Korean Grammar Guide

Master Korean sentence structure, particles, and verb conjugations

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Korean Sentence Structure

Korean follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order, which is different from English (SVO). Understanding this fundamental difference is key to forming correct Korean sentences.

English (SVO)

I eat rice

Korean (SOV)

μ €λŠ” λ°₯을 λ¨Ήμ–΄μš”
jeoneun babeul meogeoyo

More Examples

μ €λŠ” K-pop을 μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”
jeoneun K-pop-eul johahaeyo
I like K-pop
μ €λŠ” (I) + K-pop을 (K-pop) + μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš” (like)
μΉœκ΅¬κ°€ 책을 μ½μ–΄μš”
chinguga chaegeul ilgeoyo
My friend reads a book
μΉœκ΅¬κ°€ (friend) + 책을 (book) + μ½μ–΄μš” (reads)

Korean Particles (쑰사)

Particles are small words that attach to nouns to indicate their grammatical role in a sentence. They're crucial for understanding Korean!

은/λŠ”
Topic Particle
Marks the topic of the sentence
μ €λŠ” ν•™μƒμ΄μ—μš” I am a student
Use λŠ” after vowels, 은 after consonants
이/κ°€
Subject Particle
Marks the subject performing the action
λΉ„κ°€ μ™€μš” Rain is falling
Use κ°€ after vowels, 이 after consonants
을/λ₯Ό
Object Particle
Marks the direct object
μŒμ•…μ„ λ“€μ–΄μš” I listen to music
Use λ₯Ό after vowels, 을 after consonants
에
Location/Time Particle
Indicates location or time
학ꡐ에 κ°€μš” I go to school
3μ‹œμ— λ§Œλ‚˜μš” Let's meet at 3 o'clock
μ—μ„œ
Location Particle
Indicates where an action takes place
μΉ΄νŽ˜μ—μ„œ κ³΅λΆ€ν•΄μš” I study at a cafe
와/κ³Ό, ν•˜κ³ 
And/With Particle
Connects nouns or indicates "with"
μΉœκ΅¬μ™€ μ˜ν™” λ΄μš” I watch a movie with a friend
와 after vowels, κ³Ό after consonants

Verb Conjugations (동사 ν™œμš©)

Korean verbs change their endings based on formality level, tense, and other factors. Here are the most common conjugation patterns:

Present Tense (ν˜„μž¬ν˜•)

Polite Form (-μš”)

κ°€λ‹€ (to go) β†’ κ°€μš” (go/goes)
λ¨Ήλ‹€ (to eat) β†’ λ¨Ήμ–΄μš” (eat/eats)
ν•˜λ‹€ (to do) β†’ ν•΄μš” (do/does)

Formal Form (-μŠ΅λ‹ˆλ‹€)

κ°€λ‹€ (to go) β†’ κ°‘λ‹ˆλ‹€ (go/goes)
λ¨Ήλ‹€ (to eat) β†’ λ¨ΉμŠ΅λ‹ˆλ‹€ (eat/eats)
ν•˜λ‹€ (to do) β†’ ν•©λ‹ˆλ‹€ (do/does)

Past Tense (κ³Όκ±°ν˜•)

Polite Past (-μ—ˆ/μ•˜μ–΄μš”)

κ°€λ‹€ (to go) β†’ κ°”μ–΄μš” (went)
λ¨Ήλ‹€ (to eat) β†’ λ¨Ήμ—ˆμ–΄μš” (ate)
보닀 (to see) β†’ λ΄€μ–΄μš” (saw)

Formal Past (-μ—ˆ/μ•˜μŠ΅λ‹ˆλ‹€)

κ°€λ‹€ (to go) β†’ κ°”μŠ΅λ‹ˆλ‹€ (went)
λ¨Ήλ‹€ (to eat) β†’ λ¨Ήμ—ˆμŠ΅λ‹ˆλ‹€ (ate)
보닀 (to see) β†’ λ΄€μŠ΅λ‹ˆλ‹€ (saw)

Future Tense (λ―Έλž˜ν˜•)

Will/Going to (-(으)γ„Ή κ±°μ˜ˆμš”)

κ°€λ‹€ (to go) β†’ 갈 κ±°μ˜ˆμš” (will go)
λ¨Ήλ‹€ (to eat) β†’ 먹을 κ±°μ˜ˆμš” (will eat)
ν•˜λ‹€ (to do) β†’ ν•  κ±°μ˜ˆμš” (will do)

Intention (-(으)γ„Ήκ²Œμš”)

κ°€λ‹€ (to go) β†’ κ°ˆκ²Œμš” (I'll go)
ν•˜λ‹€ (to do) β†’ ν• κ²Œμš” (I'll do)

Honorific Language (μ‘΄λŒ“λ§)

Korean has different levels of formality and respect. Understanding when and how to use honorific language is crucial for proper communication.

Formal/Polite (μ‘΄λŒ“λ§)

Use with strangers, older people, or in formal situations
μ•ˆλ…•ν•˜μ„Έμš” Hello
κ°μ‚¬ν•©λ‹ˆλ‹€ Thank you
μ£„μ†‘ν•©λ‹ˆλ‹€ I'm sorry

Casual (반말)

Use with close friends or people younger than you
μ•ˆλ…• Hi/Bye
κ³ λ§ˆμ›Œ Thanks
λ―Έμ•ˆ Sorry

Subject Honorific (주체 μ‘΄λŒ€)

When the subject is someone you respect
μ„ μƒλ‹˜μ΄ μ˜€μ„Έμš” The teacher is coming
ν• λ¨Έλ‹ˆκ»˜μ„œ μ£Όλ¬΄μ„Έμš” Grandmother is sleeping

🎡 K-pop Connection

In K-pop, you'll often hear different speech levels:

  • Formal speech in interviews and award ceremonies
  • Polite speech when talking to fans
  • Casual speech between group members in behind-the-scenes content

Forming Questions (의문문)

Korean questions can be formed in several ways. Here are the most common patterns:

Yes/No Questions

Statement + μš”? / μŠ΅λ‹ˆκΉŒ?
K-pop을 μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”
K-pop을 μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”?
Do you like K-pop?

WH- Questions

뭐/무엇 what
λˆ„κ΅¬ who
μ–Έμ œ when
μ–΄λ”” where
μ™œ why
μ–΄λ–»κ²Œ how
이름이 λ­μ˜ˆμš”?
What is your name?
μ–΄λ””μ—μ„œ μ™”μ–΄μš”?
Where are you from?

Practice Grammar

🧠 Grammar Quiz

Test your understanding of Korean grammar rules with interactive exercises.

Take Grammar Quiz

πŸ“ Sentence Practice

Practice forming sentences with different particles and verb conjugations.

Practice Sentences

🎡 Apply in K-pop

See grammar in action through K-pop lyrics with detailed explanations.

Study Lyrics

Continue Learning

Now that you understand Korean grammar fundamentals, expand your knowledge:

1

Build Vocabulary

Expand your word knowledge with categorized vocabulary
2

Perfect Pronunciation

Master Korean sounds and pronunciation rules
3

Cultural Context

Understand Korean culture and social contexts