2000 Essential Korean Words for Beginners (Korean/English/Chinese/Japanese)

I don't know what level of Korean they expect the learner to be in order to utilize this book but it's not for the very beginner. The reason being is that there are no English translations outside of the word and it's definition. The sample sentences are great but they are not translated. The tips on how to use that word in Korean would be great if I actually knew how to read Korean. I imagine that anyone proficient enough in the language to understand the tips probably have a good grasp of grammar and so on and would probably not need this book as much as most. I just imagined there would be English translations for parts outside of the "How to Use" portion of the book and vocab. I was really disappointed.All that being said, this book is wickedly awesome. I mean wow. There is so much information, the themes are wonderful and I LOVE that it not only has English and Korean but Chinese and Japanese as well. I am currently studying Japanese so I am very pleased that it has translations for the words in Japanese as well. So although it's 2000 Korean words I also just got 2000 Japanese words! 😄The appendix in the back serves as a visual dictionary bfor some topics, has a list of antonyms, synonyms and verbs as well as conjugation charts for verbs and adjectives. There are also answers in the back to the mini TOPIC like quizzes. Now, everything is written in Korean, but it's there lolIn addition, the MP3 CD ( which cannot be used on a CD player) not only has native speakers saying the word but also reading the sentences. And if there is a mini dialogue they even act it out. This will be a great resource for learning pronunciation and shadowing the speaker to get closer to sounding like a native speaker.Not having the translations hurts but maybe it'll provide a more "immersive" experience. All in all it's a great resource.

Wow! When I bought this, I thought it was just going to be a book with a list of words which was meant to just be something to make my vocab quiz with. But WOW! It's like a dictionary turned up to 11! Not only does it tell you the word in korean and English (and Japanese and Chinese), but it tells you whether it's a verb/adverb/noun/etc. Tells you the synonym, antonym, everything! It even tells you how to use it in a sentence. And here I was, on the verge of buying a korean dictionary. With this book, I don't need one. Once I learn most of these words, I'll definitely by the one for intermediate.I found this title on TwoChois. If it wasn't for the COVID 19, I would have bought it from that website, but I an so so so thankful amazon has it.

I've been using this book with Anki flashcards, and I already consider myself a low-intermediate speaker. This book's presentation and layout is marvelous - it's easy to read and nicely organized. The example sentences have no translation, so they will be entirely unhelpful for absolute beginners, but they are really nice for high-beginner to low-intermediate practice. The biggest flaw is that each word also has related words and phrases listed, but with no translations. So without a Korean dictionary or friend close by, they are useless. There are also many words that have a repeated English translation, but without any explanation of the subtleties of when to use which one. Overall this is a great resource in conjunction with other textbooks, but not as a stand alone book.

This is one of the best and most inviting vocabulary builders out there. The organization by themed chapter helps with word association as well. Highly recommended.

One of the very best and most usable of self-study resources for Korean language neophytes such as myself. The terms are organized topically, giving visibility to synonyms and to similarly spelled, commonly confused words. Every word is illustrated with a sample sentence, and the grammar of the examples varies enough to stay interesting, and challenging. Each chapter concludes with a one-page test.Most significantly, my Korean language instructor, a native speaker and scholar of both the Korean and Japanese languages, recommends the book to her students, especially to those interested in taking the TOPIK exam.It's worth the money.

I am an upper beginner so this book is perfect for me, but if you are just starting out Korean I do not recommend this. For the sample sentences and self checks it’s all in Korean and no translation, so you will have a hard time.