50 Most Common Korean Verbs: Dictionary Form + Polite Present
🇰🇷 Korean · 50 cards · A1 · by Jiho Park
These are the 50 verbs you will hear on your first day in Seoul: 하다, 가다, 먹다, 있다 and the rest. Every card gives you the dictionary form (what you look up) and the 해요 form (what you actually say), because the dictionary form is almost never what comes out of a Korean mouth.
Two things trip learners up. Politeness first: 해요 is safe with almost anyone, 합니다 belongs to announcements and interviews, and bare 해 is for close friends only — each note tells you which. Then irregular stems: 듣다 → 들어요, 돕다 → 도와요, 모르다 → 몰라요, 쓰다 → 써요. Learn those four here and the next few hundred verbs come free.
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How to use this deck
Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.
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All 50 cards
| # | Korean | Pronunciation | English | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 하다 Polite: 해요. Formal: 합니다. 반말 (close friends): 해. Hundreds of nouns become verbs with 하다. | hada | to do | 지금 뭐 해요? What are you doing now? | |
| 2 | 가다 Polite: 가요. Formal: 갑니다. 반말: 가. 가요 can mean 'I go', 'let's go' or 'go ahead' depending on tone. | gada | to go | 우리 같이 학교에 가요. Let's go to school together. | |
| 3 | 오다 Polite: 와요 (오 + 아요 contracts). Formal: 옵니다. 반말: 와. | oda | to come | 친구가 내일 서울에 와요. My friend is coming to Seoul tomorrow. | |
| 4 | 있다 Polite: 있어요. Formal: 있습니다. Honorific for people: 계시다 → 계세요. | itda | to be (there is), to have | 화장실이 어디에 있어요? Where is the toilet? | |
| 5 | 없다 Polite: 없어요. Formal: 없습니다. The opposite of 있다 — Korean uses a separate verb here, not a negative particle. | eopda | to not be (there isn't), to not have | 오늘은 시간이 없어요. I don't have time today. | |
| 6 | 먹다 Polite: 먹어요. Formal: 먹습니다. Honorific for elders: 드세요 (or 잡수세요) — 먹으세요 sounds blunt to someone older. | meokda | to eat | 아침에 보통 빵을 먹어요. I usually eat bread in the morning. | |
| 7 | 마시다 Polite: 마셔요 (마시 + 어요). Formal: 마십니다. For elders: 드세요. Drinking alcohol is usually just 술 마셔요. | masida | to drink | 저는 아침에 커피를 마셔요. I drink coffee in the morning. | |
| 8 | 보다 Polite: 봐요. Past: 봤어요. Formal: 봅니다. Also in 시험을 보다 (take an exam). | boda | to see, to watch | 주말에 영화 봤어요. I watched a film at the weekend. | |
| 9 | 듣다 ㄷ-irregular: ㄷ becomes ㄹ before a vowel. Polite: 들어요. Formal: 듣습니다. | deutda | to listen, to hear | 버스에서 음악을 들어요. I listen to music on the bus. | |
| 10 | 말하다 Polite: 말해요. Formal: 말합니다. When an elder speaks, use the honorific 말씀하세요. | malhada | to speak, to say | 조금 천천히 말해 주세요. Please speak a little more slowly. | |
| 11 | 읽다 Polite: 읽어요. Formal: 읽습니다. Dictionary form sounds like [익따], but 읽어요 sounds like [일거요]. | ikda | to read | 자기 전에 책을 읽어요. I read a book before going to sleep. | |
| 12 | 쓰다 ㅡ-drop: 쓰 + 어요 → 써요. Formal: 씁니다. The same verb also means 'to use' (돈을 써요). | sseuda | to write, to use | 여기에 이름을 써 주세요. Please write your name here. | |
| 13 | 자다 Polite: 자요. Past: 잤어요. Honorific for elders: 주무시다 → 주무세요. | jada | to sleep | 어제 여섯 시간 잤어요. I slept six hours yesterday. | |
| 14 | 일어나다 Polite: 일어나요. Formal: 일어납니다. Also used for events: 사고가 일어났어요 (an accident happened). | ireonada | to get up, to stand up | 매일 일곱 시에 일어나요. I get up at seven every day. | |
| 15 | 앉다 Polite: 앉아요. Polite request: 앉으세요. The dictionary form is pronounced [안따]. | anda | to sit | 이쪽에 앉으세요. Please sit over here. | |
| 16 | 걷다 ㄷ-irregular like 듣다. Polite: 걸어요. Formal: 걷습니다. 'On foot' is 걸어서 가요. | geotda | to walk | 저는 매일 한 시간씩 걸어요. I walk for an hour every day. | |
