Korean daily routine vocabulary: 60 words and phrases

60 Korean words for every day

Verbs are in the dictionary form, except 비가 와요 and 눈이 와요, which are given as you would say them; so are the eleven greetings at the end, in polite forms. Every entry has a Revised Romanization reading based on its pronunciation (정리하다 is jeongnihada). The web app's daily pack uses the same 60 words for flashcard review.

How do you describe your day in Korean?

Start with a time word and end with the verb, in the polite -아요/-어요 form. Clock times take 에 (e), at: 일곱 시에, at seven. The hour uses native Korean numbers (한, 두, 세… 일곱, 여덟), as the days and months page explains.

샤워하다, 빨래하다 and 설거지하다 are a noun plus 하다, so you can also split them with the object particle: 빨래를 해요, I do the laundry. Both are correct and common. 잠에서 깨다 is to wake up; 일어나다 is to get up, out of bed.

How often: 항상, 자주, 가끔

The list gives 절대 안 (jeoldae an) for never, because 절대 on its own means "absolutely". It only means never with a negative verb: 절대 안 늦어요 (jeoldae an neujeoyo), I'm never late. For never in the sense of "not once", Koreans say 한 번도 안: 한 번도 안 가 봤어요 (han beondo an ga bwasseoyo), I've never been.

How do you talk about the weather in Korean?

Rain and snow "come" in Korean: 비가 와요 (biga wayo), it's raining, and 눈이 와요 (nuni wayo), it's snowing. The list gives these polite forms because they are what you say; 비가 온다 (biga onda), with the plain form 온다, is what you see in writing. The other weather words are descriptive verbs that work on their own: 흐려요 (heuryeoyo), it's cloudy; 화창해요 (hwachanghaeyo), it's sunny.

Which greeting do you use when?

The last eleven entries are set phrases, all polite enough for strangers. Two of them catch learners out. 안녕히 가세요 ("go in peace") is said to someone who is leaving; if you are the one leaving, say 안녕히 계세요 (annyeonghi gyeseyo), "stay in peace". 안녕히 주무세요 is a respectful good night for parents, older people or guests; to a friend, say 잘 자 (jal ja).

부탁합니다 (butakamnida) is please in the sense of "I'm asking a favour", said after a request. When you want something in a shop, 주세요 (juseyo) does the job: 이거 주세요 (igeo juseyo), this one, please. 어떻게 지내세요? asks how someone has been, but between acquaintances a plain 안녕하세요 usually covers it.

Each of these has its own page: hello, goodbye, please and nice to meet you.