Korean nouns (명사 - myeongsa) name people, places, things, and concepts. While simpler than verbs and adjectives, Korean nouns have unique features that differ from English, particularly in how they interact with particles and counters.
Basic Characteristics
No Grammatical Gender
Korean nouns have no grammatical gender:
- 친구 (chingu) - friend (gender-neutral)
- 학생 (haksaeng) - student (gender-neutral)
When gender matters, add specifying words:
- 남자 친구 (namja chingu) - male friend/boyfriend
- 여자 친구 (yeoja chingu) - female friend/girlfriend
No Articles
Korean has no equivalents to "a," "an," or "the":
English: "the book," "a book" Korean: 책 (chaek) - book (context shows definiteness)
Particles Attach to Nouns
Particles show grammatical function:
- 책이 (chaek-i) - book + subject marker
- 책을 (chaek-eul) - book + object marker
- 책에 (chaek-e) - book + location marker
Types of Nouns
Common Nouns (보통명사)
General names for things:
People:
- 사람 (saram) - person
- 학생 (haksaeng) - student
- 선생님 (seonsaengnim) - teacher
- 친구 (chingu) - friend
Things:
- 책 (chaek) - book
- 물 (mul) - water
- 컴퓨터 (keompyuteo) - computer
- 전화 (jeonhwa) - phone
Places:
- 집 (jib) - house/home
- 학교 (hakgyo) - school
- 식당 (sikdang) - restaurant
- 공원 (gongwon) - park
Proper Nouns (고유명사)
Specific names:
Places:
- 한국 (Hanguk) - Korea
- 서울 (Seoul) - Seoul
- 부산 (Busan) - Busan
People's names:
- 김민수 (Kim Minsu)
- 이수진 (Lee Sujin)
Brand names:
- 삼성 (Samsung)
- 현대 (Hyundai)
Abstract Nouns (추상명사)
Intangible concepts:
- 사랑 (sarang) - love
- 시간 (sigan) - time
- 행복 (haengbok) - happiness
- 자유 (jayu) - freedom
- 평화 (pyeonghwa) - peace
Compound Nouns (합성명사)
Made by combining two or more words:
- 학교 (school) + 버스 (bus) = 학교버스 (school bus)
- 손 (hand) + 목 (neck) = 손목 (wrist)
- 불 (fire) + 고기 (meat) = 불고기 (bulgogi)
Pluralization
Optional Plurals
Plural marking is optional when context makes number clear:
Singular or plural:
- 학생 (haksaeng) - student(s)
- 책 (chaek) - book(s)
Context clarifies:
- 학생이 있어요. (There is a student / There are students.)
- 세 개의 사과 (Three apples - number shows plural)
Plural Marker: 들
Add 들 (deul) to make plurals explicit:
Primarily for people:
- 학생들 (haksaengdeul) - students
- 친구들 (chingudeul) - friends
- 사람들 (saramdeul) - people
Less common for things:
- Usually omitted unless emphasis needed
- 책들 (chaekdeul) - books (emphasized)
Usage:
- 학생들이 공부해요. (The students study.)
- 친구들을 만났어요. (Met friends.)
Counters (수 분류사)
Korean uses counters (classifiers) when counting nouns—similar to "sheets of paper" or "heads of cattle" in English, but required for all counting.
Structure
Number + Counter + Noun
Examples:
- 사과 세 개 (sagwa se gae) - three apples (three items-apple)
- 학생 두 명 (haksaeng du myeong) - two students (two people-student)
Common Counters
개 (gae) - general items:
- 사과 세 개 (three apples)
- 의자 네 개 (four chairs)
명/분 (myeong/bun) - people:
- 학생 다섯 명 (five students)
- 선생님 세 분 (three teachers - honorific)
마리 (mari) - animals:
- 고양이 두 마리 (two cats)
- 개 한 마리 (one dog)
권 (gwon) - books/volumes:
- 책 두 권 (two books)
병 (byeong) - bottles:
- 물 한 병 (one bottle of water)
잔 (jan) - cups/glasses:
- 커피 두 잔 (two cups of coffee)
Two Number Systems with Counters
Native Korean numbers (most counters):
- 하나, 둘, 셋, 넷 (but: 한, 두, 세, 네 before counters)
- 사과 두 개 (two apples)
Sino-Korean numbers (some counters):
- 일, 이, 삼, 사
- 일월 (January - month names)
Noun + Particles
Particles attach to nouns to show function:
Subject Particles: 이/가
- 학생이 공부해요. (Student studies.)
