Korean adjectives (형용사 - hyeongyongsa) are unique because they function like verbs. They conjugate for tense and politeness, and can serve as sentence predicates without needing a copula (like "is" or "are" in English).
What Makes Korean Adjectives Special
Adjectives Are Descriptive Verbs
In Korean, adjectives behave grammatically like verbs:
English: "The room is big" (adjective + copula) Korean: "방이 커요" (Room big-is) - adjective conjugates like a verb
Key Characteristics
- Dictionary form ends in -다: Like verbs
- Conjugate for tense: Present, past, future
- Conjugate for politeness: Formal, polite, casual
- Can be predicates: Don't need copula
- Modify nouns: With special endings
Adjective Structure
Like verbs, adjectives consist of:
Adjective = Stem + Ending
Dictionary Form
All adjectives end in -다 (-da) in dictionary form:
Examples:
- 크다 (keuda) - to be big
- 작다 (jakda) - to be small
- 예쁘다 (yeppeuda) - to be pretty
- 좋다 (jota) - to be good
- 나쁘다 (nappeuda) - to be bad
Stem
Remove -다 to get the stem:
Examples:
- 크다 → 크 (keu)
- 작다 → 작 (jak)
- 예쁘다 → 예쁘 (yeppeu)
- 좋다 → 좋 (jo)
Basic Conjugation
Present Tense (-아요/어요)
Same vowel harmony as verbs:
ㅏ/ㅗ vowels → 아요 Other vowels → 어요
Examples:
- 크다 → 커요 (keoyo) - is big
- 작다 → 작아요 (jagayo) - is small
- 좋다 → 좋아요 (joayo) - is good
- 예쁘다 → 예뻐요 (yeppeoyo) - is pretty
Past Tense (-았어요/었어요)
Examples:
- 크다 → 컸어요 (keosseoyo) - was big
- 작다 → 작았어요 (jagasseoyo) - was small
- 좋다 → 좋았어요 (joasseoyo) - was good
Future Tense (-(으)ㄹ 거예요)
Examples:
- 크다 → 클 거예요 (keul geoyeyo) - will be big
- 작다 → 작을 거예요 (jageul geoyeyo) - will be small
Common Korean Adjectives
Size and Dimension
- 크다 (keuda) - to be big
- 작다 (jakda) - to be small
- 길다 (gilda) - to be long
- 짧다 (jjalda) - to be short
- 높다 (nopda) - to be high/tall
- 낮다 (natda) - to be low
- 넓다 (neolda) - to be wide
- 좁다 (jopda) - to be narrow
Physical Qualities
- 뜨겁다 (tteugeopda) - to be hot
- 차갑다 (chagapda) - to be cold
- 따뜻하다 (ttatteuthada) - to be warm
- 시원하다 (siwonhada) - to be cool/refreshing
- 무겁다 (mugeopda) - to be heavy
- 가볍다 (gabyeopda) - to be light
Colors
- 빨갛다 (ppalgata) - to be red
- 파랗다 (parata) - to be blue
- 노랗다 (norata) - to be yellow
- 하얗다 (hayata) - to be white
- 까맣다 (kkamata) - to be black
Quality and Condition
- 좋다 (jota) - to be good
- 나쁘다 (nappeuda) - to be bad
- 새롭다 (saeropda) - to be new
- 오래되다 (oraedoeda) - to be old
- 깨끗하다 (kkaekkeutada) - to be clean
- 더럽다 (deoropda) - to be dirty
Taste and Sensation
- 맛있다 (masitda) - to be delicious
- 맛없다 (maseopda) - to be tasteless/bad
- 달다 (dalda) - to be sweet
- 쓰다 (sseuda) - to be bitter
- 맵다 (maepda) - to be spicy
Emotions and States
- 기쁘다 (gippeuda) - to be happy/glad
- 슬프다 (seulpeuda) - to be sad
- 행복하다 (haengbokada) - to be happy
- 외롭다 (oeropda) - to be lonely
- 피곤하다 (pigonhada) - to be tired
Difficulty and Ease
- 쉽다 (swipda) - to be easy
- 어렵다 (eoryeopda) - to be difficult
- 간단하다 (gandanhada) - to be simple
- 복잡하다 (bokjapada) - to be complex
Two Functions of Adjectives
Function 1: As Predicates
Adjectives can function as the main predicate (verb) of a sentence:
Pattern: [Subject] + [Adjective]
Examples:
- 날씨가 좋아요. (The weather is good.)
- 방이 커요. (The room is big.)
- 음식이 맛있어요. (The food is delicious.)
- 한국어가 어려워요. (Korean is difficult.)
