Korean

Index

1. Phonetics
2. Vocabulary
3. Verb
4. Grammar
5. Secret Sauce

Verb

Is

• formal: 입니다 - declarative / 입니까? - interrogative
• informal: (subject) object예요 - no 받침 / (subject) object이에요 - with 받침

Want to do something

Action verb stem고 싶다 - non 3rd person subject / Action verb stem고 싶어하다 - 3rd person subject

주앙, what do you want to drink?

• 주앙 씨, 무엇을 마시고 싶습니까?
• implicit subject

올리비아 wants to work

• 올리비아 씨는 일을 하고 싶어합니다
• 3rd person

dont’t want to eat pizza

• 피자를 먹고 싶지 않습니다 - formal negative
• 피자를 안 먹고 싶숩나더 - casual negative
• implicit subject

Grammar

Formal

ㅂ니다 - no 받침 / 습니다 - with 받침

Note:

Informal

아요 - previous vowel is either ㅗ or ㅏ / 어요 - previous vowel is of others / 해요 - previous vowel is 하다

Note: To be more casual, simply remove 요. For example, 밥을 먹고 싶어요? -> 밥을 먹고 싶어?

Past Tense

았 - previous vowel is either ㅗ or ㅏ / 었 - previous vowel is of others / 했 - previous vowel is 하다

던 - past habitual action

Note:

Watch / See

• original: 보다
• past tense: 보았다 -> 봤다
• formal
  1. 봤습니다
• informal
  1. 봤어요

Eat

• original: 먹다
• past tense: 먹었다
• formal
  1. 먹었습니다
• informal
  1. 먹었어요

Exercise

• original: 운동하다
• past tense: 운동했다
• formal
  1. 운동했습니다
• informal
  1. 운동했어요

Future Tense

• Vstemㄹ 것 이다 - no 받침 / Vstem을 것 이다 - with 받침
• formal: Vstemㄹ 것입니다 - no 받침 / Vstem을 것입니다 - with 받침
• formal contraction: Vstemㄹ 겁니다 - no 받침 / Vstem을 겁니다 - with 받침
• informal polite: Vstemㄹ 거예요 - no 받침 / Vstem을 거예요 - with 받침
• informal: Vstemㄹ 거야 - no 받침 / Vstem을 거야 - with 받침

I will go

• original: 가다
• future formal: 갈 것입니다
• future informal polite: 갈 거예요
• future informal: 갈 거야

https://vivibin.com/tutorial/zh/grammar/neun-geo-ya/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Korean/comments/2mscjx/q_the_difference_between_%E3%84%B9%EA%B1%B0%EC%95%BC_and_%E3%84%B4%EA%B1%B0%EC%95%BC/

Verb / Adjective modifier

• past: Vstemㄴ/은 + N
• present: Vstem는 + N
• future: Vstemㄹ/을 + N
• adjective: Vadjstemㄴ/은 + N
• note: progressive tense applies

A person who watched that movie (past)

그 영화를 본 사람

The woman I love (present)

내가 사랑하는 여자

The man reading a book (present progressive)

책을 읽는 남자

The time that I’ll wake up (future)

일어날 시간

A small baby (adjective)

작은 아기

https://explorekorean.net/beginner2-lesson12/

Respect Subject

Vstem시 - no 받침 / Vstem으시 - with 받침

Note

1. Shouldn’t be used with first person subject, e.g., 저, 우리
2. Use with respectful particles, nouns, and adjectives

Grandma cleans

• original: 엄마가 청소하다
• respectful: 엄마가 청소하시다 respectful to subject (add 시)
• formal
  1. 엄마가 청소하십니다
• informal
  1. 엄마가 청소하시어요 1. add 어요
  2. 엄마가 청소하셔요 2. combine 시 and 어 -> 셔
  3. 엄마가 청소하세요 3. convert to 세

Read

• original: 읽다
• respectful: 읽으시다 (add 으시)
• formal
  1. 읽으십니다
• informal
  1. 읽으시어요 - add 어요
  2. 읽으셔요 - combine 시 and 어 -> 셔
  3. 읽으세요 - convert to 세

Did you eat?

• original: 식사하다?
• past tense: 식시했다
• respectful: 식사하셨다?
• formatl: 식사하셨습니까?
• informal: 식사하셨어요?

