TOPIK is the most popular Korean language proficiency test in the world. For those of you who don’t know much about the TOPIK Korean exam, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll provide you with tons of relevant and practical information about the test. If you’ve already decided to take the exam, you should stick around too. We’re going to give you lots of tips on how to get a high score on the TOPIK, and provide you with many free Korean study materials.

Table of Contents

1. Korean Proficiency Tests
2. Let’s Learn More About TOPIK
3. A Look Inside the TOPIK Korean Test
4. Tips for Your TOPIK Exam Practice
5. Get Ready for TOPIK with KoreanClass101

1. Korean Proficiency Tests 

Let’s take a look at what Korean proficiency tests are available to Korean-learners. In Korea, there are two kinds of Korean language tests, which are: TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) and KLPT (Korean Language Proficiency Test). We’re going to focus only on TOPIK in this article, but it’s important to compare these two tests so you know which one is better-suited for you.

1) TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) 

• TOPIK stands for “Test of Proficiency in Korean“
• The Korean Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation 9KICE conducts these tests 
• The test is evaluated in five main categories, which are:
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar
  • Writing
  • Listening
  • Reading
• TOPIK offers two different tests, which are:
  • S-TOPIK (Standard Korean)
  • B-TOPIK (Business Korean) 
• TOPIK testing takes place twice per year (in April and September)

2) KLPT (Korean Language Proficiency Test)

• The Korean Language Society conducts these tests 
• The test is evaluated in five categories, which are:
  • Listening 
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar
  • Reading
  • Conversation 
• KLPT offers two different tests, which are:
  • KLPT
  • B-KLPT (Beginners’ KLPT) 

2. Let’s Learn More About TOPIK

Foreigners may take TOPIK tests for various reasons. If you’re planning to stay in Korea for an extended period of time, you should consider obtaining the highest TOPIK level. There are two levels for TOPIK: TOPIK I (the basic level test) and TOPIK II (the combination of intermediate and advanced levels). The evaluation is based on the total number of points earned.

1) What Can You Do with Your TOPIK Scores?

Test-takers register for the TOPIK exam for various reasons:

• To enter a Korean university as a foreigner
• To obtain a work visa for a company in Korea
• To obtain a marriage-based immigrant visa
• To apply for permanent residency

As you can see, one’s TOPIK results can have many practical benefits and uses! 

2) TOPIK Levels & Their Passing Scores

TOPIK I has two levels, which are Level 1 and Level 2. In order to pass Level 1, you need to attain 80 points; for Level 2, you need to attain 140 points. 

As for TOPIK II, there are four levels: Level 3, Level 4, Level 5, and Level 6. The passing marks are 120 points, 150 points, 190 points, and 230 points, respectively.

3) What Does the Exam Structure Look Like?

	Section	Duration	Questions	Marks	Session
TOPIK I (Levels 1-2)	Listening	40 min	30	100	1st session
	Reading	60 min	40	100
TOPIK II(Levels 3-6)	Listening	60 min	50	100	1st session
	Writing	50 min	4	100
	Reading	70 min	50	100	2nd session

4) How to Register for the TOPIK Test

If you reside in Korea, you can register for the test online through the official TOPIK website. The registration fee costs 35,000 KRW for TOPIK I (Levels 1 and 2) and 40,000 KRW for TOPIK II (Levels 3-6). You can pay with your debit or credit card, through online banking, or using a direct bank transfer.

If you’re from another country, you can register for the test at the Korean embassies or Korean culture centers. For registration, you’ll be required to bring two passport-size photographs and the registration fee. Note that the fee varies from country to country, so it’s important to research in advance.

3. A Look Inside the TOPIK Korean Test

Now that you know how to register, what the TOPIK tests you on, and other essential information, let’s go over what you can expect from each portion of the test.  

1- Introduction to the TOPIK Listening Section 

What is the TOPIK listening section like, and how can you score higher marks here?

1. What Type of Tasks?

These are some sample questions that you can expect to see in the TOPIK listening test. 

Listen to the audio and choose the appropriate picture (2 points) Listen to the dialogue and choose what the speaker (e.g. woman) is going to do next (2 points) Listen to the audio and choose the appropriate topic (2 points)  Choose the answer that matches with the content of the dialogue (2 points)

2. Tip for a Higher Score

Read the Question and Answers First

As soon as you open the test book, read through the questions and answers. This way, you’ll have a sense of what kind of audio will be played, and if you understand the questions and answers, it will be easier for you to spot the correct answer right away. While the audio is being played, you won’t have enough time to think and go through each answer.

3. Questions from the Past TOPIK Exams

Here are some example questions from past TOPIK exams so you can get a good idea of what to expect. 

1. TOPIK 60 I – listening exercise

2. TOPIK 60 II – listening exercise

3. TOPIK 60 I – listening exercise

4. TOPIK 60 II – listening exercise

Want to have fun while practicing your listening? Check out these pages on KoreanClass101.com:

• How to Improve Your Listening Skills
• Listening Comprehension for Absolute Beginners
• Listening Comprehension for Beginners
• Listening Comprehension for Intermediate Learners
• Listening Comprehension for Advanced Learners

2- Introduction to the TOPIK Reading Section

Now, let’s take a look at the TOPIK reading section and how you can ace this portion of the test. 

1. What Type of Tasks?

These are some sample questions that you can expect to see in the TOPIK reading test. 

Read the sentence and choose the topic (2 points) Read the sentences and choose the appropriate word that goes inside the () (2 points) Read the information (e.g. pamphlet) and choose the information that is not correct (3 points) Read the sentence and choose the answer that matches with the topic (3 points) Read the paragraph and choose the appropriate word that goes inside the () (2~3 points) Read 4 sentences and choose the answer that is chronologically arranged (2~3 points)

2. Tip for a Higher Score

Try to Make Sense out of the Words You Know 

If you struggle to understand Korean phrases, it’s normal to feel stressed. But don’t let your stress take over. If the section you’re reading is too long and you can’t understand what’s written, just look for words you do understand and try to make sense out of them. Don’t forget to read the questions and multiple choices so that when you’re reading, you can remind yourself about what information to look for.

3. Questions from the Past TOPIK Exams

1) TOPIK 60

무엇에 대한 이야기입니까? <보기>와 같이 알맞은 것을 고르십시오. (각 2점)
mueose daehan iyagiimnikka? wa gachi almajeun geoseul goreusipsio. (gak 2jeom)
“What is the topic about? Select the answer that appropriately describes . (2 points per question)”

바람이 붑니다. 시원합니다. barami bumnida. Siwonhamnida. “The wind is blowing. It is cool.” ① 과일 ② 사람 ③ 날씨 ④ 얼굴 ① gwail ② saram ③ nalssi ④ eolgul ① “fruit” ② “human” ③ “weather” ④ “face”

저는 일본에서 왔습니다. 친구는 미국에서 왔습니다. jeoneun ilboneseo watseumnida. chinguneun migugeseo watseumnida. “I come from Japan. My friend comes from America.” ① 음식 ② 나라 ③ 요일 ④ 선물 ① eumsik ② nara ③ yoil ④ seonmul ① “food” ② “country” ③ “day” ④ “gift”

2) TOPIK 47

다음의 내용과 같은 것을 고르십시오.
daeumui naeyonggwa gateun geoseul goreusipsio.
“Select the answer that has the same context as the sentences.”

저는 오늘 이사를 했습니다. 친구가 도와줘서 이사가 금방 끝났습니다. jeoneun oneul isareul haetseumnida. chinguga dowajwoseo isaga geumbang kkeunnatseumnida. “I moved in today. I could finish the moving-in quickly because a friend helped me out.” 새집에서 친구와 저녁을 먹었습니다. saejibeseo chinguwa jeonyeogeul meogeotseumnida. “I had dinner with a friend at a new house.”

① 친구가 이사를 했습니다. 
① chinguga isareul haetseumnida.
① “A friend moved in.”

② 제가 친구를 도와줬습니다. 
② jega chingureul dowajwotseumnida.
② “I helped a friend moving.”

③ 지난주에 이사를 했습니다. 
③ jinanjue isareul haetseumnida.
③ “I moved to a new place last week.”

④ 이사한 집에서 식사를 했습니다.
④ isahan jibeseo siksareul haetseumnida.
④ “I ate some dishes at a new house.”

3) TOPIK 37

다음을 읽고 물음에 답하십시오.
daeumeul ilgo mureume dapasipsio.
“Read the passage below and answer the questions.”

저는 자기 전에 하루를 정리하면서 메모를 합니다. jeoneun jagi jeone harureul jeongnihamyeonseo memoreul hamnida. “I summarize what I did each day by writing them down in a note.” 먼저 오늘 일어난 일 중에서 잘 한 일 세 가지를 씁니다. meonjeo oneul ireonan il jungeseo jal han il se gajireul sseumnida. “Firstly, I write down three things that I did well.”  그렇게 하면 힘든 하루를 조금 잊을수 있습니다. geureoke hamyeon himdeun harureul jogeum ijeulsu itseumnida. “If I do so, I can forget about the hard times of the day.” 그 다음에는 내일 할 일을 ( ㉠ ). 그러면 중요한 일을 잊어버리지 않아서 좋습니다. geu daeumeneun naeil hal ireul ( ㉠ ). geureomyeon jungyohan ireul ijeobeoriji anaseo joseumnida. “Next, I would (㉠) for things to do tomorrow. If I do this, I won’t forget about the important things, so it’s good.”  이렇게 메모를 하면 생각만 할 때보다 하루 하루를 훨씬 더 잘 정리할 수 있습니다. ireoke memoreul hamyeon saenggangman hal ttaeboda haru harureul hwolssin deo jal jeongnihal su itseumnida. “If you take notes like this, you can organize your day much better than you think.”

Q. ㉠에 들어갈 알맞은 말을 고르십시오.(2점)
Q. ㉠e deureogal almajeun mareul goreusipsio.(2jeom)
Q. Please choose the appropriate answer for ㉠. (2 points)

① 적어 봅니다
① jeogeo bomnida
① “write down”

② 적게 됩니다
② jeokge doemnida
② “being written down”

③ 적을까 합니다
③ jeogeulkka hamnida
③ “maybe write down”

④ 적을 것 같습니다
④ jeogeul geot gatseumnida
④ “might write down”

Q. 이 글의 내용과 같은 것을 고르십시오.(3점)
Q. i geurui naeyonggwa gateun geoseul goreusipsio.(3jeom)
Q. Choose the answer that has the same meaning as the written context. (3 points)

① 하루의 잘못한 일을 써서 정리합니다.
① haruui jalmothan ireul sseoseo jeongnihamnida.
① “Summarize things that the author did wrong.”

② 아침에 일어나서 오늘 할 일을 씁니다.
② achime ireonaseo oneul hal ireul sseumnida.
② “Write down things to do for the day in the morning.”

③ 잊어버린 일들은 자기 전에 메모합니다.
③ ijeobeorin ildeureun jagi jeone memohamnida.
③ “Write down things that the author forgot in a note.”

④ 메모를 하면서 하루의 일을 생각합니다.
④ memoreul hamyeonseo haruui ireul saenggakamnida.
④ “The author thinks about the day as he/she takes notes.”

It’s important to practice reading tests from the official TOPIK website. That way, you can get your hands on real tests and get a good idea of what the TOPIK reading section will be like. 

However, it’s also important to have fun while practicing your Korean skills. For a fun learning experience, why not check out the pages below? These are great for practicing your reading!

• Extensive Reading in Korean for Absolute Beginners
• Extensive Reading in Korean for Beginners
• Extensive Reading in Korean for Intermediate Learners
• How to Practice Reading

3- Introduction to the TOPIK Writing Section

Let’s take a look at the TOPIK writing section now. 

1. What Type of Tasks?

These are some sample questions that you can expect to see in the TOPIK writing test.

Listen to the conversation and choose the appropriate answer from the multiple choices (3~4 points) Listen to the conversation and choose the location of the two speakers (3~4 points) Listen to the conversation and choose the topic of the conversation (3~4 points) Listen to the conversation and choose the right picture (4 points) Listen and choose the answer that describes the situation (3 points)

2. Tips for a Higher Score

Read the Question Carefully

Before you do anything, make sure you know exactly what they expect you to write. Without understanding the question, you’ll end up writing answers that don’t relate to the question.

Think About What You Want to Say Before Writing 

When you begin composing your written answer, make sure that you outline your thoughts and ideas first, and only write about things you know and are familiar with.

Cross-Check Your Answer with the Question

Before moving forward, make sure that the answer you wrote matches up with the question, and that you’ve answered all of the questions.

3. Questions from the Past TOPIK Exams

1) TOPIK 26 

여러분은 “어디에서 살고 싶습니까? 왜 그곳에서 살고 싶습니까?” 그곳에 살면서 무엇을 하고 싶습니까? 여러분이 살고 싶은 곳에 대해서 쓰십시오. yeoreobuneun “eodieseo salgo sipseumnikka? wae geugoseseo salgo sipseumnikka?” geugose salmyeonseo mueoseul hago sipseumnikka? yeoreobuni salgo sipeun gose daehaeseo sseusipsio. “Where do you want to live? Why do you want to live in that place? What do you want to do while living there? Write about the place you want to live.”

2) TOPIK 29

여러분은 ¹토요일, 일요일에 보통 무엇을 합니까? ²어디에서 합니까? “누구하고 같이 합니까?” 여러분의 주말 이야기를 쓰십시오. yeoreobuneun ¹toyoil, illyoire botong mueoseul hamnikka? ²eodieseo hamnikka? “nuguhago gachi hamnikka?” yeoreobunui jumal iyagireul sseusipsio. “What do you normally do on Saturdays and Sundays? Where do you do it? With whom? Write down stories about your weekends.”

