Lesson 03 · Everyday Actions & Descriptions
Hello, everyone! I’m Hyeju, your Korean teacher.
Today, we’ll learn eight useful action verbs and four adjectives for describing everyday life.
먹다 · 읽다 · 예쁘다 · 크다
meokda · iktta · yeppeuda · keuda
to eat · to read · to be pretty · to be big
TODAY’S LEARNING GOALS
What will you learn today?
- Learn 8 common Korean action verbs.
- Learn 4 adjectives for describing things.
- Notice the difference between N을/를 + verb and N이/가 + adjective.
HYEJU LANGUAGE LAB · ENGLISH EXPLANATIONS
Watch Lesson 3 with Hyeju
Learn the vocabulary and grammar with English explanations, then review the examples and try the practice below.
ACTION VERBS
Eight useful words for everyday actions
Action verbs tell us what someone does. The words below are written in their dictionary form, which ends in -다. You will also see the formal form used in complete sentences.
01 · TO EAT
먹다
meokda
to eat
Formal form · 먹습니다
02 · TO DRINK
마시다
masida
to drink
Formal form · 마십니다
03 · TO READ
읽다
iktta
to read
Formal form · 읽습니다
04 · TO WRITE
쓰다
sseuda
to write
Formal form · 씁니다
05 · TO SEE / WATCH
보다
boda
to see / to watch
Formal form · 봅니다
06 · TO LISTEN
듣다
deuttta
to listen
Formal form · 듣습니다
07 · TO STUDY
공부하다
gongbuhada
to study
Formal form · 공부합니다
08 · TO EXERCISE
운동하다
undonghada
to exercise
Formal form · 운동합니다
읽다 is pronounced close to [익따]. The spelling stays the same, but the pronunciation changes naturally when the word is spoken.
DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES
Four useful words for describing things
Adjectives describe the appearance, price, quantity, or size of something. Korean adjectives also have dictionary forms ending in -다.
09 · TO BE PRETTY
예쁘다
yeppeuda
to be pretty
Formal form · 예쁩니다
10 · TO BE EXPENSIVE
비싸다
bissada
to be expensive
Formal form · 비쌉니다
11 · TO BE MANY / MUCH
많다
manta
to be many / much
Formal form · 많습니다
12 · TO BE BIG
크다
keuda
to be big
Formal form · 큽니다
In English, we say “The desk is big.” In Korean, the adjective can finish the sentence: 책상이 큽니다. You do not need a separate word for “is.”
VERB OR ADJECTIVE?
Look at what the sentence is doing
Both verbs and adjectives can come at the end of a Korean sentence. However, they have different jobs. A verb expresses an action, while an adjective describes a state or quality.
N을/를 + V-습니다/ㅂ니다
object + action verb
Use this lesson’s action verbs to say what someone does to an object.
N이/가 + A-습니다/ㅂ니다
subject + descriptive adjective
Use an adjective to describe the condition or quality of a person or thing.
책을 읽습니다.
chaegeul iksseumnida.
I read a book.
책이 많습니다.
chaegi mansseumnida.
There are many books.
Practice 을/를 with today’s action verbs and 이/가 with today’s adjectives. Korean verbs can also appear in other sentence patterns, which we will learn step by step in later lessons.
USE THE WORDS
Simple example sentences
Read each sentence aloud. First, identify whether the last word is a verb or an adjective. Then look at the particle before it.
밥을 먹습니다.
babeul meoksseumnida.
I eat a meal.
물을 마십니다.
mureul masimnida.
I drink water.
텔레비전을 봅니다.
tellebijeoneul bomnida.
I watch television.
한국어를 공부합니다.
hangugeoreul gongbuhamnida.
I study Korean.
시계가 예쁩니다.
sigyega yeppeumnida.
The clock is pretty.
컴퓨터가 비쌉니다.
keompyuteoga bissamnida.
The computer is expensive.
책이 많습니다.
chaegi mansseumnida.
There are many books.
책상이 큽니다.
chaeksangi keumnida.
The desk is big.
MINI PRACTICE
Can you choose the correct word and particle?
Try answering without looking back at the vocabulary list.
- How do you say “to listen” in Korean?
- How do you say “to be expensive” in Korean?
- Choose the particle: 책___ 읽습니다.
- Choose the particle: 책___ 많습니다.
- Complete with a word from today: 컴퓨터가 ______.
- Complete with a word from today: 한국어를 ______.
Check the answers
- 듣다
- 비싸다
- 책을 읽습니다.
- 책이 많습니다.
- Example: 컴퓨터가 비쌉니다.
- 한국어를 공부합니다.
TODAY’S 12 WORDS
Lesson 03 review
- 먹다to eat
- 마시다to drink
- 읽다to read
- 쓰다to write
- 보다to see / watch
- 듣다to listen
- 공부하다to study
- 운동하다to exercise
- 예쁘다to be pretty
- 비싸다to be expensive
- 많다to be many / much
- 크다to be big
______을/를 ______습니다/ㅂ니다.
object + action verb
______이/가 ______습니다/ㅂ니다.
subject + adjective
Now choose one verb and one adjective and make two sentences of your own!
NEXT STEP
Use these words in Grammar Lesson 03
Now that you know the vocabulary, learn how to choose between 을 and 를, and how to change verbs and adjectives into the formal -습니다/ㅂ니다 form.
Hyeju Word Match
KOREAN VOCABULARY · BEGINNER
Words from the Korean Vocabulary lessons · Hyeju Language Lab
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