| 17 | 뛰다 Polite: 뛰어요. Formal: 뜁니다. 달리다 is the word used for running as a sport. | ttwida | to run | 늦어서 역까지 뛰었어요. I was late, so I ran to the station. | |
| 18 | 웃다 Polite: 웃어요. Formal: 웃습니다. Covers both laughing out loud and smiling. | utda | to laugh, to smile | 그 얘기 듣고 다들 웃었어요. Everyone laughed when they heard that story. | |
| 19 | 울다 ㄹ-stem: ㄹ drops before ㅂ/ㅅ/ㄴ — 웁니다, 우세요. Polite: 울어요. | ulda | to cry | 아기가 밤에 많이 울어요. The baby cries a lot at night. | |
| 20 | 사다 Polite: 사요. Past: 샀어요. Formal: 삽니다. | sada | to buy | 시장에서 과일을 샀어요. I bought fruit at the market. | |
| 21 | 팔다 ㄹ-stem: 팝니다, 파세요. Polite: 팔아요. | palda | to sell | 이 가게는 꽃도 팔아요. This shop sells flowers too. | |
| 22 | 주다 Polite: 줘요. 주세요 is the standard polite request. When you give to an elder, switch to the humble 드리다: 제가 드릴게요. | juda | to give | 물 좀 주세요. Please give me some water. | |
| 23 | 받다 Polite: 받아요. Past: 받았어요. Formal: 받습니다. | batda | to receive, to get | 어제 선물을 받았어요. I received a present yesterday. | |
| 24 | 알다 ㄹ-stem: 압니다, 아세요. Polite: 알아요. 알겠어요 = 'got it, understood' (very common reply). | alda | to know | 그 사람 저도 알아요. I know that person too. | |
| 25 | 모르다 르-irregular: 모르 + 아요 → 몰라요. 모르겠어요 sounds softer and more polite than 몰라요. | moreuda | to not know | 죄송해요, 잘 모르겠어요. Sorry, I don't really know. | |
| 26 | 생각하다 Polite: 생각해요. Formal: 생각합니다. For 'I think that…' Koreans more often end the sentence with -(으)ㄴ/는 것 같아요. | saenggakhada | to think | 저도 그렇게 생각해요. I think so too. | |
| 27 | 좋아하다 Polite: 좋아해요. Takes the object particle 을/를, unlike the adjective 좋다, which takes 이/가. | joahada | to like | 저는 매운 음식을 좋아해요. I like spicy food. | |
| 28 | 싫어하다 Polite: 싫어해요. Milder than English 'hate'. About your own feelings, 싫어요 ('I don't like it / I don't want to') is more common. | sireohada | to dislike, to hate | 동생은 당근을 싫어해요. My younger sibling hates carrots. | |
| 29 | 사랑하다 Polite: 사랑해요. 반말: 사랑해. Used with family and partners; for things you enjoy, use 좋아하다. | saranghada | to love | 엄마, 사랑해요. Mum, I love you. | |
| 30 | 만나다 Polite: 만나요. Takes 을/를 or 와/과: 친구를 만나요 = 친구와 만나요. | mannada | to meet | 우리 여섯 시에 만나요. Let's meet at six. | |
| 31 | 기다리다 Polite: 기다려요. Formal: 기다립니다. 기다려! is 반말 and sounds like an order. | gidarida | to wait | 여기서 잠깐 기다려 주세요. Please wait here for a moment. | |
| 32 | 공부하다 Polite: 공부해요. You can also split it: 한국어 공부를 해요. | gongbuhada | to study | 요즘 한국어를 공부해요. I'm studying Korean these days. | |
| 33 | 일하다 Polite: 일해요. Formal: 일합니다. 근무하다 is the stiffer, office-document version. | ilhada | to work | 주말에는 카페에서 일해요. At weekends I work at a café. | |
| 34 | 살다 ㄹ-stem: 삽니다, 사세요. Polite: 살아요. The place takes 에 or 에서. | salda | to live | 저는 서울에 살아요. I live in Seoul. | |
| 35 | 되다 Polite: 돼요. What you become takes 이/가. 돼요? on its own means 'is that OK?' | doeda | to become, to work out | 저는 의사가 되고 싶어요. I want to become a doctor. | |
| 36 | 열다 ㄹ-stem: 엽니다, 여세요. Polite: 열어요. | yeolda | to open | 창문 좀 열어도 돼요? May I open the window? | |
| 37 | 닫다 Polite: 닫아요. Formal: 닫습니다. A shop that has gone out of business: 문 닫았어요. | datda | to close | 가게는 열 시에 닫아요. The shop closes at ten. | |
| 38 | 만들다 ㄹ-stem: 만듭니다, 만드세요. Polite: 만들어요. | mandeulda | to make | 주말에 김치를 만들었어요. I made kimchi at the weekend. | |
| 39 | 찾다 Polite: 찾아요. Same verb for searching and finding: 찾았어요! = 'Found it!' Also used for withdrawing money (돈을 찾아요). | chatda | to look for, to find | 열쇠를 찾고 있어요. I'm looking for my keys. | |