3) TOPIK 31

여러분은 ¹봄, 여름, 가을, 겨울 중 어느 계절을 좋아합니까? “그 계절은 어떻습니까?” 그 계절에는 보통 어디에 갑니까? *거기에서 무엇을 합니까? 여러분이 좋아하는 계절과 그 계절에 가는 곳에 대해 쓰십시오. yeoreobuneun ¹bom, yeoreum, gaeul, gyeoul jung eoneu gyejeoreul joahamnikka? “geu gyejeoreun eotteoseumnikka?” geu gyejeoreneun botong eodie gamnikka? *geogieseo mueoseul hamnikka? yeoreobuni joahaneun gyejeolgwa geu gyejeore ganeun gose daehae sseusipsio. “Among spring, summer, fall, and winter, which season do you like the most? What do you think about the season? Do you go anywhere special during that season? Write about your favorite season and the places that you go to during the season.”

4) TOPIK 34 

여러분은 ¹함께 여행하고 싶은 사람이 누구입니까? “왜 그 사람과 여행하고 싶습니까?” 그 사람과 함께 여행을 가서 무엇을 하고 싶습니까? 여러분이 함께 여행하고 싶은 사람에 대해서 쓰십시오. yeoreobuneun ¹hamkke yeohaenghago sipeun sarami nuguimnikka? “wae geu saramgwa yeohaenghago sipseumnikka?” geu saramgwa hamkke yeohaengeul gaseo mueoseul hago sipseumnikka? yeoreobuni hamkke yeohaenghago sipeun sarame daehaeseo sseusipsio. “Who do you want to travel with? Why do you want to travel with that person? What do you want to do with that person during the trip? Write about your ideal trip with that person.”

In order to achieve a good score for the TOPIK writing section, it’s important to practice your reading and writing together. Check out the pages below to practice your writing skills. 

• How to Master Korean Speaking, Reading, Writing & Listening with One Tool!
• March 2017: How to Test and Train Your Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening
• The Easiest Way to Start Writing & Improve on Your Own

4- Wait… Is There a Speaking Section?

TOPIK does not test your speaking skills. However, if you want to practice your speaking skills, we recommend that you have a look at the pages below. 

• Master Beginner Korean with Native Dialogues.– Learn polite, conversational Korean 
• Daily Conversation: Lower-Intermediate Korean – Learn essential Korean grammar and vocabulary for a variety of situations
• Conversation Starters for Advanced Listeners – Study these lessons to create more-interesting conversations
• Speaking Perfect Korean at a Restaurant – Obliterate the language barrier between you and delicious Korean food
• Connecting with Korean-Speaking Family – Learn a little language to mesh with your Korean-speaking in-laws or relatives

How to Improve Your Speaking Skills – Learn Korean sentences on how to improve your speaking skills

4. Tips for Your TOPIK Exam Practice

1) Study at a Korean Language School

Studying at a Korean language school will certainly help you improve your Korean skills in no time. This is because you’ll be working on homework and assignments every day, and everyone you meet in the class will have the same goal as you: to be fluent in Korean. If you surround yourself with people who have similar goals, it will motivate you to study more, and you and your friends can help each other, too!

2) Don’t Know the Answer? Don’t Hesitate to Use the Cross Method

Most of the tests, depending on the TOPIK level you’re taking, are multiple choice. If you’re unsure of which answer to choose, try eliminating the answers you think are incorrect. In the end, you’re more likely to narrow down the correct answer.

3) Relax! 

The more you think about how much time is left, the more poorly you’ll do on the test. If you think that certain questions may take more time than the others, just set them aside and move onto the next question. You can always come back to them later.

4) Listen to Korean Dramas or Music in Your Spare Time

Studying only with books can be tiring and boring. Learning Korean should be fun, too. In your spare time, you can actually learn Korean by watching Korean dramas with subtitles or listening to Korean music to practice your listening skills. You can even challenge yourself by mimicking words or phrases you hear.

5. Get Ready for TOPIK with KoreanClass101

We hope you now have a better understanding of what to expect from the TOPIK test and how to increase your chances of getting a great score. Is there anything we didn’t cover here that you want to know about? Do you feel more prepared for the TOPIK? Let us know in the comments! 

KoreanClass101.com offers free lessons online, and our goal is to make sure that you achieve your goal. We want you to succeed in your language-learning, and we’re here to help. So why not register today and receive free online study materials? 

Remember that in order to score a high mark for the reading section, you need to know many Korean words and have a basic understanding of Korean grammar. Without knowing the various grammar structures, you won’t do very well in other sections, either.

Here’s another list of resources for you to advance your Korean skills:

Vocabulary

• Video Vocab Season 1 (27 videos) – You’ll learn useful Korean vocabulary based on a lot of different themes, such as food, body parts, weather, clothing, and much more.
• Culture Class: Essential Korean Vocabulary – This page has many insights about Korean culture. 
• List of English Words of Korean Origin (Wikipedia) – Here’s a great page if you want to check out another list of Korean words. 

You can also learn a new Korean word every day to keep your vocabulary skills sharp. Check out Korean Word of the Day for free subscription. 

Grammar

• Basic Korean Grammar – Learn some simple tricks to understand Korean grammar.
• Introduction to Korean Grammar – Whether you want to refresh your skills or learn new grammar structures, check out this page to practice basic Korean grammar. 
• Idioms and Phrases – Koreans use a lot of idioms and phrases that you don’t get to see in study books. Learn some commonly used idioms and phrases here. 
• Cheat Sheet to Mastering Korean – If you’re studying Korean on your own, you must check this out. It has twelve lessons and teaches you how to master Korean.

That’s it for now. We hope you get a high score on the TOPIK test. Good luck! 

1. Happy: 4 or more
2. Laughing: 1-2
3. Pointing or gesturing (like showing something off or teaching): 2-3
4. Sad: 1-2
5. Shocked (different levels, like mild to super shocked): 3
6. Angry: 2-3
7. Neutral: 2-3
8. Thinking (wondering) + (deciding) = 2
9. Holding a pen or a learning object: 1

Have you ever wanted to say something in Korean, but you just couldn’t express it because you struggled to structure sentences in your head? 

We feel you. 

In fact, every language-learner will experience this at some point. But don’t worry anymore; as long as you master these basic Korean sentence patterns, you’ll be able to express yourself much more easily and generate hundreds of natural sentences with ease and confidence.

Table of Contents

1. Linking Two Nouns: “A is B.”
2. Using Adjectives to Describe Nouns: “A is (Adjective)”
3. Various Korean Sentence Structures to Express “Want”
4. Various Sentence Patterns to Say You Like Something
5. Politely Asking Someone to Do Something
6. Asking for Permission
7. Asking for Information About Something with “What is…”
8. Asking About Location or Position: Where is …?
9. Asking About Time: When is …?
10. Study Korean with KoreanClass101.com

사과는 과일이에요. (Sagwaneun gwairieyo.) — “Apple is a fruit.” 

1. Linking Two Nouns: “A is B.” 

1. 사과는 과일이에요. (Sagwaneun gwairieyo.) — “Apple is a fruit.”

Rules: 1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant: (noun)은 (noun) 이에요. (iyeyo) 2. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a vowel:  (noun)은 (noun) 예요. (yeyo)

Examples:

• 이것은 레몬이에요. (Igeoseun remonieyo.) — “This is a lemon.” 
• 이 아이는 학생이에요. (I aineun haksaengieyo.) — “This person is a student.” 
• 존은 저의 친구예요. (Joneun jeoui chinguyeyo.) — “John is my friend.” 
• 유미는 저의 여자친구에요. (Yumineun jeoui yeojachingueyo.) — “Yumi is my girlfriend.”
• 이 분은 우리 어머니예요. (I buneun uri eomeoniyeyo.) — “This is my mother.”
• 내 친구는 택시 드라이버예요. (Nae chinguneun taeksi deuraibeoyeyo.) — “My friend is a taxi driver.”
• 이 시계는 우리 부모님이 주신 시계예요. (I sigyeneun uri bumonimi jusin sigyeyeyo.) — “My parents bought this watch.” 

2. 비빔밥은 한식이야. (Bibimbabeun hansigiya.) — “Bibimbap is a Korean food.” 

Rules: 1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant:  (noun)은 (noun) 이야.  2. When the last syllable of the noun word ends with a vowel: (noun)는 (noun) 이야.

Here’s a brief explanation of the Korean sentence rules above:

You want to say: “Alice is a person.” 

In Korean, “Alice” is written as 앨리스 (aelliseu) and “person” is 사람 (saram). 

The Korean sentence pattern for “A is B” is (noun)은 (noun) 이야. 

Let’s put each word inside the parentheses, making the full sentence: 앨리스는 사람이야 (Aelliseuneun saramiya).

Examples:

• 존은 나의 친구야.  (Joneun naui chinguya.) — “John is my friend.”
• 유미는 나의 여자친구야. (Yumineun naui yeojachinguya.) — “Yumi is my girlfriend.”
• 이 분은 우리 어머니야. (I buneun uri eomeoniya.) — “This is my mother.”
• 내 친구는 택시 드라이버야. (Nae chinguneun taeksi deuraibeoya.) — “My friend is a taxi driver.”
• 이 시계는 우리 부모님이 주신 시계야. (I sigyeneun uri bumonimi jusin sigyeya.) — “My parents bought this watch.” 

Check out the Basic Korean Grammar page on our website for more basic Korean sentence structure practice.

이 아이스크림 너무 맛있어요. “This ice cream tastes great.” 

2. Using Adjectives to Describe Nouns: “A is (Adjective)”

Rules: 1. If the vowel is not ㅏor ㅗ, add 어요 (eoyo): A은/는 Adjective어요. 2. If the vowel is ㅏor ㅗ, add 아요 (ayo): A은/는 Adjective아요.

Examples: 

• 이 요리는 맛있어요. (I yorineun masisseoyo.) — “This dish is delicious.” 
• 앨리스는 키가 커요. (Aelliseuneun kiga keoyo.) — “Alice is tall.” 
• 애드리언은 잘생어요.(Aedeurieoneun jalsaengeoyo.) — “Adrien is handsome.” 
• 광희는 재미있어요. (Gwanghuineun jaemiisseoyo.) — “Gwanghee is funny.” 
• 스마트폰은 빨라요. (Seumateuponeun ppallayo.) — “Smartphones are fast.” 
• 이 사람은 말이 많아요. (I sarameun mari manayo.) — “This person talks a lot.” 

Want to learn more adjectives? Check out “Which Adjective Describes Your Personality Best?” and “Most Common Adjectives” on our website! 

너무 많은것을 갖고 싶어요. “I want to have so many things!”

3. Various Korean Sentence Structures to Express “Want”

1. 인형을 갖고 싶어요. (Inhyeongeul gatgo sipeoyo.) — “I want to have a doll.”

When you want to have something, use this Korean sentence construction.

Rules:  1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant: (noun) 을 갖고 싶어요. (~eul gatgo sipeoyo.) 2. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a vowel: (noun) 를 갖고 싶어요. (~reul gatgo sipeoyo.)

Explanation: 

If you want to speak formally, end the sentence with 싶어요 (sipeoyo); if you want to speak informally, end the sentence with 싶어 (sipeo).

Examples: 

• 게임기를 갖고 싶어. (Geimgireul gatgo sipeo.) — “I want to have a game console.”
• 스마트폰을 갖고 싶어. (Seumateuponeul gatgo sipeo.) — “I want to have a smartphone.” 
• 컴퓨터를 갖고 싶어요. (Keompyuteoreul gatgo sipeoyo.) — “I want to have a computer.” 
• 한국 친구를 갖고 싶어요. (Hanguk chingureul gatgo sipeoyo.) — “I want to have Korean friends.” 

2. (이것을) 갖고 싶지 않아요. (igeoseul gatgo sipji anayo.) — “I don’t want to have this.”

When you don’t want to own something, or if you’re being forced to receive something from someone and want to express that you don’t want it, use this Korean sentence pattern.

Rules:  1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant: (noun) 을 갖고 싶지 않아요. (~eul gatgo sipeoyo.) 2. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a vowel: (noun) 를 갖고 싶지 않아요. (~reul gatgo sipeoyo.)

Examples: 

• 아이를 갖고 싶지 않아요. (Aireul gatgo sipji anayo.) — “I don’t want to have a baby.” 
• 이런것들은 갖고 싶지 않아요. (Ireongeotdeureun gatgo sipji anayo.) — “I don’t want to have these.”
• 이런 작은 물건은 갖고 싶지 않아요. (Ireon jageun mulgeoneun gatgo sipji anayo.) — “I don’t want to have small objects like these.” 

3. 콜라를 마시고 싶어요. (kollareul masigo sipeoyo.) — “I want to drink a Coke.” 

Use this pattern to say that you want to do something.

Rules: 1. (verb) 하고 싶어요.(~hago sipeoyo.) 2. (verb) 하고 싶습니다. (~hago sipseumnida.) – Used in business

Examples: 

• 맥주를 마시고 싶어. (Maekjureul masigo sipeo.) — “I want to drink a beer.”
• 커피 마시고 싶어. (Keopi masigo sipeo.) — “I want to drink a coffee.”
• 요리를 하고 싶어. (Yorireul hago sipeo.) — “I want to cook.”
• 어디론가 여행을 하고 싶어. (Eodironga yeohaengeul hago sipeo.) — “I want to travel somewhere.”
• 한국어를 공부하고 싶어. (Hangugeoreul gongbuhago sipeo.) — “I want to study Korean.”
• 프로젝트를 진행하고 싶습니다. (Peurojekteureul jinhaenghago sipseumnida.) — “I’d like to continue the project.” 

4. 운동하고 싶지 않아. (undonghago sipji ana.) — “I don’t want to exercise.” 

To express that you don’t want to do something, use this expression.

