Ready to brush up on your skills in the Korean language? Let’s get it on! Today’s blog will discuss the common Korean verbs you should learn as a beginner.
Learning a new language is one of the most fundamental parts of communication. Without discovering other words, we cannot understand what a speaker or a writer wants to convey. An example of this is to know the different parts of speech (verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjection, and determiner) of your target language.
As a language learner of the Korean language, you need to know and understand the meaning of the common words and how to read/write Korean (hangul or Korean alphabet, Korean sentences, and phrases). Furthermore, proper pronunciation is a must in language learning. That’s why you should also need to have lessons about listening comprehension to learn the Korean language. Want to know some of the typical Korean verbs to expand your vocabulary? Read on below!
Common Korean Verbs: Overview
Are you a fan of Korean dramas or Korean pop music? If yes, then there’s a good chance you have heard particular words in the verb form multiple times in the lyrics. As we have observed, a verb which is 동사 (dongsa) in the Korean language, is regularly used in songs or conversations. Sometimes, we usually hear and see Korean verbs as a title of K-Pop soundtracks, albums, and even on the different famous lines of Korean stars.
On the other hand, if you are not familiar with the Korean words, it is pretty challenging to learn, especially their writing system, because Korean grammar follows different rules. For instance, the verb endings must follow the tenses (future tense of past tense); they also use honorific forms because the Korean language and culture are hierarchical by nature.
Adding a verb stem and a suffix on a Korean word may differ based on the classifications of verbs such as the active verbs, descriptive verbs, existential verbs, and copulas.
Verb Conjugation
If you are familiar with various Korean verb vocabulary and words, you can make your simple Korean sentences by conjugating them. Also, unlike in other languages, Korean grammar doesn’t need to have a subject to make it an independent clause. For instance, in Korean verb conjugation, you will use/add 아요 to make the Korean verb a present tense form to make your sentences polite.
The standard Korean verb conjugation is the use of 아요 and 어요 which gives the Korean verb its polite and present tense form.
Korean Regular Verbs
The Korean regular verbs are called 규칙동사 (gyuchigdongsa) in the Korean language. Most Korean regular verbs are easy to conjugate by following the verb conjugation patterns.
Here is an example:
가다 (to go) – 가다 (to go) – 가요
만나다 (to meet) – 만나다 (to meet) – 만나요
먹다 (to eat) – 먹다 (to eat) – 먹어요
The given Korean regular verbs are conjugated by dropping the 다 from the dictionary form of the word or commonly called the verb stem in Korean grammar. After that, you will add the appropriate conjugation patterns that depend on the verb tense (past tense, present tense, and future tense). Also, the Korean verbs are usually conjugated based on the speech levels. That’s why you must be aware of using conjugations in honorific form.
Korean Irregular Verbs
We also have this irregular verbs commonly called as 불규칙 동사 (bulgyuchig dongsa). Same with the English grammar, Korean irregular verbs also changed their spelling when conjugated. They use 받침 (batchim), or a consonant that is placed and pronounced at the end of a Korean syllable/ word that it has. However, not all irregular verbs have batchim, so make sure to know before using them.
There are many classifications of batchim, but I will give you a few examples to better understand its usage.
Here is an example:
Korean Verbs that have the letter ㄷ as its batchim
- to walk – 걷다 (geotda)
- to ask – 묻다 (mutda)
- to listen – 듣다 (deutda)
Korean verbs that have the letter ㄹ as its batchim:
- to play – 놀다 (nolda)
- to live – 살다 (salda)
- to cry – 울다 (ulda)
Korean verbs that have the letter ㅂ as its batchim:
- to help – 돕다 (dopda)
- to hate – 밉다 (mipda)
- to envy – 부럽다 (bureopda)
Korean verbs that have 르 as their verb stem ending:
- to choose – 고르다 (goreuda)
- to flow – 흐르다 (heureuda)
- to hurry – 서두르다 (seodureuda)
Korean verbs that have the letter ㅅ as it batchim:
- to recover – 낫다 (natda)
- to rule – 긋다 (geutda)
- to build or construct – 짓다 (jitda)
Nouns To Verbs
It is easier to make your sentence if you are familiar with Verb conjugation. In addition, you can add Korean words to change a particular part of speech into different parts of speech. For instance, 하다 verb or ‘to do’ verb makes a noun a verb. If you observed the given examples, you often see the 하다 (to do) word at the beginning of the terms.
Now that you learn some of the basics of Korean verbs let us move on to the most common Korean Verbs to add in your Korean skills!
10+ Common Korean Verbs
감사하다 (Gamsahada) – To Appreciate / To Thank
Example sentence: I want to thank you
나는 당신에게 감사하고 싶습니다
naneun dangsin-ege gamsahago sipseubnida
거짓말하다 (Geojitmal) – To Lie
Example sentence: You are lying!
당신은 거짓말!
dangsin-eun geojismal!
놀다 (Nolda) – To Play
Example sentence: Let us play on the beach.
해변에서 놀자.
haebyeon-eseo nolja.
도망가다 (Domanggada) – To Run Away
Example sentence: Why are you running away with me?
