Top 10 Best Books to Learn Korean in 2021 (Big Hit Entertainment, Korean From Zero!, and More)

This series is regarded as the best Korean language learning series available. Level one focuses on conversation and speech. The book comes with review questions and exercises to maximize self-testing. They also have a Discord group, where you can find study buddies, ask questions, or talk about anything Korean!

There is supplementary audio to help with listening fluency and a downloadable workbook to help with writing. There are culture tips and recipes scattered throughout the books, creating a holistic guide to Korean. There are nine levels, and they also have a BTS-themed language book!

Many reviewers suggest learning Hangul first to make the content even more digestible. Overall, however, users enjoy the plethora of grammar examples. They especially like the clear explanations and the way that each lesson builds off of each other. 

With over 600 vocabulary words and expressions, this book provides a tangible guide to the Korean language. The complementary workbook acts as a guide to obtaining full reading and writing proficiency. 

This book provides a lot of example sentences and is chock-full of reading comprehension sections. It's ideal if you want to get a solid foundation of the language down and aren't worried about being able to speak as soon as possible. This book is in a series of three levels.

Users point out that the book itself has a lot of small errors and typos. On the other side, many readers love how beginner-friendly it is, unlike other texts that require some level of prior knowledge. They like using it in conjunction with other study tools.

This book takes a holistic approach to language learning. The lessons include cultural tidbits that help cultivate fluency and cultural understanding. There's plenty of vocab and practice sections, too. While this book is designed for newer Korean learners, there are notes for more advanced speakers. There is also audio to assist with listening practice.

Some reviewers note that this book is not for absolute beginners and want more lessons about the casual form. Overall, many users love the cultural insight. They also appreciate how this book breaks down the language through its easy-to-follow format and clear explanations!

Want a simple way to increase your fluency? Study the most common 2,000 words with this book! Do not mistake this book for a dictionary, however! It is geared towards Korean learners, providing example sentences and supplementary language tips.

This book makes an active effort to make you aware of the meanings of words in different contexts and the varying ways to use phrases. 

Reviewers note that it's not for absolute beginners, and some wish it were a flashcard set instead of a book. However, many reviewers feel it's a good way to become fairly fluent, especially with the help of other texts. Users especially love the simple structure and sample sentences.

This book is specifically designed to train users' ears and tongues to the dips of the Korean language. This book focuses on casual speech and includes supplementary audio. It's divided into different topics and situations, such as "At School." Each chapter comes with romanization and grammar guide marks to assist with pronunciation.

Some users say this book helps with improving speaking quickly, but it's not as useful for understanding the language. Many users, however, love the romanization in the text and feel it does a great job of familiarizing new learners with the language.

Folktales are an integral part of Korean ideas and mannerisms. This book takes these historical stories and turns them into an inventive way to learn the language! It includes Korean and English versions of each story, which is a great way to compare the translations line by line. The book also comes with an audio disk. 

Users note that this book is for people who already have an understanding of basic grammar structures. However, many love the uniqueness of this method and the way the stories progress from easy to hard. 

This book takes college textbook lessons directly from the University of Hawaii, utilizing a more classic mode of learning. This series focuses more seriously on grammar and holistic language acquisition. 

Just like when you study at school, each lesson includes model dialogues, narration, vocabulary, culture, grammar, usage, and English translation. There is an answer key available online to help ensure you're on the right path!

Some users complain about the disorganized structure and inaccuracy of the digital option. But, many users enjoy the structured college course approach and found it best when learning with someone else. 

This book focuses on teaching in a lighthearted manner to take the anxiety out of language learning. The authors made this text to prepare people for visiting Korea, so there's a focus on building a solid knowledge base. There is a CD to help you with comprehension and mirroring, too.

Some users note that the CD doesn't work for them, and the text is not enough to be a sole resource for new learners. However,  most users say the humor allows them to relax into their learning. They also like the helpful cultural tidbits and grammar explanations; the grammar points are broken down into more accessible language.

This kit uses images and visual tools to help you learn Korean. While this book is geared towards younger audiences, it's an excellent choice for visual learners! It comes with flashcards, an audio CD, games, songs, a learning guide, and a wall chart. 

These methods are actually classic ways that parents in Korea use to teach their children how to speak. However, some reviewers had issues using the CD. A few others found a few grammatical errors in this kit.

However, reviewers note that this is a great starter kit for both children and adults. Many feel that they progressed super quickly thanks to this kit and appreciate the accessibility of the flashcards; some even take a few with them when they go out.

This book uses a storybook-like approach. It follows a fan, Bora, around as she explores Korea for the first time. The package comes with a speaking pen for pronunciation practice and Korean keyboard sheets to improve typing fluency. There are four books that start with basic Korean and progress to more advanced levels.

Many reviewers happily state that not only is this package colorful and exciting to learn from, but the wealth of supplementary tools makes it a complete Korean resource.