Korean grammar categorizes words into distinct parts of speech (품사 - pumsa), each with specific functions and grammatical behaviors. Understanding these categories is essential for proper sentence construction.
Overview of Korean Parts of Speech
Korean has nine main parts of speech:
- Nouns (명사 - myeongsa)
- Pronouns (대명사 - daemyeongsa)
- Numerals (수사 - susa)
- Verbs (동사 - dongsa)
- Adjectives (형용사 - hyeongyongsa)
- Determiners (관형사 - gwanhyeongsa)
- Adverbs (부사 - busa)
- Particles (조사 - josa)
- Interjections (감탄사 - gamtansa)
Nouns (명사)
Nouns name people, places, things, or concepts.
Characteristics
- No grammatical gender: Unlike many European languages
- No articles: No equivalent to "a/an/the"
- Optional plural: Plural markers exist but aren't always required
- Take particles: Particles attach to nouns to show grammatical function
Examples
Common nouns:
- 사람 (saram) - person
- 책 (chaek) - book
- 집 (jib) - house
- 학교 (hakgyo) - school
Proper nouns:
- 한국 (Hanguk) - Korea
- 서울 (Seoul) - Seoul
- 김치 (gimchi) - kimchi
Abstract nouns:
- 사랑 (sarang) - love
- 시간 (sigan) - time
- 행복 (haengbok) - happiness
Plural Formation
Plurals are optional and usually only used for people:
Plural markers:
- 들 (deul) - general plural marker
- 친구들 (chingudeul) - friends
- 학생들 (haksaengdeul) - students
Context usually makes number clear:
- 사과 먹었어요. (Ate apple/apples.)
Pronouns (대명사)
Pronouns replace nouns and reference people or things.
Personal Pronouns
First Person:
- 나/저 (na/jeo) - I/me (casual/polite)
- 우리 (uri) - we/us
Second Person:
- 너/당신 (neo/dangsin) - you (casual/formal)
- Use sparingly; often omitted or use titles/names instead
Third Person:
- 그/그녀 (geu/geunyeo) - he/she
- Often omitted or use names/titles
Demonstrative Pronouns
Based on the ko-so-a-do system:
- 이것 (igeot) - this (near speaker)
- 그것 (geugeot) - that (near listener)
- 저것 (jeogeot) - that (far from both)
- 어떤 것 (eotteon geot) - which thing
Numerals (수사)
Korean has two number systems used for different purposes.
Native Korean Numbers (하나, 둘, 셋...)
Used for:
- Counting objects with most counters
- Hours (telling time)
- Ages
Examples:
- 하나 (hana) - one
- 둘 (dul) - two
- 셋 (set) - three
- 사과 세 개 (sagwa se gae) - three apples
Sino-Korean Numbers (일, 이, 삼...)
Used for:
- Dates
- Minutes
- Money
- Phone numbers
- Addresses
Examples:
- 일 (il) - one
- 이 (i) - two
- 삼 (sam) - three
- 일월 (irwol) - January
Verbs (동사)
Verbs express actions or events.
Characteristics
- Conjugate for tense: Past, present, future
- Conjugate for politeness: Multiple speech levels
- Always sentence-final: Appear at the end of clauses
- Stem + ending structure: Dictionary form ends in -다
Examples
Action verbs:
- 먹다 (meokda) - to eat
- 먹어요 (meogeoyo) - eat (polite present)
- 먹었어요 (meogeosseoyo) - ate (polite past)
- 가다 (gada) - to go
- 가요 (gayo) - go
- 갔어요 (gasseoyo) - went
State verbs:
- 알다 (alda) - to know
- 좋아하다 (joahada) - to like
Verb Types
Transitive (take objects):
- 먹다 (to eat) - 밥을 먹다 (to eat rice)
Intransitive (no object):
- 자다 (to sleep) - 자요 (sleep)
Adjectives (형용사)
Korean adjectives are descriptive verbs—they function like verbs.
Characteristics
- Conjugate like verbs: For tense and politeness
- Can be predicates: Don't need a copula
- Modify nouns: With special endings
- Dictionary form ends in -다: Like verbs
Examples
As predicates:
- 크다 (keuda) - to be big
- 집이 커요. (The house is big.)