왜 나와 함께 도망치는거야?
wae nawa hamkke domangchineungeoya?
버리다 (Beorida) – To Throw Away / To Abandon
Example sentence: The mother cat abandoned her kittens.
어미 고양이는 새끼 고양이를 버렸다.
eomi goyang-ineun saekki goyang-ileul beolyeossda.
여행하다 (Yeohaenghada) – To Travel
Example sentence: I want to travel to Jejudo.
제주도 여행을 하고 싶어요.
jejudo yeohaeng-eul hago sip-eoyo.
잠들다 (Jamdeulda) – To Go To Sleep / To Fall Asleep
Example sentence: Falling asleep is my hobby.
잠드는 것이 취미입니다.
jamdeuneun geos-i chwimiibnida.
조심하다 (Josimhada) – To Be Careful / To Watch Out
Example sentence: You must be careful about what you’re saying.
말을 조심해야 합니다.
mal-eul josimhaeya habnida.
즐기다 (Jeulgida) – To Enjoy / To Have Fun
Example sentence: I enjoyed the concert of Bigbang.
나는 빅뱅의 콘서트를 즐겼다.
naneun bigbaeng-ui konseoteuleul jeulgyeossda
찍다 (Jjikda) – To Take A Photo
Example sentence: Please, take a photo of me while eating dakgalbi.
닭갈비 먹으면서 사진 좀 찍어주세요.
dalg-galbi meog-eumyeonseo sajin jom jjig-eojuseyo.
피다 (Pida) – To Bloom / To Blossom
Example sentence: The cosmos flowers are about to bloom.
코스모스 꽃이 피려고 합니다.
koseumoseu kkoch-i pilyeogo habnida.
Other Basic Korean Verbs
| Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning |
| 오다 | oda | to come |
| 마시다 | masida | to drink |
| 먹다 | meogda | to eat |
| 주다 | juda | to give |
| 가다 | gada | to go |
| 듣다 | deudda | to hear |
| 배우다 | baeuda | to learn |
| 만들다 | mandeulda | to make |
| 앉다 | anjda | to sit |
| 자다 | jada | to sleep |
| 씻다 | ssisda | to wash |
| 쓰다 | sseuda | to write |
| 울다 | ulda | to cry |
| 갖다 | gajda | to have |
| 웃다 | usda | to laugh |
| 보다 | boda | to see |
| 일어나다 | il-eonada | to wake up |
| 걷다 | geodda | to walk |
| 춤추다 | chumchuda | to dance |
| 만나다 | mannada | to meet |
| 공부하다 | gongbuhada | to study |
| 운전하다 | unjeonhada | to drive |
| 사다 | sada | to buy |
| 읽다 | ilgda | to read |
| 주문하다 | jumunhada | to order |
| 입다 | ibda | to wear |
| 말하다 | malhada | to talk, speak |
| 가르치다 | galeuchida | to teach |
| 기다리다 | gidalida | to wait |
| 걸다 | geolda | to call, dial |
| 청소하다 | cheongsohada | to clean |
| 타다 | tada | to ride |
| 나가다 | nagada | to exit |
| 들어오다 | deul-eooda | to enter |
| 물어보다 | mul-eoboda | to ask |
| 도와주다 | dowajuda | to help |
| 열다 | yeolda | to open |
| 닫다 | dadda | to close |
| 일하다 | ilhada | to work |
| 쉬다 | swida | to rest |
| 요리하다 | yolihada | to cook |
| 볶다 | bokkda | to fry |
| 하다 | hada | to do |
| 연습하다 | yeonseubhada | to practice |
| 묻다 | mudda | to ask |
| 내다 | naeda | to pay |
| 살다 | salda | to live |
| 죽다 | jugda | to die |
| 사랑하다 | salanghada | to love |
| 좋아하다 | joh-ahada | to like |
| 싫어하다 | silh-eohada | to hate, dislike |
| 결혼하다 | gyeolhonhada | to marry |
| 걱정하다 | geogjeonghada | to worry |
| 약속하다 | yagsoghada | to promise |
| 준비하다 | junbihada | to prepare |
| 기억하다 | gieoghada | to remember |
| 꿈꾸다 | kkumkkuda | to dream |
| 시작하다 | sijaghada | to start |
| 끝나다 | kkeutnada | to finish |
| 팔다 | palda | to sell |
| 싸우다 | ssauda | to fight |
| 대답하다 | daedabhada | to answer |
| 지다 | jida | to lose, be defeated |
| 서두르다 | seoduleuda | to hurry, rush |
| 사랑에 빠지다 | salang-e ppajida | to fall in love |
Learning Korean Verbs
Enjoyed the post? Let us know in the comment section below! This blog post is like a mini-lesson for you to understand more about Korean grammar. If you also want to fast-track your Korean vocabulary, you can check my other blog post about common Korean vocabulary used in daily life.
In addition to learning Korean verbs, you should also start learning other Korean parts of speech if you want to develop your Korean grammar. Through understanding this, you could speed up your language learning process.
Aside from Korean grammar, you should first learn the Korean alphabet to be familiar with Korean writing and pronunciation.
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