Korean grammar

One point at a time.

Korean word order matches Japanese almost exactly, but the grammar is glued together differently: particles attach to the noun as endings rather than standing apart, verbs carry politeness in their final syllable, and there are two whole number systems depending on what is being counted. These are those, one page each, in plain English.

A1 20 points

은/는 — what the sentence is about

Noun + 은/는 + Comment

The topic marker. Which form you use depends on the last letter of the word.
이/가 — the subject

Noun + 이/가 + Verb

It marks who or what is doing something, and it answers questions 은/는 cannot.
을/를 — the object

Noun + 을/를 + Verb

It marks what the verb acts on, and in speech it is often dropped altogether.
이다 — to be

Noun + 이에요/예요

An ending rather than a verb. It attaches to the noun instead of standing beside it.
있다 and 없다 — there is, there isn’t

Noun + 이/가 + 있어요 / 없어요

Korean has a dedicated word for “not existing”, so existence never needs a negative.
에 — to, at, and when

Place / Time + 에

Where something is and where you are going, but never where something happens.
에서 — where it happens, and from

Place + 에서 + Verb

The place an action occurs, and the place something starts from.
의 — of, and whose

Noun + 의 + Noun

Written 의, said “e”. And most of the time it is left out entirely.
도 — also, too, even

Noun + 도

It replaces 은/는, 이/가 and 을/를 rather than sitting alongside them.
와/과, 하고, (이)랑 — and, with

Noun + 와/과 / 하고 / (이)랑 + Noun

Three ways to say the same thing, separated by how formal you are being.
해요 — the everyday polite form

Verb stem + 아요/어요

Politeness is the last syllable of the verb. There is no neutral option.
았/었어요 — the past

Verb stem + 았/었어요

An extra syllable inside the verb, chosen by the same vowel rule as the present.
ㄹ/을 거예요 — will, going to

Verb stem + ㄹ/을 거예요

Intention and prediction in one ending, and it works on other people too.
안 and 못 — not, and can’t

안 / 못 + Verb

Two different negatives. One denies, the other says you were prevented.
Questions and question words

Statement, with a question word in the answer’s place

Nothing moves. The question word sits where its answer will sit.
고 싶다 — wanting to

Verb stem + 고 싶어요

It attaches to the verb stem, and it cannot be used about other people.
Word order — the verb comes last

(Topic) (Object) (Place) + Verb

Everything else can move, because the endings say what each word is doing.
Two number systems

Native / Sino-Korean number + Counter

Korean has native numbers and Sino-Korean numbers, and what you are counting decides which.
Counters

Noun + Number + Counter

A number cannot touch a noun directly. A counter goes between them.
(으)로 — by, with, towards

Noun + (으)로

Direction, means and material in one ending, and it takes a third form after ㄹ.

A1 20 points

은/는 — what the sentence is about

이/가 — the subject

을/를 — the object

이다 — to be

있다 and 없다 — there is, there isn’t

에 — to, at, and when

에서 — where it happens, and from

의 — of, and whose

도 — also, too, even

와/과, 하고, (이)랑 — and, with

해요 — the everyday polite form

았/었어요 — the past

ㄹ/을 거예요 — will, going to

안 and 못 — not, and can’t

Questions and question words

고 싶다 — wanting to

Word order — the verb comes last

Two number systems

Counters

(으)로 — by, with, towards

A2 20 points

(으)시 — speaking about someone senior

고 and 아/어서 — joining actions

아/어서 and (으)니까 — because

지만 and 는데 — but

고 있다 — in progress

(으)ㄹ 수 있다 — can

아/어야 되다 — must

아/어도 되다 — may, and may not

(으)면 — if, and when

Modifying a noun with a clause

Adjectives — verbs in disguise

보다 and 제일 — comparing

아/어 주다 — doing something for someone

아/어 보다 — trying something

기 전에 and (으)ㄴ 후에 — before and after

(으)ㄹ 때 — when

(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 — having done something

Making adverbs — 게 and 히

아/어지다 and 게 되다 — becoming

Irregular verb stems