-jang-i-go doen-jang gong-jang gong-jang-jang-eun gang gong-jang-jang-i-da.
English translation: The factory manager of the soy sauce factory is factory manager Jang, and the factory manager of the bean paste factory is factory manager Kang.
The vocabulary words you can learn in this tongue twister are:
a. 장 (jang) — manager
b. 간장 (gan-jang) — soy sauce
c. 공장 (gong-jang) — factory
d. 된장 (doen-jang) — soy bean paste
3. 경찰청 철창살은 외철창살이고 검찰청 철창살은 쌍철창살이다.
gyeong-chal-cheong cheol-chang-sal-eun oe-cheol-chang-sal-i-go geom-chal-cheong cheol-chang-sal-eun ssang-cheol-chang-sal-i-da.
English translation: The police headquarters’ iron bar windows are single-layer iron bars, and the prosecutor’s office’s iron bar windows are double-layer iron bars.
The vocabulary words you can learn in this tongue twister are:
a. 경찰청 (gyeong-chal-cheong) — police headquarters
b. 철창살 (cheol-chang-sal) — iron bar windows
c. 검찰청 (geom-chal-cheong) — prosecutor’s office
4. 저분은 백 법학박사이고 이분은 박 법학박사이다.
jeo-bun-eun baeg beob-hag-bag-sa-i-go i-bun-eun bag beob-hag-bag-sa-i-da.
English translation: That is Mr. Baek, a doctor of law, and this is Mr. Park, also a doctor of law.
The vocabulary words you can learn in this tongue twister are:
a. 법학 박사 (beob-hag-bag-sa) — doctor of law
b. 저분 (jeo-bun) — that person
c. 이분 (i-bun) — this person
5. 고려고 교복은 고급 교복이고 고려고 교복은 고급 원단을 사용했다.
go-lyeo-go gyo-bog-eun go-geub gyo-bog-i-go go-lyeo-go gyo-bog-eun go-geub won-dan-eul sa-yong-haess-da.
English translation: Korea High School’s school uniform is a high-quality school uniform and Korea High School’s school uniform is made of high-quality fabric.
The vocabulary words you can learn in this tongue twister are:
a. 교복 (gyo-bog) — uniform
b. 고급 (go-geub) — high-quality
c. 원단 (won-dan) — fabric
d. 사용하다 (sa-yong-ha-da) — to use
6. 육통 통장 적금 통장은 황색 적금 통장이고 팔통 통장 적금 통장은 녹색 적금 통장이다.
yug-tong tong-jang jeog-geum tong-jang-eun hwang-saeg jeog-geum tong-jang-i-go pal-tong tong-jang jeog-geum tong-jang-eun nog-saeg jeog-geum tong-jang-i-da.
English translation: Yuktong bank savings book is the yellow bank savings book, and Paltong bank savings book is the green bank savings book.
The vocabulary words you can learn in this tongue twister are:
a. 황 (hwang) — yellow
b. 녹 (nog) — green
c. 통장 (tong-jang) — bank book
7. 안 촉촉한 초코칩 나라에 살던 안 촉촉한 초코칩이 촉촉한 초코칩 나라의 촉촉한 초코칩을 보고 촉촉한 초코칩이 되고 싶어서 촉촉한 초코칩 나라에 갔는데 촉촉한 초코칩 나라의 문지기가 “넌 촉촉한 초코칩이 아니고 안 촉촉한 초코칩이니까 안 촉촉한 초코칩 나라에서 살아”라고 해서 안 촉촉한 초코칩은 촉촉한 초코칩이 되는 것을 포기하고 안 촉촉한 초코칩 나라로 돌아갔다.
an chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib na-la-e sal-deon an chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib-i chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib na-la-ui chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib-eul bo-go chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib-i doe-go sip-eo-seo chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib na-la-e gass-neun-de chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib na-la-ui mun-ji-gi-ga “neon chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib-i a-ni-go an chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib-i-ni-kka an chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib na-la-e-seo sal-a” la-go hae-seo an chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib-eun chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib-i doe-neun geos-eul po-gi-ha-go an chog-chog-han cho-ko-chib na-la-lo dol-a-gass-da.
English translation: A non-moist chocolate chip cookie that lived in non-moist chocolate chip cookie land saw a moist chocolate chip cookie from moist chocolate chip cookie land and wanted to become a moist chocolate chip cookie and so went to moist chocolate chip cookie land, but the gatekeeper of moist chocolate chip cookie land said, “You are not a moist chocolate chip cookie, but a non-moist chocolate chip cookie, so live in non-moist chocolate chip cookie land,” so the non-moist chocolate chip cookie gave up on becoming a moist chocolate chip cookie and went back to non-moist chocolate chip cookie land.
The vocabulary words you can learn in this tongue twister are:
a. 초코칩 (cho-ko-chib) — chocolate chip (cookie)
b. 촉촉한 (chog-chog-han) — moist
c. 나라 (na-la) — country
d. 되고 싶다 (doe-go sip-da) — to want to be
e. 문지기 (mun-ji-gi) — gatekeeper
f. 포기하다 (po-gi-ha-da) — to give up
g. 돌아가다 (dol-a-ga-da) — to go back
Using tongue twisters is such a fun way to learn Korean, you can even turn it into a game with your friends to improve together. Want to learn Korean online and become fluent in it? Sign up for a Korean class at ONLYOU Korean Language School Singapore today!