Rules: 1. (verb) 고 싶지 않아요. (~go sipji anayo.) — informal 2. (verb) 고 싶지 않습니다. (~go sipji anseumnida.) — formal

Examples: 

• 요리하고 싶지 않아요. (Yorihago sipji anayo.) — “I don’t want to cook.”
• 자고 싶지 않아요. (Jago sipji anayo.) — “I don’t want to sleep.”
• 공부하고 싶지 않아요. (Gongbuhago sipji anayo.) — “I don’t want to study.”
• 결혼하고 싶지 않아요. (Gyeolhonhago sipji anayo.) — “I don’t want to get married.”
• 법을 어기고 싶지 않아요. (Beobeul eogigo sipji anayo.) — “I don’t want to break the law.”

Check out “Learn How to Talk Out Issues/Problems and Explain Yourself” to practice Korean sentence patterns for expressing want.

“I like roses.”

4. Various Sentence Patterns to Say You Like Something

1. 장미를 좋아해요. (Jangmireul joahaeyo.) — “I like roses.”

When you want to express that you like something, you use this type of sentence in Korean.

Rules: 1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant: (noun)을 좋아해요. (~eul joahaeyo.) 2. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a vowel: (noun)를 좋아해요. (~reul joahaeyo.)

Examples: 

• 김밥을 좋아해요. (Gimbabeul joahaeyo.) — “I like gimbap.”
• 한식을 좋아해요. (Hansigeul joahaeyo.) — “I like Korean food.”
• 너를 좋아해. (Neoreul joahae.) — “I like you.”
• 김치를 좋아해. (Gimchireul joahae.) — “I like kimchi.”
• 식혜를 좋아해. (Sikyereul joahae.) — “I like sikhye.”

2. 요리하는것을 좋아해요. (Yorihaneungeoseul joahaeyo.) — “I like to cook.”

When you want to talk about activities that you like doing, you can use this expression.

Rules:  1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant: (noun)을 하는것을 좋아해요. 2. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a vowel: (noun)를 하는것을 좋아해요.

Examples:

• 사람들과 이야기를 하는것을 좋아해요. (Saramdeulgwa iyagireul haneungeoseul joahaeyo.) — “I like chatting with people.” 
• 강아지와 함께 산책하는것을 좋아해요yo. (Gangajiwa hamkke sanchaekaneungeoseul joahae.) — “I like taking my dog for a walk.”
• 홈스테이 어머니와 함께 한식을 만드는것을 좋아해. (Homseutei eomeoniwa hamkke hansigeul mandeuneungeoseul joahae.) — “I like making Korean dishes with my homestay mother.” 
• 친구와 함께 원데이클래스를 하는것을 좋아해. (Chinguwa hamkke wondeikeullaeseureul haneungeoseul joahae.) — “I like taking a one-day class with my friend.” 

Check out “Learn About Talking About Likes and Interests” on KoreanClass101.com to practice how to say “I like Kimchi” in Korean! 

5. Politely Asking Someone to Do Something

When you want to ask someone to do something for you, use this expression.

Rules: 1. ~해 주세요. (~hae juseyo.) — “Please do ~.” 2. ~해 주시겠어요? (~hae jusigesseoyo?) — “Can you please ~?” 3. 부탁 들어주세요. (Butak deureojuseyo.) — “Please do me a favor.”

Examples: 

• 한국어로 번역해 주세요. (Hangugeoro beonyeokae juseyo.) — “Can you translate this in Korean?”
• 러시아어로 통역해 주시겠어요? (Reosiaeoro tongyeokae jusigesseoyo?) — “Can you interpret in Russian?”
• 제 부탁 하나만 들어주실래요? (Je butak hanaman deureojusillaeyo?) — “Could you do me a favor?”
• 제가 어려운 부탁 하나만 드려도 될까요? (Jega eoryeoun butak hanaman deuryeodo doelkkayo?) — “Can I ask you a huge favor?”

Check out “Learn How to Use the Sentence Pattern “Could You Help…?” to practice more ways to ask someone for a favor. 

6. Asking for Permission

When you want to ask for permission from another person or want to know if it’s okay to do something, use this expression.

-아도 돼요? (~ado dwaeyo?) -어도 돼요? (~eodo dwaeyo?)

Explanation: 

The easiest way to construct this sentence is to combine your desired action and permission phrase together. 

Let’s say that you want to go to the toilet and ask the teacher for permission.Your desired action is “to go to the toilet,” which is 화장실에 가요 (hwajangsire gayo). The phrase for asking someone for permission is 그래도 돼요? (Geuraedo dwaeyo?), meaning “Is it okay to do it?” By combining the two phrases, it becomes: 화장실에 가도 돼요? (Hwajangsire gado dwaeyo?). 

Let’s take a look at different examples. 

1) 집에 가요. + 그래도 돼요?
= 집에 가도 돼요?

2) 먹어요 + 그래도 돼요? 
= 먹어도 돼요?

Examples: 

• 이 사진 봐도 돼요? (I sajin bwado dwaeyo?) — “Can I have a look at this picture?”
• 오늘도 와도 돼요? (Oneuldo wado dwaeyo?) — “Can I come tomorrow, too?”

Want to practice asking people politely for permission? Check out these two pages from our website! 

• “Learn How to Ask for Permission or Ask if it is Okay to Do or Not Do Something“
• “Learn How to Use the Sentence Pattern “May I…?”

What is this called in Korean? 

7. Asking for Information About Something with “What is…” 

Here are some important Korean sentences to know if you need information about something.

1. 이것은 뭐예요? (Igeoseun mwoyeyo?) — “What is this?” [formal]

When you want to formally ask someone, such as a friend, about something you don’t know, you can use this expression.

Rules:  1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant: (noun)은 뭐예요? (~eun mwoyeyo?) 2. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a vowel: (noun)는 뭐예요? (~neun mwoyeyo?)

Examples: 

• 이물건은 뭐예요? (Imulgeoneun mwoyeyo?) — “What is this object for?”
• 저것은 뭐예요? (Jeogeoseun mwoyeyo?) — “What is this?”
• 이 물건은 뭐예요? (I mulgeoneun mwoyeyo?) — “What is this stuff?”
• 이름이 뭐예요? (Ireumi mwoyeyo?) — “What’s your name?”
• 이메일 주소는 뭐예요? (Imeil jusoneun mwoyeyo?) — “What’s your email address?” 

2. 어제 숙제는 뭐였죠? (Eoje sukjeneun mwoyeotjyo?) — “What was the homework from yesterday?” [formal]

When you want to politely ask someone, such as a teacher or older sibling, about something you don’t know, or if you need to ask someone to recall an event, you can use this expression.

Rules: 1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant: (noun)은 뭐였죠? (~eun mwoyeotjyo?) 2. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a vowel: (noun)는 뭐였죠? (~neun mwoyeotjyo?)

Examples:

• 어제 같이 먹었던 음식 이름은 뭐였죠? (Eoje gachi meogeotdeon eumsik ireumeun mwoyeotjyo?) — “What was the name of the food we had yesterday?”
• 어제 같이 봤던 영화 이름은 뭐였죠? (Eoje gachi bwatdeon yeonghwa ireumeun mwoyeotjyo?) — “What was the name of the film we watched yesterday?”
• 어제의 뉴스에 나왔던 사고는 뭐였죠? (Eojeui nyuseue nawatdeon sagoneun mwoyeotjyo?) — “What was the news from yesterday all about?”

3.이거는 뭐야? (Igeoneun mwoya?) — “What is this?” [informal]

When you want to informally ask someone, such as a friend, about something you don’t know, you can use this expression.

Rules: 1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant: (noun)은 뭐야? (~eun mwoya?) 2. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a vowel: (noun)는 뭐야? (~neun mwoya?)

Examples:

• 저건 뭐야? (Jeogeon mwoya?) — “What is that?”
• 이 물건은 뭐야? (I mulgeoneun mwoya?) — “What is this stuff for?”
  = 이 물건은 뭐에 쓰는 물건이야?
• 이름이 뭐야? (Ireumi mwoya?) — “What’s your name?” 
• 이단어 뜻이 뭐야? (Idaneo tteusi mwoya?) — “What is the meaning of this word?” 

Where is Sheung Wan station?

8. Asking About Location or Position: Where is …?

1. 화장실은 어디예요? (Hwajangsireun eodiyeyo?) — “Where is the bathroom?” [formal]

When you want to politely ask someone about locations, you can use this Korean phrase.

Rules:  1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant: (noun)은 어디예요? (~eun eodiyeyo?) 2. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a vowel: (noun)는 어디예요? (~neun eodiyeyo?)

Examples:

• 엘리베이터는 어디예요? (Ellibeiteoneun eodiyeyo?) — “Where is the elevator?”
• 고향은 어디예요? (Gohyangeun eodiyeyo?) — “Where is your hometown?”
• 고속터미널역은 어디예요? (Gosokteomineollyeogeun eodiyeyo?) — “Where is the express bus terminal?”
• 강남역 2번출구는 어디예요? (Gangnamyeok 2beonchulguneun eodiyeyo?) — “Where is the Exit 2 of Gangnam Station?” 
• 예술의전당은 어디예요? (Yesuruijeondangeun eodiyeyo?) — “Where is the zoo?”

2. 교실은 어디야? (Gyosireun eodiya?) — “Where is the class?”

When you want to casually ask someone about locations, you use this phrase.

Rules:  1. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a consonant: (noun)은 어디야? (~eun eodiya?) 2. When the last syllable of the noun ends with a vowel: (noun)는 어디야? (~neun eodiya?)

Examples:

• 화장실은 어디야? (Hwajangsireun eodiya?) — “Where is the bathroom?”
• 에스컬레이터는 어디야? (Eseukeolleiteoneun eodiya?) — “Where is the elevator?”
• 서초역 1번 출구는 어디야? (Seochoyeok ilbeon chulguneun eodiya?) — “Where is the Exit 1 of Seocho Station?”
• 이수역 2번출구는 어디야? (Isu ibeonchulguneun eodiya?) — “Where is Exit 2 of Isu Station?”

Check out “Learn About Gyeongbok Palace” to learn how to say “Where am I?” in Korean! 

Timetable of flights

9. Asking About Time: When is …?

When you want to ask the time or the date/day of a specific event, you can use this phrase.

Rules: 1. 언제야? (eonjeya?) — “When is…?” [casual] 2. 언제예요? (eonjeyeyo?) — “When is …?”  [casual formal] 3. 언제입니까? (eun/neun eonjeimnikka?) — “When is …?” [formal]

Examples:

• 생일은 언제야? (Saengireun eonjeya?) — “When is your birthday?”
• 미팅은 언제예요? (Mitingeun eonjeyeyo?) — “When is the meeting?”
• 비행기 도착시간은 언제입니까? (Bihaenggi dochaksiganeun eonjeimnikka?) — “When is the arrival time of the plane?”
• 미팅은 언제부터 시작입니까? (Mitingeun eonjebuteo sijagimnikka?) — “When does the meeting start?” 

10. Study Korean with KoreanClass101.com

Learning a new language takes time, and KoreanClass101.com will be here for you from start to finish. We provide free vocabulary lists and lessons for Korean learners, and there are many Korean native speakers eager to help you improve your Korean language skills. 

We hope that you found this article on beginner Korean sentences very useful. Come back anytime you need to study Korean sentence patterns, and feel free to reach out in the comments section with any questions. 

Good luck!

According to YourDictionary, an adverb is a part of speech that describes either a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. They can also add description to phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Now, let’s see if you can spot an adverb in a sentence: 

오후 내내 자고 싶어요.
Ohu naenae jago sipeoyo.
“I want to sleep all afternoon.”

Were you able to spot the adverb? In that sentence, 내내 (naenae), which means “all through,” is the Korean adverb. If you couldn’t find it this time, don’t worry. Today, we’ll teach you how to make Korean adverbs three different ways, and show you a list of 100 frequently used Korean adverbs. 

By the end of the article, you’ll be able to: 

• Detect Korean adverbs in sentences 
• Know Korean adverb rules and how to construct each rule 
• Study and learn 100 Korean adverbs and know when to use them

Table of Contents

1. Three Korean Adverb Rules That You Need to Know
2. List of -이 (-i) Adverbs
3. List of -게 (-ge) Conjugations
4. List of -으로 (-euro) Adverbs
5. List of Other Korean Adverbs
6. List of Frequency Adverbs in Korean
7. List of Korean Adverbs of Place
8. How KoreanClass101 Can Help You with Your Korean Studies

1. Three Korean Adverb Rules That You Need to Know

Now, let’s have a look at three different ways to make adverbs in Korean. 

1. -이 Adverbs

• Rule: 
  • 하 (ha) in 하다 (hada) verbs becomes 히 (hi)

Examples:

Dictionary Form	Romanization	Adverb Form	Romanization
1) 신중하다	sinjunghada	신중히	sinjunghi
2) 편하다	pyeonhada	편히	pyeonhi

Let’s break it down.

Example 1: 

The verb 신중하다 (sinjunghada) becomes 신중히 (sinjunghi).

• Step 1: Remove 하다 (hada) and replace it with 히 (hi).

Therefore, the meaning becomes “carefully” from the verb meaning “to be careful.”

Example 2: 

The verb 편하다 (pyeonhada) becomes 편히 (pyeonhi).

• Step 1: Remove 하다 (hada) and replace it with 히 (hi).

Therefore, the meaning becomes “comfortably” from the verb meaning “to be comfortable.”

2. -게 Conjugations

 -게 adverbs are those that form from adjectives. 

• Rule: 
  • Replace 다 (da) of the word stem with 게 (ge). 

Examples:

Dictionary Form	Romanization	Adverb Form	Romanization
1) 빠르다	ppareuda	빠르게	ppareuge
2) 느리다	neurida	느리게	neurige

Here’s how you create adverbs from adjectives in the dictionary form.

Example 1: 

The adjective 빠르다 (ppareuda) becomes 빠르게 (ppareuge).

• Step 1: Remove 다 (da) and replace it with 게 (ge).

Therefore, the meaning becomes “quickly” from the dictionary form “quick.”

Example 2: 

The adjective 느리다 (neurida) becomes 느리게 (neurige).

• Step 1: Remove 다 (da) and replace it with 게 (ge).

