Every grammar point the Kaja Hangul course teaches — how sentences are built, what the particles
do, every verb ending and irregular family, and the sentence frames that let you say things you
never practised. Each one in plain language, with real examples you can listen to.
In the app these come back on a spaced schedule; here they are all on one page, to look things up.
English puts the verb in the middle: I EAT rice. Korean puts it at the END: I rice EAT. Every sentence you build from here follows Subject – Object – Verb, and the verb always comes last.
What the little words do
저는 커피를 좋아해요
jeoneun keopireul joahaeyo
I like coffee
Korean tags each word with its JOB. 는/은 marks the topic (저는 = as for me), 를/을 marks the object (커피를 = coffee, the thing liked). Which one you use depends only on whether the word ends in a consonant — the app shows you which, every time.
The three ways to say no
안 가요 · 못 가요 · 가지 않아요
an gayo · mot gayo · gaji anayo
I don't go · I can't go · I do not go
안 is choice — I don't. 못 is inability — something stops me. -지 않다 is the longer, flatter negative, more common in writing. Nouns take none of these: they take 아니에요. And 있다/없다 are their own pair — never 안 있어요.
Turning a verb into a describer
매운 거 있어요?
maeun geo isseoyo?
Do you have something spicy?
Put ㄴ/은 on a describing word and it sits in front of a noun: 싸다 → 싼 거 (a cheap one), 작다 → 작은 거. Action verbs take 는 instead: 요리하는 걸 좋아해요 = I like cooking. This one little machine is how Korean says 'the ___ one' and 'the thing I ___' — it has been inside phrases all course; now it's yours to build with.
Who you're speaking to changes the verb
먹어 · 먹어요 · 먹습니다
meogeo · meogeoyo · meokseumnida
eat (casual · polite · formal)
Korean picks a register for every sentence. 반말 (먹어) is for close friends and people younger than you, and is OFFERED by the older person. 해요체 (먹어요) is the everyday polite form and where you should live. 하십시오체 (먹습니다) is for work, ceremony and strangers you want to impress. Getting this wrong is more noticeable than getting grammar wrong.
Verb endings
The 해요 form — the everyday ending
Every Korean verb ends in 다 in the dictionary. To actually SAY it, drop the 다 and add 아요 or 어요. Use 아요 if the last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, otherwise 어요. This one ending covers almost all everyday speech.
먹다 (to eat) → 먹어요— ㅓ is not ㅏ/ㅗ → 어요
읽다 (to read) → 읽어요— ㅣ is not ㅏ/ㅗ → 어요
살다 (to live) → 살아요— ㅏ → 아요
좋다 (to be good) → 좋아요— ㅗ → 아요
앉다 (to sit) → 앉아요— ㅏ → 아요
When the vowels collide
If the stem already ends in the vowel you were going to add, it just absorbs it — you do not say it twice. 가다 becomes 가요, not 가아요.
가다 (to go) → 가요— 가 + 아요 → the ㅏ absorbs
자다 (to sleep) → 자요— 자 + 아요 → absorbed
만나다 (to meet) → 만나요— 나 + 아요 → absorbed
하다 (to do) → 해요— 하다 is irregular — it always becomes 해요
공부하다 (to study) → 공부해요— every ~하다 verb follows 하다
Talking about the past
Past tense slots in before the ending: 았어요 after ㅏ/ㅗ, 었어요 otherwise, and 하다 becomes 했어요. If you can build the 해요 form you can already build this one.
먹다 (to eat) → 먹었어요— 먹어요 → 먹었어요
가다 (to go) → 갔어요— 가요 → 갔어요 (absorbed again)
하다 (to do) → 했어요— 해요 → 했어요
살다 (to live) → 살았어요— 살아요 → 살았어요
읽다 (to read) → 읽었어요— 읽어요 → 읽었어요
Asking someone politely to do something
-(으)세요 is how you ask, invite or instruct without sounding like an order. Consonant stems take 으세요. Watch 살다: a stem ending in ㄹ drops it entirely.
앉다 (to sit) → 앉으세요— 앉 ends in a consonant → 으세요
가다 (to go) → 가세요— 가 ends in a vowel → just 세요
오다 (to come) → 오세요— 오 ends in a vowel → just 세요
읽다 (to read) → 읽으세요— 읽 ends in a consonant → 으세요
살다 (to live) → 사세요— a ㄹ stem DROPS the ㄹ before 세요 — not 살으세요
Respect changes the verb — -(으)세요
어디 가세요?
eodi gaseyo?
