Course Levels

The seven HaruKorean levels are not difficulty labels — they are a cumulative curriculum. Every level assumes you already know the grammar and vocabulary introduced before it. Start too high and you end up in the frustrating spot where you can read the explanation but not the example sentences. Start too low and you burn weeks reviewing what you already know, which is one of the most common reasons learners quit. Picking the right entry point matters more than most people expect.

The Three-Second Version

Find the line below that sounds most like you. When you are torn between two levels, take the lower one — early lessons go quickly, and you will almost always find a gap worth filling.

Can't read Hangul → Level 1
Can read, but no words come out → Level 2
Can greet people, but guess at particles → Level 3
Can make sentences, but conversation stalls → Level 4
Fine day to day, shaky on honorifics → Level 5
Speak okay, avoid reading and writing → Level 6
Want to leave intermediate behind → Level 7

If none of those feel obvious, take the 12-question placement test. It takes two or three minutes and drops you straight into the matching level.

Level Comparison

Here is what each level assumes, covers, and costs you in time. Estimates assume 15–30 minutes of study a day; if you have studied Korean before, expect to move faster.

Level	Start here if	What you learn	Lessons	Typical time
Level 1Hangul Basics	You can't read Hangul yet, or you sound it out letter by letter	Consonants, vowels, syllable blocks, 받침, and liaison	11	1–2 weeks
Level 2Greetings & Basics	You can read Hangul but almost no words come out when you speak	Greetings, self-introduction, numbers, titles, polite endings	7	2–3 weeks
Level 3Essential Grammar	You can greet people but guess at which particle to use	은/는, 이/가, 을/를, 에/에서, plus present and past tense	10	3–4 weeks
Level 4Daily Conversations	You can build single sentences but conversations stall fast	Shopping, ordering, transit, directions, phone calls	9	4–5 weeks
Level 5Intermediate Grammar	You handle daily talk but honorifics and clause linking are shaky	Connecting endings (-니까/-아서/-는데), honorifics, conditionals	8	5–6 weeks
Level 6Reading & Writing	You can speak reasonably well but avoid reading and writing	Signs, menus, social posts, diaries, email, internet slang	9	4–5 weeks
Level 7Advanced Topics	You want to leave intermediate and follow news or drama unaided	사자성어, idioms, news reading, business Korean, TOPIK II	10	6+ weeks

How Long Does the Whole Thing Take?

All 64 lessons across the seven levels take roughly six to eight months at 15–30 minutes a day. That figure already assumes you skip two or three days a week — it is a realistic estimate, not a perfect-streak one. What separates learners who finish from those who don't is almost never session length; it is how many weeks they kept going. On a busy week, one lesson is fine.

English speakers should expect Levels 3 through 5 to be the slowest stretch, since Korean word order and particles have no clean English equivalent. Budget extra time there and less on Level 1 — Hangul itself is genuinely quick. Our Korean particles guide and honorifics guide cover the two concepts that slow English speakers down the most.

Can You Skip Levels?

You can, but don't skip Level 3. Knowing when to use 은/는 versus 이/가 versus 을/를 underpins every level after it. Push past it while it is still fuzzy and you get stuck in a long phase where you understand example sentences fine but your own sentences come out subtly wrong.

Level 6 (Reading & Writing) is the reasonable exception. If your goal is speaking, going from Level 5 straight to Level 7 and circling back to 6 later works fine.

How This Maps to TOPIK

The mapping is approximate, but finishing Levels 3–4 puts you in range of what TOPIK I tests, and working through Levels 5–7 brings the lower end of TOPIK II within reach. For what each band actually requires and how to time your sitting, see the TOPIK exam roadmap.

Ready to go? Start with Level 1, or take the placement test to find your spot. Questions about how the lessons work are answered in the FAQ.