- 고양이가 자요. (Cat sleeps.)
Object Particles: 을/를
- 책을 읽어요. (Read book.)
- 물을 마셔요. (Drink water.)
Topic Particles: 은/는
- 저는 학생이에요. (I'm a student.)
- 한국은 좋아요. (Korea is good.)
Location Particles: 에/에서
- 집에 있어요. (Am at home.)
- 학교에서 공부해요. (Study at school.)
Possessive: 의
- 저의 책 (my book) - often shortened to 제 책
- 친구의 집 (friend's house)
Noun Modification
By Adjectives
Adjectives modify nouns with -(으)ㄴ ending:
- 큰 집 (keun jib) - big house
- 좋은 사람 (joeun saram) - good person
- 예쁜 꽃 (yeppeun kkot) - pretty flower
By Other Nouns (with 의)
Possession or relationship:
- 친구의 책 (friend's book)
- 한국의 음식 (Korea's food / Korean food)
Often omitted:
- 친구 책 (friend book - friend's book)
- 한국 음식 (Korean food)
By Relative Clauses
Verbs modify nouns with special endings:
- 읽는 책 (ikneun chaek) - book (that I'm) reading
- 먹은 음식 (meogeun eumsik) - food (that I) ate
Pronouns as Special Nouns
Personal pronouns function like nouns:
First person:
- 나/저 (na/jeo) - I (casual/polite)
Second person:
- 너/당신 (neo/dangsin) - you (casual/formal)
- Often omitted or use names/titles instead
Third person:
- 그/그녀 (geu/geunyeo) - he/she
- Often use names or titles
Plural: Add 들 (deul):
- 우리 (uri) - we
- 너희들 (neohuideul) - you all (casual)
Common Noun Patterns
Pattern 1: Subject-Verb
[Noun + 이/가] + [Verb]
- 학생이 공부해요. (Student studies.)
Pattern 2: Subject-Adjective
[Noun + 이/가] + [Adjective]
- 날씨가 좋아요. (Weather is good.)
Pattern 3: Topic-Comment
[Noun + 은/는] + [Comment]
- 저는 학생이에요. (I'm a student.)
Pattern 4: Noun Predicate
[Noun + 은/는] + [Noun + 이에요/예요]
- 이것은 책이에요. (This is a book.)
Pattern 5: Possession
[Noun + 의] + [Noun]
- 저의 집 (my house)
- 친구의 책 (friend's book)
Time Nouns
Time words have special properties:
With 에 particle:
- 3시에 (at 3 o'clock)
- 월요일에 (on Monday)
Without particle:
- 오늘 (today)
- 내일 (tomorrow)
- 어제 (yesterday)
- 지금 (now)
Essential Nouns for Beginners
People:
- 사람 (person), 친구 (friend), 선생님 (teacher)
Family:
- 가족 (family), 엄마 (mom), 아빠 (dad)
Places:
- 집 (home), 학교 (school), 식당 (restaurant)
Things:
- 책 (book), 물 (water), 밥 (rice/meal), 전화 (phone)
Time:
- 시간 (time), 오늘 (today), 내일 (tomorrow)
Abstract:
- 일 (work), 공부 (study), 사랑 (love)
Sino-Korean vs Native Korean Nouns
Korean has two vocabulary sets:
Native Korean (순우리말):
- 물 (mul) - water
- 밥 (bab) - rice
- 집 (jib) - house
Sino-Korean (한자어):
- 수 (su) - water (in compounds)
- 식사 (siksa) - meal (formal)
- 가옥 (gaok) - house (formal)
Native words tend to be more common in daily life; Sino-Korean words are often more formal or technical.