Korean and Japanese are two distinct languages with different writing systems, grammar, and vocabulary. While they may share some similarities due to their historical and cultural connections, they are not mutually intelligible, and learning one does not necessarily mean you can understand the other.
In terms of writing systems, Korean uses Hangul, a phonetic alphabet composed of 24 letters that represent both consonants and vowels. Hangul is considered to be one of the most straightforward writing systems to learn, as it was intentionally designed to be easy to learn and accessible to everyone. However, Korean also uses Chinese characters (hanja) to a limited extent, especially in academic and formal settings.
On the other hand, Japanese uses three writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Hiragana and Katakana are phonetic alphabets, each consisting of 46 characters that represent syllables. Kanji, on the other hand, is a set of Chinese characters that were adopted into Japanese writing. Kanji can be challenging to learn due to the large number of characters (over 2,000 commonly used characters), and the complex rules for pronunciation and usage.
In terms of vocabulary, both languages have a large number of unique words and expressions that are not shared with each other or other languages. However, Korean is considered to have a simpler grammar structure compared to Japanese, with no verb conjugation and relatively fewer grammatical particles. Japanese, on the other hand, has a more complex grammar structure, including various verb forms, particles, and honorific language.
Regarding your question about learning 1000 words, the approach to learning vocabulary in Korean and Japanese would be similar, regardless of the writing system used. In both languages, it is essential to learn basic words and phrases to build a foundation for language learning. However, it is worth noting that the kanji characters used in Japanese can be useful in understanding the meanings of complex words, as kanji often have roots in Chinese characters and have meanings beyond their phonetic pronunciation.
In conclusion, while Korean and Japanese share some similarities, they are distinct languages with different writing systems, grammar structures, and vocabulary. Learning 1000 words in either language requires consistent effort and practice, but the approaches may differ due to the writing system used.