Therefore, the meaning becomes “slowly” from the dictionary form “slow.”

3. -으로 Adverbs 

으로 (euro) means “in some way.” Actually, it’s a postposition, not an adverb, but it becomes an adverb when you translate Korean into English. Most of the stems for 으로 (euro) adverbs use this suffix.

Dictionary Form	Romanization	Adverb Form	Romanization
1) 본능적	bonneungjeok	본능적으로	bonneungjeogeuro
2) 이성적	iseongjeok	이성적으로	iseongjeogeuro

Here’s how you conjugate the dictionary form to the adverb form.

Example 1: 

The adjective 본능적 (bonneungjeok) becomes 본능적으로 (bonneungjeogeuro).

• Step 1: Add  으로 (euro) after 본능적 (bonneungjeok).

Therefore, the meaning becomes “instinctive” from “instinctual.”

Example 2: 

The adjective 이성적 (iseongjeok) becomes 이성적으로 (iseongjeogeuro).

• Step 1: Add  으로 (euro) after 이성적 (iseongjeok).

Therefore, the meaning becomes “rationally” from “rational.”

2. List of -이 (-i) Adverbs 

To start our Korean adverbs list, let’s take a look at -이 (-i) adverbs. 

1. 대단히 (daedanhi), “greatly” 

Dictionary Form: 

• 대단하다 (daedanhada), “to be great”

Example:

• 오늘 대단히 즐거웠어요.
  Oneul daedanhi jeulgeowosseoyo.
  “I greatly enjoyed our time today.”

2. 분명히 (bunmyeonghi), “clearly”

Dictionary Form: 

• 분명하다 (bunmyeonghada), “to be clear”

Example:

• 내 눈으로 분명히 봤다니깐?
  Nae nuneuro bunmyeonghi bwatdanikkan?
  “I saw it clearly with my own eyes!”

3. 솔직히 (soljikhi), “honestly, frankly” 

Dictionary Form: 

• 솔직하다 (soljikada), “to be frank / honest / open” 

Example:

• 묻는 말에 솔직히 대답해 주세요.
  Munneun mare soljiki daedapae juseyo.
  “Please answer me honestly.”

4. 순순히 (sunsunhi), “passively”

Dictionary Form: 

• 순순하다 (sunsunhada), “to be passive / obedient”

Example:

• 어제 그 범인은 범행 사실을 순순히 자백했다.
  Eoje geu beomineun beomhaeng sasireul sunsunhi jabaekaetda.
  “The suspect passively owned up to his crime yesterday.”

5. 열심히 (yeolsimhi), “zealously”

Dictionary Form: 

• 열심 (yeolsim), “enthusiasm”

Example:

• 제니는 오전 내내 열심히 일했다.
  Jenineun ojeon naenae yeolsimhi ilhaetda.
  “Jennie worked diligently (zealously) all morning.”

6. 완전히 (wanjeonhi), “completely”

Dictionary Form: 

• 완전하다 (wanjeonhada), “to be complete”

Example:

• 지난 레슨을 완전히 마스터 하기 위해 복습하세요.
  Jinan reseuneul wanjeonhi maseuteo hagi wihae boksseupaseyo.
  “Review old lessons to master them completely.”

7. 우연히 (uyeonhi), “by chance”

Dictionary Form: 

• 우연하다 (uyeonhada), “to be accidental”

Example:

• 우연히 전 남자친구를 만났다.
  Uyeonhi jeon namjachingureul mannatda.
  “I accidentally ran into my ex-boyfriend.”

8. 자세히 (jasehi), “in detail”

Dictionary Form: 

• 자세하다 (jasehada), “to be detailed”

Example:

• 좀 더 자세히 말씀해 주시겠어요?
  Jom deo jasehi malsseumhae jusigesseoyo?
  “Could you explain to me in detail?”

9. 천천히 (cheoncheonhi), “slowly”

Dictionary Form: 

There is no dictionary form for this word. 

Example:

• 처음에는 대사를 천천히 읽으세요. 
  Cheoeumeneun daesareul cheoncheonhi ilgeuseyo. 
  “Read the lines slowly at first.”

10. 특별히 (teukbyeolhi), “especially”

Dictionary Form: 

• 특별하다 (teukbyeolhada), “to be special”

Example:

• 특별히 찾는 것이 있으십니까?
  Teukbyeolhi channeun geosi isseusimnikka?
  “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“Are you looking for anything in particular?”

11. 확실히 (hwaksilhi), “certainly” 

Dictionary Form: 

• 확실하다 (hwaksilhada), “to be certain” 

Example:

• 영어는 확실히 어려운것 같아.
  Yeongeoneun hwaksilhi eoryeoungeot gata.
  “I think that English certainly is a hard language.”

12. 간단히 (gandanhi), “simply”

Dictionary Form: 

• 간단하다 (gandanhada), “to be simple”

Example:

• 그 문제는 간단히 풀 수 있어.
  Geu munjeneun gandanhi pul su isseo.
  “The problem can be solved easily.”

13. 끝없이 (kkeuteopsi), “endlessly”

Dictionary Form: 

• 끝없다 (kkeuteopda), “endless”

Example:

• 장미꽃이 끝없이 펼쳐져 있었다.
  Jangmikkochi kkeuteopsi pyeolchyeojyeo isseotda.
  “The rose field extended endlessly.”

14. 꼼꼼히 (kkomkkomhi), “carefully”

Dictionary Form: 

• 꼼꼼하다 (kkomkkomhada), “to be careful” 

Example:

• 일을 꼼꼼히 했으면 해요.
  Ireul kkomkkomhi haesseumyeon haeyo.
  “I wish you’d work more carefully.”

15. 엄격히 (eomgyeoki), “strictly” 

Dictionary Form: 

• 엄격하다 (eomgyeokada), “to be strict” 

Example:

• 엄격히 말하면 자신을 통제할 필요가 있는것 같아.
  Eomgyeoki malhamyeon jasineul tongjehal pillyoga inneungeot gata.
  “Strictly speaking, I reckon you need to control yourself.”

16. 신중히 (sinjunghi), “cautiously”

Dictionary Form: 

• 신중하다 (sinjunghada), “to be cautious”

Example:

• 신중히 생각하고 결정해.
  Sinjunghi saenggakago gyeoljeonghae.
  “Think carefully before making a decision.”

17. 간신히 (gansinhi), “barely”

Example:

• 지금 간신히 먹고살 정도의 돈만 있어.
  Jigeum gansinhi meokgosal jeongdoui donman isseo.
  “I have barely enough money to live on.”

3. List of -게 (-ge) Conjugations

Now, let’s go through -게 (-ge) adverbs. 

18. 가볍게 (gabyeopge), “lightly”

Dictionary Form:

• 가볍다 (gabyeopda), “to be light”   

Example:

• 아빠가 딸의 볼에 가볍게 입을 맞추었어요.
  Appaga ttarui bore gabyeopge ibeul matchueosseoyo.
  “The father kissed his daughter lightly on her cheek.”

19. 나쁘게 (nappeuge), “badly”

Dictionary Form:

• 나쁘다 (nappeuda), “to be bad”

Example:

• 나를 나쁘게 생각하지 말아요.
  Nareul nappeuge saenggakaji marayo.
  “Don’t think badly of me.”

20. 늦게 (neutge), “late”

Dictionary Form:

• 늦다 (neutda), “to be late”     

Example:

• 미안, 내가 너무 늦게 전화했지?
  Mian, naega neomu neutge jeonhwahaetji?
  “I’m sorry. Am I calling too late?”

21. 맛있게 (masitge), “deliciously”

Dictionary Form:

• 맛있다 (masitda), “to be delicious”

Example:

• 오늘 친구들이랑 저녁을 맛있게 먹었어요.
  Oneul chingudeurirang jeonyeogeul masitge meogeosseoyo.
  “I ate dinner deliciously with my friends.”

22. 무례하게 (muryehage), “rudely”

Dictionary Form:

• 무례하다 (muryehada), “to be rude”

Example:

• 그 웨이터는 손님에게 무례하게 대했어요. 
  Geu weiteoneun sonnimege muryehage daehaesseoyo.
  “The waiter treated a guest rudely.”

23. 바쁘게 (bappeuge), “busily”

Dictionary Form:

• 바쁘다 (bappeuda), “to be busy”     

Example:

• 저희는 정말 바쁘게 살고 있어요.
  Jeohuineun jeongmal bappeuge salgo isseoyo.
  “We have a very busy life.”

24. 밝게 (balge), “brightly”

Dictionary Form:

• 밝다 (balda), “to be bright”

Example:

• 지수는 항상 밝게 웃는것 같아.
  Jisuneun hangsang balge unneungeot gata.
  “Jisoo always smiles brightly.”

25. 싸게 (ssage), “cheap [adv.]” 

Dictionary Form:

• 싸다 (ssada), “to be cheap”     

Example:

• 새 옷을 싸게 사고 싶어?
  Sae oseul ssage sago sipeo?
  “Do you want to buy new clothes cheap?”

26. 아름답게 (areumdapge), “beautifully”

Dictionary Form:

• 아름답다 (areumdapda), “to be beautiful”

Example:

• 에바는 아름답게 노래하는것 같아.
  Ebaneun areumdapge noraehaneungeot gata.
  “I think that Eva sings beautifully.”

27. 안전하게 (anjeonhage), “safely”

Dictionary Form:

• 안전하다 (anjeonhada), “to be safe”     

Example:

• 밤에는 위험하니까 안전하게 운전해.
  Bameneun wiheomhanikka anjeonhage unjeonhae.
  “It’s dangerous at night, so please drive safely.”

28. 어렵게 (eoryeopge), “with difficulty [adv.]” / “the hard way [adv.]” 

Dictionary Form:

• 어렵다 (eoryeopda), “to be difficult”   

Example:

• 저 사람은 회사에서 어렵게 지금의 위치에 올랐어.
  Jeo sarameun hoesaeseo eoryeopge jigeumui wichie ollasseo.
  “He achieved his position the hard way.”

29. 이쁘게 (ippeuge), “prettily”

Dictionary Form:

• 이쁘다 (ippeuge), “to be pretty”     

Example:

• 그 여자는 듣기 좋게 웃었다.
  geu yeojaneun deutgi joke useotda.
  “She laughed prettily.”

30. 용기있게 (yonggiitge), “courageously”

Dictionary Form:

• 용기있다 (yonggi itda), “to have courage”  

Example:

• 우리는 용감하게 싸울 것이다.
  Urineun yonggamhage ssaul geosida.
  “We shall combat them courageously.”

31. 위험하게 (wiheomhage), “dangerously”

Dictionary Form:

• 위험하다 (wiheomhada), “to be dangerous”   

Example:

• 앨리스는 위험한 생활을 즐긴다.
  Aelliseuneun wiheomhan saenghwareul jeulginda.
  “Alice enjoys living dangerously.”

32. 자연스럽게 (jayeonseureopge), “naturally”

Dictionary Form:

• 자연스럽다 (jayeonseureopda), “to be natural”     

Example:

• 그 사람이랑 대화할 때는 항상 웃고 자연스럽게 행동해.
  Geu saramirang daehwahal ttaeneun hangsang utgo jayeonseureopge haengdonghae.
  “Always smile and act naturally when you talk to him.”

33. 자유롭게 (jayuropge), “freely”

Dictionary Form:

• 자유롭다 (jayuropda), “to be free”     

Example:

• 각각의 의견을 자유롭게 이야기 하세요.
  Gakgagui uigyeoneul jayuropge iyagi haseyo.
  “Feel free to share your opinions freely.”

34. 재미있게 (jaemiitge), “entertainingly”

Dictionary Form:

• 재미있다 (jaemiitda), “to be fun”     

Example:

• 그 남자는 어린아이들이 재미있게 읽을수 있도록 쓰는데 재주가 있다.
  Geu namjaneun eorinaideuri jaemiitge ilgeulsu itdorok sseuneunde jaejuga itda.
  “The man has the gift of writing entertainingly for young children.”

35. 조용하게 (joyonghage), “quietly”

Dictionary Form:

• 조용하다 (joyonghada), “to be quiet”

Example:

• 야 민아, 조용하게 식사해줘.
  Ya mina, joyonghage siksahaejwo.
  “Hey Min, you should eat your food quietly.”

36. 즐겁게 (jeulgeopge), “pleasantly”

Dictionary Form:

• 즐겁다 (jeulgeopda), “to be pleasant”

Example:

• 옛날 이야기를 즐겁게 했어요.
  Yennal iyagireul jeulgeopge haesseoyo.
  “We talked pleasantly of old times.”

37. 크게 (keuge), “largely”

Dictionary Form:

• 크다 (keuda), “to be large”  

Example:

• 이번 문제는 크게 매니저에게 책임이 있다.
  Ibeon munjeneun keuge maenijeoege chaegimi itda.
  “The manager is largely responsible for the problem.”

38. 편리하게 (pyeollihagedo), “conveniently”

Dictionary Form:

• 편리하다 (pyeolihada), “to be convenient”   

Example:

• 우리 집은 편리하게 버스 정류장에서 가까워요.
  Uri jibeun pyeollihage beoseu jeongnyujangeseo gakkawoyo.
  “My house is conveniently near the bus stop.”

39. 편하게 (pyeonhage), “comfortably”

Dictionary Form:

• 편하다 (pyeonhada), “to be comfortable”

Example:

• 편하게 앉으세요. 
  Pyeonhage anjeuseyo.
  “Please sit comfortably.”

40. 행복하게 (haengbokage), “happily”

Dictionary Form:

• 행복하다 (haengbokada), “to be happy”

Example:

• 그 두사람은 행복하게 오래오래 살았대.
  Geu dusarameun haengbokage oraeorae saratdae.
  “They lived happily ever after.”

41. 드물게 (deumulge), “rarely”

Dictionary Form:

• 드물다 (deumulda), “to be rare”

Example:

• 이 야채는 비싸서 슈퍼마켓에서 드물게 보인다. 
  I yachaeneun bissaseo syupeomakeseseo deumulge boinda.
  “This vegetable is expensive, therefore it is rarely seen at a supermarket.”

