Here are 100 useful Korean verbs for when the basics feel solid, each in the dictionary form with a Revised Romanization reading. 44 of them end in 하다, most of those a Sino-Korean noun plus 하다, such as 준비하다 (junbihada, to prepare). Start with 확인하다 (to check), 빌리다 (to borrow), 사라지다 (to disappear), 걱정하다 (to worry) and 머물다 (to stay).
- Words
- 100 verbs, dictionary form
- Ending in 하다
- 44 of the 100
- Fixed noun + verb pairs
- 8, such as 꿈을 꾸다
- Level
- A2–B1
100 useful Korean verbs
The second Contos verb pack, used in the web app's flashcard review. Verbs are in the dictionary form; entries with a space, such as 박수를 치다, are a noun and a verb that go together. Readings are Revised Romanization, as pronounced: 빛나다 (to shine) is binnada.
| Korean | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| 동의하다 | donguihada | to agree |
| 허락하다 | heorakada | to allow |
| 나타나다 | natanada | to appear |
| 피하다 | pihada | to avoid |
| 빌리다 | billida | to borrow |
| 비교하다 | bigyohada | to compare |
| 불평하다 | bulpyeonghada | to complain |
| 덮다 | deopda | to cover |
| 건너다 | geonneoda | to cross |
| 배달하다 | baedalhada | to deliver |
| 묘사하다 | myosahada | to describe |
| 파괴하다 | pagoehada | to destroy |
| 발전시키다 | baljeonsikida | to develop |
| 사라지다 | sarajida | to disappear |
| 찾아내다 | chajanaeda | to discover |
| 박수를 치다 | baksureul chida | to clap |
| 의심하다 | uisimhada | to doubt |
| 꿈을 꾸다 | kkumeul kkuda | to dream |
| 도망치다 | domangchida | to escape |
| 존재하다 | jonjaehada | to exist |
| 실패하다 | silpaehada | to fail |
| 채우다 | chaeuda | to fill |
| 접다 | jeopda | to fold |
| 자라다 | jarada | to grow |
| 추측하다 | chucheukada | to guess |
| 걸다 | geolda | to hang |
| 싫어하다 | sireohada | to hate |
| 숨기다 | sumgida | to hide |
| 상상하다 | sangsanghada | to imagine |
| 개선하다 | gaeseonhada | to improve |
| 늘리다 | neullida | to increase |
| 줄이다 | jurida | to reduce |
| 노크하다 | nokeuhada | to knock |
| 눕다 | nupda | to lie down |
| 들어 올리다 | deureo ollida | to lift |
| 불을 붙이다 | bureul buchida | to light |
| 결혼하다 | gyeolhonhada | to marry |
| 재다 | jaeda | to measure |
| 섞다 | seokda | to mix |
| 알아차리다 | aracharida | to notice |
| 알아보다 | araboda | to recognise |
| 붓다 | butda | to pour |
| 연습하다 | yeonseupada | to practise |
| 선호하다 | seonhohada | to prefer |
| 준비하다 | junbihada | to prepare |
| 약속하다 | yaksokada | to promise |
| 보호하다 | bohohada | to protect |
| 당기다 | danggida | to pull |
| 밀다 | milda | to push |
| 도달하다 | dodalhada | to reach |
| 추천하다 | chucheonhada | to recommend |
| 제안하다 | jeanhada | to suggest |
| 거절하다 | geojeolhada | to refuse |
| 긴장을 풀다 | ginjangeul pulda | to relax |
| 제거하다 | jegeohada | to remove |
| 교체하다 | gyochehada | to replace |
| 저축하다 | jeochukada | to save money |
| 돈을 쓰다 | doneul sseuda | to spend money |
| 소리치다 | sorichida | to shout |
| 속삭이다 | soksagida | to whisper |
| 바느질하다 | baneujilhada | to sew |
| 맛보다 | matboda | to taste |
| 풀다 | pulda | to solve |
| 묶다 | mukda | to tie |
| 신뢰하다 | silloehada | to trust |
| 손을 흔들다 | soneul heundeulda | to wave |
| 바라다 | barada | to wish |
| 걱정하다 | geokjeonghada | to worry |
| 포장하다 | pojanghada | to wrap |
| 생기다 | saenggida | to happen |
| 따라가다 | ttaragada | to follow |
| 머물다 | meomulda | to stay |
| 이기다 | igida | to win |
| 확인하다 | hwaginhada | to check |
| 오르다 | oreuda | to climb |
| 받아들이다 | badadeurida | to accept |
| 추가하다 | chugahada | to add |
| 잠그다 | jamgeuda | to lock |
| 의미하다 | uimihada | to mean |
| 굽다 | gupda | to bake |
| 심다 | simda | to plant |
| 농담하다 | nongdamhada | to joke |
| 거짓말하다 | geojinmalhada | to tell a lie |
| 인사하다 | insahada | to greet |
| 경고하다 | gyeonggohada | to warn |
| 끄다 | kkeuda | to switch off |
| 서다 | seoda | to stand |
| 다투다 | datuda | to argue |
| 주차하다 | juchahada | to park |
| 빛나다 | binnada | to shine |
| 취소하다 | chwisohada | to cancel |
| 돌려주다 | dollyeojuda | to give back |
| 면도하다 | myeondohada | to shave |
| 다림질하다 | darimjilhada | to iron |
| 휘파람을 불다 | hwiparameul bulda | to whistle |
| 껍질을 벗기다 | kkeopjireul beotgida | to peel |
| 먹이다 | meogida | to feed |
| 파다 | pada | to dig |
| 쓸다 | sseulda | to sweep |
| 모으다 | moeuda | to collect |
Why do so many Korean verbs end in 하다?
