Korean Intensive Course in Berlin

Absolute beginners with no prior knowledge who want to learn Korean from scratch – perhaps out of enthusiasm for K-pop, K-dramas, or an upcoming trip to Korea.

You begin with the Korean Hangul alphabet and learn to read and write its vowels and consonants confidently – including the final consonants (batchim). From the very start, you practise the polite 해요 form as well as the basic topic particles 은/는 and subject particles 이/가. You'll understand Korean SOV word order (subject–object–verb) and introduce yourself in simple sentences. You'll also master first everyday situations such as greeting, counting, and ordering in Korean.

Learners with a solid foundation who already master Hangul and can form simple sentences, and now want to hold everyday conversations that go beyond talking about themselves.

You expand the polite 해요 form with the past tense (-았/었어요) and the future (-을 거예요) and connect sentences with 그리고, 그래서, and 하지만. You'll learn to use the place and time particles 에, 에서, and 에게 confidently and to distinguish the two negations 안 and 못. You'll combine counter words (개, 명, 병) with the appropriate native Korean numbers. This equips you for typical situations such as shopping, giving directions, and arranging appointments.

Learners who can already communicate in everyday life and now want to speak more precisely, write more formally, and use the different levels of politeness consciously.

You'll get to know the formal 합니다 form (하십시오체) and use it alongside the 해요 form as the situation requires – for example at work or in presentations. For the first time, you'll systematically use the honorific infix -(으)시- and honorific verbs such as 드시다 and 계시다 to show respect. With connective endings like -(으)니까, -는데, and -(으)면, you'll build more complex sentences and express reasons, conditions, and background. Reported speech (-다고 하다) and your first taste of casual 반말 are part of this level too.

Advanced learners who can converse fluently and want to sharpen their expression through finer grammatical structures and a broader Sino-Korean vocabulary.

You'll command the different speech styles with confidence and switch flexibly between them depending on your conversation partner and the situation. Passive and causative constructions with the infixes -이/히/리/기- as well as demanding connective endings such as -더라도, -았더니, and -(으)ㄹ 텐데 broaden your expressive range. You'll increasingly recognise Sino-Korean word formations (of Hanja origin) and use them to unlock new vocabulary systematically. Idiomatic expressions and the nuances of sentence-final endings such as -잖아요 or -거든요 will make your Korean sound more natural.

Highly advanced learners who use Korean in academic or professional settings and want to understand demanding texts such as news, specialist articles, and literature.

You'll distinguish confidently between spoken and written language and command the formal written style (문어체) for reports, essays, and presentations. Your vocabulary increasingly includes technical and Sino-Korean terms, whose Hanja structure you use to infer meaning. You'll grasp subtle connotations, the fine gradations of business politeness (비즈니스 존댓말), and the implicit tone of Korean communication. You'll also work independently through demanding news texts, opinion columns, and literary passages.

Learners at the highest level who command Korean almost like a native speaker and want to grasp cultural subtleties, dialects, and literary language as well.

You'll understand virtually everything you hear and read effortlessly – from rapid everyday dialogue and regional dialects (사투리) to literary and classical texts. You'll deploy proverbs (속담) and four-character idioms of Hanja origin (사자성어) with precision, and play with wordplay and double meanings. You'll intuitively master the finest nuances of politeness levels and implicit hints (눈치). Your Korean is stylistically precise, culturally appropriate, and barely distinguishable from that of a native speaker.