Where are you going? (to someone you respect)
When the person DOING the action deserves respect — someone's parents, a teacher, an elder — the verb takes -(으)세요: 가요 → 가세요, 읽어요 → 읽으세요. You already know this ending as a request (앉으세요); it is the same ending honouring the subject of the sentence. A few verbs swap entirely: 먹다 → 드세요, 자다 → 주무세요, 있다 → 계세요.
Saying it with respect
The dinner-table ending. -(으)세요 on the verb honours whoever is doing the acting — and the most common verbs have special honorific forms of their own.
있다 (to be (somewhere)) → 계세요— A PERSON being somewhere is 계시다: 계세요. 안녕히 계세요 is the goodbye you already know.
Talking about the future
Drop 다 and add -(으)ㄹ 거예요. A consonant stem takes 을 거예요; a vowel stem takes the ㄹ onto itself. This is the same stem rule that drives 수 있어요 and -(으)ㄹ까요.
가다 (to go) → 갈 거예요— 가 ends in a vowel → the ㄹ joins on
먹다 (to eat) → 먹을 거예요— 먹 ends in a consonant → 을 거예요
하다 (to do) → 할 거예요— 하 + ㄹ → 할
보다 (to watch) → 볼 거예요— 보 + ㄹ → 볼
읽다 (to read) → 읽을 거예요— 읽 ends in a consonant → 을 거예요
The irregular verbs
The ㅂ verbs
A large family of descriptive verbs ends in ㅂ, and that ㅂ turns into 우 before an ending. Once you spot the family you have them all.
덥다 (to be hot) → 더워요— ㅂ → 우, then 워요
춥다 (to be cold) → 추워요— same change
맵다 (to be spicy) → 매워요— same change
쉽다 (to be easy) → 쉬워요— same change
어렵다 (to be difficult) → 어려워요— same change
When the ㅡ disappears
If a stem's last vowel is ㅡ, it vanishes and the ending takes its vowel from the syllable before. With only one syllable, it defaults to 어요.
바쁘다 (to be busy) → 바빠요— 바 has ㅏ → 빠요
예쁘다 (to be pretty) → 예뻐요— 예 is not ㅏ/ㅗ → 뻐요
아프다 (to hurt) → 아파요— 아 has ㅏ → 파요
크다 (to be big) → 커요— nothing before it → 어요
쓰다 (to write) → 써요— nothing before it → 어요
The 르 verbs
The ㅡ drops AND an extra ㄹ appears on the syllable before. It looks strange once and then never again — and 모르다 alone will earn this card back.
모르다 (to not know) → 몰라요— 모 + ㄹ → 몰, then 라요
부르다 (to sing / call) → 불러요— 부 + ㄹ → 불, then 러요
빠르다 (to be fast) → 빨라요— 빠 + ㄹ → 빨, then 라요
다르다 (to be different) → 달라요— 다 + ㄹ → 달, then 라요
고르다 (to choose) → 골라요— 고 + ㄹ → 골, then 라요
The ㄷ verbs
Some verbs ending in ㄷ swap it for ㄹ before a vowel ending. Not all of them do — which is why this is a family you learn by name rather than a rule you apply blindly.
듣다 (to listen) → 들어요— ㄷ → ㄹ before a vowel
걷다 (to walk) → 걸어요— same change
묻다 (to ask) → 물어요— same change
받다 (to receive) → 받아요— regular — the ㄷ stays put
닫다 (to close) → 닫아요— regular too
The ㅅ verbs
The ㅅ disappears completely before a vowel ending, and nothing replaces it — so two vowels end up side by side and both get said. 웃다 and 씻다 keep theirs.
낫다 (to get better) → 나아요— ㅅ drops → 나 + 아요
짓다 (to build) → 지어요— ㅅ drops → 지 + 어요
붓다 (to pour) → 부어요— ㅅ drops → 부 + 어요
웃다 (to laugh) → 웃어요— regular — the ㅅ stays
씻다 (to wash) → 씻어요— regular too
The ㄹ verbs
A stem ending in ㄹ loses it before ㄴ, ㅂ and ㅅ endings — so 세요, 십니다 and ㅂ니다 all trigger it. Before a plain 아/어요 the ㄹ stays: 살아요, 알아요, 놀아요.
