Korean A1 — Essentials Official

Korean uses Subject-Object-Verb order with the verb always at the end

저는 밥을 먹어요. (Jeoneun bapeul meokeoyo.)

Korean follows SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) word order — the verb ALWAYS comes at the end. Basic pattern: Subject + Object + Verb. 저는 (jeoneun = I) + 밥을 (bapeul = rice) + 먹어요 (meokeoyo = eat). Particles attach to nouns to mark their role: 은/는 (topic), 이/가 (subject), 을/를 (object). Time and place phrases come between the subject and object: 저는 매일 학교에서 공부해요 (I study at school every day). Word order is flexible EXCEPT the verb — it must stay at the end. 밥을 저는 먹어요 is unusual but grammatically possible. The subject is often dropped when clear from context: 밥 먹었어요? (Did you eat?) — 'you' is implied. Adverbs go before the verb they modify: 빨리 가요 (ppalli gayo = go quickly).

Topic markers 은/는 vs subject markers 이/가 — when to use each

저는 학생이에요. 비가 와요. (Jeoneun haksaengieyo. Biga wayo.)

은/는 (eun/neun) marks the topic — what the sentence is about, often old/known information. 은 after consonant: 책은 (chaekeun). 는 after vowel: 나는 (naneun). 이/가 (i/ga) marks the subject — who or what does the action, often new information. 이 after consonant: 학생이 (haksaengi). 가 after vowel: 비가 (biga). Use 은/는 for general statements and contrast: 저는 학생이에요 (As for me, I'm a student). 커피는 좋아해요, 차는 싫어해요 (I like coffee, but I dislike tea). Use 이/가 for new information, existence, or after question words: 누가 왔어요? 친구가 왔어요 (Who came? A friend came). With 있다/없다 (exist/not exist), use 이/가: 시간이 있어요 (I have time). This distinction is one of the trickiest parts of Korean — practice with many examples.

Object marker 을/를, location/time 에, and action location 에서

도서관에서 책을 읽어요. 세 시에 가요. (Doseogwaneseo chaekeul ikeoyo. Se sie gayo.)

을/를 (eul/reul) marks the direct object — the thing receiving the action. 을 after consonant: 밥을 (bapeul). 를 after vowel: 커피를 (keopireul). 에 (e) marks destination, location of existence, or time. Destination: 학교에 가요 (I go to school). Time: 세 시에 만나요 (We meet at 3 o'clock). Existence location: 집에 있어요 (I am at home). 에서 (eseo) marks where an ACTION takes place — different from 에 for static existence. 에서 for actions: 도서관에서 공부해요 (I study at the library). 회사에서 일해요 (I work at a company). Key distinction: 에 = where something IS (static), 에서 = where something HAPPENS (active). Compare: 집에 있어요 (I am at home — existence) vs 집에서 먹어요 (I eat at home — action). 에서 also means 'from': 서울에서 왔어요 (I came from Seoul).

The two main polite speech levels in Korean — informal polite and formal polite

밥을 먹어요. 밥을 먹습니다. (Bapeul meokeoyo. Bapeul meokseumnida.)

Korean has multiple speech levels. The two most important for beginners are 해요체 (informal polite) and 합니다체 (formal polite). 해요체 (-아/어/여요): Used in everyday polite conversation. 먹다 → 먹어요, 가다 → 가요, 하다 → 해요. Rule: if the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, add -아요. Otherwise add -어요. 하다 becomes 해요 (special). 합니다체 (-ㅂ니다/습니다): More formal, used in news, presentations, military, and very formal situations. 먹다 → 먹습니다, 가다 → 갑니다. Rule: if the stem ends in a vowel, add -ㅂ니다. If it ends in a consonant, add -습니다. 해요체 is appropriate for most daily situations — stores, restaurants, meeting new people. Casual/반말 (banmal) drops the 요: 먹어, 가 — only used with close friends, children, or people younger than you. Never use casual speech with strangers or elders — it is considered very rude.

Two ways to negate verbs and adjectives in Korean

안 먹어요. 먹지 않아요. (An meokeoyo. Meokji anayo.)

Korean has two negation patterns that mean the same thing. Short negation: 안 (an) + verb/adjective. 안 먹어요 (I don't eat), 안 가요 (I don't go), 안 예뻐요 (It's not pretty). Long negation: verb stem + -지 않다 (-ji anta). 먹지 않아요 (I don't eat), 가지 않아요 (I don't go). Both forms are interchangeable, but the short form is more common in everyday speech. For 하다 (hada) compound verbs, 안 goes before 하다: 공부 안 해요 (I don't study), NOT 안 공부해요. Or use the long form: 공부하지 않아요 (I don't study). For 'cannot', use 못 (mot): 못 가요 (I can't go), or verb stem + -지 못하다: 가지 못해요. 없다 (eopda) is the negative of 있다 (itda): 시간이 없어요 (I don't have time). 아니다 (anida) negates 이다 (to be): 학생이 아니에요 (I'm not a student).

How to ask yes/no and information questions in Korean

학생이에요? 어디에 가요? (Haksaengieyo? Eodie gayo?)

