Korean Grammar Bank

BASIC SENTENCE STRUCTURE

It could make you feel intimidated to begin learning Korean, but don’t worry. We’re here to help you out with the most basic Korean sentence structures you must know.

This is a quick lesson that won’t take long to master.

SUBJECT + VERB

Let’s see the first basic Korean sentence structure you can use:

PATTERN

Subject + Verb

koreanromanisationenglish
나는걸어요.naneun georeoyo.I walk.
지훈이가자요.jihuniga jayo.Jihoon sleeps.
나의 엄마는요리해요.naui eommaneun yorihaeyo.My mom cooks.

NOTE || If you need to review your Hangul, the Korean Alphabet, you can do so here.

SUBJECT + OBJECT + VERB

To deliver more information and make your sentence more detailed, you can add an object to the structure:

PATTERN

Subject + Object + Verb

Contrary to English that is a SVO (subject-verb-object) language, Korean is a SOV language: subject goes first, then the object and the verb at the end.

For example:

koreanromanisationenglish
나는수학을공부해요.naneun suhageul gongbuhaeyo.I study math.
그는축구 경기를 봐요.geuneun chukgu gyeonggireul bwayo.He watches a soccer match.
나의 엄마는파스타를 요리해요.naui eommaneun paseutareul yorihaeyo.My mom cooks pasta.

SUBJECT + NOUN / ADJECTIVE

When indicating a state of being or existence, you need conjugation in a sentence. 

For now here are some example of the structure:

naui appaneun hwahakjayeyo.

나의 아빠는 화학자예요.

My dad is a chemist.
geunyeoneun naui gajang chinhan chinguyeyo.

그녀는 나의 가장 친한 친구예요.

She is my best friend.
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나는졸려요.naneun jollyeoyo.I am sleepy.
이 커피는뜨거워요.i keopineun tteugeowoyo.The coffee is hot.
저 풍선은노란색이에요.jeo pungseoneun noransaegieyo.That balloon is yellow.

NOTE

When a sentence ends with a noun, there is a rule we need to be aware. 

Either 예요 or 이에요 is used as a predicate attached to a preceding noun according to the following rule.

NOUN WITH FINAL VOWELNOUN WITH FINAL CONSONANT
-예요.-이에요.
jisuneun godeunghaksaengieyo.

지수는 고등학생이에요.

Jisu is a high school student.
i buneun jeohui abeojiyeyo.

이 분은 저희 아버지예요.

This is my father.
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민희는 한국 사람이에요.minhuineun hanguk saramieyo.Minhee is Korean.
이 과일은 바나나예요.i gwaireun bananayeyo.This fruit is bananas.

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FAQs

Is Korean SVO or SOV?

Korean is a SOV language, meaning the basic language structure is:

Subject + Object + Verb

Japanese, Mongolian and Turkish are also SOV languages for example.

English is a SVO language: subject + verb + object

Is Korean sentence structure like Japanese?

Yes, the Korean sentence structure is very similar to Japanese.

The rest of their grammar differ but the way sentences are build follow the SOV pattern: subject + object + verb

What are some basic Korean structure?

Here are the 3 most basic Korean sentence structure:

#1 || Subject + Verb

#2 || Subject + Object + Verb

#3 || Subject + Noun / Adjective

Where to learn the Korean alphabet?

The Korean alphabet, called Hangul (한글), was created by King Sejong in 1443 during the Joseon dynasty.

We have extensively covered the Korean alphabet and how to learn it in this Guide to Hangul.

Go a step further and master your Korean pronunciation.

Which is easier, Korean or Japanese?

According to studies, Japanese is reportedly the most difficult language for native English speakers to learn. 

Korean and Japanese are at the top of the “most difficult” level – with Japanese having just a small edge on Korean for it’s use of 2 alphabetic structures and use of kanji – Chinese characters (in total 3 alphabets essentially) instead of just one alphabet like in Korean.

Where to sign up for Korean classes?

We teach Korean online on our Flexi Classes platform.

In fact, you can take a 7 Day Free Trial.

We also offer Korean Courses in Seoul, in both group and individual classes.

Contact us for more details and start your language learning journey.

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