Zorg SpaceKorean grammar
Every Korean grammar lesson in Zorg Space, by level and topic. Each lesson explains one rule, with examples, common mistakes and worked practice questions.
A0 Starter Lessons: 28
Referring to people and things
- Saying what something isKorean has no verb "to be" in front of the noun — it glues an ending onto the end of it.
- Saying what something is notThe opposite of 이에요 is not "안 이에요" — it is a separate word, 아니에요, and the noun in front of it takes 이 or 가.
- This, that, that over thereKorean splits "that" in two.
- Here, there, over thereThe same three distances, applied to places.
- Whose it isOwnership is the particle 의, but in speech it usually disappears: 친구 가방 is fine for "my friend’s bag".
Verbs and time
- The 해요 form — how a beginner speaksEvery Korean verb in this course ends in 다 in the dictionary and never in speech.
- There is, there is not, I haveOne verb covers "there is" and "I have": 시간이 있어요 is both "there is time" and "I have time".
- Adjectives are verbs in KoreanThere is no "is" between the noun and the description.
- Speaking up to someoneWhen the person you are talking about is older or senior, the verb gets 시 in it, which surfaces as -(으)세요.
- Saying what you want to doAttach 고 싶어요 straight to the dictionary stem — no vowel harmony, no irregularities: 가고 싶어요, 먹고 싶어요, 사고 싶어요.
- Asking for a thing and for an actionFor a thing, put 주세요 after the noun: 물 주세요, 메뉴 주세요.
Nouns and describing
- Korean counts twiceKorean has two complete sets of numbers and they are not interchangeable.
- CountersYou cannot count a Korean noun directly.
- Telling the time and the dateThe clock is 시 for the hour, native; 분 for the minute, Sino; and 반 for half past.
- Joining two nouns하고 joins two nouns and never changes: 밥하고 국, 커피하고 차.
Place and direction
- The particle 에 — where and when에 marks where something IS and where you are going TO, and it marks a point in time.
- The particle 에서 — where it happens에서 marks the place an action happens, and the place something comes from.
- Position wordsKorean has no prepositions.
- By, with, towards(으)로 says by what means and in which direction: 버스로 가요, 카드로 계산할게요, 오른쪽으로 가세요.
Saying no
- Saying you do not안 goes in front of the verb, with a space: 안 가요, 안 먹어요, 안 비싸요.
- Saying you cannot안 is a choice; 못 is an inability.
Asking questions
- Yes-no questionsKorean does not move anything to make a question.
- Question wordsA Korean question word stands where the answer would stand, not at the front.
Building the sentence
- 은/는 against 이/가Both mark what the sentence is about, and both are chosen by 받침 — 은 and 이 after a consonant, 는 and 가 after a vowel.
- Marking the objectWhat the verb acts on takes 을 after a consonant and 를 after a vowel: 밥을 먹어요, 커피를 마셔요.
- The verb goes lastIn Korean the verb is always the last word, and everything else is arranged in front of it — usually who, then when…
Joining sentences
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