- 예쁘다 (yeppeuda) - to be pretty
- 꽃이 예뻐요. (The flower is pretty.)
Modifying nouns:
- 큰 집 (keun jib) - big house
- 예쁜 꽃 (yeppeun kkot) - pretty flower
Key Difference from English
English: "The house is big" (copula + adjective) Korean: "집이 커요" (adjective functions as verb)
Determiners (관형사)
Determiners modify nouns directly without conjugation.
Types
Demonstrative:
- 이 (i) - this
- 그 (geu) - that
- 저 (jeo) - that (over there)
- 어떤 (eotteon) - which/what kind
Quantitative:
- 모든 (modeun) - all/every
- 각 (gak) - each
- 여러 (yeoreo) - various/several
Examples:
- 이 책 (i chaek) - this book
- 그 사람 (geu saram) - that person
- 모든 학생 (modeun haksaeng) - all students
Adverbs (부사)
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Characteristics
- Don't conjugate: Fixed form
- No particles: Stand alone
- Flexible position: Usually before what they modify
Types
Manner:
- 빨리 (ppalli) - quickly
- 천천히 (cheoncheonhi) - slowly
- 잘 (jal) - well
Time:
- 지금 (jigeum) - now
- 오늘 (oneul) - today
- 내일 (naeil) - tomorrow
Frequency:
- 항상 (hangsang) - always
- 자주 (jaju) - often
- 가끔 (gakkeum) - sometimes
Degree:
- 매우 (maeu) - very
- 아주 (aju) - very
- 정말 (jeongmal) - really
Formation from Adjectives
Add -게 to adjective stem:
- 빠르다 (ppareuda - fast) → 빨리 (ppalli - quickly)
- 조용하다 (joyonghada - quiet) → 조용히 (joyonghi - quietly)
Particles (조사)
Particles are postpositions that attach to nouns to show grammatical function.
Major Categories
Case particles:
- 이/가 (i/ga) - subject
- 을/를 (eul/reul) - object
- 의 (ui) - possessive
Location particles:
- 에 (e) - at/to (static location, destination)
- 에서 (eseo) - at (action location), from
- 으로 (euro) - to/toward, by means of
Topic/contrast:
- 은/는 (eun/neun) - topic marker
Connective:
- 와/과 (wa/gwa) - and (formal)
- 하고 (hago) - and (casual)
Characteristics
- Attach to nouns: Can't stand alone
- Multiple particles possible: 에서는 (at + topic)
- Essential for meaning: Change particles, change meaning
Example:
- 학교에 가요. (Go to school - destination)
- 학교에서 공부해요. (Study at school - location)
Interjections (감탄사)
Interjections express emotion or get attention.
Examples:
- 아이고 (aigo) - oh my
- 와 (wa) - wow
- 어머 (eomeo) - oh my (feminine)
- 여보세요 (yeoboseyo) - hello (phone)
Comparison with English
Major Differences
1. Adjectives as Verbs
English: Adjectives need copula
- "The room is big"
Korean: Adjectives conjugate like verbs
- 방이 커요 (Room big-is)
2. Particles vs Word Order
English: Word order shows function
- "The dog bit the man" vs "The man bit the dog"
Korean: Particles show function
- 개가 남자를 물었어요 (Dog man bit)
- 남자가 개를 물었어요 (Man dog bit)
3. No Articles
English: Uses a/an/the
Korean: No articles, context shows definiteness
4. Optional Plurals
English: Plural marking required
- "three apples" (must be plural)
Korean: Plural often omitted
- 사과 세 개 (apple three items)
Practical Application
Understanding parts of speech helps you:
- ✅ Choose correct particles: Know what can take particles (nouns)
- ✅ Conjugate correctly: Recognize verbs and adjectives that need conjugation
- ✅ Build sentences: Know where each type of word goes
- ✅ Use modifiers: Understand how determiners, adverbs modify other words
- ✅ Learn vocabulary: Categorize new words properly
Each part of speech has specific rules for usage, conjugation, and position in sentences. Mastering these categories provides the foundation for all Korean grammar.