| 40 | 물어보다 Polite: 물어봐요. From 묻다 (ㄷ-irregular: 물어요) + 보다. Use 께 instead of 에게 for people you respect. | mureoboda | to ask (a question) | 선생님께 한번 물어볼게요. I'll ask the teacher about it. | |
| 41 | 배우다 Polite: 배워요. Formal: 배웁니다. 배우다 is learning from someone or somewhere; 공부하다 is putting in the study hours. | baeuda | to learn | 요즘 요가를 배우고 있어요. I'm learning yoga at the moment. | |
| 42 | 가르치다 Polite: 가르쳐요. Don't mix it up with 가리키다 (to point at). | gareuchida | to teach | 저는 아이들에게 영어를 가르쳐요. I teach English to children. | |
| 43 | 타다 Polite: 타요. The vehicle takes 을/를: 버스를 타요, 택시를 탔어요. | tada | to ride, to take (transport) | 여기서 지하철을 타요. I take the subway from here. | |
| 44 | 내리다 Polite: 내려요. Also used for weather: 비가 내려요 (it's raining). | naerida | to get off, to come down | 다음 역에서 내려요. I'm getting off at the next station. | |
| 45 | 입다 Polite: 입어요. Only for clothing on the body — hats and glasses are 쓰다, shoes and socks 신다. | ipda | to wear, to put on (clothes) | 오늘은 코트를 입었어요. I wore a coat today. | |
| 46 | 씻다 Polite: 씻어요. Formal: 씻습니다. Used for your body and for food; laundry is 빨다, dishes are 설거지하다. | ssitda | to wash | 밥 먹기 전에 손을 씻어요. I wash my hands before eating. | |
| 47 | 놀다 ㄹ-stem: 놉니다, 노세요. Polite: 놀아요. Adults use it for socialising, not only children playing. | nolda | to hang out, to play | 주말에 친구들하고 놀아요. I hang out with friends at the weekend. | |
| 48 | 쉬다 Polite: 쉬어요. 푹 쉬세요 ('rest well') is what you say to someone who is ill or tired. | swida | to rest, to take a break | 오늘은 집에서 쉬고 싶어요. I want to rest at home today. | |
| 49 | 돕다 ㅂ-irregular: 돕 + 아요 → 도와요. 도와주세요 = 'please help me'; 도와 드릴까요 is the humble version. | dopda | to help | 제가 도와 드릴까요? Shall I help you? | |
| 50 | 전화하다 Polite: 전화해요. To an elder or your boss, say the humble 전화 드릴게요. | jeonhwahada | to call (on the phone) | 나중에 전화할게요. I'll call you later. |
Jiho Park
Native Korean · Speaks English, Japanese
Seoul native. I mark every phrase with its politeness level, because that is the part textbooks skip and the part that gets you in trouble.
Published
Questions about this deck
- How do I make the polite 해요 form from the dictionary form?
- Drop -다 to get the stem, then add -아요 if the last stem vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ (살다 → 살아요), and -어요 otherwise (먹다 → 먹어요). Stems ending in 하다 become 해요. Vowel stems contract: 가 + 아요 → 가요, 오 + 아요 → 와요, 주 + 어요 → 줘요, 마시 + 어요 → 마셔요.
- Which verbs in this deck are irregular?
- Four patterns. ㄷ-irregular: 듣다 → 들어요, 걷다 → 걸어요, 묻다 → 물어요 (물어보다 → 물어봐요). ㅂ-irregular: 돕다 → 도와요. ㅡ-drop: 쓰다 → 써요. 르-irregular: 모르다 → 몰라요. Then the ㄹ-stems (알다, 살다, 팔다, 열다, 만들다, 놀다, 울다): they keep ㄹ in the 해요 form but drop it before ㅂ/ㅅ/ㄴ — 압니다, 사세요, 만드세요.
- When should I use 합니다 instead of 해요?
- 합니다 (the formal -습니다 style) is for presentations, news reports, the military, service scripts and first business introductions. 해요 is the everyday polite form and is correct with shopkeepers, colleagues, teachers and strangers. Plain 해 is only for close friends, people clearly younger than you, and family who are fine with it — never for a stranger your age.
- Do Korean verbs change depending on who does the action?
- No. 먹어요 works for I, you, he, she, we and they — there is no person or number agreement, and the subject is usually dropped when it is obvious. What changes is the politeness of the ending and, when the subject deserves respect, the honorific -시- (가세요, 아세요) or a special honorific verb such as 드시다 for 먹다 and 주무시다 for 자다.
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