Just like how adjectives are used in English, Korean adjectives are that fun little thing that can make an otherwise dull sentence pop out with color and character. We imagine trying to come up with sentences without using any would often come across as quite flat and lifeless. Show
By equipping yourself with a diverse range of Korean adjective knowledge, you’re one step further into mastering a new language. On top of that, you’ve learned tons of words to dress up and add depth to your sentences. In this lesson, we will teach you a little bit about how to use Korean adjectives and give you a list of the most common ones. To further help you understand how they are used, we have also prepared some sample sentences for you to view and take notes on. Let’s get learning! Contents
What are Korean adjectives (Descriptive verbs)?Just like in other languages, a Korean adjective also describes whether a noun is big or small, young or old, cheap or expensive, and so on. And just like with Korean verbs, there are also irregular adjectives in the Korean language. How do you say “Korean adjectives” in Korean?The word for “adjective” in the Korean language is 형용사 (hyeongyongsa). You can use it whenever you are talking about adjectives in general. How to conjugate adjectives in KoreanAdjectives in Korean need to be conjugated when in use; instead of picking the Korean word out of a Korean dictionary and directly placing it into a sentence as you first saw it. After all, these conjugations give a more precise meaning to the Korean word. We already have a blog post introducing you to the basic rules of Korean conjugation, but we’ll go over how to specifically conjugate Korean adjectives below.
Conjugating irregular Korean adjectivesIn the case of the aforementioned irregular Korean adjectives, here’s how to conjugate them.
Korean adjectives in their different formsAs you learn Korean further, you’ll notice that there are also situations where you can use the adjective in its basic form or dictionary form. This is possible in situations where the Korean adjective comes after a noun, although typically only in certain types of written text. You might get to use it in an academic article but might look a little funny using it in a text conversation with a friend. In many ways, conjugating Korean adjectives work the same way as conjugating a verb would. In fact, if we get technical with it, Korean adjectives are actually descriptive verbs derived from their base form, which is the infinitive verb form. They simply gain the form of a Korean adjective through correct conjugations. Thus, in the Korean language, rather than separate Korean verbs and adjectives, there are action verbs (verbs) and descriptive verbs (adjectives). Some action verbs are also possible to shape into descriptive verbs by using them together with certain descriptive words. Conjugated Korean adjectives listBelow are different examples of conjugated Korean adjectives to help you better understand the concept above.
How to use Korean adjectives in sentencesThere are two positions you can place the Korean adjective in a sentence: before or after the noun. Its placement determines the way it is conjugated.
Most common Korean adjectivesFinally, here is the most useful and basic Korean adjectives list for you to learn. We’ve presented them in their dictionary form, but with the above directions, you will be able to use them in sentences. Below we’ve also included a few sample sentences to further illustrate how Korean adjectives act in sentences. Korean adjectives – ColorsBelow are Korean adjectives for colors. These adjectives can help you describe nouns easier, just as “blue eyes,” “yellow dress,” “black hair,” etc.
You can also learn what more colors in Korean are called with our article on the topic. Note that while colors also count as adjectives, in the Korean language, they are not seen as descriptive verbs, unlike most other adjectives. Korean adjectives – Distances, Sizes, and ShapesIf you’d like to describe nouns based on their dimensions, distances, sizes, and shapes, then you can familiarize the Korean adjectives list below.
Korean adjectives – Qualities and SituationsKorean adjectives can be used to describe the weather, a person, qualities, and situations. These words can help readers and listeners have a clearer picture of them. In this section, you’ll learn the different adjectives in Korean that you can use to describe words for qualities of a person or weather, and other situations.
Would you also love to find out how to describe different weathers and seasons? Head over to our article about Weather and Seasons in Korean! Korean adjectives – Traits, feelings, and moodsHere are adjectives in the Korean language to describe someone’s traits, feelings, and moods. You can better express whether you’re happy, sad, or any emotions that you currently feel. If you’re saying these through text, you can even pair these words with emoticons to express yourself better.
“Funny” in KoreanTo describe something as “funny” in Korean, just like Korean jokes or comedy movies, you can say 우습다 (useupda). This word can also mean “hilarious.” “Nice” in KoreanThe Korean word for “nice” is 착하다 (chakada). You can use this to describe someone kind or good-hearted. For instance, if you asked for someone’s help and someone offered you assistance, then this word can describe them. “Sleepy” in KoreanThe word for “sleepy” in Korean is 졸리다 (jollida). But if you want mean to say “tired,” you can use the term 피곤하다 (pigonhada) instead. “Mean” in KoreanThe word for “mean” in Korean is 비열하다 (biyeolhada), Korean adjectives – TastesHere are some adjectives in Korean to help with describing nouns with certain tastes and textures. These adjectives will come in handy if you’d like to describe what a certain Korean dish tastes like for you.