살다 (to live) → 사세요— ㄹ drops before 세요 — not 살으세요
알다 (to know) → 아세요— same drop
열다 (to open) → 여세요— the 문을 여세요 you already know
만들다 (to make) → 만드세요— same drop
놀다 (to play) → 노세요— same drop
The ㅎ adjectives
그렇다 and the colour words drop their ㅎ and pull the vowel to ㅐ. A small family, but it contains 어때요 — one of the most-used words in Korean. 좋다 and 놓다 are regular.
그렇다 (to be so) → 그래요— ㅎ drops, vowel → ㅐ
어떻다 (to be how) → 어때요— this is where 어때요? comes from
빨갛다 (to be red) → 빨개요— same change
하얗다 (to be white) → 하얘요— ㅑ + the same change → 얘
좋다 (to be good) → 좋아요— regular — the famous exception
Sentence frames
Saying what you are
저는 ___{이에요/예요}
jeoneun ___-ieyo/yeyo
I am ___
이에요 after a consonant, 예요 after a vowel. Same consonant/vowel rule as everything else.
저는 학생이에요 — I am a student
저는 회사원이에요 — I am an office worker
저는 의사예요 — I am a doctor
저는 요리사예요 — I am a cook
저는 선생님이에요 — I am a teacher
Saying what something isn't
___{이/가} 아니에요
___-i/ga anieyo
It's not ___
안 and 못 only ever negate verbs. To say a NOUN is not the case, you need 아니에요.
학생이 아니에요 — It's not a student
제 거가 아니에요 — It's not mine
농담이 아니에요 — It's not a joke
문제가 아니에요 — It's not a problem
커피가 아니에요 — It's not coffee
오늘이 아니에요 — It's not today
Saying there is / you have
___{이/가} 있어요
___-i/ga isseoyo
There is ___
이 after a consonant, 가 after a vowel. 있어요 also means 'I have' — 시간이 있어요 = I have time.
시간이 있어요 — There is time
질문이 있어요 — There is a question
약속이 있어요 — There is an appointment
물이 있어요 — There is water
고양이가 있어요 — There is a cat
자리가 있어요 — There is a seat
Asking for something
___ 좀 주세요
___ jom juseyo
___, please
The single most useful frame in the language. Any noun drops into the slot.
물 좀 주세요 — water, please
커피 좀 주세요 — a coffee, please
김치 좀 주세요 — kimchi, please
소금 좀 주세요 — salt, please
계산서 좀 주세요 — the bill, please
메뉴 좀 주세요 — a menu, please
Saying what you like
저는 ___{을/를} 좋아해요
jeoneun ___-eul/reul joahaeyo
I like ___
을 after a consonant, 를 after a vowel. That is the whole rule — it only exists to make the sentence easier to say.
저는 김치를 좋아해요 — I like kimchi
저는 커피를 좋아해요 — I like coffee
저는 한국을 좋아해요 — I like Korea
저는 영화를 좋아해요 — I like films
저는 음악을 좋아해요 — I like music
저는 고양이를 좋아해요 — I like cats
Saying where you're going
___에 가요
___-e gayo
I'm going to ___
에 marks a destination. It never changes shape, whatever the word ends in.
집에 가요 — I'm going to home
학교에 가요 — I'm going to school
한국에 가요 — I'm going to Korea
회사에 가요 — I'm going to work
식당에 가요 — I'm going to a restaurant
시장에 가요 — I'm going to the market
Saying where something is
___ 위에 있어요
___ wie isseoyo
It's on the ___
The position word comes AFTER the noun — 책상 위 = desk-top — and 에 marks it as a place. Swap 위 for 안 (in), 밑 (under), 옆 (beside), 앞 (front) or 뒤 (behind) and the frame still works.
책상 위에 있어요 — It's on the desk
침대 위에 있어요 — It's on the bed
의자 위에 있어요 — It's on the chair
냉장고 위에 있어요 — It's on the fridge
가방 위에 있어요 — It's on the bag
테이블 위에 있어요 — It's on the table
Saying where you are from
저는 ___에서 왔어요
jeoneun ___ eseo wasseoyo
I am from ___
에서 왔어요 = came from. It is the question you will be asked most, so it is worth being able to build rather than recite.
저는 영국에서 왔어요 — I am from the UK
저는 미국에서 왔어요 — I am from the US
저는 호주에서 왔어요 — I am from Australia
저는 독일에서 왔어요 — I am from Germany
저는 캐나다에서 왔어요 — I am from Canada
저는 프랑스에서 왔어요 — I am from France
Saying you've done it before
___{은/ㄴ} 적이 있어요
___-eun/n jeogi isseoyo
I've ___ before
적 = an occasion. Consonant stems take 은, vowel stems take the ㄴ onto themselves. 없어요 makes it 'I never have'.