Note: No copula (is/are) needed—the adjective conjugates directly.
Function 2: As Noun Modifiers
Adjectives can modify nouns with special endings:
Present: Stem + ㄴ/은
Examples:
- 큰 집 (keun jib) - big house
- 작은 방 (jageun bang) - small room
- 좋은 사람 (joeun saram) - good person
- 예쁜 꽃 (yeppeun kkot) - pretty flower
Rule:
- Vowel stem → add -ㄴ
- Consonant stem → add -은
- ㄹ stem → drop ㄹ and add -ㄴ
Politeness Levels
Like verbs, adjectives conjugate for politeness:
Formal Polite (합니다체)
Examples:
- 큽니다 (keumnida) - is big (formal)
- 좋습니다 (joseumnida) - is good (formal)
Informal Polite (해요체)
Examples:
- 커요 (keoyo) - is big (polite)
- 좋아요 (joayo) - is good (polite)
Casual (반말)
Examples:
- 커 (keo) - is big (casual)
- 좋아 (joa) - is good (casual)
Negation
Two ways to negate adjectives:
Short Form: 안
Pattern: 안 + Adjective
Examples:
- 안 커요 (an keoyo) - is not big
- 안 좋아요 (an joayo) - is not good
- 안 예뻐요 (an yeppeoyo) - is not pretty
Long Form: -지 않다
Pattern: Stem + 지 않아요
Examples:
- 크지 않아요 (keuji anayo) - is not big
- 좋지 않아요 (jochi anayo) - is not good
Comparisons
Using 보다 (than)
Pattern: [A] + 이/가 + [B] + 보다 + [Adjective]
Examples:
- 형이 동생보다 커요. (Older brother is bigger than younger sibling.)
- 한국어가 영어보다 어려워요. (Korean is more difficult than English.)
Superlatives
Use 가장 (gajang) or 제일 (jeil) - "most":
Examples:
- 가장 큰 방 (gajang keun bang) - the biggest room
- 제일 좋은 음식 (jeil joeun eumsik) - the best food
Forming Adverbs from Adjectives
Add -게 to the stem:
Pattern: Stem + 게
Examples:
- 빠르다 (ppareuda - fast) → 빨리 (ppalli - quickly)
- 조용하다 (joyonghada - quiet) → 조용히 (joyonghi - quietly)
- 예쁘다 (yeppeuda - pretty) → 예쁘게 (yeppeuge - prettily)
Usage:
- 빨리 가요. (Go quickly.)
- 조용히 하세요. (Please be quiet. / Do quietly.)
Adjective vs Verb: How to Tell
Sometimes it's unclear if a word is an adjective or verb:
Adjectives describe states or qualities:
- 좋다 (to be good)
- 예쁘다 (to be pretty)
- 크다 (to be big)
Verbs describe actions or changes:
- 좋아하다 (to like)
- 크다 (can mean "to grow" in some contexts)
Test: Can it take an object with 을/를?
- If yes → verb
- If no → adjective
Irregular Adjectives
Some adjectives have irregular conjugation:
ㄹ Irregular
Stem ends in ㄹ:
- 멀다 (meolda - far) → 멀어요 (but 먼 거리 - ㄹ drops)
ㅂ Irregular
Stem ends in ㅂ:
- 춥다 (chupda - cold) → 추워요 (ㅂ → 우)
- 덥다 (deopda - hot) → 더워요
ㄷ Irregular
Stem ends in ㄷ:
- 듣다 (deutda - listen) → 들어요 (ㄷ → ㄹ)
Common Adjective Patterns
Pattern 1: State Description
[Subject] + [Adjective]
- 날씨가 좋아요. (The weather is good.)
Pattern 2: Noun Modification
[Adjective stem + ㄴ/은] + [Noun]
- 큰 집 (big house)
- 예쁜 꽃 (pretty flower)
Pattern 3: Comparison
[A] 보다 [Adjective]
- 형보다 커요. (Bigger than older brother.)
Pattern 4: Degree
아주/매우/정말 + [Adjective]
- 아주 좋아요. (Very good.)
- 정말 예뻐요. (Really pretty.)
Essential Adjectives for Beginners
Start with these high-frequency adjectives:
- 좋다 (good), 나쁘다 (bad)
- 크다 (big), 작다 (small)
- 많다 (many), 적다 (few)
- 비싸다 (expensive), 싸다 (cheap)
- 맛있다 (delicious), 맛없다 (not tasty)
- 예쁘다 (pretty), 멋있다 (cool/handsome)
- 쉽다 (easy), 어렵다 (difficult)
- 재미있다 (interesting/fun), 재미없다 (boring)