Respectful Command

• formal: Action verb stem십시오 - no 받침 / Action verb stem으십시오 - with 받침 / Action verb stem지 마십시오 - negative
• informal: Action verb stem세요 - no 받침 / Action verb stem으세요 - with 받침 / Action verb stem지 마세요 - negative
• exception: When the verb stem ends with ㄹ consonant, ㄹ is eliminated. See the last example.
• note: only used with action verb, i.e., not with adjective.

Please close the door

• original: 문을 닫다
• formal respectful: 문을 닫으십시오
• formal negative respectful: 문을 닫지 마십시오
• informal respectful: 문을 닫으세요

Please call tomorrow

• original: 내일 전화하다
• formal respectful: 내일 전화하십시오
• formal negative respectful: 내일 전화하지 마십시오
• informal respectful: 내일 전화하세요

Make

• original: 만들다
• formal respectful: 만드십시오
• informal respectful: 만드세요
• note: ㄹ irregular

Should we (with the listeners) ?

Action verb stemㄹ까요? no 받침 / Action verb stem을까요? with 받침

What kind of food should we eat?

• formal: 무슨 음식을 먹을까요?
• informal: 무슨 음식을 먹을까?

Let’s

• formal: Action verb stemㅂ시다 no 받침 / Action verb stem읍시다 with 받침
• informal: Action verb stem자

Note: usually used after ㄹ/을까요?

Let’s eat Galbi soup

• formal: 갈비탕을 먹읍시다
• informal: 갈비탕을 먹자

Ask an opinion of the listener about the speaker’s action

Action verb stemㄹ까요 - no 받침 / Action verb stem을까요 - with 받침

Which page of the textbook should I read?

• (제가) 교과서 몇 페이지를 읽을까요?

A:I’m tired B: If so, should I drive?

• A: 피곤합니다. B: 그럼 제가 운전할까요?

Negative form

Vstem지 않다 - formal / 안verb - casual

Like

• original: 좋아하다
• Negative: 좋아하지 않다 or 안 좋아하다
• formal
  1. 좋아하지 않습니다 - formal
  2. 안 좋아하습니다 - casual
• informal
  1. 좋아하지 않아요 - formal
  2. 안 좋아해요 - casual

Kind

무슨 + N

what kind of exercise do you like?

• formal: 무슨 운동을 좋아하니다.
• informal: 무슨 운동을 좋아해요?

Can / Can’t

• Can: Vstemㄹ/을 수 있다
• Can’t: Vstemㄹ/을 수 없다

https://www.90daykorean.com/can-in-korean/

So / therefore

• original: 그래서
• informal: Vstem아서/어서/여서
• note: the informal endings are shortened forms of 그래서, which means so / therefore.

Because I don’t have money, I won’t have a trip

• informal: 돈이 없어요. 그래서 여행을 할 수 없어요
• informal shortened: 돈이 없어서 여행을 할 수 없어요 - see the can/can’t grammar as well.

https://www.goodjobkorean.com/blog/ending-in-korean-grammar-and-so-or-because https://www.margaritakorean.com/single-post/2016/06/02/episode-23-%EC%84%9C-as-a-causeandeffect-particle

거든

https://www.topikguide.com/%EA%B1%B0%EB%93%A0-korean-grammar/

If / when

Vstem면 - no 받침 / Vstem으면 - with 받침

When I arrive at home, I will do laundry

집에 도착하면 빨래를 할 거예요

https://www.howtostudykorean.com/unit-2-lower-intermediate-korean-grammar/unit-2-lessons-42-50/lesson-43/?amp#431

Although / Even though

Vstem지만

Although I don’t eat veggies, (I) don’t have constipation.

저는 야채를 먹지 않지만 변비가 없어요.

Only

N만

I only watched movie at home yesterday

어제는 집에서 영화만 봤어요

Providing context

• Action Vstem는데 (also 있다 없다 and past tense Vstem)
• Descriptive Vstemㄴ데 - no 받침 / Descriptive Vstem은데 - with 받침

It’s noisy outside; what’s going on?

밖이 시끄러운에 무슨 일 있나?

