Korean vocabulary · 31 words
Common Korean adjectives: 좋다, 크다, 작다, 예쁘다, 맛있다 and more
Korean adjectives are descriptive verbs: they end in 다 and conjugate like verbs, so 좋다 (to be good) becomes 좋아요 (it's good) and 좋았어요 (it was good). In front of a noun they take (으)ㄴ instead: 좋은 책 (a good book). This list has the adjectives from the course, with the polite forms where it teaches them.
Examples are written in Hangul. New to it? Start with the hangul chart.
Good to know
- Predicate vs modifier: 가방이 커요 (the bag is big) but 큰 가방 (a big bag).
- Stems ending in ㅡ drop it: 크다 → 커요, 예쁘다 → 예뻐요, 바쁘다 → 바빠요, 나쁘다 → 나빠요.
- ㅂ-irregular: 어렵다 → 어려워요, 덥다 → 더워요, 춥다 → 추워요.
- 좋아요 means both it's good and I like it. 좋아해요 (to like) is a verb and takes 을/를.
Size, looks and price
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 크다 | keuda | to be big (dictionary form) | |
| 커요 | keoyo | is big (polite) | |
| 큰 | keun | big (+ noun) | |
| 작다 | jakda | to be small (dictionary form) | |
| 작아요 | jagayo | is small (polite) | |
| 작은 | jageun | small (+ noun) | |
| 예쁘다 | yeppeuda | to be pretty (dictionary form) | |
| 예뻐요 | yeppeoyo | is pretty (polite) | |
| 비싸다 | bissada | to be expensive (dictionary form) | |
| 비싸요 | bissayo | is expensive (polite) | |
| 싸다 | ssada | to be cheap |
Good, bad and tasty
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 좋다 | jota | to be good (dictionary form) | |
| 좋아요 | joayo | is good / I like it (polite) | |
| 좋은 | joeun | good (+ noun) | |
| 나쁘다 | nappeuda | be bad | |
| 맛있다 | masitda | to be delicious (dictionary form) | |
| 맛있어요 | masisseoyo | is delicious (polite) | |
| 재미있다 | jaemiitda | be fun / interesting | |
| 중요하다 | jungyohada | be important | |
| 필요하다 | piryohada | be needed / need |
How you feel
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 바쁘다 | bappeuda | be busy | |
| 힘들다 | himdeulda | be hard / tiring | |
| 어렵다 | eoryeopda | be difficult | |
| 피곤하다 | pigonhada | be tired | |
| 건강하다 | geonganghada | be healthy | |
| 아파요 | apayo | hurts / is sick (ㅡ-irregular) |
Same and different
| Korean | Romanization | Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 같다 | gatda | be the same | |
| 비슷하다 | biseuthada | be similar | |
| 다르다 | dareuda | be different | |
| 다른 | dareun | other / different | |
| 어떤 | eotteon | what kind of / which |
Test yourself
Five of the 31 words on this page, meaning to word. Pick an answer to check it; nothing is saved.
1.Which Korean word means "to be big (dictionary form)"?
2.Which Korean word means "to be pretty (dictionary form)"?
3.Which Korean word means "is good / I like it (polite)"?
4.Which Korean word means "be important"?
5.Which Korean word means "be healthy"?
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Keep going
- Grammar guideThe polite present tenseHow to conjugate Korean verbs and adjectives into the polite 요 form: 아요 vs 어요, 하다 → 해요, the ㅡ drop and vowel contractions.
- Grammar guideKorean noun modifiersHow Korean describes a noun with a verb or adjective in front of it: 는 for now, (으)ㄴ for done and for adjectives, (으)ㄹ for what is still to come.
- Grammar guideKorean comparatives and superlativesHow to compare in Korean: 보다 (than) on the thing you compare against, 더 (more) and 덜 (less), 제일 / 가장 (the most) and 중에서 (among), with examples.
- ChartHangul chartEvery Korean consonant and vowel with romanization, stroke order and example words, how syllable blocks work, and a syllable chart with audio.