Language/Korean/Grammar/Adjectives

Korean Grammar - Adjectives

Hi Korean learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about Korean adjectives. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. In Korean, adjectives come before the noun they describe. It is important to learn Korean adjectives to be able to express yourself and to understand others.

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Connectors, Korean Grammar → Conjunctions and Connectors → Conditional ..., Negation & Question Words.

Basic Adjectives

Let's start with some basic Korean adjectives that you can use in your daily life.

List of Basic Adjectives

안녕하다 (annyeonghada)	Peaceful
크다 (keuda)	Big / Large
작다 (jageun)	Small / Little
새롭다 (saeroun)	New / Fresh
좋다 (joh-eun)	Good / Nice
나쁘다 (nappeun)	Bad / Poor
늦다 (neujeun)	Late
이르다 (ireuda)	Early

Here's an example dialogue using some of these basic adjectives:

• Person 1: 안녕하세요! (Hello!)
• Person 2: 안녕하세요! 큰 사과를 사고 싶어요. (Hello! I want to buy a big apple.)
• Person 1: 저는 작은 사과를 선호해요. (I prefer small apples.)

Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives in Korean express the appearance or state of a noun. They can be used to describe a person, a thing, or a place.

Let's look at some descriptive adjectives:

List of Descriptive Adjectives

예쁜 (yeppeun)	Pretty
멋있는 (meos-issneun)	Cool / Handsome
이쁜 (ippeun)	Beautiful
재미있는 (jaemi-issneun)	Fun / Interesting
지루한 (jiruhan)	Boring
싫은 (silh-eun)	Dislike / Hate
어려운 (eoryeoun)	Difficult

Let's use some of these descriptive adjectives in a dialogue:

• Person 1: 우리 선생님은 어떤 분이에요? (What kind of person is our teacher?)
• Person 2: 제 생각에 선생님은 멋있고 재미있으세요. (In my opinion, the teacher is cool and interesting.)
• Person 1: 저는 그렇지 않아요. 선생님이 지루하고 어려워요. (I don't think so. The teacher is boring and difficult for me.)

Comparison of Adjectives

In Korean, you can express comparisons by using certain adjectives. Here are some of the comparative adjectives:

Comparative Adjectives

더 (deo)	More
덜 (deol)	Less
많이 (manhi)	Much / Many
조금 (jogeum)	A little
가장 (gajang)	The most

Let's see how we can use these comparative adjectives:

• Person 1: 이 선물이 좋아요. (This gift is good.)
• Person 2: 저도 좋아해요. 하지만, 그 선물은 더 좋아요. (I like it too. However, that gift is better.)
• Person 1: 왜요? (Why?)
• Person 2: 그 선물은 가장 비싸요. (Because that gift is the most expensive.)

Adjective Endings

In Korean, there are different adjective endings depending on the tense of the sentence. Here are some examples:

Adjective Endings

Tense	Ending
Present	-아 / -어 (-a / -eo)
Past	-았 / -었 (-at / -eot)
Future	-겠 (-get)

Let's use these adjective endings in a sentence:

• Person 1: 어떻게 알았어요? (How did you know?)
• Person 2: 감기에 걸렸어요. 코가 막혀서 힘들어요. (I caught a cold. My nose is stuffy, and I'm having a hard time.)
• Person 1: 조심해야 돼요. 감기에 걸리지 않으려면, 따뜻하게 입으세요. (You need to be careful. To avoid catching a cold, dress warmly.)

To improve your Korean Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Other Lessons

• Questions
• Give your Opinion
• Negation
• Nouns
• Future Tense
• Plurals
• How to Use Have
• Gender
• How to Use Be

Sources

• 70 Colorful Korean Adjectives and How to Conjugate Them Like a Pro
• Korean Adjectives – StoryLearning
• Lesson 4: Korean Adjectives ~ㄴ/은