Nearly half this list ends in 하다 (to do), and most of those are a Sino-Korean noun plus 하다. The noun is a word in its own right, so you learn two words for one: 준비 is preparation and 준비하다 is to prepare; 약속 is a promise and 약속하다 is to promise. They all make their polite form the same way, with 해요.
저녁을 준비해요.
Jeonyeogeul junbihaeyo.
I'm making dinner.
그 의견에 동의해요.
Geu uigyeone donguihaeyo.
I agree with that view.
동의하다 takes 에: you agree "to" an opinion.
예약을 취소했어요.
Yeyageul chwisohaesseoyo.
I cancelled the booking.
이 책을 추천해요.
I chaegeul chucheonhaeyo.
I recommend this book.
Most of them can also be split with the object particle when the noun is the point: 준비를 했어요, I did the preparation. Some have a -되다 partner for something that happens to you rather than something you do: 걱정하다 is to worry, 걱정되다 to feel worried. More on that pair in Korean words for emotions.
나영은 손가락으로 날짜를 세 번이나 확인했다.Nayeongeun songarageuro naljjareul se beonina hwaginhaetda.
What is the difference between 먹다 and 먹이다?
Korean can turn a verb into "make someone do it" or "do it to something" by adding a syllable such as 이, 히, 리 or 기. Several verbs in this list are that second half of a pair you may already know.
| Basic verb | Its partner in this list | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다, to eat | 먹이다, to feed | someone else eats |
| 숨다, to hide (yourself) | 숨기다, to hide (something) | it takes an object |
| 늘다, to grow, rise | 늘리다, to increase | you make it grow |
| 줄다, to shrink, fall | 줄이다, to reduce | you make it shrink |
| 벗다, to take off | 벗기다, to peel, strip | you take it off something |
지우는 프로그램을 가방 깊이 숨겼습니다.Jiuneun peurogeuraemeul gabang gipi sumgyeotseumnida.
나타나다 (to appear) and 사라지다 (to disappear) are the opposite case: they never take an object. Something appears or vanishes by itself, and the thing takes 이/가.
물건들이 사라져요.Mulgeondeuri sarajyeoyo.
Which Korean verbs come with their own noun?
Some English verbs are a fixed noun-and-verb pair in Korean: you clap by "hitting applause" and dream by "dreaming a dream". Learn them as one unit, particle included.
- 박수를 치다baksureul chidato clap (hit applause)
- 꿈을 꾸다kkumeul kkudato dream (dream a dream)
- 휘파람을 불다hwiparameul buldato whistle (blow a whistle)
- 손을 흔들다soneul heundeuldato wave (shake a hand)
- 불을 붙이다bureul buchidato light (attach fire)
- 돈을 쓰다doneul sseudato spend money (use money)
A few verbs in the list are irregular. 굽다 (to bake) and 눕다 (to lie down) turn ㅂ into 우: 구워요, 누워요. 붓다 (to pour) drops its ㅅ: 부어요. Others that look alike are regular: 접다 (to fold) gives 접어요.
- 생기다 (saenggida) is to happen in the sense of to come about: 무슨 일이 생겼어요? (museun iri saenggyeosseoyo?), what's happened? It also describes looks: 잘생겼어요, he's good-looking.
- 알아보다 (araboda) is to recognise someone, and also to look into something: 가격을 알아볼게요 (gagyeogeul arabolgeyo), I'll find out the price.
- 도달하다 (to reach) is formal, for goals and agreements. To reach for something on a shelf, Korean says 손이 닿다 (soni data), the hand touches.
Back to basics: the 100 most common Korean verbs cover 하다, 가다 and the polite forms. Work Korean leans on this list too; see Korean work vocabulary.
Read a Korean story at A1 and meet these verbs in context: tap any word to see what it means.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you say "to agree" in Korean?
동의하다 (donguihada): 동의해요, I agree. The thing you agree with takes 에: 그 의견에 동의해요. In casual conversation, people often just say 맞아요 (majayo), that's right.
What is the difference between 숨다 and 숨기다?
숨다 (sumda) is to hide yourself: 고양이가 숨었어요, the cat hid. 숨기다 (sumgida) is to hide something: 편지를 숨겼어요, I hid the letter. The extra 기 makes the verb take an object.
Is 생기다 the Korean for "to happen"?
Often, yes: 문제가 생겼어요, a problem has come up. For a past event, 일어나다 (to happen, also to get up) is common too. 생기다 also means to look a certain way: 잘생기다, to be good-looking.
Why do some verbs on this list have two words?
Because Korean expresses those actions as a noun plus a verb: 박수를 치다, to clap, is literally "hit applause". The noun takes the object particle 을/를, which is often dropped in speech: 박수 쳐요.