Korean Verbs

100 Essential Korean Verbs for Beginners

안녕하세요! Hello Korean learners!

Are you just starting to learn Korean? If so, you’re in the right place! One of the most important parts of learning any language is mastering the verbs. With verbs, you can more easily and precisely convey what you want to say!

In this article, I have put together a list of 100 essential Korean verbs for beginners. These verbs will help you build a strong foundation in your Korean language journey. From everyday actions like eating and drinking to expressing your thoughts and feelings, these verbs will be your go-tos.

Each verb comes with :

  • • its dictionary form (-다)
  • • its past tense (았 / 었 / 였어요)
  • • its present tense (아 / 어 / 여요)
  • • its future tense (을 거예요)

As you can see, they’re all conjugated at the 해요체 form (polite informal). It’s the most common form, used daily and in everyday situations. It’s also known as the “요 form”.

Let’s get started and dive into the world of Korean verbs together.

About Korean verbs

There are some things to remember about Korean verbs :

  • • Korean has one conjugation for all “person”. In English, you can say “I study”, but if you say “My brother study”, it doesn’t work. You have to say “My brother studies“. In Korean, one conjugation goes for all.
    제가 공부해요. (I study)
    오빠가 공부해요. (My older brother studies)
  • • It is always better to study the verbs with sentences. So I would suggest you make sentences while studying the verbs of this list!
    For some inspiration, check out 100 basic Korean sentences for beginners.
  • • In the list, you’ll see some verbs marked with [ㄹ], [ㅂ], [르]or [ㄷ]. It means they are irregular verbs. They won’t follow the patterns of regular verbs for several tenses in Korean – you have to study them separately.

