Watching Kdramas is a lot of fun – but can take some patience. While a few are released with an English dubbed version, most only contain subtitles. Subtitles require a lot of reading – and concentration. Need to let the dogs out while watching a Kdrama? Can’t do it without pausing or key dialog may be missed. Watch a Kdrama while puttering in the kitchen? Not easy to do and read subtitles at the same time. The more Kdramas I watched, the more I became interested in learning Korean. Afterall, if I learned how to understand Korean, I thought, subtitles wouldn’t become as important. Not to mention that I find the language interesting. This made me wonder, can I learn Korean by watching Kdramas?
I started my Korean language journey around April 2023. As I describe in my post, Learning Korean – A Beginner’s Guide, I began with a few apps to help get me going. I recognized early on that it’s important to build vocabulary in order to have any chance of understanding Korean. Watching Kdramas and reading the subtitles can help develop vocabulary. I learned the word, “사람” or “saram” meaning person by watching Doom at Your Service where Seo In-guk’s character takes that name. But Korean words and phrases can be subtitled differently by different people. While watching True Beauty, I noticed that Lee Su-ho, portrayed by Cha Eun-woo, says the word “싫어” or “silh-eo” a lot. In subtitles, this is translated as “no” (on Viki) – but may be closer to the English “I don’t like” or “I don’t want to”.
Factors in Learning a New Language
I hear stories all the time of people learning another language by watching shows, movies, or YouTube videos in that language. I don’t doubt that a second language can be picked up this way. But I think there are several factors that need to be taken into account. One is age. Children are predisposed to learning language. As a result, they often have an easier time learning a second language. Ahn Hyo-seop (A Time Called You) and Ok Taecyeon (Heartbeat) each moved from South Korea to English speaking countries, Canada and the United States respectively, as youngsters. Both are fluent in English after being immersed during their formative years.
People who are already multi-lingual may pick up new languages more easily. NichHhun of the Kpop group, 2PM, is multi-lingual, speaking English, Korean, Thai and Chinese. BTS’s RM is fluent in Korean, English, and Japanese. My favorite polygot (or hyperpolygot) is Viggo Mortenson (Aragorn in Lord of the Rings). He purportedly speaks eight languages and that’s not including Elvish!
Need is also a big factor in learning a new language. This can be due to a move to a different country, for a job, or to converse with an important person. Swedish hockey player, Gabe Landeskog dreamed of becoming an NHL player. He realized that dream when he was selected by the Colorado Avalanche. (My favorite hockey team!) Gabe speaks English without a trace of an accent having originally learned the language by watching English content – and later moving to Canada as a teen.
Learning Korean – The Shotgun Approach
For me, learning Korean currently involves the shotgun approach. I try all kinds of things to see what sticks. This includes five to ten minutes of the Drops app daily for vocabulary. For grammar, reading, and writing, I do lessons from Talk to Me in Korean (TTMiK) several times a week. This is how I caught the dialog of Grim Reaper in Guardian, The Lonely and Great God when he says he doesn’t have a cell phone. 핸드폰이 없어요 (handphoney eopseoyo), the word for cellphone I learned from Drops, and “I don’t have” from my TTMiK lesson on eosseoyo vs eopseoyo.
I still do an occasional lesson in Rocket Korean when I have a little more time. I also listen to and study the lyrics of Kdrama songs, watch reels on Facebook of people teaching Korean phrases (I like Korean with Ina), and try out short lessons on YouTube. And – of course – I watch Kdramas! Kdramas are great for testing what I have learned. I will often rewind the Kdrama that I’m watching when I catch dialog I think I know, especially when the pronunciation sounds different than how I have been practicing.
Can I Learn Korean by Watching Kdramas?
I’m a far cry from being fluent in Korean. But considering that I knew almost no Korean words eight months ago and now I can understand some of what is being said in Kdramas without relying on subtitles, I think I’ve come a long way.
So – can I learn Korean by watching Kdramas? Yes! I have definitely learned some Korean from Kdramas. For me it’s going to take a lot more than that if I ever want to give up those subtitles though. And who knows, if I keep working at it, I may be able to successfully converse in Korean when I visit South Korea someday. 😊
