Korean Vocabulary

Build your Korean word bank with interactive vocabulary lists and study tools

Home > Vocabulary

Core Essential Korean Vocabulary πŸ‡°πŸ‡·

This static list covers the fundamental words required for daily conversation (TOPIK Level 1-2 equivalent). Study these before using the interactive tool above!

Category 1: Daily Life and Actions

Hangul Meaning Type Example Sentence
κ°€λ‹€To goVerb학ꡐ에 **κ°‘λ‹ˆλ‹€**. (I **go** to school.)
μ˜€λ‹€To comeVerb집에 **μ˜€μ„Έμš”**. (**Come** home.)
ν•˜λ‹€To doVerb뭐 **ν•΄μš”**? (What are you **doing**?)
λ¨Ήλ‹€To eatVerbλ°₯을 **λ¨Ήμ—ˆμ–΄μš”**. (I **ate** a meal.)
λ§ˆμ‹œλ‹€To drinkVerb물을 **λ§ˆμ…”μš”**. (I **drink** water.)
곡뢀StudyNoun**곡뢀**κ°€ μž¬λ―Έμžˆμ–΄μš”. (**Studying** is fun.)
친ꡬFriendNoun**친ꡬ**λ₯Ό λ§Œλ‚¬μ–΄μš”. (I met a **friend**.)
집Home/HouseNoun**집**에 κ°€μž. (Let's go **home**.)
이름NameNoun**이름**이 λ­μ˜ˆμš”? (What is your **name**?)
μ‹œκ°„TimeNoun**μ‹œκ°„**이 μ—†μ–΄μš”. (I don't have **time**.)
날씨WeatherNoun였늘 **날씨**κ°€ μ’‹μ•„μš”. (Today's **weather** is good.)
λ§ν•˜λ‹€To speak/sayVerb천천히 **말해** μ£Όμ„Έμš”. (**Speak** slowly, please.)
λ“£λ‹€To listen/hearVerbμŒμ•…μ„ **λ“€μ–΄μš”**. (I **listen** to music.)
보닀To see/watchVerbμ˜ν™”λ₯Ό **λ΄μš”**. (I **watch** a movie.)
μ’‹λ‹€To be good/likeAdj이것이 **μ’‹μ•„μš”**. (This **is good**.)
크닀To be big/largeAdj집이 정말 **μ»€μš”**. (The house is really **big**.)
μž‘λ‹€To be smallAdj가방이 λ„ˆλ¬΄ **μž‘μ•„μš”**. (The bag is too **small**.)
μžˆλ‹€To be/have/existVerb돈이 **μžˆμ–΄μš”**. (I **have** money.)
μ—†λ‹€To not be/not haveAdjλ¬Έμ œκ°€ **μ—†μ–΄μš”**. (There **is no** problem.)
μ‚¬λžŒPersonNoun쒋은 **μ‚¬λžŒ**μ΄μ—μš”. (He is a nice **person**.)
돈MoneyNoun**돈**을 λ²Œμ–΄μš”. (I earn **money**.)
λ¬ΌWaterNoun**λ¬Ό** μ’€ μ£Όμ„Έμš”. (Give me some **water**.)
μ±…BookNoun**μ±…**을 μ½μ–΄μš”. (I read a **book**.)
보닀To see/watchVerbTVλ₯Ό **λ΄μš”**. (I **watch** TV.)
μ“°λ‹€To write/useVerbνŽΈμ§€λ₯Ό **μΌμ–΄μš”**. (I **wrote** a letter.)
μΌμ–΄λ‚˜λ‹€To wake up/get upVerb아침에 **μΌμ–΄λ‚¬μ–΄μš”**. (I **woke up** in the morning.)
μžλ‹€To sleepVerb밀에 잘 **μžμš”**. (I **sleep** well at night.)
사닀To buyVerbμ˜·μ„ **μƒ€μ–΄μš”**. (I **bought** clothes.)
νŒ”λ‹€To sellVerb책을 **νŒ”μ•„μš”**. (I **sell** books.)

Category 2: Feelings and Descriptors

Hangul Meaning Type Example Sentence
μ˜ˆμ˜λ‹€To be prettyAdj꽃이 정말 **μ˜ˆλ»μš”**. (The flower is truly **pretty**.)
λ©‹μžˆλ‹€To be cool/stylishAdjμ € λ°°μš°λŠ” **λ©‹μžˆμ–΄μš”**. (That actor **is cool**.)
μŠ¬ν”„λ‹€To be sadAdj이야기가 **μŠ¬νΌμš”**. (The story **is sad**.)
κΈ°μ˜λ‹€To be happy/joyfulAdjμ†Œμ‹μ— **κΈ°λ»μš”**. (I **am joyful** at the news.)
λ°°κ³ ν”„λ‹€To be hungryAdjμ§€κΈˆ λ„ˆλ¬΄ **λ°°κ³ νŒŒμš”**. (I **am so hungry** now.)
λ§›μžˆλ‹€To be deliciousAdjμŒμ‹μ΄ **λ§›μžˆμ–΄μš”**. (The food **is delicious**.)
쉽닀To be easyAdjν•œκ΅­μ–΄λŠ” **μ‰¬μ›Œμš”**. (Korean **is easy**.)
μ–΄λ ΅λ‹€To be difficultAdjλ¬Έμ œκ°€ **μ–΄λ €μ›Œμš”**. (The problem **is difficult**.)
λΉ„μ‹Έλ‹€To be expensiveAdj이 μ‹œκ³„λŠ” **λΉ„μ‹Έμš”**. (This watch **is expensive**.)
μ‹Έλ‹€To be cheapAdj이것은 **μ‹Έμš”**. (This **is cheap**.)
맑닀To be clear (weather)Adjν•˜λŠ˜μ΄ **λ§‘μ•„μš”**. (The sky **is clear**.)
λ₯λ‹€To be hot (weather)Adjμ˜€λŠ˜μ€ λ„ˆλ¬΄ **λ”μ›Œμš”**. (It **is too hot** today.)
μΆ₯λ‹€To be cold (weather)Adj날씨가 **μΆ”μ›Œμš”**. (The weather **is cold**.)
λΉ λ₯΄λ‹€To be fastAdjμ°¨κ°€ **λΉ¨λΌμš”**. (The car **is fast**.)
λŠλ¦¬λ‹€To be slowAdj말이 **λŠλ €μš”**. (The speech **is slow**.)

πŸ’‘ Deep Dive: Sino-Korean vs. Native Korean Numbers

Korean utilizes two distinct sets of numbers: **Native Korean** (ν•˜λ‚˜, λ‘˜, μ…‹...) and **Sino-Korean** (일, 이, μ‚Ό...). Using the correct set demonstrates language proficiency and is crucial for accuracy:

Number Set Usage Examples
**Native Korean**Counting items, people, hours (1-12), age두 μ‹œ (Two o'clock), μ„Έ λͺ… (Three people)
**Sino-Korean**Dates, money, addresses, phone numbers, minutes/seconds, years였 λΆ„ (Five minutes), 이천였 λ…„ (Year 2005)

Loading Korean Vocabulary...

Please wait while we load the vocabulary database.

Vocabulary Study Tips

🧠

Spaced Repetition

Review words at increasing intervals. Start with daily review, then every few days, then weekly. This helps move words from short-term to long-term memory.

πŸ“

Use Context

Don't just memorize isolated words. Learn them in sentences and phrases. This helps you understand how words are actually used in Korean.

🎡

K-pop Connection

Look for vocabulary words in your favorite K-pop songs. Music makes memorization easier and more enjoyable!

πŸ”Š

Practice Pronunciation

Always learn pronunciation along with meaning. Practice saying new words out loud to improve your speaking skills.

πŸ“±

Daily Practice

Set aside 10-15 minutes daily for vocabulary review. Consistency is more important than long study sessions.

🎯

Set Goals

Learn 5-10 new words per day. Focus on high-frequency words and terms relevant to your interests in Korean culture.

Vocabulary Categories

Our vocabulary is organized into helpful categories to make learning more structured and efficient.

πŸ‘‹

Basic Greetings

Essential greetings and polite expressions for daily conversation.

μ•ˆλ…•ν•˜μ„Έμš” κ°μ‚¬ν•©λ‹ˆλ‹€ μ£„μ†‘ν•΄μš”
πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§β€πŸ‘¦

Family Members

Words for family relationships and family-related terms.

κ°€μ‘± μ–΄λ¨Έλ‹ˆ 아버지
πŸ”’

Numbers

Korean native and Sino-Korean number systems.

ν•˜λ‚˜ λ‘˜ μ…‹
🍚

Food & Drinks

Korean cuisine and dining-related vocabulary.

κΉ€μΉ˜ λΉ„λΉ”λ°₯ λ¬Ό
🎀

K-pop Terms

Essential vocabulary for K-pop fans and Korean entertainment.

μ•„μ΄λŒ 팬 μ½˜μ„œνŠΈ
🎨

Colors

Color names and color-related adjectives.

빨간색 νŒŒλž€μƒ‰ λ…Έλž€μƒ‰
⏰

Time

Time expressions, days, months, and temporal vocabulary.

였늘 μ–΄μ œ 내일
🌀️

Weather

Weather conditions and seasonal vocabulary.

날씨 λΉ„ 눈
😊

Emotions

Feelings, emotions, and psychological states.

행볡 μ‚¬λž‘ μŠ¬ν””

How to Use Our Vocabulary Tools

1

Browse & Filter

Use the search and filter options to find words by category, difficulty level, or specific terms you want to learn.

2

Study Mode

Enter study mode to practice with flashcards. Test yourself on Korean to English or English to Korean translations.

3

Track Progress

Use the quiz system to test your vocabulary knowledge and track your improvement over time.

4

Apply Knowledge

Practice using new vocabulary in context with our phrase generator and K-pop lyrics analysis.

Practice Your Vocabulary

🧠 Vocabulary Quiz

Test your knowledge with multiple-choice questions covering all vocabulary categories.

Take Vocabulary Quiz

πŸ“ Phrase Practice

See vocabulary in action with our Korean phrase generator and examples.

Practice with Phrases

🎡 K-pop Integration

Learn vocabulary through K-pop lyrics with translations and explanations.

Study Song Lyrics

Vocabulary Learning Goals

Beginner (300 words)

Master essential everyday vocabulary for basic communication.

Focus Areas:

  • Greetings and politeness
  • Family and relationships
  • Numbers and time
  • Basic adjectives
  • Common verbs

Intermediate (1000 words)

Expand vocabulary for more complex conversations and K-pop understanding.

Focus Areas:

  • Emotions and feelings
  • K-pop and entertainment
  • Daily activities
  • School and work
  • Hobbies and interests

Advanced (3000+ words)

Achieve fluency-level vocabulary for nuanced communication.

Focus Areas:

  • Abstract concepts
  • Cultural nuances
  • Professional terminology
  • Literary expressions
  • Regional variations