The 100 Most Common Korean Words (Official List)
The Most Common Korean Words Revealed!
You will find many lists about the most common Korean words on the internet, all giving various results which could make it difficult for you to learn Korean.
It is difficult to categorise and make an inventory of the most common words of ANY language, but luckily for you, you need look no more.
That’s because…
We found the OFFICIAL list made by the National Institute of Korean Language!
The Institute created a list of the 6,000 most common Korean words and made the list available to download on their website.
*Type 한국어 학습용 어휘 목록(엑셀 파일) in the search bar after clicking the link to download the excel file.
To get you started we made a summary of the first 100 words, so no matter your Korean level, you’ll find it interesting to check out.
Do you need to know all 6,000 to have a full conversation with a native speaker?
No. You’ll need less than that. Start with the first 20, then 50 words, followed by 100. Study step by step. Consistency is key to language learning
Let’s get to it!
Most Common Korean Words | 1-10
Most Common Korean Words | 11-20
Most Common Korean Words | 21-30
Most Common Korean Words | 31-40
Most Common Korean Words | 41-50
Most Common Korean Words | 51-60
Most Common Korean Words | 61-70
Most Common Korean Words | 71-80
Most Common Korean Words | 81-90
Most Common Korean Words | 91-100
BONUS | Korean Words Quiz
Most Common Korean Words | 1-10
| Rank | Korean Word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 것 | A thing or an object |
| 2 | 하다 | To do |
| 3 | 있다 | To have |
| 4 | 되다 | To become / To be |
| 5 | 수 | Number |
| 6 | 나 | I, me |
| 7 | 그 | He, That |
| 8 | 없다 | Do not exist, none |
| 9 | 않다 | To not be |
| 10 | 사람 | Person |
Most Common Korean Words | 11-20
| Rank | Korean Word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | 우리 | We, our |
| 12 | 이 | This |
| 13 | 아니다 | To not be |
| 14 | 보다 | To see |
| 15 | 등 | Etc. |
| 16 | 때 | At the time / Time |
| 17 | 거 | Thing |
| 18 | 같다 | To be similar |
| 19 | 주다 | To give |
| 20 | 대하다 | To treat, to face |
Most Common Korean Words | 21-30
| Rank | Korean Word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | 가다 | To go |
| 22 | 년 | Year |
| 23 | 한 | One, a single |
| 24 | 말 | Word, speech |
| 25 | 일 | Work / Day |
| 26 | 이 | Subject particle |
| 27 | 때문 | Because |
| 28 | 말하다 | To speak |
| 29 | 위하다 | To do for the sake of |
| 30 | 그러나 | But |
Most Common Korean Words | 31-40
| Rank | Korean Word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | 오다 | To come |
| 32 | 알다 | To know |
| 33 | 씨 | Mr. / Seed |
| 34 | 그렇다 | To be right / Yes |
| 35 | 크다 | To be big / Large |
| 36 | 또 | In addition / Again |
| 37 | 사회 | Social / Society |
| 38 | 많다 | Many |
| 39 | 안 | Not / Within |
| 40 | 좋다 | To be good |
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Korean Words List | 41-50
| Rank | Korean Word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | 더 | More |
| 42 | 받다 | To receive |
| 43 | 그것 | That (thing) |
| 44 | 집 | House |
| 45 | 나오다 | To come out |
| 46 | 따르다 | To follow |
| 47 | 그리고 | And |
| 48 | 문제 | Problem / Question |
| 49 | 그런 | Then |
| 50 | 살다 | To live |
Korean Words List | 51-60
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| Rank | Korean Word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | data-th='English Translation'>I / Self / has-text-align-center center data-th='Korean Word'>[speak 못하다 | Cannot do |
| 53 | 생각하다 | To think |
| 54 | 모르다 | To not know |
| 55 | 속 | Inside |
| 56 | 만들다 | To make |
| 57 | 데 | Place / Point |
| 58 | 두 | Two / Couple |
| 59 | 앞 | In front of |
| 60 | 경우 | Case / Instance |
Korean Words List | 61-70
| Rank | Korean Word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | 중 | Centre / Middle |
| 62 | 어떤 | Which / What kind of |
| 63 | 잘 | Well |
| 64 | 그녀 | She |
| 65 | 먹다 | To eat |
| 66 | 오다 | To come |
| 67 | 자신 | Oneself / Myself |
| 68 | 문화 | Culture |
| 69 | 원 | Won (Korean Won – the national currency) |
| 70 | 생각 | Thought |
Korean Words List | 71-80
| Rank | Korean Word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 71 | 어떻다 | How |
| 72 | 명 | Person counter |
| 73 | 통하다 | To pass / To run / Go through |
| 74 | 그러다 | Then / And so |
| 75 | 소리 | Sound |
| 76 | 다시 | Again |
| 77 | 다른 | Different |
| 78 | 이런 | This |
| 79 | 여자 | Woman |
| 80 | 개 | Dog / Piece |
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Korean Words List | 81-90
| Rank | Korean Word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 81 | 정도 | Degree |
| 82 | 뒤 | Back / End |
| 83 | 듣다 | To listen / To hear |
| 84 | 다 | All / Everything |
| 85 | 좀 | A little |
| 86 | 들다 | To hold |
| 87 | 싶다 | To want,hope |
| 88 | 보이다 | To show |
| 89 | 가지다 | To have / To take |
| 90 | 함께 | Together |
Most Common Korean Words | 91-100
Here are the last ten words of this official list.