100 Essential Korean Verbs

PASTPRESENTFUTURE
1. 가다 – to go
갔어요가요갈 거예요
2. 오다 – to come
왔어요와요올 거예요
3. 먹다 – to eat
먹었어요먹어요먹을 거예요
4. 마시다 – drink
마셨어요마셔요마실 거예요
5. 보다 – to see
봤어요봐요볼 거예요
6. 하다 – to do
했어요해요할 거예요
7. 있다 – to have/exist
있었어요있어요있을 거예요
8. 없다 – to not have/exist
없었어요없어요없을 거예요
9. 살다 – to live [ㄹ]
살았어요살아요살 거예요
10. 사다 – to buy
샀어요사요살 거예요
11. 팔다 – to sell [ㄹ]
팔았어요팔아요팔 거예요
12. 주다 – to give
줬어요줘요줄 거예요
13. 받다 – to receive
받았어요받아요받을 거예요
14. 만나다 – to meet
만났어요만나요만날 거예요
15. 자다 – to sleep
잤어요자요잘 거예요
16. 일어나다 – to wake up
일어났어요일어나요일어날 거예요
17. 공부하다 – to study
공부했어요공부해요공부할 거예요
18. 쓰다 – to write/use
썼어요써요쓸 거예요
19. 읽다 – to read
읽었어요읽어요읽을 거예요
20. 좋아하다 – to like
좋아했어요좋아해요좋아할 거예요
21. 싫어하다 – to dislike
싫어했어요싫어해요싫어할 거예요
22. 알다 – to know [ㄹ]
알았어요알아요알 거예요
23. 모르다 – to not know [르]
몰랐어요몰라요모를 거예요
24. 배우다 – to learn
배웠어요배워요배울 거예요
25. 가르치다 – to teach
가르쳤어요가르쳐요가르칠 거예요
26. 놀다 – to play
놀았어요놀아요놀 거예요
27. 게임하다 – to play games
게임했어요게임해요게임할 거예요
28. 걷다 – to walk [ㄷ]
걸었어요걸어요걸을 거예요
29. 달리다 – to run
달렸어요달려요달릴 거예요
30. 말하다 – to speak
말했어요말해요말할 거예요
31. 이야기하다 – to talk
이야기했어요이야기해요이야기할 거예요
32. 듣다 – to listen [ㄷ]
들었어요들어요들을 거예요
33. 춤추다 – to dance
춤췄어요춤춰요춤출 거예요
34. 일하다 – to work
일했어요일해요일할 거예요
35. 운전하다 – to drive
운전했어요운전해요운전할 거예요
36. 기다리다 – to wait
기다렸어요기다려요기다릴 거예요
37. 나가다 – to go out
나갔어요나가요나갈 거예요
38. 들어가다 – to go in
들어갔어요들어가요들어갈 거예요
39. 시작하다 – to start
시작했어요시작해요시작할 거예요
40. 묻다 – to ask [ㄷ]
물었어요물어요물을 거예요
41. 대답하다 – to answer
대답했어요대답해요대답할 거예요
42. 전화하다 – to call
전화했어요전화해요전화할 거예요
43. 만들다 – to make [ㄹ]
만들었어요만들어요만들 거예요
44. 요리하다 – to cook
요리했어요요리해요요리할 거예요
45. 청소하다 – to clean
청소했어요청소해요청소할 거예요
46. 쉬다 – to rest
쉬었어요쉬어요쉴 거예요
47. 도와주다 – to help
도와줬어요도와줘요도와줄 거예요
48. 필요하다 – to need
필요했어요필요해요필요할 거예요
49. 연습하다 – to practice
연습했어요연습해요연습할 거예요
50. 노래하다 – to sing
노래했어요노래해요노래할 거예요
51. 웃다 – to laugh
웃었어요웃어요웃을 거예요
52. 울다 – to cry [ㄹ]
울었어요울어요울 거예요
53. 사용하다 – to use
사용했어요사용해요사용할 거예요
54. 잊다 – to forget
잊었어요잊어요잊을 거예요
55. 사랑하다 – to love
사랑했어요사랑해요사랑할 거예요
56. 믿다 – to believe
믿었어요믿어요믿을 거예요
57. 걱정하다 – to worry
걱정했어요걱정해요걱정할 거예요
58. 운동하다 – to exercise
운동했어요운동해요운동할 거예요
59. 샤워하다 – to take a shower
샤워했어요샤워해요샤워할 거예요
60. 씻다 – to wash
씻었어요씻어요씻을 거예요
61. 찾다 – to find
찾았어요찾아요찾을 거예요
62. 느끼다 – to feel
느꼈어요느껴요느낄 거예요
63. 만지다 – to touch
만졌어요만져요만질 거예요
64. 보내다 – to send
보냈어요보내요보낼 거예요
65. 입다 – to wear, to put on
입었어요입어요입을 거예요
66. 벗다 – to take off
벗었어요벗어요벗을 거예요
67. 신다 – to wear (shoes)
신었어요신어요신을 거예요
68. 열다 – to open [ㄹ]
열었어요열어요열 거예요
69. 닫다 – to close
닫았어요닫아요닫을 거예요
70. 기억하다 – to remember
기억했어요기억해요기억할 거예요
71. 외우다 – to memorize
외웠어요외워요외울 거예요
72. 눕다 – to lie down (on the back) [ㅂ]
누웠어요누워요누울 거예요
73. 태어나다 – to be born
태어났어요태어나요태어날 거예요
74. 죽다 – to die
죽었어요죽어요죽을 거예요
75. 보이다 – to be seen
보였어요보여요보일 거예요
76. 이사하다 – to move (house)
이사했어요이사해요이사할 거예요
77. 결혼하다 – to get married
결혼했어요결혼해요결혼할 거예요
78. 대화하다 – to converse
대화했어요대화해요대화할 거예요
79. 이해하다 – to understand
이해했어요이해해요이해할 거예요
80. 설명하다 – to explain
설명했어요설명해요설명할 거예요
81. 주문하다 – to order
주문했어요주문해요주문할 거예요
82. 바꾸다 – to change, to switch
바꿨어요바꿔요바꿀 거예요
83. 고백하다 – to confess
고백했어요고백해요고백할 거예요
84. 산책하다 – to take a walk
산책했어요산책해요산책할 거예요
85. 여행하다 – to travel
여행했어요여행해요여행할 거예요
86. 지각하다 – to be late
지각했어요지각해요지각할 거예요
87. 축하하다 – to celebrate, congratulate
축하했어요축하해요축하할 거예요
88. 준비하다 – to prepare
준비했어요준비해요준비할 거예요
89. 포기하다 – to give up
포기했어요포기해요포기할 거예요
90. 초대하다 – to invite
초대했어요초대해요초대할 거예요
91. 배고프다 – to be hungry
배고팠어요배고파요배고플 거예요
92. 배부르다 – to be full [르]
배불렀어요배불러요배부를 거예요
93. 그리다 – to draw
그렸어요그려요그릴 거예요
94. 고르다 – to choose [르]
골랐어요골라요고를 거예요
95. 앉다 – to sit
앉았어요앉아요앉을 거예요
96. 잡다 – to catch, take
잡았어요잡아요잡을 거예요
97. 빌리다 – to borrow, rent
빌렸어요빌려요빌릴 거예요
98. 쉽다 – to be easy [ㅂ]
쉬웠어요쉬워요쉬울 거예요
99. 어렵다 – to be difficult [ㅂ]
어려웠어요어려워요어려울 거예요
100. 줍다 – to pick up [ㅂ]
주웠어요주워요주울 거예요

Wrap Up

There you go! Hopefully, this list could help you build a strong foundation of essential verbs in Korean. Don’t forget to check the other articles for more vocabulary :

And don’t hesitate to check the new YouTube channel for more content !

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