42. 조심스럽게 (josimseureopge), “carefully” 

Dictionary Form:

• 조심스럽다 (josimseureopda), “to be cautious” 

Example:

• 이 문제를 조심스럽게 심사숙고해 보도록 해요.
  I munjereul josimseureopge simsasukgohae bodorok haeyo.
  “Let’s consider the subject carefully.”

43. 깨끗하게 (kkaekkeuthage), “cleanly”

Dictionary Form:

• 깨끗하다 (kkaekkeuthada), “to be clean”

Example:

• 방을 깨끗하게 청소했어요.
  Bangeul kkaekkeuthage cheongsohaesseoyo.
  “I cleaned my room cleanly.”

44. 멋지게 (meotjige), “beautifully” 

Dictionary Form:

• 멋지다 (meotjida), “to be beautiful” — Usually used to describe a man’s action 

Example:

• 그 남자는 오늘밤 정말 멋지게 춤췄어. 
  Geu namjaneun oneulbam jeongmal meotjige chumchwosseo.
  “He really danced beautifully tonight.”

45. 멀게 (meolge), “far” 

Dictionary Form:

• 멀다 (meolda), “to be far” 

Example:

• 난 그날이 멀게만 느껴지지 않아.
  Nan geunari meolgeman neukkyeojiji ana.
  “I feel like that day isn’t too far off.”

46. 빠르게 (ppareuge), “fast” 

Dictionary Form:

• 빠르다 (ppareuda), “to be fast” 

Example:

• 그것은 빠르게 움직여요.
  Geugeoseun pareuge umjitgyeoyo.
  “It moves fast.”

4. List of -으로 (-euro) Adverbs

Now, to continue our list of Korean adverbs, we’ll go through the -으로 (-euro) adverbs. 다 (gandanhada), “to be siNow, to continue our list of Korean adverbs, we’ll go through the -으로 (-euro) adverbs. 

47. 일반적으로 (ilbanjeogeuro), “generally”

Dictionary Form:

• 일반적 (ilbanjeok), “general”      

Example:

• 일반적으로 말하면…
  Ilbanjeogeuro malhamyeon…
  “Generally speaking …”

48. 자동으로 (jadongeuro), “automatically”

Dictionary Form:

• 자동적 (jadongjeok), “automatic”    

Example:

• 문이 자동으로 열립니다. 
  Muni jadongeuro yeollimnida.
  “The door will automatically open.”

49. 공식적으로 (gongsikjeogeuro), “formally”

Dictionary Form:

• 공식적 (gongsikjeok), “formal”  

Example:

• 공식적으로 사과하세요.
  gongsikjeogeuro sagwahaseyo.
  “I want you to apologize formally.”

50. 비공식적으로 (bigongsikjeogeuro), “informally”

Dictionary Form:  

• 비공식적 (bigongsik), “informally”

Example:

• 이 미팅은 비공식적으로 진행되었습니다. 
  I mitingeun bigongsikjeogeuro jinhaengdoeeotseumnida.
  “The meeting was held informally (unofficially) on Friday.”

51. 협동적으로 (hyeopdongjeogeuro), “cooperatively”

Dictionary Form:  

• 협동적 (hyeopdongjeok), “cooperative”    

Example:

• 두 팀은 협동적으로 이 프로젝트를 진행해 갔다.
  Du timeun hyeopdongjeogeuro i peurojekteureul jinhaenghae gatda.
  “These two teams cooperatively proceeded with the project.”

52. 주기적으로 (jugijeogeuro), “regularly”

Dictionary Form:  

• 주기적 (jugijeok), “periodic”

Example:

• 운동은 주기적으로 하는것이 좋아요. 
  Undongeun jugijeogeuro haneungeosi joayo.
  “It’s better to exercise regularly.”

53. 장기적으로 (janggijeogeuro), “in the long term”

Dictionary Form:  

• 장기적 (jangijeok), “long-term”    

Example:

• 장기적으로 보면, 주식에 투자하는 것도 좋을지도 몰라.
  Janggijeogeuro bomyeon, jusige tujahaneun geotdo joeuljido molla.
  “In the long view, it might be better to invest in stocks.”

54. 단기적으로 (dangijeogeuro), “in the short term”

Dictionary Form:  

• 단기적 (dangijeok), “short-term”

Example:

• 단기적으로는 세일즈 건수가 떨어질 수도 있어요.  
  Dangijeogeuroneun seiljeu geonsuga tteoreojil sudo isseoyo.
  “In the short run, the number of sales may decrease.”

55. 상식적으로 (sangsikjeogeuro), “using common sense”

Dictionary Form:  

• 상식적 (sangsikjeok), “common sense” 

Example:

• 그건 상식적으로 생각해도 이해가 안돼.
  geugeon sangsikjeogeuro saenggakaedo ihaega andwae.
  “From a common-sense point of view, that is incomprehensible.”

56. 사적으로 (sajeogeuro), “personally”

Dictionary Form:  

• 사적 (sajeok), “personal”  

Example:

• 그 사람을 사적으로 아세요?
  Geu sarameul sajeogeuro aseyo?
  “Do you know him personally?”

57. 적극적으로 (jeokgeukjeogeuro), “actively”

Dictionary Form:  

• 적극적 (jeokgeukjeok), “active”    

Example:

• 지난번 선거운동에 적극적으로 참여했었어요.
  Jinanbeon seongeoundonge jeokgeukjeogeuro chamyeohaesseosseoyo.
  “I was actively involved in the last campaign.”

58. 획기적으로 (hoekgijeogeuro), “innovatively”

Dictionary Form:  

• 획기적 (hoekgijeok), “innovative”    

Example:

• 사람들이 어떻게 이러한 문제들을 해결할 것인가에 관하여 혁신적으로 생각하기를 원해요.
  Saramdeuri eotteoke ireohan munjedeureul haegyeolhal geosingae gwanhayeo hyeoksinjeogeuro saenggakagireul wonhaeyo.
  “We want people to think innovatively about how they tackle these problems.”

59. 열정적으로 (yeoljeongjeogeuro), “enthusiastically”

Dictionary Form:  

• 열정적 (yeoljeongjeok), “enthusiastic” 

Example:

• 그 여자는 열광적으로 환호하였다.
  geu yeojaneun yeolgwangjeogeuro hwanhohayeotda.
  “She cheered enthusiastically.”

60. 극적으로 (geukjeogeuro), “dramatically”

Dictionary Form:  

• 극적 (geukjeok), “dramatic” 

Example:

• 두 사람은 극적으로 마주하게 되었네요.
  Du sarameun geukjeogeuro majuhage doeeonneyo.
  “They met again dramatically.”

61. 기적적으로 (gijeokjeogeuro), “miraculously”

Dictionary Form:  

• 기적적 (gijeokjeok), “miraculous”      

Example:

• 그는 기적적으로 살아 남았다.
  Geuneun gijeokjeogeuro sara namatda.
  “He miraculously survived.”

62. 전적으로 (jeonjeogeuro), “completely”

Dictionary Form:  

• 전적 (jeonjeok), “complete”  

Example:

• 전적으로 동의합니다.
  Jeonjeogeuro donguihamnida.
  “I completely agree.”

63. 상대적으로 (sangdaejeogeuro), “relatively”

Dictionary Form:

• 상대적 (sangdaejeok), “relative”     

Example:

• 상대적으로 좁은 온도 범위 안에서만 작동한다.
  Sangdaejeogeuro jobeun ondo beomwi aneseoman jakdonghanda.
  “It works in a relatively narrow range of temperatures.”

64. 구체적으로 (guchejeogeuro), “in detail” / “concretely”

Dictionary Form:

• 구체적 (guchejeok), “detailed”     

Example:

• 구체적으로 말하면
  Guchejeogeuro malhamyeon
  “to put it in detail”

65. 의도적으로 (uidojeogeuro), “intentionally”

Dictionary Form:

• 의도적 (uidojeok), “intentional” 

Example:

• 날 의도적으로 피하는 이유라도 있나요?
  Nal uidojeogeuro pihaneun iyurado innayo?
  “Why are you intentionally avoiding me?”

66. 기본적으로 (gibonjeogeuro), “fundamentally”

Dictionary Form:

• 기본적 (gibonjeok), “fundamental”     

Example:

• 기본적으로, 그 문제를 풀기위해서는 두 가지 서로 다른 방법이 있어요.
  Gibonjeogeuro, geu munjereul pulgiwihaeseoneun du gaji seoro dareun bangbeobi isseoyo.
  “Fundamentally, there are two different ways to solve the problem.”

67. 본능적으로 (jijeogeuro), “instinctively”

Dictionary Form:

• 본능적 (bonneungjeok), “instinctive”     

Example:

• 우리의 뇌는 세 가지 방법으로 작동한다. 지적으로, 본능적으로, 그리고 감정적으로.
  Uriui noeneun se gaji bangbeobeuro jakdonghanda. Jijeogeuro, bonneungjeogeuro, geurigo gamjeongjeogeuro.
  “Our brains operate in three ways: intellectually, instinctually, and emotionally.”

68. 수동으로 (sudongeuro), “manually”

Dictionary Form:

• 수동적 (sudongjeok), “manual”

Example:

• 사용자가 수동으로 프로그램을 제거해야 합니다.
  Sayongjaga sudongeuro peurogeuraemeul jegeohaeya hamnida.
  “Users must manually uninstall the agent.”

69. 고질적으로 (gojiljeogeuro), “chronically”

Dictionary Form:

• 고질적 (gojiljeok), “chronic”  

Example:

• 실업률이 여전히 고질적으로 높다.
  Sireomnyuri yeojeonhi gojiljeogeuro nopda.
  “Unemployment remains chronically high.”

70. 심리적으로 (simnijeogeuro), “psychologically”

Dictionary Form:

• 심리적 (simnijeok), “psychological” 

Example:

• 그 여자가 심리적으로 준비 된건지 몰랐어.
  Geu yeojaga simnijeogeuro junbi doengeonji mollasseo.
  “I don’t know that she’s psychologically ready.”

71. 질적으로 (jiljeogeuro), “qualitatively”

Dictionary Form:

• 질적 (jiljeok), “qualitative”  

Example:

• 이 물건은 질적으로 달라요.
  I mulgeoneun jiljeogeuro dallayo.
  “This product is qualitatively different.”

72. 신체적으로 (sinchejeogeuro), “physically”

Dictionary Form:

• 신체적 (sinchejeok), “physical”  

Example:

• 난 그 사람에게 신체적으로 매력을 못 느끼겠는데?
  Nan geu saramege sinchejeogeuro maeryeogeul mot neukkigenneunde?
  “I don’t find him physically attractive.”

73. 시험적으로 (jamjeongjeogeuro), “tentatively”

Dictionary Form:

• 시험적 (siheomjeok), “tentative”

Example:

• 시험적으로 표를 만들어 봤어.
  Siheomjeogeuro pyoreul mandeureo bwasseo.
  “I tentatively prepared a table.”

5. List of Other Korean Adverbs

Here’s a list of other common Korean adverbs that have no certain rules. It’s a good idea to memorize each of the adverbs below. 

74. 틀림없이 (teullimeopsi), “certainly” 

Example:

• 그 사람이 들으면 틀림없이 기뻐할 거야.
  Geu sarami deureumyeon teullimeopsi gippeohal kkeoya.
  “She’ll certainly be happy to hear that.”

75. 따로 (ttaro), “separately” 

Example:

• 신입 사원들은 따로 교육을 받아요.
  Sinip sawondeureun ttaro gyoyugeul badayo.
  “New employees are trained separately.”

76. 갑자기 (gapjagi), “suddenly” 

Example:

• 차가 갑자기 멈춰섰다.
  Chaga gapjagi meomchwoseotda.
  “The car suddenly stopped.”

77. 자꾸 (jakku), “continuously”

Example:

• 자꾸 니 생각이나.
  Jakku ni saenggagina.
  “You are continuously on my mind.”

78. 일부러 (ilbureo), “deliberately” 

Example:

• 나 화나게 하려고 일부러 그랬지.
  Na hwanage haryeogo ilbureo geuraetji.
  “You did that deliberately.”

79. 함부로 (hamburo), “carelessly”

Example:

• 넌 가끔 말을 너무 함부로 말하는것 같아.
  Neon gakkeum mareul neomu hamburo malhaneungeot gata.
  “You speak carelessly sometimes.”

80. 직접 (jikjeop), “in person” 

Example:

• 내가 그 사람을 직접 만나 볼께.
  Naega geu sarameul jikjeop manna bolkke.
  “I am going to meet him in person.”

81. 꼭 (kkok), “for sure” 

Example:

• 난 우리 강아지가가 꼭 돌아올 것이라고 믿어.
  Nan uri gangajigaga kkok doraol geosirago mideo.
  “I strongly believe that my dog will surely come back.”

82. 거의 (geoui), “almost” 

Example:

• 막차 시간이 거의 다 됐네.
  Makcha sigani geoui da dwaenne.
  “It’s almost time for the last train.”

83. 함께 (hamkke), “together” 

Example:

• 당신과 함께 늙고 싶어요.
  Dangsingwa hamkke neulkko sipeoyo.
  “I want to grow old together with you.”

84. 혼자 (honja), “alone” 

Example:

• 넌 혼자가 아니야.
  Neon honjaga aniya.
  “You are not alone.”

6. List of Frequency Adverbs in Korean

Now, let’s go through Korean frequency adverbs. 

85. 결코 (gyeolko), “never” 

Example: 

• 결코 못 잊을 거예요.
  Gyeolko mot ijeul geoyeyo.
  “I’ll never forget it.”

86. 자주 (jaju), “frequently” 

Example: 

• 원어민과 가능한 한 자주 말합니다.
  Woneomingwa ganeunghan han jaju malhamnida.
  “I speak as frequently as possible with native speakers.”

