Learn Korean with Movies & TV Shows
K-dramas are the reason millions of people start learning Korean. Wordy turns that motivation into real progress. Watch short clips from Korean films and series, see every word broken down, and build the vocabulary you need to follow along without subtitles.
Why Learn Korean?
The Korean Wave is global
From BTS to Squid Game, Korean culture is everywhere. Speaking Korean lets you experience K-pop lyrics, variety shows, and dramas the way they were meant to be understood.
Hangul is brilliantly logical
The Korean alphabet was designed by scholars in 1443 to be easy to learn. Most people can read Hangul in a single afternoon. It has 24 letters and everything is phonetic.
Strong tech industry connections
Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and Kakao are all Korean companies. Korean language skills stand out on a resume in tech, gaming, and entertainment industries.
How to Learn Korean with Wordy
Three steps to start picking up Korean from real movies and shows.
Pick a Movie or Show
Browse Korean content from our library of 15,000+ clips or connect your streaming service.
Watch and Tap Words
Tap any word in the subtitles for instant translation. Save words you want to remember.
Review with Flashcards
Practice saved vocabulary with spaced repetition flashcards linked to the original scene.
Popular Korean Content for Learning
Great Korean movies and shows to get you started.
Parasite
Bong Joon-ho's Oscar winner has dialogue that shifts between class registers, showing how Korean changes based on social context.
Crash Landing on You
A beloved K-drama with clear, emotional dialogue and both formal and informal speech, perfect for beginners learning politeness levels.
Squid Game
Already familiar to most learners, so the context helps you decode new vocabulary without getting lost in the plot.
Reply 1988
Family-centered K-drama with warm, everyday dialogue and lots of repeated daily-life phrases that stick with you.
Oldboy
Intense, dramatic Korean with a range of emotional registers, useful for advanced learners building expressive vocabulary.
Tips for Learning Korean from Movies
Learn Hangul before anything else
Seriously, it takes 2 to 4 hours. King Sejong designed Hangul so that anyone could learn it quickly. Once you can read it, every Korean subtitle becomes a pronunciation guide.
Master speech levels through dramas
Korean has 7 speech levels that change verb endings based on who you are talking to. K-dramas show this constantly, as a character switches from polite to casual depending on the relationship. Pay attention to how endings change between scenes.
Build vocabulary through K-drama tropes
K-dramas repeat certain phrases constantly: "jal meokgesseumnida" (before eating), "aish" (frustration), "daebak" (wow). These high-frequency expressions become automatic after just a few episodes.
Korean Fun Facts
Hangul, the Korean alphabet, was invented in 1443 by King Sejong the Great specifically so that common people could read and write. Before Hangul, only scholars who knew Chinese characters were literate. (Source: National Institute of Korean Language)
Korean has a special counting system for age. Koreans traditionally used a system where you are 1 year old at birth and gain a year every New Year's Day. In 2023, South Korea officially switched to the international age system. (Source: Yonhap News Agency)
The Korean language has no grammatical gender and no articles (a, an, the). This makes some aspects simpler than European languages, but the complex honorific system more than makes up for it. (Source: Korean Language Education Research, Seoul National University)
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to learn Korean?
How long does it take to learn Korean?
The FSI estimates 2,200 hours for English speakers, putting Korean in Category IV. The grammar structure is very different from English, and the honorific system adds complexity. But Hangul is easy to learn, and regular K-drama watching through Wordy builds listening skills faster than traditional study alone.
Can I learn Korean by watching K-dramas?
Can I learn Korean by watching K-dramas?
K-dramas are excellent for building listening skills and learning common expressions. You will not become fluent from watching alone, but the emotional context of scenes makes vocabulary stick far better than flashcards. Wordy extracts key clips and breaks down the language so each episode becomes a real lesson.
Is Korean harder than Japanese or Chinese?
Is Korean harder than Japanese or Chinese?
Korean is in the same difficulty category as Japanese and Chinese for English speakers. But Korean has a major advantage: Hangul is far easier to learn than Japanese kana plus kanji or Chinese characters. Many learners find Korean reading comes faster, even if grammar takes time.
What K-drama should I start with for learning Korean?
What K-drama should I start with for learning Korean?
Crash Landing on You is a top recommendation. The dialogue is clear, the speech levels are varied, and the story keeps you motivated to watch more. Reply 1988 is also great because the family setting means lots of everyday, practical vocabulary.
Start Learning Korean Today
Download Wordy and learn Korean from your favorite movies and TV shows. Free to start.