간 적이 있어요 — I've been before
먹은 적이 있어요 — I've eaten it before
본 적이 있어요 — I've seen it before
만난 적이 있어요 — I've met them before
읽은 적이 있어요 — I've read it before
한 적이 있어요 — I've done it before
Saying who you're with
___하고 같이 가요
___-hago gachi gayo
I'm going with ___
하고 = with, when what it joins is a person. It never changes shape. Casually you'll hear (이)랑 instead: 친구랑 같이 가요.
친구하고 같이 가요 — I'm going with a friend
가족하고 같이 가요 — I'm going with my family
엄마하고 같이 가요 — I'm going with my mum
동생하고 같이 가요 — I'm going with my younger sibling
선생님하고 같이 가요 — I'm going with my teacher
여자친구하고 같이 가요 — I'm going with my girlfriend
Saying who you'll call
___한테 전화할게요
___-hante jeonhwahalgeyo
I'll call ___
한테 = to (a person). Places take 에, people take 한테 — never the other way round. In writing it becomes 에게.
엄마한테 전화할게요 — I'll call Mum
아빠한테 전화할게요 — I'll call Dad
친구한테 전화할게요 — I'll call my friend
동생한테 전화할게요 — I'll call my younger sibling
언니한테 전화할게요 — I'll call my older sister
선생님한테 전화할게요 — I'll call the teacher
Saying what you're going out for
___{을/를} 사러 가요
___-eul/reul sareo gayo
I'm going out to buy ___
-(으)러 가다 = go IN ORDER TO. 사다 ends in a vowel so it's 사러; a consonant stem takes 으러 (먹으러, 읽으러). The last verb is always one of going or coming.
빵을 사러 가요 — I'm going out to buy bread
우유를 사러 가요 — I'm going out to buy milk
커피를 사러 가요 — I'm going out to buy coffee
옷을 사러 가요 — I'm going out to buy clothes
선물을 사러 가요 — I'm going out to buy a present
표를 사러 가요 — I'm going out to buy a ticket
Saying what you're going to do
___{을/ㄹ} 거예요
___-eul/l geoyeyo
I'm going to ___
The plain future, and the same stem rule as 수 있어요. Once you can build one you can build all of them.
갈 거예요 — I'm going to go
먹을 거예요 — I'm going to eat
살 거예요 — I'm going to buy it
쉴 거예요 — I'm going to rest
볼 거예요 — I'm going to watch
읽을 거예요 — I'm going to read
Saying what you want to do
___고 싶어요
___-go sipeoyo
I want to ___
Take a verb, drop the 다, add 고 싶어요. 먹다 → 먹고 싶어요 = I want to eat.
먹고 싶어요 — I want to eat
자고 싶어요 — I want to sleep
가고 싶어요 — I want to go
쉬고 싶어요 — I want to rest
배우고 싶어요 — I want to learn
보고 싶어요 — I want to watch
Saying what you need
___{이/가} 필요해요
___-i/ga piryohaeyo
I need ___
Korean says 'it is needed', not 'I need it' — so the thing you need takes 이/가, the subject marker.
시간이 필요해요 — I need time
돈이 필요해요 — I need money
도움이 필요해요 — I need help
우산이 필요해요 — I need an umbrella
열쇠가 필요해요 — I need a key
휴가가 필요해요 — I need a holiday
Asking for the ___ one
___ 거 주세요
___ geo juseyo
The ___ one, please
거 = thing / one. The describer in front already carries its ㄴ/은: vowel stems take ㄴ (싸다 → 싼), consonant stems take 은 (작다 → 작은).
싼 거 주세요 — The cheaper one, please
큰 거 주세요 — The big one, please
작은 거 주세요 — The small one, please
안 매운 거 주세요 — The not spicy one, please
따뜻한 거 주세요 — The warm one, please
Saying what you like doing
저는 ___ 걸 좋아해요
jeoneun ___ geol joahaeyo
I like ___
Action verbs take 는 in front of a noun: 요리하다 → 요리하는. 걸 is 것을 squashed — 'the thing'. So this is literally 'I like the ___ thing', and it works for any verb you know.