87. 보통 (botong), “usually” 

Example: 

• 그 남자는 보통 일곱 시에는 일어난다.
  Geu namjaneun botong ilgop sieneun ireonanda.
  “He usually wakes up at seven in the morning.”

88. 항상 (hangsang), “always”

Example: 

• 수업 첫날은 항상 쓸모 없어요.
  Sueop cheonnareun hangsang sseulmo eopseoyo.
  “The first day of class is always useless.”

89. 내내 (naenae), “all the time” 

Example: 

• 이 나라는 일년 내내 기후가 편안해요!
  I naraneun illyeon naenae gihuga pyeonanhaeyo!
  “The country has a comfortable climate all year round!”

90. 나날이 (nanari), “daily”

Example: 

• 오늘날의 사회는 나날이 변화하고 있다. 
  oneullarui sahoeneun nanari byeonhwahago itda.
  “The society today is changing daily.”

91. 가끔 (gakkeum), “occasionally”

Example: 

• 언니는 가끔 나를 찾아와.
  ㄸonnineun gakkeum nareul chajawa.
  “My sister visits me occasionally.”

92. 좀처럼 (jomcheoreom), “seldom”

Example: 

• 이 지방은 좀처럼 눈이 안 온와.
  ㅑ jibangeun jomcheoreom nuni an onwa.
  “It seldom snows in this region.”

93. 드물게 (deumulge), “sparsely”

Example: 

• 이 곳은 인가가 드물어.
  I goseun ingaga deumureo.
  “This place is sparsely populated.”

7. List of Korean Adverbs of Place

94. 여기에 (yeogie), “here”

Example: 

• 여기에 서명을 해 주세요.
  Yeogie seomyeongeul hae juseyo.
  “Please sign here.”

95. 저기에 (jeogie), “there”

Example: 

• 저기에 텐트를 칩시다.
  Jeogie tenteureul chipsida.
  “Let’s set up camp there.”

96. 저쪽에 (jeojjoge), “over there”

Example: 

• 저쪽에 텐트를 칩시다.
  Jeojjoge tenteureul chipsida.
  “Let’s set up camp over there.”

97. 어디나 (eodina), “everywhere”

Example: 

• 우리집 강아지는 나를 어디나 따라다닌다.
  Urijip gangajineun nareul eodina ttaradaninda.
  “My dog follows me everywhere.”

98. 아무데나 (amudena), “anywhere”

Example: 

• 어디에서도 그걸 볼 수가 없어.
  Eodieseodo geugeol bol suga eopseo.
  “I can’t see it anywhere.”

99. 어디에도 (eodiedo), “nowhere”

Example: 

• 내 가방이 어디에도 없어요.
  Nae gabangi eodiedo eopseoyo.
  “I can’t find my bags anywhere.”

100. 집에 (jibe), “home”

Example: 

• 내가 어젯밤 네게 전화를 했는데 너 집에 없더라.
  Naega eojetbam nege jeonhwareul haenneunde neo jibe eopdeora.
  “I phoned you last night, but you weren’t at home.”

101. 바깥에 (bakkate), “out”

Example: 

• 바깥에 추운데 서 있지 마.
  Bakkate chuunde seo itji ma.
  “Don’t stand outside in the cold.”

102. 떨어져 (tteoreojyeo), “away”

Example: 

• 그 두 집은 오백미터 떨어져 있어.
  Geu du jibeun obaengmiteo tteoreojyeo isseo.
  “The two houses stood 500 meters apart.”

8. How KoreanClass101 Can Help You with Your Korean Studies

In summary, we looked at different Korean adverbs and how to use Korean adverbs in sentences. 

If you want to continue to challenge yourself and study even further, KoreanClass101 has many free study materials for you, so why not create your account today? Here are a few pages we recommend:

• Must-Know Adverbs and Phrases for Connecting Thoughts
• Korean Word of the Day
• Can You Talk About Your Daily Routine in Korean?

If you want to study more advanced adverbs, check out the pages below. 

• List of vocabulary for studying Korean, created by National Institute of Korean Language
• List of ~이/~히 adverbs, created by National Institute of Korean Language

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Feel free to leave us a comment if you have any questions!

Understanding Korean conjugation is a fundamental part of learning Korean, and it’s one of the basic skills you need to gain in the process. In this article, we’ll teach you basic Korean verb conjugation, including how to change verbs in the past, present, and future tense, and for different politeness levels. 

Please remember that you apply these Korean conjugation rules to adjectives, too.

Table of Contents

1. Basic Korean Conjugation #1: Past, Present, and Future
2. Basic Korean Conjugation #2: Politeness Level
3. Korean Conjugation Practice!
4. How KoreanClass101 Can Help You with Your Korean Learning

1. Basic Korean Conjugation #1: Past, Present, and Future

Korean verbs change depending on the time being referred to. Here’s how to conjugate Korean verbs for the past, present, and future tenses. 

Dictionary Form	먹다 (meokda)	“to eat”
현재 (hyeonjae) “Present”	먹는다 (meongneunda)	“I eat”
과거 (gwageo) “Past”	먹었다 (meogeotda)	“I ate”
미래 (mirae) “Future”	먹겠다 (meokgetda)	“I will eat”

1) 현재 (hyeonjae) “Present”

Let’s learn a couple fundamental rules about how to conjugate Korean verbs in present tense:

#1: When there is 받침 (batchim), or verb stems that end with a consonant

Rule: Add ~어요 (eoyo) to the stem of the word to complete the present tense.

Example:

Word with 받침 (batchim)	Add ~는다 (~neunda)	Present tense	English
먹다 (meokda)	먹 (meok) +어요 (eoyo)	먹어요 (meongneunda)	“to eat”
울다 (ulda)	울 (ul) +어요 (eoyo)	울어요 (ureoyo)	“to cry”

Example Sentence:

• 동생은 김치를 먹어요.
  dongsaengeun gimchireul meogeoyo.
  “My sister eats Kimchi.”

#2: When there is no 받침 (batchim)

Rule: Add ~워요 (woyo) to the last syllable.

Example:

Word with NO 받침 (batchim)	Add ~ㄴ다 (~nda)	Present tense	English
배우다 (baeuda)	배 (bae) + 워요 (woyo)	배워요 (baewoyo)	“to learn“
지우다 (jiwuda)	지 (ji) + 워요 (woyo)	지워요 (jiwoyo)	“to erase”

Example Sentence:

• 한국어를 배워요. 
  Hangugeoreul baewoyo.
  “I learn Korean.”

2) 과거 (gwageo) “Past” 

The rules for conjugating Korean verbs in past tense are a little bit trickier than present and future conjugations. Let’s learn the fundamental rules for conjugating Korean verbs in past tense: 

#1: If the last vowel of the stem is NOT ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o)

Rule: Add ~었어요 (~eosseoyo) next to the word.

Example:

L.V is NOT ㅗ (o) or ㅏ (a)	Add ~었어요 (~eosseoyo)	Past tense	English
먹다 (meokda)	먹 (meok) + 었어요 (eosseoyo)	먹었어요 (meogeosseoyo)	“ate”
울다 (ulda)	울 (ul) + 었어요 (eosseoyo)	울었어요 (uleosseoyo)	“cried”
열다 (yeolda)	열 (yeol) +  었어요(eosseoyo)	열었어요 (yeoreosseoyo)	“opened”
서다 (seoda)	서 (seo) +었어요 (eosseoyo)	섰어요 (seosseoyo)	“stood”
주다 (juda)	주 + 었어요 (ju) + (eosseoyo)	줬어요 (jwosseoyo)	“gave”
나누다 (nanuda)	나누 + 었어요 (nanu) + (eosseoyo)	나눴어요  (nanwosseoyo)	“shared”

Example Sentence:

• 어제 김치를 먹었다. 
  Eoje gimchireul meogeotda.
  “I ate Kimchi yesterday.”

#2: If the verb or adjective ends with 하다 (hada)

Rule:  Add ~였어요 (~yeosseoyo) to the stem.

Example:

L.V is ㅗ (o) orㅏ(a)	Add ~였어요 (~yeosseoyo)	Past tense	English
사랑하다 (saranghada)	사랑하 + 였어요 (sarangha) + (yeosseoyo)	사랑했어요 (saranghaesseoyo)	“loved”
공부하다 (gongbuhada)	공부하 + 였어요 (gongbuha) + (yeosseoyo)	공부했어요  (gongbuhaesseoyo)	“studied”
평가하다 (pyeonggahada)	평가하 + 였어요  (pyeonggaha) + (yeosseoyo)	평가했어요 (pyeonggahaesseoyo)	“evaluated”
강하다 (ganghada)	강하 + 였어요 (gangha) + (yeosseoyo)	강했어요 (ganghaesseoyo)	“was strong”
신고하다 (singohada)	신고하 + 였어요 (singoha) + (yeosseoyo)	신고했어요 (singohaesseoyo)	“reported”
기대하다 (gidaehada)	기대하 + 였어요 (gidaeha) + (yeosseoyo)	기대했어요 (gidaehaeosseoyo)	“anticipated”

Example Sentence:

• 어제 저녁 공부를 두시간 했다.
  Eoje jeonyeok gongbureul dusigan haetda.
  “I studied for two hours last night.”

 #3: If the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ(a) or ㅗ (o)

Rule: Add ~았어요 (~asseoyo) to the stem of the word.

Example:

L.V is ㅗ (o) orㅏ (a)	Add ~았어요 (~asseoyo)	Past tense	English
알다 (alda)	알 + 았어요 (al) + (asseoyo)	알았어요 (arasseoyo)	“knew”
보다 (boda)	보 + 았어요 (bo) + (asseoyo)	봤어요 (bwasseoyo)	“saw”
오다 (oda)	오 + 았어요 (o) + (asseoyo)	왔어요 (wasseoyo)	“came”
닫다 (datda)	닫 + 았어요 (dat) + (asseoyo)	닫았어요 (dadasseoyo)	“closed”
만나다 (mannada)	만나 + 았어요 (manna) + (asseoyo)	만났어요 (mannasseoyo)	“met”
살다 (salda)	살 + 았어요 (sal) + (asseoyo)	살았어요 (sarasseoyo)	“lived”

Example Sentence:

• 어제 할아버지를 만났어요. 
  Eoje harabeojireul mannasseoyo.
  “I met my grandfather yesterday.”

3) 미래 (mirae) “Future”

Now let’s learn about Korean future tense conjugations.

Rule: Add -(으)ㄹ 거예요 / -(eu) l (koeyo) to the stem of the word.

Example:

Word	Add -(으)ㄹ 거예요	Future tense	English
여행하다 (yeohaenghada)	여행하 + ㄹ거예요 (yeohaengha) + (l geoeyo)	여행할거예요 (yeohaenghalgeoyeyo)	“will travel“
자다 (jada)	자 + ㄹ거에요 (ja) + (l geoeyo)	잘거예요 (jalgeoyeyo)	“will sleep”
먹다 (meokda)	먹 + ㄹ 거예요 (meok) + (l geoeyo)	먹을거예요 (meogeulgeoyeyo)	“will eat”
마시다 (masida)	마시 + ㄹ거예요 (masi) + (l geoeyo)	마실거예요 (masilgeoyeyo)	“will drink”
가다 (gada)	가(ga) + ㄹ거에요 (l geoeyo)	갈거예요 (-galgeoyeyo)	“will go”
오다 (oda)	오 (o) + ㄹ거에요 (l geoeyo)	올거예요 (olgeoyeyo)	“will come”

Example Sentence:

• 오늘 내로 학교로 가겠다. 
  Oneul naero hakgyoro gagetda.
  “I will go to the school by the end of today.”

2. Basic Korean Conjugation #2: Politeness Level

Pay close attention to conjugations based on politeness level, too. Depending on who you’re talking to, you should change the verb appropriately. Let’s take a look at three different politeness levels that Koreans use on a daily basis.

Dictionary Form	먹다 (meokda)	“to eat”
Formal Polite (1)	먹습니다. (meokseumnida.)	“I eat.”
Casual Formal (2)	먹어요. (meogeoyo.)	“I eat.”
Casual Speech	먹어. (meogeo.)	“I eat.”

1) Formal Polite

The first language level is usually spoken to people who are older than you, or are in a higher position of authority. (E.g. parents, professors, managers, etc.) Let’s look at how to use Korean formal conjugations for this language level.

In order to use formal speech, you need to: Add ~(스)ㅂ니다/~(seu)b+nida) to the stem of the word.

Example:

Word	Add ~(스)ㅂ니다	Formal polite	English
먹다  (meokda)	먹 + 습니다  (meok) + (seu)b+mnida)	먹습니다 (meokseumnida)	“to eat”
사랑하다 (saranghada)	사랑하 + ㅂ니다 (sarangha) + (b+nida)	사랑합니다 (saranghamnida)	“to love”
자다 (jada)	자 + ㅂ니다 (ja) + (b+nida)	잡니다 (jamnida)	“to sleep”
마시다 (masida)	마시 + ㅂ니다 (masi) + (b+nida)	마십니다 (masimnida)	“to drink”
가다 (gada)	가 + ㅂ니다 (ga) + (b+nida)	갑니다 (gamnikda)	“to watch”
오다 (oda)	오 + ㅂ니다 (o) + (b+nida)	옵니다 (omnida)	“to come”

Example Sentence:

• 영화를 봅니다. 
  Yeonghwareul bomnida.
  “(I) watch a film.”

2) Casual Formal

The second “casual formal” language is used to show respect to people that you meet everyday (e.g. strangers).

In order to use this politeness level, you need to: Add ~아/어요 / (~a/eoyo) to the stem of the word.

