From Pseudo Code to Real Code: Your First Program in Plain Language
Before diving into coding itself, let’s begin today’s lesson in a slightly different way. Many people find coding intimidating. They picture a dark screen filled with lines of English text and symbols — something only “experts” could ever understand. But in truth, the beginning of coding is surprisingly simple. It starts not with computers, but with thinking in words.
Today, let’s take the first step of turning thought into code. You don’t need to open any complex program or set up a development environment. All you need is a pen and paper — or even a blank note on your computer. Let’s imagine a simple scenario: Suppose it’s 7 PM. If the current time is exactly 19:00, display the message “I LOVE YOU.” Otherwise, display “I LIKE YOU.”
Even in this simple example, we are already setting conditions and defining outcomes in our minds. The phrase “If ~ then ~ else ~” captures the essence of programming logic. Now imagine writing down that logic in words. It might look like this:
If the current time is 19:00, display “I LOVE YOU.”
Otherwise, display “I LIKE YOU.”
That’s already a program! Why? Because it contains a logical flow in a clear order.
If you want to make it more detailed, you could add a step-by-step structure like this:
Check the current time.
If the current time is 19:00, display “I LOVE YOU.”
If not, display “I LIKE YOU.”
By adding that first step — “Check the time” — the logic becomes more readable. You can clearly see what the program should do first, and what should happen under each condition. This is exactly what we call Pseudo Code. Pseudo code is a way to describe logic in plain language, without worrying about actual programming syntax. It’s like drawing a blueprint before building a house. No matter how good your materials are, you can’t build anything solid without a plan. In the same way, before writing real code, we must first design our thinking structure.
Ultimately, good programmers aren’t just people who know programming languages — they’re people who can organize their thoughts logically. In fact, we use this kind of logic in daily life all the time. For example, when getting ready for work in the morning, we naturally create an ordered sequence:
Wake up.
Wash your face.
Get dressed.
Pack your phone and wallet.
Leave the house.
If you skip any step, you’ll run into trouble. This sequence of actions is, in essence, coding — arranging steps and conditions to achieve a goal.
Translating Thought into Real Code
Now, let’s take the logic we wrote in words and translate it into a language the computer understands. In Python, it looks like this:
from datetime import datetime
now = datetime.now() # Get the current time
if now.hour == 19: # If the current hour is 19
print("I love you ❤️") # Print "I love you ❤️"
else: # Otherwise
print("I like you ❤️") # Print "I like you ❤️"Now let’s write the same logic in C#:
using System;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
DateTime now = DateTime.Now; // Get current time
if (now.Hour == 19) // If current time is 19:00
{
Console.WriteLine("I love you ❤️"); // Print I love you ❤️
}
else // Otherwise
{
Console.WriteLine("I like you ❤️"); // Print I like you ❤️
}
}
}And here is the same logic in C language:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <time.h>
int main(void) {
time_t now;
struct tm *current;
time(&now);
current = localtime(&now);
if (current->tm_hour == 19) {
printf("I love you ❤️\n");
} else {
printf("I like you ❤️\n");
}
return 0;
}Each language looks different, but they share one core pattern: a command that tells the computer to output something. In Python it’s print, in C# it’s Console.WriteLine, and in C it’s printf. These all mean the same thing — “show this message.” No matter which language you use, the logic is identical: If the current time is 19:00, print “I love you ❤️.” Otherwise, print “I like you ❤️.”
Let’s look at it again line by line in plain English:
now = datetime.now()
→ Check the current time
if now.hour == 19:
→ If the current hour is 19…
print("I love you ❤️")
→ Display “I love you ❤️”
else:
→ Otherwise…
print("I like you ❤️")
→ Display “I like you ❤️”
Coding Is the Art of Structured Thinking
In the end, coding is simply the skill of organizing your thoughts. We often think of it as a technical ability — controlling computers — but at its core, coding is about ordering logic. The moment you start arranging your ideas in a logical sequence, you’ve already begun coding.
It’s like writing a recipe. A chef’s recipe lists what, when, and how much. A programmer’s code lists what, under what condition, and with what result. Both rely on structure and clarity. That’s why learning to code is essentially training in logical thinking.
Today, we’ve seen how human-like coding really is. It’s not a cold machine language; it’s a language of structured thought. Pseudo code is the first step in expressing that thought in words. You don’t need to know programming languages yet — if you can write sentences like “what to do, when, and why,” you’ve already taken your first step into coding.
So yes — we actually did coding today. Even professionals start with pseudo code before writing real code. Coding is simply the act of expressing thought in structured language, and pseudo code is the very first stage of that process. It’s proof that coding isn’t reserved for experts — it’s something we all practice whenever we think logically and in order.
The moment you start arranging your thoughts step by step, your first program is already complete — in your mind.
In the next lesson, we’ll practice finding bugs in this simple program. It might sound early, but hands-on experience is the best way to truly understand coding concepts.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you always stay inspired and happy!
You can view the original blog post in Korean at the links below: