Verbs Flashcards
있다
to be at a location
Notes:
~에 is typically attached to the location where something/somebody is.
Examples:
저는 은행에 있어요 = I am at the bank
개는 집 안에 있어요 = The dog is in the house
엄마가 어디에 있어요? 병원에 갔어요? = Where is mom? Did she go to the hospital?
서울에 있는 공연을 보러 갈래요? = Shall we go to the show in Seoul?
내가 한국에 있을 때마다 한국어로 말하고 싶어 = Every time I am in Korea, I want to speak Korean
먹다
to eat
Notes: The formal version of this word is 들다 (usually said as 드시다)
An even more formal version of this word is 잡수시다
Common Usages:
밥을 먹다 = to eat rice/food
먹기 싫다 = to not want to eat
Examples:
밥을 먹었어요? = Have you eaten?
저는 아침식사로 밥을 먹었어요 = I ate rice for breakfast
저는 보통 점심식사로 과일만 먹어요 = I usually only eat fruit for lunch
저는 밥을 많이 먹었어요 = I ate a lot of rice
저는 햄버거 두 개를 먹었어요 = I ate two hamburgers
저는 어제 고기를 두 번 먹었어요 = I ate meat twice yesterday
나는 5시에 먹을 거야 = I will eat at 5:00
저는 사흘 동안 밥을 안 먹었어요 = I didn’t eat rice for 3 days
저는 2주일 동안 한식을 안 먹었어요 = I didn’t eat Korean food for two weeks
가다
to go
Common Usages:
집에 가다 = to go home
가야 되다 = to have to go
가지 마세요 = don’t go
Examples:
저는 내일 학교에 갈 거예요 = Tomorrow I will go to school
저의 친구는 저 쪽으로 갔어요 = My friend went that way
저는 학교에 가서 공부할 거예요 = I will go to school and then study
빨리 집에 가서 쉬세요! = Go home quickly and rest!
저는 캐나다에 가고 싶어요 = I want to go to Canada
어디 가고 싶어요? = Where do you want to go?
어디까지 가고 싶어요? = How far/until when do you want to go?
친구는 학교에 가고 있어요 = My friend is going to school
공부하러 학교에 가고 있어요 = I’m going to school to study
엄마가 어디에 있어요? 병원에 갔어요? = Where is mom? Did she go to the hospital?
엄마가 갔을 때 저는 울었어요 = When mom left, I cried
선생님은 학생들과 박물관에 갔다 = The teacher went to the museum with the students
만나다
to meet
Common Usages:
만남 = a meeting
친구를 만나다 = to meet a friend
만나서 반갑습니다 = nice to meet you
Example:
저는 어제 친구를 만났어요 = I met a friend yesterday
저는 내일 사람 두 명을 만날 거예요 = I will meet two people tomorrow
저는 내일 사람 두 명 더 만날 거예요 = I will meet two more people tomorrow
그 사람을 만나고 싶습니까? = Do you want to meet that person?
그 여자를 만난 적이 없어요 = I have never met that girl/I haven’t met that girl
선생님은 내일 학생들을 만날 거예요 = The teacher will meet the students tomorrow
저는 남편을 공원에서 만날 거예요 = I will meet my husband at the park
우리는 며칠 전에 만났어요 = We met a few days ago
우리가 마지막으로 언제 만났지? = When was the last time that we met?
닫다
to close
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “닫따”
Common Usages:
문을 닫다 = to close a door
창문을 닫다 = to close a window
Examples: 저는 문을 닫았어요 = I closed the door
너무 추워서 문을 닫았어요 = I closed the door because it is too cold
문을 닫아야 돼요 = You have to close the door
이 가게는 몇 시에 닫아요? = What time does this store close?
밖이 갑자기 어두워지고 저는 겁이 나서 커튼을 닫아 놓았어요 = Outside got dark all of a sudden, and I was scared so I closed the curtains
열다
to open
Notes: 열다 can be used to open up something that can also be closed – like a door or a window. For example:
저는 창문을 열었어요 = I opened the window
저는 아줌마를 위해 문을 열었어요 = I opened the door for an older lady
너무 더워서 창문을 열었어요 = I opened a window because it is too hot
It is also commonly used to indicate that one “holds” an event where many people will gather. For example:
그 친구가 미국에 가기 전에 송별회를 열 거예요
= We will hold a going away party for that friend before he goes to America
우리는 다음 주에 그 문제에 대한 회의를 열 거예요
= We are going to hold a meeting next week about that problem
원하다
to want (an object) Notes: This word can only be used to say that you want a noun. You cannot say that you want to do a verb using 원하다. In order to say “I want to do…”
Examples:
저는 더 큰 집을 원해요 = I want a bigger house
저는 그 책을 원해요 = I want that book
어떤 종류의 차를 원해요? = What type of car do you want?
저의 여자 친구는 제가 사과를 가져오는 것을 원해요 = My girlfriend wants me to bring apples
만들다
to make
Examples:
그것을 어떻게 만들었어요? = How did you make that?
저는 그것을 손으로 만들었어요 = I built that with my hands
저는 친구를 위해 빵을 만들었어요 = I made bread for my friend
누가 피자를 만들었어? = Who made the pizza?
이것을 만들어 주세요 = Please, make this for me
케이크를 만들 때 쿠키도 만들 거예요 = When I make a cake, I will also make cookies
그 단어로 완벽한 문장을 만들어 주세요 = Make a perfect/complete sentence using that word, please
하다
to do
Notes:
Attaching 하다 to nouns (usually of Chinese origin) changes that noun into a verb. For example:
요리 = cooking 요리하다 = to cook
결혼 = marriage 결혼하다 = to marry
말 = speech/speaking/words 말하다 = to speak
Example:
그것을 언제 했어요? = When did you do that?
저는 그것을 지금 하고 있어요 = I am doing that now
저는 그것을 하고 싶어요 = I want to do that
말하다
to speak
The noun form of this word “말,” translates to speech, or “something that one says.”
Common Usages:
할 말이 있다 = to have something to say
Examples:
뭐라고 말했어요? = What did you say?
그는 한국어를 자연스럽게 말해요 = he speaks Korean naturally
저는 한국어로 말했어요 = I spoke in Korean
저는 그 문장을 한국어로 말했어요 = I said that sentence (using) in Korean
저는 저의 아버지에 대해 말했어요 = I spoke about my father
아빠는 왜 저렇게 말하고 있어요? = Why is dad talking like that?
제가 밥을 먹었을 때 말하고 싶지 않았어요 = When I ate, I didn’t want to talk
그것은 제가 말하고 싶었던 것이었어요 = That was what I had wanted to say
제 말을 이해했어요? = Did you understand what I said (my speaking?)
이해하다
to understand
Notes: In order to say that you don’t understand, it is common to use:
저는 이해가 안 돼요 = I don’t understand, or
저는 이해하지 못 하겠어요 = I don’t understand
Example:
제 말을 이해했어요? = Did you understand what I said (my speaking?)
학생들은 그것을 이해했어요 = The students understood that
저는 완전히 이해해요 = I completely understand
그 뜻을 이해하려고 책을 두 번 읽었어요 = In order to understand that meaning, I read the book twice
그 학생은 물리의 기본도 이해하지 못해요 = That student doesn’t even understand basic physics
좋아하다
to like
Notes: 좋다 is an adjective that means “good.” 좋아하다 is a verb that means “like.” For more information.
Examples:
저는 우리 학교를 좋아해요 = I like our school
저는 그 선생님을 좋아해요 = I like that teacher
저는 수학을 제일 좋아해요 = I like math most (math is my favourite)
아이들은 만화영화를 매우 좋아해요 = Children really like animated movies
몇몇 사람들은 밥을 좋아하지 않아요 = Some people don’t like rice
학생들은 그 선생님을 특히 좋아해요 = Students especially like that teacher
제가 가장 좋아하는 색깔은 초록색이에요 = My favourite colour r is green
저는 저런 여자를 좋아하지 않아요 = I don’t like that kind of girl
오다
to come
Common Usages: ~에서 왔다 = to come from 내려오다 = to come down 올라오다 = to come up 다녀오다 = to go, and then come back 갔다 오다 = to go, and then come back 돌아오다 = to come back 걸어오다 = to come by walking
Example:
그 사람은 미국에서 왔어요 = That person came from the United States
친구들은 언제 올 거예요? = When are the friends coming?
어디에서 왔어요? = Where are you from (from where did you come?)
저의 친구는 6시 30분에 올 거예요 = My friend will come at 6:30
그는 올 거라고 약속했어요 = He promised that he would come
캐나다에 언제 돌아올 거예요? = When are you coming back to Canada?
선생님 몇 분 올 거예요? = How many teachers will come?
어제 어떤 남자가 왔어요? = Which man came here yesterday?
끝내다
to finish
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “끈내다”
Notes: It is often more common to use the passive form (끝나다) to indicate that you finished something. For example:
일이 끝났어요 = The work is finished (which implies that you finished the work)
Examples:
저는 저의 숙제를 끝냈어요 = I finished my homework
저는 숙제를 끝내고 나서 집으로 갈 거예요 = I will finish my homework then go home
저는 일을 만족스럽게 끝냈어요 = I finished the work/job satisfactorily
시험을 끝내기 전에 답을 확인하세요 = Check your answers before finishing the test
춤추다
to dance
Notes:
The word “춤” is the noun “dance,” as in “a dance.” Coupled with the verb “추다” is means “to dance.”
Example:
저는 춤추는 것이 좋아요 = I like dancing
알다
알다 follows the ㄹ irregular.
Common Usages:
알겠습니다 = This is a formal way to say “okay, I understand.”
알았어 = This is an informal way to say “okay, I understand”
Examples:
저는 그 사람을 알아요 = I know that person
저는 그것을 알고 있어요 = I know that
누구나 그 여자를 알아요 = Everybody knows that girl
서울에 어떻게 가는지 알아요 = I know how to get to Seoul
서울에 어떻게 가는지 알아요? = Do you know how to get to Seoul?
그 단어를 어떻게 발음하는지 알아요 = I know how to pronounce that word
그 단어를 어떻게 발음하는지 알아요? = Do you know how to pronounce that word?
그 학생이 책을 왜 버렸는지 알아요 = I know why that student threw out his book
그 학생이 책을 왜 버렸는지 알아요? = Do you know why that student threw out his book?
제가 한국어를 왜 배우고 싶은지 알아요? = Do you know why I want to learn Korean?
걷다
to walk
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “걷따”
걷다 follows the ㄷ irregular.
Common Usages:
걸어가다 = to go by walking
걸어오다 = to come by walking
Example:
우리는 집에 걸어왔어요 = We walked home
저는 10분 동안 걸었어요 = I walked for 10 minutes
여자는 학교에 걸었어요 = The girl walked to school
그 여자는 항상 그렇게 걸어요 = That girl always walks like that
저는 너무 많이 걸어서 지금 발이 아파요 = My feet are sore because I walked so much
우리는 차가 없어서 집에 걸어왔어요 = We didn’t have a car so we walked home
전철역까지 걸어갈래요? = Shall we walk to the subway station?
학생들은 교실 쪽으로 걸어요 = Students walk towards/in the direction of their class
우리가 천천히 안 걸었더라면 늦게 도착하지 않았을 거예요 = If we hadn’t walk slowly, we wouldn’t have arrived late
배우다
to learn
Common Usages:
한국어를 배우다 = to learn Korean
영어를 배우다 = to learn English
한국어를 배우고 싶다 = to want to learn Korean
Examples:
한국어를 언제부터 배웠어요? = Since when did you learn Korean?
저는 그것을 지난 시간에 배웠어요 = I learned that (thing) last time
저는 한국어를 한국에서 배웠어요 = I learned Korean in Korea
저는 한국어를 배우고 싶어요 = I want to learn Korean
우리는 다음 시간에 더 배울 거예요 = We will learn more next time
저는 5년 이내에 외국어를 다섯 개 배우고 싶어요 = I want to learn 5 languages within five years
한국에 온 이래로 한국어를 배우고 있어요 = Since coming to Korea, I have been learning Korean
연습하다
to practice
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “연스파다”
Example:
한국 사람들은 외국 사람들과 영어를 연습하고 싶어요 = Korean people want to practice their English with foreigners
연습을 많이 해도 시합에서 질 거예요 = Regardless of how much you practice, you will lose the match
생각하다
to think
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “생가카다”
The noun form of this word translates to “a thought” or “an idea.”
Common Usages:
좋은 생각이 났어요 = I have a good idea (literally, “a good thought came up”)
무슨 생각 해? = What are you thinking?
Notes:
Typically the grammatical principle ~ㄴ/다고 precedes 생각하다 as if it is a quoted sentence.
Examples:
저도 그렇게 생각해요 = I think that way as well
나는 너에 대해 생각했어 = I thought about you
그 여자에 대해 어떻게 생각해요? = What do you think about that girl?
저는 그렇게 생각하지 않아요 = I don’t think like that
저는 저의 엄마에 대해 생각했어요 = I thought about my mother
우리 집에 대해 어떻게 생각해요? = What do you think about our house?
살다
to live
살다 follows the ㄹ irregular.
Common Usages:
살아 있다 = to be living (the opposite of dead)
Notes: In order to say that you live in a place, it is acceptable to use “살고 있다.” For example: 저는 한국에서 살고 있어요. Note that this directly translates to “I am living in Korea”, whereas is English we would most likely say “I live in Korea.”
Example:
저는 서울에서 살고 있어요 = I live in Seoul
어느 집에서 살아요? = Which house do you live in?
저는 학교에서 멀리 살고 있어요 = I live far from school
한국에서 언제부터 살았어요? = Since when have you lived in Korea?
저는 2년 동안 외국에서 살았어요 = I lived in a foreign country for 2 years
저는 7년 동안 한국에서 살았어요 = I lived in Korea for seven years
우리 아버지는 고모와 살고 있어요 = Our father lives with our aunt
저는 멀리 살고 있기 때문에 집까지 걸어가기 힘들어요 = It is difficult to walk home because I live far
끝나다
to be finished
(Passive Verbs)
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “끈나다”
Notes:
This is the first passive verb you have come across.
Examples:
이 콘서트가 벌써 끝났어요? = Is the concert already finished?
숙제는 끝났어요 = My homework is finished
수업은 2분 후에 끝날 거예요 = Class will finish 2 minutes from now
그 일이 다 끝나서 지금 기분이 아주 좋아요 = Now that that work is finished, I am very happy
기대하다
to expect
The noun form of this word translates to “expectation”
Notes:
The passive version of this word (기대되다) is commonly used to say that one is excited for something to happen.
Example:
선생님이 3시에 올 것을 기대했어요 = I expected the teacher to come at 3:00
건너다
to cross (a road/etc)
Common Usages:
길을 건너다 = to cross a road
Example:
빨리 건너자! = Quick! Let’s cross!
저는 거리를 안전하게 건넜어요 = I crossed the street safely
던지다
to throw
Common Usages:
공을 던지다 = to throw a ball
Example:
수업시간 동안 종이를 던지지 마세요 = During class, don’t throw paper please
야구선수는 공을 세게 던졌어요 = The baseball player threw the ball hard
싫어하다
to not like
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “시러하다”
Notes: 싫다 is an adjective that means “not good.” 싫어하다 is a verb. Therefore, ~을/를 should be attached to the object in the sentence that one does not like.
Examples:
저는 그 사람을 싫어해요 = I don’t like that person
저는 과일을 싫어해요 = I dislike fruit
처음에 그 여자를 싫어했어요 = I didn’t like that girl at first
그들은 저를 처음부터 싫어했어요 = They didn’t like me from the start
저는 사람들이 지하철을 급히 타는 것을 싫어해요 = I don’t like people getting on the subway in a rush
제가 그 여자를 싫어해도 그녀를 위해 선물을 사야 되었어요 = Regardless of how much I dislike that girl, I still had to buy her a present
떠나다
to leave somewhere
Common Usages:
세상을 떠나다 = to die (literally, “to leave the world”)
Notes:
This word is usually only used if you are leaving something forever or for a very long time. If you want to say that you left your house (and are returning), you should use the words “출발하다” (to depart) or “나가다” (to go out).
Example:
한국은 언제 떠났어요? = When did you leave Korea?
아버지가 벌써 떠났다는 것을 몰랐어요 = I didn’t know (the fact) that dad already left
농담하다
to joke
The noun form of this word translates to “a joke”
Example:
나의 남자친구는 나에게 농담을 많이 해= My boyfriend tells me a lot of jokes
공부하다
to study
Common Usages:
열심히 공부하다 = to study hard
Examples:
저는 한국어를 4년 동안 공부했어요 = I studied Korean for 4 years
저는 저녁에 공부했어요 = I studied in the evening
여름에 저는 공부하겠어요 = I will study in the summer
저는 30분 동안 공부했어요 = I studied for 30 minutes
저는 내일부터 한국어를 공부할 거예요 = I’m going to study Korean from tomorrow
저는 아침부터 밤까지 공부만 했어요 = From morning to night I only studied
노력하다
to try
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “노려카다”
Common Usages:
~려고 노력하다 (to try to do).
Example:
저는 한국어를 배우려고 노력하고 있어요 = I am trying to learn Korean
그 친구를 매 주말 만나려고 노력해요 = I try to meet that friend every weekend
한국 정부는 교통사고를 방지하려고 노력하고 있어요 = The Korean government is trying to prevent traffic accidents
앉다
to sit
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “안따”
Common Usages:
앉으세요! = have a seat!
Notes:
To say that one was sitting while doing something, you should attach “~아/어서” to 앉다. For example: 저는 앉아서 먹었어요 = I sat down and ate.
Example:
발이 아파서 앉고 싶어요 = I want to sit down because my feet are sore
저는 신발을 신으러 잠깐 앉았어요 = I sat down for a minute in order to put on my shoe
그는 소파에 앉아 있어요 = He is sitting on the couch
여기에 앉아도 돼요? = May I sit here?
오빠는 바닥에 앉아서 점심을 먹었어요 = My brother ate lunch sitting on the floor
만지다
to touch
Common Usages:
만지지 마세요! = don’t touch!
Example:
그것이 비싸서 만지지 마세요! = That is very expensive, so please don’t touch it!
저는 저의 머리를 부드럽게 만졌어요 = I touched my hair softly
자다
to sleep
Common Usages:
낮잠 자다 = to take a nap
늦잠 자다 = to sleep in
Examples:
너무 피곤해서 자고 싶어요 = I want to sleep because I am so tired
저는 세 시간 동안 잤어요 = I slept for three hours
저는 지금 자고 싶어요 = I want to sleep now
애기는 침대에서 자고 있어요 = The baby is sleeping in the bed
우리는 집에 와서 바로 잤어요 = We came home and went to sleep immediately
저는 어젯밤에 잘 잤어요 = I slept well last night
저는 오늘 오후에 낮잠을 잤어요 = I took a nap in the afternoon today
보다
to see
Common Usages:
보고 싶다 = to want to see, or to “miss”
Notes:
In English, there are many different ways to say that you are looking at something (to watch, to see, to look at). In Korean, “보다” takes on all of these meanings.
Example:
저는 어제 영화를 봤어요 = I saw a movie yesterday
저는 마지막 것을 안 봤어요 = I didn’t see the last thing (I didn’t see that last one)
저는 그 영화를 다섯 번 봤어요 = I saw that movie five times
저는 어제 두 시간 동안 TV를 봤어요 = I watched TV for two hours yesterday
저는 방금 뭔가(를) 봤어요 = I just saw something a minute ago
원숭이가 벽을 보고 있어요 = The monkey is looking at the wall
저는 저의 친구를 병원에서 봤어요 = I saw my friend at the hospital
형하고 아버지는 영화를 봤어요 = My brother and dad saw a movie
교실이 너무 어두워서 학생들은 칠판을 볼 수 없어요 = The students can’t see the board because the classroom is too dark
기다리다
to wait
Common Usages:
버스를 기다리다 = to wait for the bus
기다리고 있다 = to be waiting
Notes:
In English, we say that one waits “for” something. In Korean, the common translation for “for” is ~기 위해. However, in Korean the particle “~을/를” is attached to the person/thing that one is waiting for. For example: 저는 친구를 기다리고 있어요 = I am waiting for my friend.
Example:
저는 30분 동안 기다렸어요 = I waited for 30 minutes
3시까지 기다릴 거예요 = I will wait until 3:00
저는 줄에 서서 순서를 기다렸어요 = I stood in line and waited for my turn
저는 아직 기다리고 있어요 = I am still waiting
엄마는 기다리고 있을 것 같아요 = Mom is probably waiting (It seems like mom is waiting)
모든 사람들은 교수님이 말씀하기 시작하는 것을 기다렸다 = Everybody was waiting for the professor to start talking
청소하다
to clean
Common Usages:
방을 청소하다 = to clean a room
집을 청소하다 = to clean a house
청소기 = vacuum cleaner (literally, “cleaning machine”)
Example:
밖에 나가기 전에 집을 청소해야 돼요! = Before I go out, I need to clean the house
저는 집을 청소기로 청소했어요 = I cleaned the house with a vacuum cleaner
약속하다
to promise
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “약소카다”
Notes: The noun form of this verb (약속) translates to “a promise,” and is often used to refer to plans that somebody has. For example: 저는 오늘 약속이 있어요 = I have a promise, or “I made a promise with somebody today, which means I have plans to meet him/her.”
Example:
그는 올 거라고 약속했어요 = He promised that he would come
듣다
to hear
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “듣따”
듣다 follows the ㄷ irregular.
Common Usages:
들어보다 = to listen
수업을 듣다 = to take a class (literally, to “listen to” a class)
Examples:
그 말을 못 들었어요 = I didn’t hear that thing that you just said
저는 쥐를 들었어요 = I heard a mouse
저는 2달 동안 한국어 수업을 들었어요 = I took a Korean class for 2 months
저는 선생님의 목소리를 못 들었어요 = I couldn’t hear the teacher’s voice
그 말을 들었더니 기분이 상했어요 = My feelings were hurt after hearing that
들어보다
to listen
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “드러보다”
Notes: Although there is sometimes overlap in their usages, 듣다 is used when one hears something. However, by adding ~아/어보다 (the grammar of this is taught in Lesson 32) changes the verb into “to try/attempt to hear.” In English, the act of trying/attempting to hear something is “listening.”
Example: 선생님의 말을 잘 들어보세요! = listen carefully to what the teacher says!
그만하다
to stop
Notes:
This is usually used when you are stopping an action. When you are stopping a machine, the word 멈추다 is usually used.
Example:
빨리 그만하세요! = stop quickly!
다음 달에 한국어를 배우는 것을 그만할 거예요 = I will stop learning Korean next month
운동하다
to exercise
Examples:
저는 매일 운동해요 = I exercise everyday
저는 오늘 두 번 운동할 것입니다 = I will exercise twice (two times) today
어제 운동을 해서 오늘 저의 팔이 아파요 = my arms are sore because I exercised yesterday
저는 운동을 열심히 하고 숨을 빨리 쉬었어요 = After I exercised I was breathing really fast
저는 요즘에 운동을 많이 해요 = I am exercising a lot these days
운동은 스트레스를 풀어요 = exercise relieves stress
운동할 때 알맞은 자세로 해야 돼요 = When you exercise, you need to do so with the correct posture
놀라다
to be surprised
Notes:
There are many adverbs in Korean that are used in very specific situations to add feeling to the meaning in the sentence. The word “깜짝” is used in sentences where one is surprised. By putting the word “깜짝” before “놀라다,” it will make your Korean sound very good!
Example:
저는 그 사람을 보고 깜짝 놀랐어요! = I looked at that man and I was really surprised!
찾다
to search for, find
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “찯따”
Notes: In English, the words “looking for/searching” and “find” have a similar meaning but are used differently. We use “find” after something is found. However, before something is found we use “look for/search.” In Korean, the 찾다 is used for both of these usages. This confusion often leads Korean people to incorrectly say things like “I am finding my brother.”
Examples:
저는 저의 지갑을 찾고 있어요 = I am looking for my wallet
누군가(는) 너를 찾고 있어 = Somebody is looking for you
저는 그 사실을 백과사전에 찾았어요 = I looked up that fact in an encyclopaedia
우리 회사는 새로운 회사원을 찾고 있어요 = Our company is looking for new workers
가르치다
to teach
Common Usages:
수업을 가르치다 = to teach a class
학생을 가르치다 = to teach a student
Examples:
저는 고등학교에서 10년 동안 영어를 가르쳤어요 = I taught English at a high school for 10 years
저는 학생들한테 한국어를 가르쳤어요 = I taught Korean to the students
어제 학생들한테 뭐 가르쳤어요? = What did you teach the students yesterday?
저는 선생님이 그것을 언제 가르쳤는지 기억 안 나요 = I don’t remember when the teacher taught that
선생님은 우리를 너무 잘 가르치셨어 = Our teacher taught us really well
이것을 가르쳐 줘서 감사합니다 = Thanks for teaching that to me
그 선생님은 한국어를 저에게 가르쳐 줬어요 = That teacher taught me Korean
일하다
to work
Notes:
The noun form of 일하다 (일) literally means “work” (as in, something you need to do). However, it is often used to refer to a task or anything that needs to be done. For example:
저는 내일 할 일이 있어요 = I have something I need to do tomorrow
Examples:
저는 그 회사에서 일해요 = I work at/for that company
저는 지난 월요일에 일했어요 = I worked last Monday
저는 2주 동안 열심히 일했어요 = I worked hard for 2 weeks
저는 그 회사에서 5월까지 일할 거예요 = I will work at that company until May
저는 회사를 위해 열심히 일할 거예요 = I will work hard for the company
아버지는 지금 일하고 있어요 = Dad is working now
그 사람은 10년 동안 열심히 일하고 부자가 되었어요 = That person worked hard for 10 years and then became a rich person
짓다
to build
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “짇따”
짓다 follows the ㅅ irregular
Common Usages:
집을 짓다 = to build a house
Examples:
그 집을 언제 지었어요? = When did you build that house?
저는 집을 지었어요 = I built a house
저는 우리 집을 나무로 지었어요 = I built our house out of wood
새로 지어진 건물이 멋있어요 = The newly built building is really cool/stylish
이 건물은 유명한 건축가의 건축설계도에 기초해서 지어졌어요
= This building was built based on the blueprints of a famous architect
새로 지어진 공원에 운동 시설이 매우 좋아서 많은 사람들이 거기에서 운동을 해요
= The newly built park has very good exercise facilities so many people exercise there
가지다
to own, to possess
Common Usages:
가지고 있다 = to have
Notes: When you use “있다” to indicate that you have something, you must put the particle ~이/가 on the object you have. For example: 저는 펜이 있어요
However, you can attach ~을/을 to that object if you use ~가지고 있다.
갖다 is a shortened version of this word.
Examples:
저는 펜을 가지고 있어요 = I have a pen
저는 지금 돈을 가지고 있어요 = I have money now
그 여자는 자연스러운 머리를 가지고 있어요 = That girl has natural hair
그는 항상 사진기를 가지고 다녀요 = He always carries his camera with him (while walking around)
열쇠를 가지고 나왔어요? = Did you bring your keys (did you come out while possessing your keys?)
작은 입으로 큰 생선을 먹을 수 있다는 게 너무 신기했다. 나는 펭귄에게 먹이를 주기 위해 천천히 다가갔다. 펭귄들은 내가 먹이를 가지고 있자 내 주위로 다가왔다.
= I was really amazed they could eat a big fish with their little mouth. I approached the penguins slowly with food, and as soon as I had food, the penguins drew close around me.
잠그다
to lock
잠그다 follows the ㅡ irregular
Common Usages:
수도꼭지를 잠그다 = to turn the water (from a tap) off
Example:
저는 문을 잠갔어요 = I locked the door
아버지는 창문을 잠갔어요 = Dad locked the window
문을 잠가야 되었는데 깜박했어요! = I was supposed to lock the door, but I forgot!
수압이 너무 세서 수도꼭지를 잠가 놓으세요 = The water pressure is too strong, so turned off (“lock”) the faucet
잊다
to forget
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “읻따”
Common Usages:
잊어버리다 = to forget
Notes: ~아/어버리다 is added to some verbs to express the emotion that something was done and “thrown away” at the same time. It is commonly attached to 잊다 to express that something was “forgotten and thrown away.”
Examples:
저를 잊지 마세요! = Don’t forget me!
저는 아빠의 죽음을 잊지 않았어요 = I didn’t forget the death of my father
열쇠를 어디 둔지 잊어버렸어요 = I forget where I put my keys
저는 사막에서 살았을 때를 잊어버리고 싶어요 = I want to forget the time I lived in the desert
바쁘게 살다 보면 가끔 중요한 일을 잊어버려요
= If you (continue to) live a busy life, sometimes you will forget important things/tasks/jobs
미술대회에 참가하는 신입생들은 잊지 말고 꼭 10시까지 모여주세요
= Freshmen participating in the art competition, don’t forget, and be sure to gather by 10 o’clock
우리 오빠는 나에게 잊지 말고 영국에서 유명한 기념품을 사서 한국에 보내 달라고 했다
= My brother told me not to forget to buy some famous souvenirs in England and send them to Korea
돕다
to help
돕다 is an irregular ㅂ irregular. ㅂ changes to 오 when ~아/어 is added. However, ㅂ changes to 우 when any other vowel is added.
Common usages:
도와주다 = to give help
Notes: ~아/어주다 is commonly added to this word, because usually when one helps somebody, it is a form of “giving”
Examples:
도와주세요! = help me please!
제가 선생님이 아니라 학생을 도와주는 사람이에요 = I am not a teacher, I’m a student helper
곤경에 처한 사람을 도와주느라고 제시간에 학교에 가지 못했다
= I wasn’t able to go to school on time because I was helping a person going through some trouble
과학을 배우는 것은 중요해, 왜냐하면 내가 살고 있는 곳을 더욱 잘 이해할 수 있게 도와주기 때문이야
= It is important to learn science, because it helps me understand the place/environment that I live (in) better
나는 엄마를 도와 정리를 했다. 거실을 깨끗하게 정리하고 엄마한테 진심으로 감사하다는 말을 전했다 = I helped mom clean-up/organize. We organized the living room (cleanly), and thanked mom from the bottom of our hearts
주다
to give
When giving something to a person who deserves respect, 드리다 is used.
Notes: Often conjugated in the imperative voice (for example, ~세요) to ask for something. For example:
밥을 많이 주세요 = Give me lots of rice
Often gets placed after a verb if somebody does an action for somebody. For example:
이것을 만들어 주세요 = Please, make this for me
Examples:
그 그릇을 주세요 = Give me that bowl, please
밥을 사 주세요 = Buy me food, please
어머님은 너에게 돈을 줬어? = Did your mother give you money?
저는 저의 친구에게 돈을 줬어요 = I gave my friend money
아빠는 나에게 음식을 줬어 = Dad gave me food
그 선생님은 한국어를 저에게 가르쳐 줬어요 = That teacher taught me Korean
맞다
to be correct
Common Usages:
입맛에 맞다 = to fit one’s taste in food
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “맏따”
Notes: In every way, 맞다looks, feels and sounds like an adjective. However, in Korean 맞다 is a verb. In most cases this is irrelevant, but keep this in mind when conjugating.
Example:
선생님! 이 거 맞아요? = Teacher! Is this correct?
고객님들은 항상 맞아요 = The customer is (customers are) always right
이 자세 맞아요? = Is this posture right/correct?
그 학설은 맞을 리가 없어요 = That theory cannot be right
여행하다
to travel
The noun form of this word (“여행”) translates to “a trip”
Common Usages:
신혼여행 = honeymoon (newlywed travel)
배낭여행 = backpacking
Examples:
저는 6개월 동안 여행했어요 = I traveled for 6 months
저는 하루 동안 여행했어요 = I traveled for 1 day
여행했을 때 사진을 많이 찍었어요 = When I traveled, I took a lot of pictures
그 여행은 길게 느껴졌어요 = That trip felt like a long time
저는 한국 어디나 여행하고 싶어요 = I want to travel everywhere in Korea
가장 여행하고 싶은 나라는 뭐에요? What country do you want to travel to the most?
여행할 때 옷을 많이 챙길 필요가 없어요 = I don’t need to pack a lot of clothes when I travel
도착하다
to arrive
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “도차카다”
Example:
우리가 목적지에 거의 도착했어요 = We have almost arrived at our destination
우리가 내일 도착할 예정이에요 = We are scheduled to arrive tomorrow
저는 학교에 도착했어요 = I arrived at school
저는 8월 15일에 도착할 거예요 = I will arrive on August 15th
받다
to get, to receive, to acquire
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “받따”
Common Usages:
감동 받다 = to be impressed (literally “to receive an impression”)
존경 받다 = to be respected (literally “to receive respect”)
Examples:
제가 보낸 돈을 받았어요? = Did you get the money that I sent?
