Goal: Korean
Learn Korean instead of scrolling Instagram
Sorry Scroll (sorryscroll.com) puts two new Korean words in front of Instagram, TikTok or any app you block. Learn them, answer a quick check, and the app opens. At 25 opens a day that's 12 new words a day, so your first week covers 84 words and all 500 take about 6 weeks.
| Words | 500, the most-used everyday Korean words, in a set order |
|---|---|
| With every word | Pronunciation, meaning, an example sentence with its translation, and audio for both |
| Learner tips | 152 of the 500 words, where there's a common trap |
| Each step | 2 new words, a check on each, then 1 older word to recall; about 30 seconds |
| Pace | Up to 12 new words a day · all 500 in about 6 weeks at 25 opens a day |
| Price | Free for 1 blocked app · Pricing |
Words are shown in Hangul with romanization under them, so you can start before you can read it.
Day one: your first 12 Korean words
In the order the app teaches them, two per step:
| Word | Pronunciation | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 | annyeonghaseyo | hello |
| 감사합니다 | gamsahamnida | thank you |
| 주세요 | juseyo | please give me |
| 네 | ne | yes |
| 아니요 | aniyo | no |
| 안녕히 가세요 | annyeonghi gaseyo | goodbye |
| 저기요 | jeogiyo | excuse me |
| 물 | mul | water |
| 빵 | ppang | bread |
| 커피 | keopi | coffee |
| 녹차 | nokcha | green tea |
| 집 | jip | house |
The rest of week one
Twelve new words a day, plus reviews of the ones before. By day seven you've met 84:
Day 2 개 · 고양이 · 책 · 책상 · 의자 · 문 · 창문 · 자동차 · 기차 · 역 · 도시 · 나라
Day 3 길 · 학교 · 일 · 친구 · 가족 · 엄마 · 아빠 · 형 · 누나 · 아이 · 남자 · 여자
Day 4 밤 · 아침 · 저녁 · 주 · 달 · 년 · 오늘 · 내일 · 어제 · 지금 · 항상 · 자주
Day 5 여기 · 거기 · 하나 · 둘 · 셋 · 넷 · 다섯 · 여섯 · 일곱 · 여덟 · 아홉 · 열
Day 6 백 · 천 · 있다 · 하다 · 가다 · 오다 · 보다 · 알다 · 말하다 · 먹다 · 마시다 · 자다
Day 7 읽다 · 쓰다 · 좋아하다 · 사다 · 찾다 · 주다 · 기다리다 · 열다 · 닫다 · 이해하다 · 배우다 · 일하다
Tips you'll meet first
152 words in the deck carry a tip, where there's a common trap. The first few:
안녕하세요 · annyeonghaseyo
hello
Polite and safe with anyone. Friends drop to 안녕 (annyeong).
감사합니다 · gamsahamnida
thank you
Formal. 고마워요 (gomawoyo) is softer; 고마워 (gomawo) is for friends.
주세요 · juseyo
please give me
Put the thing you want first, then 주세요. Works for ordering anything.
네 · ne
yes
Sounds like 'neh'. Also used as 'uh-huh' while listening.
아니요 · aniyo
no
Casual: 아니 (ani).
안녕히 가세요 · annyeonghi gaseyo
goodbye
Said to the person leaving. If you're the one leaving, say 안녕히 계세요 (gyeseyo) to the one staying.
How fast, by how often you open your apps
| Blocked-app opens a day | New words a day | All 500 in |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 6 | about 13 weeks |
| 15 | 8 | about 9 weeks |
| 25 | 12 | about 6 weeks |
Your own numbers: the calculator. Every word: The 500 most common Korean words, with audio.
Also on Sorry Scroll: Japanese, Spanish, French, German, English. How the language goal works step by step: the language goal.
Questions
Can you learn Korean while scrolling?
You can learn Korean vocabulary, a little at a time, in the moments you'd open an app anyway. Sorry Scroll asks for two new words and a quick check each time; words come back for review after 20 minutes, then 1, 3, 7 and 21 days, and a word counts as learned after two correct recalls.
How long does it take to learn 500 Korean words this way?
About 6 weeks at 25 blocked-app opens a day, because new words are capped at 12 a day. At 10 opens a day, about 13 weeks.
Which words come first?
The most-used everyday ones, in the order shown above: day one starts with 안녕하세요, 감사합니다, 주세요.
Is this enough to speak Korean?
It's a vocabulary habit, not a full course. 500 everyday words make a course, a show or a conversation much easier to follow, but grammar and speaking practice need a course or a tutor alongside.
Can I see meanings in Hindi?
Yes. Meanings and tips can be shown in Hindi, as well as English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese.