Learning descriptive words is one of the fastest ways to improve your spoken Korean.

Korean adjectives actually function as descriptive verbs.

This means they conjugate and change forms just like action verbs do.

You can jump right in and practice these words using Talk In Korean.

Below is a categorized list of 100 common Korean adjectives you’ll hear every day.

I’ve included both the dictionary form and the polite present tense (요) form for each word.

How Korean adjectives work

Every Korean adjective starts in a dictionary form that ends with the letter 다.

You can’t simply use the dictionary form in a polite conversation.

You must conjugate the word into a conversational form.

The most common polite form ends in 요.

Here’s an example of an adjective being used in a sentence.

Korean adjectives act as the main verb of the sentence.

You don’t need a separate verb for “is” or “are” when using them.

Emotions and feelings

These words describe your emotional state and personal feelings.

Sizes, amounts, and distances

Use these adjectives to describe the physical dimensions or quantities of things.

Appearance and physical qualities

These words are helpful for describing what objects or people look like.

Weather and temperature

Korean winters are freezing and the summers are extremely humid.

These weather adjectives will help you talk about the seasons.

Taste and food

Food is a huge part of Korean culture.

You’ll constantly use these adjectives when eating at restaurants.

Difficulty, speed, and time

These descriptors are necessary for scheduling and talking about your daily tasks.

Personality and character traits

You can use these words to describe someone’s behavior or disposition.