Yes/no questions: simply raise the intonation at the end. The form stays the same as a statement. 학생이에요. (I am a student — statement) → 학생이에요? (Are you a student? — question, rising tone). In 합니다체 (formal), statements end in -ㅂ니다/습니다 and questions end in -ㅂ니까/습니까: 갑니다 (I go) → 갑니까? (Do you go?). Information questions: use a question word in the position of the unknown. Word order stays the same. 뭐/무엇 (mwo/mueos = what): 뭐 먹어요? (What do you eat?). 어디 (eodi = where): 어디에 가요? (Where are you going?). 언제 (eonje = when): 언제 와요? (When do you come?). 누구 (nugu = who): 누가 왔어요? (Who came?). 왜 (wae = why): 왜 안 가요? (Why aren't you going?). 어떻게 (eotteoke = how): 어떻게 가요? (How do you get there?). To answer yes/no: 네 (ne = yes) / 아니요 (aniyo = no). Note: 네 means 'what you said is correct', so answering a negative question with 네 confirms the negative.

Basic Korean honorific system — suffixes and special verbs for showing respect

선생님, 이것을 드릴게요. (Seonsaengnim, igeoseul deurilgeyo.)

Korean has a built-in honorific system to show respect based on social hierarchy. 님 (nim) is an honorific suffix added to titles and names: 선생님 (seonsaengnim = teacher), 사장님 (sajangnim = boss), 어머님 (eomeonim = someone's mother, respectful). -(으)시- (-(eu)si-) is added to verb stems when the subject is someone you respect: 가다 → 가시다 (to go — honorific), 먹다 → 드시다 (to eat — honorific, special form). Some verbs have completely different honorific forms: 먹다 → 드시다/잡수시다 (eat), 자다 → 주무시다 (sleep), 있다 → 계시다 (exist/stay), 말하다 → 말씀하시다 (speak). 드리다 (deurida) is the humble form of 주다 (juda = to give), used when giving to someone of higher status: 선물을 드려요 (I give a gift — to someone respected). 주다 (juda) is used when giving to equals or lower: 친구에게 줘요 (I give to a friend). Always use honorifics with elders, teachers, bosses, and strangers. Not using them is considered very disrespectful. 저 (jeo = I, humble) is used instead of 나 (na = I, casual) in polite/formal situations.

The possessive particle 의 connects a possessor to the thing possessed

이것은 선생님의 차예요. (Igeoseun seonsaengnim-ui chayeyo.)

의 (ui/e) is the possessive particle, connecting possessor to possessed: 나의 책 (naui chaek) = my book. 나의 (naui) contracts to 내 (nae) = my. 너의 (neoui) contracts to 네 (ne) = your. In speech 네 (ne) often sounds like 니 (ni) to avoid confusion with 내 (nae). Formal: 저의 (jeoui) contracts to 제 (je) = my (humble). 선생님의 (seonsaengnim-ui) = teacher's. 누구의 (nuguui) = whose? 의 (ui) is often dropped in casual speech: 나 책 (na chaek) = my book, 엄마 가방 (eomma gabang) = mom's bag. 이것은 친구의 핸드폰이에요 (igeoseun chinguui haendeuponieyo) = This is my friend's phone. With pronouns: 우리의 (uriui) / 우리 (uri) = our, 그의 (geuui) = his, 그녀의 (geunyeoui) = her. 우리 나라 (uri nara) = our country.

Korean demonstrative system — this, that (near/far), and related location words

이것은 뭐예요? 저 사람은 누구예요? (Igeoseun mwoyeyo? Jeo sarameun nuguyeyo?)

이 (i) = this (near the speaker): 이것 (igeot) = this thing, 이 사람 (i saram) = this person, 이 책 (i chaek) = this book. 그 (geu) = that (near the listener or already known): 그것 (geugeot) = that thing, 그 사람 (geu saram) = that person, 그 영화 (geu yeonghwa) = that movie. 저 (jeo) = that (far from both): 저것 (jeogeot) = that thing over there, 저 사람 (jeo saram) = that person over there, 저 산 (jeo san) = that mountain. Location words follow the same pattern: 여기 (yeogi) = here, 거기 (geogi) = there, 저기 (jeogi) = over there. 어디 (eodi) = where? Contractions: 이것 (igeot) → 이거 (igeo), 그것 (geugeot) → 그거 (geugeo), 저것 (jeogeot) → 저거 (jeogeo) in casual speech. 그 (geu) also refers to previously mentioned things: 그 이야기 (geu iyagi) = that story (we talked about). 이런 (ireon) = this kind, 그런 (geureon) = that kind, 저런 (jeoreon) = that kind (far).

있다 means 'to exist' or 'to have'; 없다 means 'to not exist' or 'to not have'

탁자 위에 책이 있어요. 시간이 없어요. (Takja wie chaegi isseoyo. Sigani eopseoyo.)

있다 (itda) = there is / to have. 없다 (eopda) = there isn't / don't have. These are among the most common Korean verbs. 있어요 (isseoyo) polite present: 책이 있어요 (chaegi isseoyo) = There is a book / I have a book. Subject takes 이/가 (i/ga) particle. 없어요 (eopseoyo) polite present: 시간이 없어요 (sigani eopseoyo) = There is no time / I don't have time. Location + 에 (e): 탁자 위에 (takja wie) = on the table. 방에 고양이가 있어요 (bange goyangi-ga isseoyo) = There is a cat in the room. Formal forms: 있습니다 (itseumnida) / 없습니다 (eopseumnida). Past: 있었어요 (isseosseoyo) / 없었어요 (eopseosseoyo). 있다 (itda) also means 'to stay/be at a place': 집에 있어요 (jibe isseoyo) = I'm at home. 어디에 있어요? (eodie isseoyo?) = Where are you?