Korean grammar

The main rules of Korean, each on one short page with tables and examples you can listen to. Use it to look something up, or read it alongside the course: every chapter links to the pages it uses.

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Start here: the Korean alphabet

Hangul: the Korean alphabetThe Korean consonants and vowels with their romanisation, double consonants, combined vowels, and how letters stack into syllable blocks.
Sound changes: why 감사합니다 is gamsahamnidaWhy Korean isn't always said as spelled: final sounds, linking, nasalisation, tensing, ㅎ and palatalisation, and why the romanisation follows the sound.

Beginner (A1)

Can and can't: -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 / 없다-(으)ㄹ 수 있다 / 없다 for ability and possibility, 못 as the everyday “can't”, 잘하다 (be good at) and -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다 (know how to).
Likes and wants: 좋아하다, 좋다, -고 싶다좋아하다 with 을/를 vs 좋다 with 이/가, 싫어하다 and 싫다, -고 싶다 (want to), -고 싶어 하다 for other people, and wishes with -았/었으면 좋겠다.
More particles: 도, 만, 의, 하고, 보다, 부터/까지, 한테Also and only, my and 's, and and with, comparisons with 보다, 더 and 제일, from and until, and particles for giving or saying things to a person.
Negation: 안, 못, -지 않다, -지 못하다안 (don't) and 못 (can't), their long forms, where 안 goes with 하다 verbs, 아니에요 for nouns, 없다 and 모르다, and -지 마세요 (don't!).
Numbers, counters, time and datesKorean's two sets of numbers and when to use each, 만 and 억, common counters, telling the time, and the days, months and dates.
Speech levels: 해요, 합니다, 반말 and 한다The four speech styles used today, who uses which with whom, and the same statement, question, request and suggestion in each style.
The present tense: -아요 / -어요How to find the verb stem, the ㅏ / ㅗ rule, vowels that merge, 하다 → 해요, and what the present is used for: now, habits and the near future.
Word order: the verb comes lastKorean puts the verb at the end, uses particles to show who does what, leaves out words that are clear, and asks questions with the voice.
은/는 and 이/가: topic and subjectWhich form to use after a consonant or a vowel, 은/는 for the topic and for contrast, 이/가 for new information and with 있다, 좋다 and 아프다.
을/를, 에, 에서 and (으)로The object particle 을/를 and when it's dropped, 에 for place, destination and time, 에서 for where things happen, and (으)로 for direction and means.
이다 and 아니다: to be이에요 and 예요 after a consonant or a vowel, 아니에요 with 이/가, the past 이었어요 / 였어요, formal 입니다 and casual 이야 / 야.
있다 and 없다: there is, to have있다 and 없다 for where things are, what there is and what you have, in words like 맛있다 and 재미있다, and the honorific 계시다 vs 있으시다.

Elementary (A2)

-고 있다: doing now, and wearingHow to say what someone is doing right now with -고 있다, the honorific -고 계시다, wearing verbs as states, and -는 중이다.
But and background: -지만, -는데, -아/어도How to say “but” with -지만, set the scene with -는데, trail off politely with -는데요, and say “even if” and “even though”.
Honorifics: -(으)시-, 께서, 드리다How Korean shows respect for the person you talk about: -(으)시- in every tense, honorific verbs and nouns, humble forms, and 께서 and 께.
If sentences: -(으)면, -(으)려면, -다면, -았/었더라면Real conditions with -(으)면, “if you want to” with -(으)려면, imagined ones with -다면, wishes, and the unreal past with -았/었더라면.
Irregular verbs: ㅂ, ㄷ, ㅅ, 르, ㅎ (and ㅡ, ㄹ stems)The five irregular patterns (돕다 → 도와요, 듣다 → 들어요, 낫다 → 나아요, 모르다 → 몰라요, 어떻다 → 어때요), their regular look-alikes, and ㅡ and ㄹ stems.
Linking actions: -고, -아서/-어서, -(으)면서, -다가How to join actions in one sentence: and, and then, while, was doing and then, before, after and as soon as.
Must, may and must notHow to say you have to, you just need to, you may, you must not and you don't have to, plus friendly advice with -는 게 좋아요.
Reasons: -아서/-어서, -(으)니까, -기 때문에The three everyday ways to say “because” in Korean and when each fits, plus 때문에, 덕분에, -는 바람에 and the written -(으)로 인해.
Requests and suggestions: -(으)세요, -아/어 주세요, -(으)ㄹ까요?How to ask people to do things politely, say “don't”, ask for favours, and suggest doing something together in every speech level.
The future: -(으)ㄹ 거예요, -겠-, -(으)ㄹ게요How to talk about plans and guesses with -(으)ㄹ 거예요, make promises with -(으)ㄹ게요, and understand -겠- in forecasts and formal speech.
The past tense: -았- / -었-How to form the past with -았- / -었- and 했어요, the past of 이다, honorific -(으)셨어요, formal and casual past forms, and -았/었었- for things no longer true.

Intermediate (B1)

-게 되다 and -아/어지다: how things turn outHow to say that something came about or changed: -게 되다 (came to, ended up), -아/어지다 with adjectives (getting colder), and -기로 하다 (decided to).
Describing nouns: -는, -(으)ㄴ, -(으)ㄹ, -던How Korean puts descriptions before nouns: adjectives with -(으)ㄴ, verbs with -는, -(으)ㄴ and -(으)ㄹ, modifier + 것, and -던.
Guesses: -(으)ㄹ 것 같다, -겠-, -나 보다How to guess, soften opinions and react to news: -(으)ㄴ/는/(으)ㄹ 것 같다, -겠-, -나 보다, -(으)ㄹ 텐데 and -(으)ㄹ까 봐.
Passive and causative verbsHow Korean forms passive verbs (이, 히, 리, 기, -아/어지다, -되다, -받다) and causative verbs (먹이다, -게 하다), and how to tell them apart.
Reporting speech: -다고, -냐고, -자고, -(으)라고How to report what people said, asked, suggested and told others to do, the spoken short forms -대요 and -래요, and reporting verbs.

Upper intermediate (B2)

Formal and written KoreanThe plain style in writing and news, formal Sino-Korean vocabulary, written connectors, phrases for formal letters and emails, and presentations.
Idioms, proverbs and spoken KoreanCommon Korean idioms such as 발이 넓다 and 미역국을 먹다, well-known proverbs, fillers, spoken contractions and slang everyone understands.
Nuanced endings: -네요, -잖아요, -거든요 and moreThe small endings that give spoken Korean its tone: noticing, reminding, explaining, reporting what you saw, guessing, regretting and trailing off.