저는 요리하는 걸 좋아해요 — I like cooking
저는 읽는 걸 좋아해요 — I like reading
저는 여행하는 걸 좋아해요 — I like travelling
저는 노래하는 걸 좋아해요 — I like singing
저는 배우는 걸 좋아해요 — I like learning
Saying what you can do
___{을/ㄹ} 수 있어요
___-eul/l su isseoyo
I can ___
Take the verb stem. If it ends in a consonant add 을; if it ends in a vowel the ㄹ joins onto it. 가 → 갈, 먹 → 먹을. Swap 있어요 for 없어요 and it becomes 'I can't'.
갈 수 있어요 — I can go
먹을 수 있어요 — I can eat
읽을 수 있어요 — I can read
할 수 있어요 — I can do it
볼 수 있어요 — I can watch
앉을 수 있어요 — I can sit
Suggesting something
___{을/ㄹ}까요?
___-eul/lkkayo?
Shall we ___?
-(으)ㄹ까요? puts the decision in the other person's hands, which is why it feels so much politer than a flat suggestion.
갈까요? — Shall we go?
먹을까요? — Shall we eat?
볼까요? — Shall we watch it?
시작할까요? — Shall we start?
앉을까요? — Shall we sit down?
쉴까요? — Shall we take a break?
Asking where something is
___{은/는} 어디에 있어요?
___-eun/neun eodie isseoyo?
Where is ___?
은/는 marks what the sentence is about. Point at anything and you have the question.
화장실은 어디에 있어요? — Where is the toilet?
역은 어디에 있어요? — Where is the station?
은행은 어디에 있어요? — Where is the bank?
편의점은 어디에 있어요? — Where is the convenience store?
약국은 어디에 있어요? — Where is the pharmacy?
출구는 어디에 있어요? — Where is the exit?
Asking the price
___{은/는} 얼마예요?
___-eun/neun eolmayeyo?
How much is ___?
The answer will use Sino numbers and end in 원.
이거는 얼마예요? — How much is this?
커피는 얼마예요? — How much is a coffee?
표는 얼마예요? — How much is a ticket?
방은 얼마예요? — How much is a room?
택시는 얼마예요? — How much is a taxi?
맥주는 얼마예요? — How much is a beer?
Telling a driver where to go
___{으로/로} 가 주세요
___-euro/ro ga juseyo
Take me to ___, please
(으)로 = towards, by way of. One exception worth knowing: a word ending in ㄹ takes 로, not 으로 — 서울로, not 서울으로.
공항으로 가 주세요 — Take me to the airport, please
시청으로 가 주세요 — Take me to City Hall, please
강남으로 가 주세요 — Take me to Gangnam, please
부산으로 가 주세요 — Take me to Busan, please
학교로 가 주세요 — Take me to the school, please
여기로 가 주세요 — Take me to here, please
Saying what hurts
___{이/가} 아파요
___-i/ga apayo
My ___ hurts
Name the body part and mark it with 이/가. Korean does not say 'my' here — it is obvious whose head it is.
머리가 아파요 — My head hurts
배가 아파요 — My stomach hurts
목이 아파요 — My throat hurts
다리가 아파요 — My leg hurts
눈이 아파요 — My eye hurts
이가 아파요 — My tooth hurts
Hedging an opinion
___{은/ㄴ} 것 같아요
___-eun/n geot gatayo
I think it's ___
Koreans hedge constantly, and a flat statement can sound blunt. Descriptive stems take the same 은/ㄴ as everywhere else.
좋은 것 같아요 — I think it's good
큰 것 같아요 — I think it's big
작은 것 같아요 — I think it's small
비싼 것 같아요 — I think it's expensive
예쁜 것 같아요 — I think it's pretty
싼 것 같아요 — I think it's cheap
Saying your name
저는 ___입니다
jeoneun ___ imnida
I am ___
The formal introduction. Korean writes foreign names in 한글 — your own name goes in the slot, and 입니다 never changes shape.
저는 안나입니다 — I am Anna
저는 다니엘입니다 — I am Daniel
저는 마이클입니다 — I am Michael
저는 사라입니다 — I am Sarah
저는 미아입니다 — I am Mia
저는 토마스입니다 — I am Thomas
Saying where someone lives
제 가족은 ___에 살아요
je gajogeun ___ e sarayo
My family lives in ___
제 = my (the humble form of 저의). 에 marks where something is, and never changes shape.
Kaja Hangul is a free Korean course. No ads, no tracking.
The Korean here was written by a learner and is being checked by a native speaker — if something
reads wrong to you, it may well be.