Were you expecting these words to be the most common? Let us know what you think in the comment section!
| Rank | Korean Word | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | 아이 | Child |
| 92 | 지나다 | To pass by / To go past |
| 93 | 많이 | A lot |
| 94 | 시간 | Time |
| 95 | 너 | You |
| 96 | 인간 | Person / Human being |
| 97 | 사실 | Actually / Reality |
| 98 | 나다 | To emanate / To break out |
| 99 | 이렇다 | Like this |
| 100 | 학교 | School |
And there you have it, the 100 Most Common Korean Words as kindly prepared by the National Institute of Korean Language.
Once you’ve learnt these you’ll start to notice them everywhere!
Make sure to bookmark this article to start building yourself a solid foundation of Korean Vocabulary.
Want to learn with a native Korean teacher?
Check out Flexi Classes, our online teaching platform where you can study 24/7 by choosing when, what and with whom to study.
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WANT MORE?
We’ve got loads of free resources for you, such as:
- How to Read the Korean Alphabet
- Important Korean Pronunciation Rules
- The Two Korean Numbering Systems
- TOP 5 Basic Korean Grammar
KOREAN WORDS – BONUS QUIZ
Have you correctly learned the Korean vocabulary on this page?
Have a try right now and get immediate results:
BONUS CONTENT | Interested in other languages too? Why not check out our mega list of 500 Chinese words to learn, the 100 most common Japanese words and the most commonly used words in Vietnamese too.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is THE most common Korean Word?
The most common Korean word is 것, meaning thing or object.
What are the TOP 10 most common Korean words?
The top 10 most common Korean words are:
1 – 것 A thing or an object
2 – 하다 To do
3 – 있다 To have
4 – 되다 To become / To be
5 – 수 Number
6 – 나 I, me
7 – 그 He, That
8 – 없다 Do not exist, absent
9 – 않다 To not be
10 – 사람 Person
What is the National Institute of Korean Language?
The National Institute of Korean Language was created in 1984 and became a subsidiary of the Ministry of Culture in 1991.
As seen on their official website, the Institute was “established for the purpose of developing the Korean language, improving the language-life of the people and administering research activities”.
Where to download the official list of the 6,000 most common Korean words?
You can download the official list of the 6,000 most common Korean words created by the National Institute of Korean Language on this website.
Search for 한국어 학습용 어휘 목록(엑셀 파일) in the search bar to download the EXCEL file.
How many words do I need to know to pass the TOPIK 1?
You need to know around 1,500 to 2,000 words to complete TOPIK 1.
To be more precise, the TOPIK 1 exam includes two sub-levels :
1급 you’ll need you to know how to express yourself in simple everyday conversations by making simple sentences from 800 basic words.
2급 includes discussion of familiar topics using about 1,500∼2,000 words, making sure you adapt your speech correctly to formal and informal situations.
Do you provide Korean lessons?
Yes we do.
You can learn Korean online on our Flexi Classes platform, where we offer lessons 24/7, thus catering for all time zones.
Choose your study topic and study time, all classes take place on Zoom.
You can also learn Korean with us directly in Seoul, South Korea, where we offer group and individual classes, with the possibility of living with a Homestay family.
Want More From LTL?
FANCY LEARNING KOREAN? Check out our online Korean courses here.
We offer a 7-day free trial to all online students where you can study Korean 24/7.
Want to study Korean in Korea instead? Our Korean courses in Seoul can either be taken in small groups of no more than 5 students or individually for a more tailored experience.
We even offer incredible homestay experiences in Seoul too.
To top it all off, it certainly doesn’t end with Korean. Check out the other languages we teach 👇🏻
2 comments
Great list very helpful but you have 주다 at number 19 and 96
Thanks Joseph, that's a great spot, we edited it 🙂