The Korean sentence typically consists of the :
Subject - Object - Predicate(verb)
Or Subject - Adjective
As the word suggests, the subject is the main topic of the sentence about/around which the sentence is formed.
I went to school.
Jisoo ate the pizza.
He rides bicycle.
The sun rises in the east.
The sky is beautiful.
In Korean sentences the subject comes before the object.
Subjects are also present in sentences with the adjectives, in such cases the object becomes the subject.
This flower is beautiful.
That movie was funny.
The food is delicious.
We can conclude by saying that Korean sentences will either end with :
- the verb, an adjective or 이다.
I will understand the usage of 이다 later.
Now let's look at the formation of the sentences and how the sentences are different from the English sentences.
For example :
Jisoo goes to school / 지수는 학교에 가요.
Notice the placing in "School" in this sentence. As you can see the Korean sentence structure is : Subject(지수), object(학교) and then verb(가요) which is slightly different from English sentences.
Namjoon eats food./ 남준이 밥 먹어요.
The sentence order as you can see is Subject, Object and Verb.
Particles like ~는 , ~에, ~이 attached after the words in the above sentences expresses the role the words play in the sentences according to the intention of the speaker.
The placing of words may not change. Just by changing the intonation, the affirmative sentence may change to a question.
남준이 밥 먹어요. - Namjoon is eating food.
남준이 밥 먹어요 ? - Is Namjoon eating food ?
It is quite common to omit the pronouns from the sentences. In place of that you should use the listeners designation like father, mother, manager etc.
식당 가요. - (I am) Going to the restaurant.
식당 가요 ? - (Are you) Going to the restaurant ?
The Korean sentences will omit the usage of pronouns.
Instead use the name or the designation of the subject/person.
The Korean language has several honorific levels of expression which are used differently with different people.
The level of honorifics differ with whom you're talking.
- Casual speech is used towards close friends whom you are closely acquainted with and also people who are younger than your age.
- Polite speech is used towards strangers who are not well acquainted with or you have recently known to each other and for a person who is older than you.
To know more about Korean pronouns. Check below :
If you can't wrap your head around the concept of Hangul, the Korean writing system.
Please check this link. Here !!
If you’re able to read and write Korean alphabets. You might wanna check :
Example sentences for practice :
1) 학교 가요.
(Someone is) Going to school.
2) 밥 먹어요.
(Someone) Eating food.
3) 나는 학교 가요
I am going to school.
4) 남준 피자 만들어요.
Namjoon is making the pizza.
5) 내일 전화 해요.
(Someone) will call tomorrow.
6) 이 꽃 예쁘다
This flower is beautiful.
7) 노래 좋아요.
(Someone) like/s songs.
8) 안나 씨는 한국어 배워요
Anna studies Korean.
9) 책 많아요.
A lot of books.
Don't get discouraged if you're not able to understand the formation of the Korean sentences initially.
The subject of the sentence is usually understandable with the context of the topic being discussed or talked about. More practice will help you understand the concept more clearly.
It was a short lesson. We'll see you in the next.
To understand TOPIK Test structure, application process, Levels and Passing scores etc. check these pages:
- TOPIK – The Complete Guide & 2. TOPIK Levels and Passing Marks. You can also Practice Online with TOPIK GUIDE Mock Tests.
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Learning Korean can be tricky, especially when the goal of your learning is conversation. If you’ve ever attempted to speak Korean but were unable to, then hopefully you’ll find this post helpful.
Thank you for reading. If you have any questions or suggestions. Comment down below.