저는 돈을 받았어요 = I received money
저는 저의 여자친구에게서 편지를 받았어요 = I received a letter from my girlfriend
그 문제에 관해 연수를 받았어요 = We/I received training about that problem
저는 당신의 말에 감동 받았어요 = I was impressed with what you said
저는 그 사람이 저에게 줄 선물을 받고 싶지 않아요 = I don’t want to accept the gift that that person will give me
만약 제가 선생님이라면 학생들에게 존경을 받고 싶을 거예요 = If I were a teacher, I would want to be respected by students
내다
to pay for
Common Usages:
청구서를 내다 = to pay a bill
Notes: 내다 can have many other meanings.
Examples:
이번에 제가 낼 거예요 = I will pay this time
아빠가 돈을 이미 낸 것 같아요 = It seems like dad already paid
우리가 청구서를 늦게라도 낼 거예요 = We are going to pay the bill, even if it is a little late
읽다
to read
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “익따”
Common Usages:
책을 읽다 = to read a book
Examples:
저는 이제 더 읽기 싫어요 = I don’t want to read anymore
저는 그 책을 읽고 싶어요 = I want to read that book
저는 1년에 책 열 권을 읽을 수 있어요 = I can read ten books in one year
어떤 소설을 읽고 있어요? Which novel are you reading?
놀다
to play
놀다 follows the ㄹ irregular
Common Usages:
놀이공원 = amusement park
놀이터 = playground
물놀이 = to play in water
Notes:
Although “playing” is usually reserved for kids in English, adults in Korean will also say that they “play” with friends. This typically meets that they met and had a good time.
Example: 저는 어제 친구랑 놀았어요 = I played with a friend yesterday
아이들은 나무 주위에서 놀고 있어요 = The children are playing around the tree
저는 보통 친구들과 시내에서 놀아요 = I usually play with (meet) my friends downtown
쓰다
to use
쓰다 follows the ㅡ irregular
Common Usages:
아껴 쓰다 = to save (to use and save)
Notes: 사용하다 is another common way to say “use”
Example: 제가 이것을 써도 돼요? = May I use this?
한국 사람들은 밥을 먹을 때 젓가락을 써요 = Korean people use chopsticks when they eat
가뭄 때문에 물을 아껴 써야 돼요 = We need to save/conserve water because of the drought
요즘에는 사람들이 수표를 안 써요 = These days, people don’t use cheques
그 쿠폰을 VIPS에서도 쓸 수 있어요? = Can you use that coupon at VIPS too?
저 컴퓨터가 고장이 나서 다른 컴퓨터를 써야 됩니다
= You have to use another computer because that one is broken
중국 사람들은 소금을 뿌리는 것 대신에 음식에 간장을 써요
= Instead of using salt, Chinese people put/use soy sauce on their food
우리가 벌써 6월에 쓸 수 있는 인터넷 용량 제한을 넘었어요
= We already went over the data/space limit (data cap) that we can use for June
친구들끼리는 반말을 쓰고, 어른들과 대화를 할 때는 존댓말을 써요
= Use informal/casual speech among friends, and when conversing with adults, use formal speech
쓰다
to write
Common Usages:
편지를 쓰다 = to write a letter
펜으로 쓰다 = to write with a pen
Example: 저는 저의 여자 친구를 위해 편지를 썼어요 = I wrote a letter for my girlfriend
저는 부장님을 위해서 이것을 썼어요 = I wrote this for my boss
저는 여자친구를 위해 편지를 쓰고 싶어요 = I want to write a letter for my girlfriend
저는 펜으로 쓰고 싶어요 = I want to write with a pen
그는 손등에 뭔가를 썼어요 = He wrote something on the back of his hand
실수하다
to make a mistake
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “실쑤하다”
The noun form of this word (“실수”) translates to “a mistake”
Notes:
By adding “~하다” you can say “to make a mistake”
Example:
범죄자는 그의 실수를 인정했어요 = The criminal acknowledged his mistakes
제 행동은 실수인 것을 깨달았어요 = I realised that my actions (what I did) is/was a mistake
수리하다
to repair
Examples:
그는 고장 난 컴퓨터를 수리했어요 = He repaired the broken computer
복사기를 수리해야 되었어요 = We had to repair the photocopier
집주인이 물이 흘러나올까 봐 지붕을 수리했어요 = The landlord was worried that water would flow in, so he fixed up (repaired) the roof
잡다
to catch, to grab, to grasp
The pronunciation of this word is closer to “잡따”
Common Usages:
자리를 잡다 = to take a place and sit down
손을 잡다 = to hold one’s hand
꽉 잡다 = to hold on tight(ly)
Example:
저는 공을 잡았어요 = I caught the ball
그는 직업을 바꿀 수 있는 기회를 잡았어요 = He seized the opportunity to change jobs
