@Tamarind
I recommend beginners and even users at the initial intermediate level adopt one or at most two definitions related to the context. The user understands the general stem’s meaning more intuitively by the context, and maybe just a downward arrow above the word is needed for them to notice other words with the same stem in the future.
Learning the general stems using Chinese characters helps very little before reaching a B1 level. I had my share of struggles with the language, even if I am fluent in Chinese. Following is what I think about the Chinese language as a deciding factor in acquiring Korean vocabulary and grammar.
Before getting a foothold in Korean A1 - A2
Chinese character 10 %
For one point, I wanted to block off the Chinese pronunciation while keeping the knowledge of the definition.
Others, such as grammar, etc., 20%
Familiarity with Hangul’s writing. 40%
The pronunciation, 30 %
My mastery of Hangul and pronunciation is at 60% and 70%, respectively, contrary to the popular belief of learning it in two weeks.
From B2 - C2
Chinese characters 20%
More literary and high-register words
Others, such as grammar, context, topics, etc., 50%
Familiarity with Hangul’s writing. 15%
The pronunciation, 15%
I am more inclined to encounter words with common stems through reading instead of studying from a list, and perusing the dictionary is just a review instead of learning. Another great thing is reading the monolingual definition under the Korean entry in Krdict.
화재 (火災)
fire
집이나 물건이 불에 타는 재앙이나 재난.
A calamity or disaster in which houses or possessions are burnt.
재 is repeated in two more words, and 불 is the equivalence of 화.
재난
Following is a typical sentence from folktales 외국인을 위한 한국어 읽기 at Lingq.
부부는 열심히 일했지만 가난했다.
I don’t know. My mind has a mysterious way of making a connection out of nowhere. A Korean language learner could do the same with tons of noticing things in the language even without deliberately studying Chinese characters.