100 Essential Korean Verbs Every Beginner Needs To Know
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Building a strong vocabulary foundation is the most important step when learning Korean.
Verbs are the absolute engine of every Korean sentence.
Korean grammar relies heavily on verbs because they always appear at the very end of a statement.
You can often form complete, perfectly natural Korean sentences using just a single verb.
This guide provides the 100 most essential Korean verbs to help you start communicating quickly.
I’ve divided these verbs into clear categories to make your study sessions much easier.
Table of contents:
How Korean verbs work
Every Korean verb in the dictionary ends with the syllable 다 (da).
This is called the dictionary form or the infinitive form.
When you actually speak or write in Korean, you must remove the 다.
What remains is called the verb stem.
You then attach different grammar endings to this stem depending on the formality level and tense you want to use.
For example, the verb stem of 하다 (to do) is 하.
If you want to speak politely, you change it to 해요 (I do / you do).
Keep this stem rule in mind as you review the vocabulary tables below.
Essential state verbs
These four verbs are the foundational building blocks of the Korean language.
They allow you to state what things are and whether or not they exist.
| # | Korean Verb | Pronunciation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 이다 | ida | to be |
| 2 | 아니다 | anida | to not be |
| 3 | 있다 | itda | to exist / to have |
| 4 | 없다 | eopda | to not exist / to not have |
저는 돈이 있어요.
Core action verbs
Action verbs describe everyday physical activities and mental processes.
These are the verbs you’ll use the most to explain your daily routine and habits.
| # | Korean Verb | Pronunciation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 하다 | hada | to do |
| 6 | 먹다 | meokda | to eat |
| 7 | 마시다 | masida | to drink |
| 8 | 자다 | jada | to sleep |
| 9 | 보다 | boda | to see / to watch |
| 10 | 읽다 | ikda | to read |
| 11 | 쓰다 | sseuda | to write / to use |
| 12 | 듣다 | deutda | to listen / to hear |
| 13 | 사다 | sada | to buy |
| 14 | 팔다 | palda | to sell |
| 15 | 입다 | ipda | to wear |
| 16 | 벗다 | beotda | to take off (clothes) |
| 17 | 놀다 | nolda | to play / to hang out |
| 18 | 일하다 | ilhada | to work |
| 19 | 배우다 | baeuda | to learn |
| 20 | 공부하다 | gongbuhada | to study |
| 21 | 가르치다 | gareuchida | to teach |
| 22 | 만들다 | mandeulda | to make |
| 23 | 요리하다 | yorihada | to cook |
| 24 | 씻다 | ssitda | to wash |
| 25 | 청소하다 | cheongsohada | to clean |
| 26 | 기다리다 | gidarida | to wait |
| 27 | 만나다 | mannada | to meet |
| 28 | 좋아하다 | joahada | to like |
| 29 | 싫어하다 | sireohada | to dislike |
| 30 | 사랑하다 | saranghada | to love |
| 31 | 생각하다 | saenggakada | to think |
| 32 | 알다 | alda | to know |
| 33 | 모르다 | moreuda | to not know |
| 34 | 찾다 | chatda | to look for / to find |
저는 점심을 먹어요.
Motion and position verbs
Motion verbs indicate movement from one place to another.
They’re frequently used alongside location particles to describe your current destination.
| # | Korean Verb | Pronunciation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 가다 | gada | to go |
| 36 | 오다 | oda | to come |
| 37 | 걷다 | geotda | to walk |
| 38 | 뛰다 | ttwida | to run / to jump |
| 39 | 서다 | seoda | to stand |
| 40 | 앉다 | anda | to sit |
| 41 | 일어나다 | ireonada | to get up / to wake up |
| 42 | 떠나다 | tteonada | to leave |
| 43 | 도착하다 | dochakada | to arrive |
| 44 | 들어가다 | deureogada | to go inside |
| 45 | 들어오다 | deureooda | to come inside |
| 46 | 나가다 | nagada | to go out |
| 47 | 나오다 | naoda | to come out |
| 48 | 타다 | tada | to ride (transportation) |
| 49 | 내리다 | naerida | to get off (transportation) |
학교에 가요.
Communication and interaction verbs
These verbs describe how we interact, speak, and share things with others around us.
| # | Korean Verb | Pronunciation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 말하다 | malhada | to speak / to say |
| 51 | 이야기하다 | iyagihada | to talk / to chat |
| 52 | 묻다 | mutda | to ask |
| 53 | 대답하다 | daedapada | to answer |
| 54 | 부르다 | bureuda | to call / to sing |
| 55 | 웃다 | utda | to laugh / to smile |
| 56 | 울다 | ulda | to cry |
| 57 | 느끼다 | neukkida | to feel |
| 58 | 잃어버리다 | ireobeorida | to lose (an object) |
| 59 | 주다 | juda | to give |
| 60 | 받다 | batda | to receive |
| 61 | 돕다 | dopda | to help |
| 62 | 열다 | yeolda | to open |
| 63 | 닫다 | datda | to close |
| 64 | 빌리다 | billida | to borrow |
도와주세요.
Descriptive verbs (Korean adjectives)
In English, adjectives are separate words that need the verb “to be” to function in a sentence.
In Korean, adjectives actually function exactly like verbs.
Because of this unique grammar feature, we call them descriptive verbs.
They conjugate in the exact same way that normal action verbs do.
| # | Korean Verb | Pronunciation | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 크다 | keuda | to be big |
| 66 | 작다 | jakda | to be small |
| 67 | 많다 | manta | to be many / to be a lot |
| 68 | 적다 | jeokda | to be few |
| 69 | 좋다 | jota | to be good |
| 70 | 나쁘다 | nappeuda | to be bad |
| 71 | 비싸다 | bissada | to be expensive |
| 72 | 싸다 | ssada | to be cheap |
| 73 | 예쁘다 | yeppeuda | to be pretty |
| 74 | 아름답다 | areumdapda | to be beautiful |
| 75 | 귀엽다 | gwiyeopda | to be cute |
| 76 | 맛있다 | masitda | to be delicious |
| 77 | 맛없다 | madeopda | to not be delicious |
| 78 | 맵다 | maepda | to be spicy |
| 79 | 달다 | dalda | to be sweet |
| 80 | 짜다 | jjada | to be salty |
| 81 | 뜨겁다 | tteugeopda | to be hot (touch/objects) |
| 82 | 차갑다 | chagapda | to be cold (touch/objects) |
| 83 | 덥다 | deopda | to be hot (weather) |
| 84 | 춥다 | chupda | to be cold (weather) |
| 85 | 어렵다 | eoryeopda | to be difficult |
| 86 | 쉽다 | swipda | to be easy |
| 87 | 바쁘다 | bappeuda | to be busy |
| 88 | 아프다 | apeuda | to be sick / to hurt |
| 89 | 피곤하다 | pigonhada | to be tired |
| 90 | 재미있다 | jaemiitda | to be interesting / to be fun |
| 91 | 재미없다 | jaemieopda | to be boring |
| 92 | 빠르다 | ppareuda | to be fast |
| 93 | 느리다 | neurida | to be slow |
| 94 | 멀다 | meolda | to be far |
| 95 | 가깝다 | gakkapda | to be close / near |
| 96 | 무겁다 | mugeopda | to be heavy |
| 97 | 가볍다 | gabyeopda | to be light |
| 98 | 길다 | gilda | to be long |
| 99 | 짧다 | jjalpda | to be short |
| 100 | 슬프다 | seulpeuda | to be sad |
날씨가 추워요.