Example:

Word	Add ~아/어요 (~a/eoyo)	Casual formal	English
먹다 (meokda)	먹 + 어요 (meok) + (eoyo)	먹어요 (meogeoyo)	“to eat”
사다 (sada)	사 + 아요 (sa) + (ayo)	사요 (sayo)	“to buy”
있다 (itda)	있 + 어요 (it) + (eoyo)	있어요 (isseoyo)	“to be”
보다 (boayo)	보 + 아요 (bo) + (ayo)	봐요 (bwayo)	“to see”
가다 (gada)	가 + 아요 (ga) + (ayo)	가요 (gayo)	“to go”
오다 (oda)	오 + 아요 (o) + (ayo)	와요 (wayo)	“to come”

Example Sentence:

• 오늘은 학교에 안가요.
  Oneureun hakgyoe angayo.
  “I don’t go to school today.”

3) Casual Speech: 

In Korean, casual conjugations are used when speaking to friends, close family members, or people who are younger than you. Let’s review the rules of conjugation again; you’ll add either 아 (a), 어 (eo), or 여 (yeo) to use casual speech.

Rule: Add 아 (a) if the last vowel of the word ends with ㅗ (o) orㅏ(a). Add 여 (yeo) if the last vowel ends withㅣ(i). Add 어 (eo) for the rest.

Example:

Word	Add 아 (a) / 여 (yeo) / 어 (eo)	Casual speech	English
먹다 (meokda)	먹 + 어 (meok) + (eo)	먹 + 어 (meok) + (eo)	“to eat”
사다 (sada)	사 + 아 (sa) + (a)	사 (sa)	“to buy”
있다 (itda)	있 + 어 (it) + (eo)	있어 (isseo)	“to be”
보다 (boayo)	보 + 아 (bo) + (a)	봐 (bwa)	“to see”
가다 (gada)	가 + 아 (ga) + (a)	가 (ga)	“to go”
오다 (oda)	오 + 아 (o) + (a)	와 (wa)	“to come”

Example Sentence:

• 점심시간 오분 남았어. 빨리 좀 먹어. 
  Jeomsimsigan obun namasseo. Ppalli jom meogeo.
  “We only have five minutes left for lunchtime. Eat quickly!”

Take a look at “18 Useful Korean Greetings You Should Learn” from our blog. It introduces eighteen essential phrases to learn with different levels of politeness. 

3. Korean Conjugation Practice!

Let’s practice Korean conjugations. Can you conjugate the present, past, and future tenses for the verb 자다 (jada)?

Dictionary Form	자다 (jada)	“to sleep”
현재 (hyeonjae) “Present”	자+요	자요 (jayo)
과거 (gwageo) “Past”	자+ㅆ어요	잤어요 (jasseoyo)
미래 (mirae) “Future”	자+ㄹ거예요	잘거예요. (jalgeoyeyo.)

The answers are already in the table above. Select the cell to see the answer. 

Not sure how to conjugate the word? Revisit Basic Conjugation #1: Past, Present, Future and try it again!

Let’s try a different Korean conjugation. Can you conjugate 먹다 (meokda),”to eat,” for each politeness level?

Dictionary Form	먹다 (meokda)	“to eat”
Formal Polite (1)	먹습니다. (meokseumnida.)	“I eat”
Formal Casual (2)	먹어요. (meogeoyo.)	“I eat”
Casual Speech	먹어. (meogeo.)	“I eat”

The answers are already in the table above. Select the column to see the answer. 

Not sure how to conjugate the word? Revisit Basic Conjugation #2: Politeness Level and try it again!

4. How KoreanClass101 Can Help You with Your Korean Learning

In summary, we introduced how to conjugate Korean verbs in the present, past, and future forms. In addition, we also looked at different conjugations for three different politeness levels. Have a look at these pages on KoreanClass101.com to practice Korean conjugations a little more: 

• Basic Korean Grammar
• Gyeongsangdo Korean: Conjugations
• Korean Past Tense: Why Were You Late in Korea?

And here are some pages on other sites you can practice with:

• 아/어/여 + 요
• Korean Verbs
• How to Use Verbs in Korean

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. If you have any questions, please leave us a comment below. We are more than happy to help you improve your Korean skills in any way! 

Verbs allow you to make complete sentences and describe actions or other motion-related concepts. In this Korean verbs lesson, you’ll learn 100 key Korean verbs that you’ll hear over and over again in Korea. After studying our Korean basic verbs list, be sure to hold onto it so you can refer to it when needed. 

Ready to start using everyday Korean verbs? Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. Korean Verb Grouping According to Ending Syllables
2. Korean Action Verbs
3. Helping Verbs
4. How KoreanClass101 Can Help You with Your Korean

1. Korean Verb Grouping According to Ending Syllables 

Before jumping into this Korean verbs list, let’s take a look at basic verb forms in the following Korean verbs chart. If you’re an absolute beginner, these are very fundamental verb forms that you need to remember. And if you’re familiar with them already, you can simply skip this section or check out some of the pages we listed below for further study. 

A. Basic Korean Verb Forms #1

Korean Verb Forms	Korean Verb Structure
Formal Ending	ㅂ니다 / 습니다
Polite Ending	어요 / 아요
Casual Ending	어 / 아

B. Basic Korean Verb Forms #2

Korean Verb Forms	Dictionary Form	Romanization	English
Present	가다	gada	go
Past	갔다	gatda	went

Check out these pages to learn more about Korean verbs with English translations: 

• Past Tense: Uncover the Secrets of Your Past in Korean!
• The Past Tense Particles
• I Did it, I’m Doing it, and I’m Going To Do it
• You Went to the Library and Learned More About Your Korean Past?

2. Korean Action Verbs

1 – Korean Verbs Related to Physical Actions

* Click on a word to listen to it and practice its pronunciation. 

1. 가다 (gada), “to go”

• 어디로 가고 싶어요?

Eodiro gago sipeoyo?

“Where do you want to go?”

2. 가지다 (gajida), “to have”

• 지금 가진 돈 얼마 있어요?

Jigeum gajin don eolma isseoyo?

“Do you have any money with you?”

3. 만들다 (mandeulda), “to make”

• 지금 음식을 만들고 있어요.

Jigeum eumsigeul mandeulgo isseoyo.

“I am making some food.”

4. 보다 (boda), “to look”

• 지민은 수연을 뚫어지게 보았다.

Jimineun suyeoneul ttureojige boatda.

“Jimin looked intensely at Suyeon.”

5. 말하다 (malhada), “to tell”

• 다시 한 번 말해 줄래요?

Dasi han beon malhae jullaeyo?

“Can you tell me one more time?”

6. 일하다 (ilhada), “to work”

• 공장에서 하루 종일 일했어.

Gongjangeseo haru jongil ilhaesseo.

“I worked in the factory all day.”

7. 묻다 (mutda), “to ask”

• 나한테 묻지 말아줄래?

Nahante mutji marajullae?

“Can you not ask me a question?”

8. 움직이다 (umjigida), “to move”

• 사진을 찍을 테니 움직이지 마.

Sajineul jjigeul teni umjigiji ma.

“Don’t move, I’m taking a picture.”

9. 멈추다 (meomchuda), “to stop”

• 눈물이 멈추지 않았어.

Nunmuri meomchuji anasseo.

“The tears didn’t stop running.”

10. 고치다 (gochida), “to repair”

• 철수는 하루종일 노트북을 고치는데 시간을 보냈다.

Cheolsuneun harujongil noteubugeul gochineunde siganeul bonaetda.

“Cheolsu spent the whole day fixing his laptop.”

11. 그리다 (geurida), “to draw”

• 저는 그림 그리기를 좋아해요.

Jeoneun geurim geurigireul joahaeyo.

“I like drawing.”

12. 끊어지다 (kkeuneojida), “to get cut”

• 어라? 실이 끊어져버렸네.

Eora? Siri kkeuneojyeobeoryeonne.

“Oh no, the thread has been cut off.”

13. 낳다 (nata), “to give birth to”

• 오늘 우리집 강아지가 새끼를 낳았어. 

Oneul urijip gangajiga saekkireul naasseo.

“My dog gave birth to puppies today.”

14. 늦다 (neutda), “to be late”

• 미안, 30분 정도 늦을 것 같아. 

Mian, 30bun jeongdo neujeul geot gata.

“Sorry, I will be late for another thirty minutes.”

15. 도망치다 (domangchida), “to run away”

• 좀비다! 도망쳐! 

Jombida! Domangchyeo!

“Zombies! Run!”

16. 돕다 (dopda), “to help”

• 제가 뭐 도울 일이라도 있나요?

Jega mwo doul irirado innayo?

“Can I be of help in any way?”

17. 때리다 (ttaerida), “to hit”

• 왜 그때 저를 때렸어요?

Wae geuttae jeoreul ttaeryeosseoyo?

“Why did you hit me that time?”

18. 발표하다 (balpyohada), “to announce”

• 내가 좋아하는 작가가 신작을 발표했어.

Naega joahaneun jakgaga sinjageul balpyohaesseo.

“My favorite author announced his new piece of work.”

19. 싸우다 (ssauda), “to fight”

• 무엇 때문에 싸우세요?

Mueot ttaemune ssauseyo?

“What are you two fighting about?”

20. 여행하다 (yeohaenghada), “to travel”

• 다음주에 한국으로 여행하러 갈 거야.

Daeumjue hangugeuro yeohaenghareo gal geoya.

“I’m going to travel to Korea next week.”

21. 흔들다 (heundeulda), “to shake”

• 오늘은 광복절이기 때문에 나는 자랑스럽게 태국기를 흔들었다.

Oneureun gwangbokjeorigi ttaemune naneun jarangseureopge taegukgireul heundeureotda.

“Because today is Korea’s National Liberation Day, I waved the Korean flag with pride.”

22. 먹다 (meokda), “to eat” 

• 남자 아이는 핫도그를 먹고 있습니다.

Namja aineun hattogeureul meokgo itsseumnida.

“The boy is eating a hot dog.”

23. 사용하다 (sayonghada), “to use”

• 프로그래머가 컴퓨터를 사용하고 있다.

Peurogeuraemeoga keompyuteoreul sayonghago itta.

“The programmer is using the computer.”

24. 오다 (oda), “to come” 

• 맛있는 저녁 먹으러 저희 집에 오세요.

Masinneun jeonyeok meogeureo jeohui jibe oseyo.

“Come over to my house for a nice dinner.”

25. 마시다 (masida), “to drink”

• 마실 것 좀 드릴까요?

Masil geot jom deurilkkayo?

“Can I get you something to drink?”

26. 자다 (jada), “to sleep”

• 조용! 아기들이 자고 있어요.

Joyong! Agideuri jago isseoyo.

“Shh! The babies are sleeping.”

27. 물어보다 (mureoboda), “to ask” 

• 너한테 좀 물어볼 말이 있어.

Neohante jom mureobol mari isseo.

“I have some questions to ask you.”

28. 달리다 (dallida), “to run” 

• 보람이는 해변에서 달리고 있습니다.

Boramineun haebyeoneseo dalligo itseumnida.

“Boram is running on the beach.”

29. 집다 (jipda), “to pick (up)” 

• 우와, 저기 봐봐. 사람들이 딸기를 집고 있어.

Uwa, saramdeuri ttalgireul jipgo isseo.

“Wow, look. The people are picking the strawberries.”

30. 주다 (juda), “to give” 

• 웨이터에게 팁을 5달러 줬어요.

Weiteoege tibeul odalleo jwosseoyo.

“I gave a five-dollar tip to the waiter.”

31. 떠나다 (tteonada), “to leave” 

• 우린 내일 한국 떠나.

Urin naeil hanguk tteona.

“We are leaving Korea tomorrow.”

32. 놀다 (nolda), “to play” 

• 아기가 장난감을 가지고 놀고 있어요. 

Agiga jangnangameul gajigo nolgo isseoyo.

“The baby is playing with a toy.”

33. 시작하다 (sijakada), “to begin” 

• 회의는 오전 10시에 시작됩니다.

Hoeuineun ojeon yeolsie sijakdoemnida.

“The meeting begins at ten A.M.”

34. 기다리다 (gidarida), “to wait” 

• 여기서 한시간이나 기다렸어요. 

Yeogiseo hansiganina gidaryeosseoyo.

“I’ve been waiting here for an hour.”

35. 전화하다 (jeonhwahada), “to call” 

• 무슨일 생기면 저한테 전화주세요. 

Museunil saenggimyeon jeohante jeonhwajuseyo.

“If something happens, just give me a call.”

36. 요리하다 (yorihada), “to cook” 

• 지금 요리하고 있어요. 

Jigeum yorihago isseoyo.

“I am cooking right now.”

37. 사다 (sada), “to buy” 

• 아내에게 반지를 사 주었다.

Anaeege banjireul sa jueotda.

“I bought a ring for my wife.”

38. 운전하다 (unjeonhada), “to drive” 

• 회사에 갈 때 항상 운전하고 있어요. 

Hoesae gal ttae hangsang unjeonhago isseoyo.

“I always drive to work.”

39. 걷다 (geotda), “to walk” 

• 매일 걸어서 학교에 가요.

Maeil georeoseo hakgyoe gayo.

“I walk to school everyday.”

40. 조사하다 (josahada), “to investigate” 

• 그 이유를 조사해보니까..

Geu iyureul josahaebonikka..

“I researched about this and…”

41. 졸업하다 (joreopada), “to graduate” 

• 9월에 졸업했어요. 

Guwore joreopaesseoyo.

“I graduated in September.”

42. 진행되다 (jinhaengdoeda), “to progress” 

• 진행될 때마다 연락주세요. 

Jinhaengdoel ttaemada yeollakjuseyo.

“Please update me as you progress on this.” 

43. 채우다 (chaeuda), “to fill” 

• 병에 물을 채우다.

byeonge mureul chaeuda.

“Fill a bottle with water.”

44. 쳐다보다 (chyeodaboda), “to stare” 

• 그만 좀 쳐다봐?

Geuman jom chyeodabwa?

“Can you just stop staring at me?” 

45. 흔들다 (heundeulda), “to shake” 

• 파티에서 리듬에 맞춰 몸을 흔들었다.

Patieseo rideume matchwo momeul heundeureotda.

“I shook (danced) my body to the rhythm at the party.”

