Find Your Next Step

Browse all guides → Start Learning
Learning Index
Learn
Practise
Explore
Essential ConceptsB1

Korean IME: Meaning and Examples

A Korean IME is an input method editor, a piece of software that turns the individual letters you press into finished Hangul syllable blocks. When you press G, K and S, the keyboard only reports three keys; the IME shows them as 한. The IME, not the keyboard, decides which consonant is an initial and which is a final.
Read the Guide
Korean IME
Korean IME

Korean IME in Korean

An IME is called 입력기 (imnyeokgi), from 입력 (imnyeok, "input") and 기 (gi, "device"). The romanization follows the pronunciation [임녁끼]: ㅂ before ㄹ is read [ㅁ] and the ㄹ is read [ㄴ]. The English name tells you what the software does: it edits your input as you type, keeping a half-finished block open until it can tell the block is finished.

Computers need an IME for Korean because each key gives one letter (jamo), but Korean text is written, and normally stored, as whole syllable blocks: Unicode has a ready-made code for each of the 11,172 modern blocks. English needs no IME: one key, one character. Korean needs a rule that says "ㅎ, ㅏ, ㄴ become 한". That rule is the IME. The stored form is explained in Hangul Unicode.

The block still being built is called the composition string, and most systems underline it. Space, Enter, an arrow key or the next block confirms it.

Korean IME vs Keyboard Layout

The IME and the keyboard layout are two different layers, and confusing them causes most typing troubleshooting errors. The layout maps keys to letters. The IME assembles letters into blocks.

Keyboard layout IME
Question it answers Which letter does this key give? Which block do these letters form?
Example Key G gives ㅎ ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ gives 한
Alternatives Sebeolsik, Cheonjiin Microsoft Korean IME, macOS Korean input, Gboard, Samsung Keyboard

For the standard map, see the 2-beolsik keyboard layout. For alternatives, see the sebeolsik keyboard and the cheonjiin keyboard.

How Does a Korean IME Assemble Blocks?

An IME works like a small machine with a current block. Each key either extends the block or closes it and starts another. Here is the keystroke timeline for 한 and 하나, which differ by one key.

Key Letter Screen shows (typing 한) Screen shows (typing 하나)
G ㅎ ㅎ ㅎ
K ㅏ 하 하
S ㄴ 한 한
K ㅏ not pressed 하나

Both words reach 한 after three keys. If you stop, the block is 한. If you press K, the IME sees that a vowel now follows ㄴ, so it moves ㄴ out of the first block and makes it the initial of a new block: 하 + 나. The ㄴ key was one and the same; only the next key changed its meaning.

The IME holds each consonant provisionally. A consonant after a vowel is first treated as a final, and a vowel after that final steals it as an initial.

The 2-beolsik layout has only one ㄴ key, so the IME's rule decides its role. For a cluster such as ㄹ+ㄱ, only the second consonant moves if a vowel follows. Try this in Type Korean Final Consonants.

What Are Examples of the Korean IME?

Each system has its own Korean IME, and they behave almost the same on the surface. The following are widely used:

The Windows path is for Windows 11 and may differ on other versions. Start from the device setup section if your system is not listed.

One rule covers most problems: the IME state decides the output. In English mode, keys give Latin letters. If the layout is not 2-beolsik, the right keys give wrong letters. Check both when typing misbehaves. The full list of fixes is in Korean keyboard not working.

What Do Learners Get Wrong about the Korean IME?

Learners get three ideas wrong.

  1. "The IME is the keyboard." It is not. A hardware keyboard has no Hangul in it; the IME makes the letters into Hangul.
  2. "Letters jump around because the software is buggy." The jumping is the design. A final moves to the next block when a vowel follows. See the timeline above.
  3. "I can type Korean without an IME." Ordinary typing needs one, although some websites include their own small on-screen keyboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does IME Stand For?

IME stands for input method editor. It is software that lets you enter characters that are not on the keyboard directly, such as Hangul, Chinese or Japanese. For Korean, it combines the letters you press into syllable blocks and offers Hanja conversion. In Korean it is called 입력기.

Why Do My Letters Turn into Blocks?

Because the Korean IME groups them as you type. Each consonant and vowel is added to the current block until the next key shows that a new block begins. Pressing G, K, S gives 한, and pressing K again turns it into 하나. The jump is normal, and every 2-beolsik input method does it.

Is the IME the Same as the Keyboard Layout?

No. The layout decides which letter each key gives, for example that G gives ㅎ. The IME assembles the letters into blocks. You can change the layout without changing the IME, and the reverse. Both must be correct for Korean to appear properly.

Do I Need to Install a Korean IME?

Usually you only need to add Korean in your system settings. Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone and Chromebook already include a Korean IME or keyboard. The steps differ between systems, so use the device setup guide for yours. No extra program is normally needed.

Save This to Pinterest
입력기 · imnyeokgi, pronounced [임녁끼] · Korean IME
Korean IME