Sample sentences for Korean adjectivesTo get you properly started with using Korean adjectives in sentences, here is an ample amount of examples of Korean sentences. You can study each sentence and its meaning for you to understand how to use adjectives in the Korean language better. 우리 고양이는 너무 귀엽지? (uri goyangineun neomu gwiyeopji?) Isn’t our cat so cute? 비싼 프라다 가방을 사고 싶어요. (bissan peurada gabangeul sago sipeoyo.) I want to buy an expensive Prada bag. 그 발코니가 되게 넓어요. (geu balkoniga doege neolbeoyo.) The balcony is very wide. 북유럽에서는 여름에 거의 자정까지 바깥 날씨가 밝다. (bungnyureobeseoneun yeoreume geoui jajeongkkaji bakkat nalssiga balda.) In Northern Europe, it is light outside until almost midnight in the summer. 와, 한라산을 오르는 게 이렇게 힘든 줄은 몰랐네. (wa, hallasaneul oreuneun ge ireoke himdeun jureun mollanne.) Whoa, I did not realize it was this hard to hike up Hallasan. 오늘 정말 높은 굽의 신발을 신고 싶어요. (oneul jeongmal nopeun gubui sinbareul singo sipeoyo.) Today I want to wear shoes with really high heels. 제일 가까운 병원은 어디예요? (jeil gakkaun byeongwoneun eodiyeyo?) Where is the nearest hospital? 미국에서 한국까지 너무 멀어요. 비행시간은 13시간이 넘네요! (migugeseo hangukkkaji neomu meoreoyo. bihaengsiganeun 13sigani neomneyo!) The USA is really far from South Korea. The flight time is over 13 hours! 나는 긴 머리가 갖고 있는것 좋아요. (naneun gin meoriga gatgo inneungeot joayo.) I like having long hair. 그 사람은 기쁜 사람인가요? (geu sarameun gippeun saramingayo?) I wonder if that person is pleased? 세계에서 가장 아름다운 곳이 어디라고 생각하나요? (segyeeseo gajang areumdaun gosi eodirago saenggakanayo?) Where do you think is the most beautiful place in the world? 그 영화가 생각보다 더 괜찮았네. (geu yeonghwaga saenggakboda deo gwaenchananne.) That movie was nicer than I thought it would be. 나는 놀라서 크게 소리를 질렀다. (naneun nollaseo keuge sorireul jilleotda.) 이 수업이 너무 지루해. (i sueobi neomu jiruhae.) This class is so boring. 내일 편안한 옷을 입고 오세요. (naeil pyeonanhan oseul ipgo oseyo.) Please wear comfortable clothes tomorrow. 아! 방금 발목을 삐었어요. 너무 아파요! (a! banggeum balmogeul ppieosseoyo. neomu apayo!) Oh! I just sprained my ankle. It hurts so much! 저는 파랑색을 제일 좋아해요. (jeoneun parangsaegeul jeil joahaeyo.) 그 하얀 집은 엄청 예쁘지 아닌가요? (geu hayan jibeun eomcheong yeppeuji aningayo?) Isn’t that white house really pretty? 한국에서 단 빵은 인기가 많아요. (hangugeseo dan ppangeun ingiga manayo.) Sweet bread is popular in South Korea. Sample Conversation: 당신의 남동생은 아주 조용한 사람인것 같아요. (dangsinui namdongsaengeun aju joyonghan saramingeot gatayo.) Your brother seems to be a very quiet person. A: 클럽에 갈래요? (keulleobe gallaeyo?) Wanna go to a club? B: 미안해요, 복잡한 장소들은 안좋아해요. (mianhaeyo, bokjapan jangsodeureun anjoahaeyo.) I’m sorry, I don’t like crowded places. A: 토마스 씨, 들 수 있는 가장 무거운 무게는 뭐예요? (tomaseu ssi, deul su inneun gajang mugeoun mugeneun mwoyeyo?) Thomas, what is the heaviest weight that you can lift? B: 스쿼트에서 100kg을 들 수 있어요. (seukwoteueseo 100kgeul deul su isseoyo.) I can lift 100kg in squats. A: 너도 어제 숙제가 유난히 어렵다고 생각했니? (neodo eoje sukjega yunanhi eoryeopdago saenggakaenni?) Did you think yesterday’s homework was unusually difficult? B: 안 그래? 너무 쉬운 줄 알았어. (an geurae? neomu swiun jul arasseo.) It wasn’t, though? I thought it was super easy! Wow! That are so many new cool Korean adjectives and words for you to learn today! If you are still in the mood to widen your Korean vocabulary today after that mammoth of a list of Korean adjectives, why not check out our more general list of most popular Korean words? Can’t go wrong with this resource in learning Korean! Also, below in the comments, we’d love to know what your most commonly used Korean adjectives are. Perhaps you could try to showcase them by using Korean adjectives only? We’re excited to know the most popular adjectives used as we learn Korean these days! |