46. 흘리다 (heullida), “to spill” 

• 실수로 물을 흘렸어요. 

Silsuro mureul heullyeosseoyo.

“I spilled the water by mistake.”

47. 선택하다 (seontaekada), “to choose” 

• 선택은 당신의 자유입니다.

Seontaegeun dangsinui jayuimnida.

“The choice is yours.”

2 – Korean Verbs Related to Mental State

* Click on a word to listen to it and practice its pronunciation. 

48. 알다 (alda), “to know”

• 이 곳 지리를 잘 아세요?

I got jirireul jal aseyo?

“Do you know this area well?”

49. 생각하다 (saenggakada), “to think”

• 생각할 시간이 필요해요.

Saenggakal sigani piryohaeyo.

“I need some time to think.”

50. 원하다 (wonhada), “to want”

• 크리스마스 선물로 BTS 콘서트 티켓 갖고 싶어요. 

Keuriseumaseu seonmullo BTS konseoteu tiket gatgo sipeoyo.

“I want a BTS concert ticket for my Christmas present.” 

51. 믿다 (mitda), “to believe”

• 전 불교를 믿고 있어요. 

Jeon bulgyoreul mitgo isseoyo.

“I believe in Buddhism.” 

52. 기대하다 (gidaehada), “to expect”

시험 성적이 좋기를 기대하고 있어요.

Siheom seongjeogi jokireul gidaehago isseoyo.

“I’m expecting good results for the exam.”  

53. 이해하다 (ihaehada), “to understand”

• 너의 입장도 충분히 이해해.

Neoui ipjangdo chungbunhi ihaehae.

“I understand your situation completely.”

54. 좋아하다 (joahada), “to like”

• 오빠를 많이 좋아해요. 

Oppareul mani joahaeyo.

“I like you a lot, Oppa.”

55. 사랑하다 (saranghada), “to love”

• 나 사랑해?

Na saranghae?

“Do you love me?”

56. 기억하다 (gieokada), “to remember”

• 그 일 기억하니? 

Geu il gieokani?

“Do you remember it?”

57. 기뻐하다 (gippeohada), “to rejoice” / “to be happy”

• 부모님이 무척 기뻐하시겠어요.

Bumonimi mucheok gippeohasigesseoyo.

“Your parents must be very happy.” 

58. 기억나다 (gieongnada), “to remember”

• 아 그때 그랬지, 기억났다!

A geuttae geuraetji, gieongnatda!

“Ah right, I just remembered!”

59. 노력하다 (noryeokada), “to endeavor”

• 노력할게.

Noryeokalge.

“I will work hard.”

60. 느끼다 (neukkida), “to feel”

• 순간 배신감을 느꼈어.

Sungan baesingameul neukkyeosseo.

“For a second, I felt a sense of betrayal.”

61. 닮다 (damda), “to resemble”

• 두 사람 닮지 않았어? 

du saram damji anasseo?

“Don’t they resemble each other?”

62. 무시하다 (musihada), “to ignore”

• 제가 보낸 이메일은 그냥 무시하세요.

Jega bonaen imeireun geunyang musihaseyo.

“Please disregard the email that I sent to you.”

63. 미워하다 (miwohada), “to hate”

• 아직도 그 사람이 미워요?

Ajikdo geu sarami miwoyo?

“Do you still hate him?”

64. 받아들이다 (badadeurida), “to accept”

• 여자친구의 비판은 받아들이기 힘들어.

Yeojachinguui bipaneun badadeurigi himdeureo.

“I found my girlfriend’s criticisms hard to take (accept).”

65. 발전하다 (baljeonhada), “to develop”

• 그 두 사람은 친구에서 연인 사이로 빨리 발전했어.

Geu du sarameun chingueseo yeonin sairo ppalli baljeonhaesseo.

“They instantly became lovers after being friends.”

66. 비교하다 (bigyohada), “to compare”

• 나를 다른사람들과 비교하지마.

Nareul dareunsaramdeulgwa bigyohajima.

“Don’t compare me to other people.”

67. 확인하다 (hwaginhada), “to check” / “to confirm”

• 잠시만요, 확인해볼께요.

Jamsimanyo, hwaginhaebolkkeyo.

“Hold on, let me check it for you.”

68. 화나다 (hwanada), “to be angry”

• 날 화나게 하지마.

Nal hwanage hajima.

“Don’t make me angry.”

69. 필요하다 (piryohada), “to need”

• 도움이 필요합니다.

Doumi piryohamnida.

“I need help.”

70. 시달리다 (sidallida), “to suffer from”

• 불면증에 시달리고 있어.

Bulmyeonjeunge sidalligo isseo.

“I’m suffering from insomnia.”

71. 감사하다 (gamsahada), “to be thankful”

• 호의에 감사드립니다. 

Houie gamsadeurimnida.

“Thanks for your kindness.”

72. 관련되다 (gwallyeondoeda), “to be related to” / “to be associated with”

• 흡연은 폐암과 밀접한 관련이 있다고 생각해요. 

Heubyeoneun pyeamgwa miljeopan gwallyeoni itdago saenggakaeyo.

“I think that smoking is closely associated with lung cancer.” 

73. 깨닫다 (kkaedatda), “to realize”

• 회사로 가는 중에 열쇠를 집에 두고 온 것을 깨달았어.

Hoesaro ganeun junge yeolsoereul jibe dugo on geoseul kkaedarasseo.

“On the way to the office, I found that I had left my keys at home.”

74. 꿈꾸다 (kkumkkuda), “to dream” 

• 그 아이는 외국으로 여행가는 것을 꿈꾸고 있었다.

Geu aineun oegugeuro yeohaengganeun geoseul kkumkkugo isseotda.

“The boy dreamed of traveling to a foreign land.”

75. 나서다 (naseoda), “to step forward” 

• 여긴 네가 나설 자리가 아니야.

Yeogin nega naseol jariga aniya.

“It’s not the place for you to step forward.”

76. 뜻하다 (tteuthada), “to mean” 

• 그것은 무엇을 뜻합니까?

Geugeoseun mueoseul tteuthamnikka?

“What does that mean?”

77. 만족하다 (manjokhada), “to be satisfied” 

• 지금 하고 있는 일에 만족하세요?

Jigeum hago inneun ire manjokaseyo?

“Are you satisfied with your current work?”

78. 미루다 (miruda), “to postpone” 

• 오늘 일을 내일로 미루지 마.

Oneul ireul naeillo miruji ma.

“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

79. 미치다 (michida), “to go crazy” 

• 당신 미쳤어요?

Dangsin michyeosseoyo?

“Are you crazy?”

80. 바라다 (barada), “to wish” 

• 우리 팀이 꼭 우승하기를 바래.  

Uri timi kkok useunghagireul barae. 

“I wish our team would win the game.”

81. 상상하다 (sangsanghada), “to imagine” 

• 난 절대로 엄마로서의 내 모습을 상상할 수가 없어.

Nan jeoldaero eommaroseoui nae moseubeul sangsanghal suga eopseo.

“I can’t picture myself as a mother.”

82. 실례하다 (sillyehada), “to trouble”

• 실례합니다만, 자리를 잘못 앉아계신것 같습니다.

Sillyehamnidaman, jarireul jalmot anjagyesingeot gatseumnida.

“Excuse me, but I think you are in the wrong seat.”

83. 아끼다 (akkida), “to save” / “to cherish” 

• 야 만지지마, 이거 걔가 제일 아끼는 소유물들이야. 

Ya manjijima, igeo gyaega jeil akkineun soyumuldeuriya.

“You don’t want to touch those, because they are her most cherished possessions.”

84. 애쓰다 (aesseuda), “to trouble”

• 애써 주셔서 감사합니다.

Aesseo jusyeoseo gamsahamnida.

“Thank you for your trouble.”

85. 어울리다 (eoullida), “to get along”

• 수진씨는 직장 동료들과 전혀 어울리지 않는것 같아요.

Sujinssineun jikjang dongnyodeulgwa jeonhyeo eoulliji anneungeot gatayo.

“Sujin doesn’t seem to socialize (get along) with her co-workers.”

86. 웃기다 (utgida), “to make somebody laugh”

• 그 사람은 항상 농담으로 주위사람들을 웃기고 있어.

Geu sarameun hangsang nongdameuro juwisaramdeureul utgigo isseo.

“He always makes everyone laugh with his jokes.”

87. 주장하다 (jujanghada), “to insist” 

• 그 사람은 자신의 무죄를 계속 주장하고 있다.

Geu sarameun jasinui mujoereul gyesok jujanghago itda.

“He continuously insisted on his innocence.”

88. 축하하다 (chukahada), “to celebrate” 

• 생일 축하해! 

Saengil chukahae!

“Happy birthday!” 

3. Helping Verbs

1 – Korean Modal Verbs

89. …할 수 있다. (…hal su itda), “can”

• 넌 할 수 있아!

Neon hal su issa!

“You can do it!”

90. 무조건 …해야 하다. (…haeya hada), “must”

• 무조건 입구 앞에는 차를 주차하면 안돼.

Mujogeon ipgu apeneun chareul juchahamyeon andwae.

“Cars must not park in front of the entrance.”

91. …일 수도 있다. (…il sudo itda), “may”

• 그것은 사실일 수도 있고 사실이 아닐 수도 있어.

Geugeoseun sasiril sudo itgo sasiri anil sudo isseo.

“That may or may not be true.”

92.  …할 것이다. ( …hal geosida), “will”

• 무슨 일이 있어도 난  운동 할거야. 

Museun iri isseodo nan  undong halgeoya.

“I will exercise no matter what.”

93. …일 것이다. (…il geosida), “shall”

• 다음주 이때 쯤이면 미란이는 프랑스에 있을 꺼야. 

Daeumju ittae jjeumimyeon miranineun peurangseue isseul kkeoya.

“This time next week Miran shall be in France.”

94. …해야 한다 (…haeya handa), “should”

• 음주 운전은 하지 말아야 해.

Eumju unjeoneun haji maraya hae.

“He should have been more careful.”

2 – Basic Korean Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs are used a lot in Korean and they’re always used together with a preceding main verb: VERB + AUXILIARY VERB.

1. Verb stem + -고 (-go) +있다 (itda), “I am v +ing”

The verb 있다 (itda) is used to form the progressive aspect. This Korean auxiliary verb follows the stem of the main verb with the suffix -고 (-go).

Examples

• 지금 요리하고 있어. 
  Jigeum yorihago isseo.
  “I am cooking now.”
  • 요리하다 -> 요리하고 + 있어.

• 친구가 지금 기다리고 있어. 
  Chinguga jigeum gidarigo isseo.
  “My friend is waiting right now.”
  • 기다리다 -> 기다리고 + 있어.

2. Negative Auxiliary Verb Form: Verb stem + – 지 ( – ji) + 말다 (malda)

Negative Korean auxiliary verbs are attached to the stem of the main verb with the suffix – 지 (– ji). Some examples of negative auxiliary verbs are: 

1. 말다 (malda), “to stop”
2. 않다 (anta), “be not” / “do not”
3. 못하다 (mothada), “to be bad at”

Now let’s look at some of these Korean verbs in sentences as well: 

말다 (malda), “to stop” 

• 걱정 말고 마음 편히 가지세요.

Geokjeong malgo maeum pyeonhi gajiseyo.

“Stop worrying and set your mind at ease.”

않다 (anta), “be not” or “do not”

• 그 사람은 정직하지 않아.

Geu sarameun jeongjikaji ana.

“He is not that honest.”

못하다 (mothada), “to be bad at”

• 저는 노래를 못해요.

Jeoneun noraereul mothaeyo.

“I’m bad at singing.”

Here are some examples of negative auxiliary verbs with the verb stem + – 지 ( – ji) + 않다 (anta) and verb stem + – 지 ( – ji) +  말다 (malda) patterns.

Examples

• 저는 주말에 회사에 가지 않아요.
  Jeoneun jumare hoesae gaji anayo.
  “I don’t go to work on weekends.”
  
  
  • 가다 (gada) -> 가지 (gaji)
  • 않다 (anda) -> 않아요 (anayo)
  • 가지 (gaji) + 않아요 (anayo) = “do not go to…”

• 공원에서 담배를 피우지 마세요. 
  Gongwoneseo dambaereul piuji maseyo.
  “Please do not smoke at the park.”
  
  
  • 피우다 (piuda) -> 피우지 (piuji)
  • 말다 (malda) -> 마세요 (maseyo)
  • 피우지 (piuji) + 마세요 (maseyo) = “please do not smoke”

3. Verb stem + -고 (-go) + 싶다 (sipda), “I want to~” 

This Korean auxiliary verb is used after the stem of the main verb with the suffix -고 (-go). This form expresses the wish to do something.

Examples

• 고등학교 끝나면 세계여행을 하고 싶어요. 

Godeunghakgyo kkeunnamyeon segyeyeohaengeul hago sipeoyo.

“Once I’m done with high school, I want to travel around the world.”

• 크리스마스 선물로 강아지 갖고 싶어요. 

Keuriseumaseu seonmullo gangaji gatgo sipeoyo.

“I want to have a puppy for my Christmas present.”

4. How KoreanClass101 Can Help You with Your Korean

In summary, we’ve introduced a list of 100 Korean verbs, including some crucial grammar structures such as auxiliary verbs. Are there any verbs we missed, or questions you need answered? Let us know in the comments! 

Below, you can check out more Korean verbs and grammar structures for further study:

• Vocabulary for the 25 Most Commonly Used Verbs of Any Language
• 50 Most Common Verbs
• Top 20 Korean Verbs 1
• Top 20 Korean Verbs 2
• Top 20 Korean Verbs 3
• Top 20 Korean Verbs 4

Lastly, KoreanClass101 offers many free lessons for Korean learners. Here, you can learn 15 Ways to Study Korean for FREE with KoreanClass101 to maximize your Korean studies. So feel free to navigate our website and download our free Korean study materials.

Happy Korean learning!