The most common Korean verbs: 100 to learn first

100 common Korean verbs

Every verb is in the dictionary form, the stem plus -다, which is how dictionaries and the Contos app list them. Readings are Revised Romanization, based on pronunciation: 읽다 (to read) is ikda. The web app uses this pack for flashcard review.

How do you make the polite form of a Korean verb?

Take off -다 to find the stem, then look at the stem's last vowel. If it is ㅏ or ㅗ, add -아요; otherwise add -어요. Every verb ending in 하다 becomes 해요. When two vowels meet they usually merge: 가 + 아요 is 가요, 오 + 아요 is 와요, 마시 + 어요 is 마셔요.

The polite form is the same for I, you, he and she, and for statements and questions: 가요 is "I'm going", "she's going" or, with a rising voice, "are you going?". For the past, use -았어요/-었어요, or 했어요 for 하다 verbs: 갔어요, 먹었어요, 했어요.

Which common Korean verbs are irregular?

A handful of very common verbs change their stem before a vowel. The list has an example of each type.

Not every verb that looks irregular is. 닫다 (to close) gives 닫아요 and 입다 (to wear) gives 입어요, both regular. Learn each verb with its polite form and the pattern sorts itself out.

Which verbs work differently from English?

• 이다 (ida) is "to be" in the sense of "is a". It attaches to a noun: 학생이에요 (haksaengieyo), I'm a student. For being somewhere, or "there is", Korean uses 있다 (itda): 집에 있어요, I'm at home.
• 있다 (itda), the list's "to have", literally means "to exist": 시간 있어요? (sigan isseoyo?), have you got time? Its opposite is 없다 (eopda): 돈이 없어요, I've got no money. 가지다 (gajida) is to have in the sense of to hold or own.
• 발견하다 (balgyeonhada) is to discover. Finding your keys is 찾다 (chatda): 열쇠를 찾았어요, I found my keys. 찾다 also means to look for, which the list gives separately.
• 해 보다 (hae boda), the list's "to try", is 하다 plus -아/어 보다, and the ending works on any verb: 먹어 봐요 (meogeo bwayo), try it. 시도하다 (sidohada) is the formal word.
• 놀다 (nolda) is to play as children do, or to hang out with friends. Sports take 하다 (축구를 하다, to play football) and instruments take 치다 (피아노를 치다, to play the piano).
• 좋아하다 (to like) and 사랑하다 (to love) take the object particle: 커피를 좋아해요, I like coffee.

When these feel solid, move on to 100 useful everyday Korean verbs, and pair them with the most common nouns.