Korean grammar has some unique features that might seem different from languages
like English, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a lot of fun to learn! Here are
some key concepts:
1. Word Order
The typical word order in Korean is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV). The verb always
comes at the end of the sentence. For example:
English: "I eat an apple."
Korean: "나는 사과를 먹어요." (Naneun sagwareul meogeoyo)
"나는" (I)
"사과를" (apple - object)
"먹어요" (eat - verb)
2. Particles
Korean uses particles that attach to words to indicate their role in the sentence.
Some common particles include:
은/는 (topic marker)
이/가 (subject marker)
을/를 (object marker)
에 (location/time)
에서 (from/at a place)
Example: 나는 학교에 가요 (I go to school). 나 is the subject marked by 는, 학교에 is the
destination marked by 에, and 가요 is the verb "to go."
3. Honorifics
Korean is a hierarchical language that has different levels of politeness depending
on the relationship and the situation. The way you speak to someone can change
based on factors like their age, status, or familiarity.
-요 is a polite ending (used in most casual but polite conversations).
-습니다/ㅂ니다 is a more formal way to speak (used in formal settings, like presentations
or news).
-아/어 is informal and used with close friends or younger people.
4. Verb Conjugation
Verbs in Korean change according to tense and politeness level. There are two main
verb conjugation types:
Informal/Standard: 가다 (to go) → 가요 (polite) → 가 (informal)
Formal: 가다 → 갑니다 (formal)
Tense: You can express past, present, and future tense by modifying the verb
endings.
Present: 가요 (I go)
Past: 갔어요 (I went)
Future: 갈 거예요 (I will go)
5. Adjectives
Adjectives in Korean act as verbs, so they are conjugated similarly to action
verbs. For example:
좋다 (good) → 좋아요 (It’s good)
빠르다 (fast) → 빠르다요 (It’s fast)
6. Negation
To negate a verb, you add 안 before the verb or use 지 않다 after the verb.
I don’t eat: 나는 먹지 않아요 or 나는 안 먹어요
7. Questions
To form a question, you usually add -까 at the end of a sentence in formal language
or -요? for informal polite speech.
Example: 이것은 뭐예요? (What is this?)
Would you like to dive deeper into any of these aspects, or do you have specific
questions about Korean grammar?
Learning the top 2000 Korean words is a great way to build a solid foundation in
the language! While I can't provide the whole list here, I can give you an idea of
the most common and useful words to start with. These words cover a variety of
categories such as pronouns, verbs, nouns, adjectives, and everyday expressions.
Top 10 Common Korean Words
이다 (ida) - to be (equivalent to "is/am/are")
있다 (itda) - to have, to be (existence)
없다 (eopda) - to not have, to not exist
하다 (hada) - to do, to make
가다 (gada) - to go
오다 (oda) - to come
보다 (boda) - to see, to look
먹다 (meokda) - to eat
마시다 (masida) - to drink
자다 (jada) - to sleep
Pronouns
나 (na) - I, me
너 (neo) - you (informal)
저 (jeo) - I, me (polite)
그 (geu) - he, him
그녀 (geunyeo) - she, her
우리 (uri) - we, us (often used in place of "our")
그들 (geudeul) - they, them (for people)
이것 (igeot) - this thing
저것 (jeogeot) - that thing (over there)
Question Words
어디 (eodi) - where
무엇 (muot) - what
누구 (nugu) - who
언제 (eonje) - when
왜 (wae) - why
어떻게 (eotteoke) - how
Common Nouns
사람 (saram) - person
집 (jip) - house, home
학교 (hakgyo) - school
차 (cha) - car
돈 (don) - money
음식 (eumsik) - food
책 (chaek) - book
시간 (sigan) - time
하루 (haru) - day
친구 (chingu) - friend
Common Adjectives
좋다 (jota) - good
크다 (keuda) - big
작다 (jakda) - small
많다 (manta) - many, much
적다 (jeokda) - few, little
예쁘다 (yeppeuda) - pretty
빠르다 (bbareuda) - fast
느리다 (neurida) - slow
높다 (nopda) - high, tall
낮다 (natda) - low
Verbs
하다 (hada) - to do
가다 (gada) - to go
오다 (oda) - to come
먹다 (meokda) - to eat
자다 (jada) - to sleep
읽다 (ikda) - to read
쓰다 (seuda) - to write, to use
말하다 (malhada) - to speak
배우다 (baeuda) - to learn
알다 (alda) - to know
Common Expressions
안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) - Hello (polite)
감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) - Thank you (formal)
미안합니다 (mianhamnida) - I’m sorry (formal)
괜찮아요 (gwaenchanhayo) - It’s okay
사랑해요 (salanghaeyo) - I love you
잘 지내요 (jal jinaeyo) - How are you?
좋아요 (joayo) - It’s good
Prepositions/Particles
에 (e) - at, to (location/time)
에서 (eseo) - from, at (place of action)
으로/로 (euro/ro) - to, toward (direction)
와/과 (wa/gwa) - and (with nouns)
에게 (ege) - to (a person)
Colors
빨간색 (ppalgan saek) - red
파란색 (paran saek) - blue
노란색 (noran saek) - yellow
초록색 (chorok saek) - green
검은색 (geomeun saek) - black
하얀색 (hayan saek) - white
Numbers
일 (il) - one
이 (i) - two
삼 (sam) - three
사 (sa) - four
오 (o) - five
육 (yuk) - six
칠 (chil) - seven
팔 (pal) - eight
구 (gu) - nine
십 (sip) - ten
