Book excerpt: If you started studying Korean, you probably have encountered hanja in some form. To deeply appreciate the nuances of the language, learning hanja is crucial. Further, Hanja themselves are still used in newspapers, advertisements, restaurant menus, and on storefront billboards, so you will need to master them if you want to be fully literate in Korean. Many Korean language books do not teach hanja until after you are at an advanced level, or only teach it as an elective. But, learning hanja is not difficult at all. Once you learn the basics, you will be able to extend your knowledge through self-study. This book starts you out with your first twenty hanja, which are some of the simplest hanja used.You will learn how to write and pronounce the hanja as well as their English and Korean meanings. In particular, the stroke order for writing each character is clearly indicated. After reading this book, you will be well on your way to recognizing and using these hanja in your daily life in Korea!