Quoting

Vstemㄴ다고 - no 받침 / Vstem는다고 - with 받침 Vadjstem다고

https://www.topikguide.com/v%E3%84%B4-%EB%8A%94%EB%8B%A4%EA%B3%A0-a%EB%8B%A4%EA%B3%A0-%ED%95%98%EB%8B%A4-korean-grammar/

Please do something for me

아/어/해 주세요

https://www.reddit.com/r/Korean/s/Cl5CykxOYq

Connecting two sentences

(V1 subject & object) V1stem고 (V2 subject & object) V2

Home is big and clean

• original: 집이 큽니다. + 집이 깨끗합니다.
• connected: 집이 크고 깨끗합니다.
• note: the subjects are the same, we omit one.

I do homework, and my younger sibling does exercise.

• original: 저는 숙제를 합니다. + 동생은 운동을 합니다.
• connected: 저는 숙제를 하고 동생은 운동을 합니다.
• note: the subjects are not the same, we keep both.

Plurality

N들

Note: It’s more of indicating individuals in a collective group instead of plurality.

사람 is person, while 사람들 is people.

With

N과/와 같이 - formal / N하고 같이 - colloquial

I exercise with my younger sibling

• formal: 저는 동생과 같이 운동합니다
• colloquial: 저는 동생하고 같이 운동합니다

Also

• N도
• note: it cannot be used with three kinds of particles: 이/가, 은/는, and 을/를. When we see these particles, we should replace them with 도.

From…To…

time부터 time까지 / place에서 place까지

from 6pm to 9pm

오후 여섯 시부터 오후 아홉 시까지

from home to the company

집에서 회사까지

에 (particle)

1. Place에 있습니다/없습니다
2. Place에 가다/오다
3. Time에 + action verb
4. Use place에서 to express the place where the action is happening.

ㅂ 불규칙 (ㅂ irregular)

When a verb stem ends with ㅂ consonant, and the following character starts with a vowel, the ㅂ is removed and 우 is added.

thank

• original: 고맙다
• informal:
  1. 고마 - the verb stem ends with ㅂ, removed
  2. 고마 + 우 + 어요 - looking at 우, we should use 어요
  3. 고마워요 - combine them

으 불규칙 (으 irregular)

When a verb stem ends with 으 vowel, and the following character starts with a vowel, the 으 is removed.

See below examples:

be busy

• original: 바쁘다
• informal:
  1. 바ㅃ - the verb stem ends with 으, and the following 아요 starts with a vowel, we remove 으
  2. 바ㅃ + 아요 - looking at the character before ㅃ, we should use 아요
  3. 바빠요 - combine both

be pretty

• original: 예쁘다
• informal:
  1. 예ㅃ - the verb stem ends with 으, and the following 어요 starts with a vowel, we remove 으
  2. 예ㅃ + 어요 - looking at the character before ㅃ, we should use 어요
  3. 예뻐요 - combine both

write/use

• original: 쓰다
• informal:
  1. ㅆ - the verb stem ends with 으, and the following 어요 starts with a vowel, we remove 으
  2. ㅆ + 어요 - there is no character before ㅆ, we should use 어요
  3. 써요 - combine both
• past tense:
  1. ㅆ - the verb stem ends with 으, and the following 었다 starts with a vowel, we remove 으
  2. ㅆ + 었다 - there is no character before ㅆ, we should use 었다
  3. 썼다 - combine both

ㄹ 불규칙 (ㄹ irregular)

When a verb stem ends with ㄹ consonent, and the following character starts with ㄴ,ㅂ, or ㅅ, the ㄹ is removed.

to be far

• original: 멀다
• formal:
  1. 머 - the verb stem ends with ㄹ, and the following 습니다 starts with ㅅ, we remove ㄹ.
  2. 멉니다 - since ㄹ was removed, we should use ㅂ니다 instead.
• informal:
  1. 멀어요 - the verb stem ends with ㄹ, but the following 어요 doesn’t start with ㄴ,ㅂ, or ㅅ, we are done.

ㄷ 불규칙 (ㄷ irregular)

When a verb stem ends with ㄷ consonent, and the following character starts with a vowel, we replace ㄷ with ㄹ.

listen

• original: 듣다
• informal:
  1. 들 - the verb stem ends with ㄷ consonent, and the following 어요 starts with a vowel, we replace ㄷ with ㄹ.
  2. 들어요

Secret Sauce

Some bad words in Korean :)

https://ling-app.com/ko/korean-swear-words/

씨발’s conjugation - https://www.quora.com/What-does-the-Korean-Shibal-mean/answer/GenXKoreanMale?ch=15&oid=1477743656654173&share=c4626fdb&srid=hn3EIx&target_type=answer