Here are 100 essential Korean verbs for everyday speech. Start with the 12 pillars (하다, 가다, 오다…), then explore by theme.
The 12 pillar verbs (must-know)
These 12 verbs structure almost every Korean sentence. If you only learned a handful of verbs, these would be the ones, you'll see them in your first lesson and in nearly every conversation.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 이다 | ida | to be (copula) (e.g. 학생이다 = to be a student) |
| 있다 | itta | there is, to have, to be (location) |
| 없다 | eopta | there isn't, to not have |
| 하다 | hada | to do (the most productive verb in Korean) |
| 되다 | doeda | to become, to work (function) |
| 가지다 | gajida | to have, to own, to take |
| 받다 | batta | to receive |
| 주다 | juda | to give |
| 만들다 | mandeulda | to make, to create |
| 시작하다 | sijakhada | to start, to begin |
| 끝나다 | kkeunnada | to end (intransitive) |
| 끝내다 | kkeunnaeda | to finish (transitive) |
Movement and motion verbs
Korean often pairs a 'going-away' direction (-가다) with a 'coming-toward' direction (-오다). Memorize them in mirrored pairs.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | gada | to go |
| 오다 | oda | to come |
| 들어가다 | deureogada | to go in, enter |
| 나가다 | nagada | to go out, exit |
| 올라가다 | ollagada | to go up, climb |
| 내려가다 | naeryeogada | to go down |
| 돌아가다 | doragada | to return, go back |
| 떠나다 | tteonada | to leave, depart |
| 도착하다 | dochakhada | to arrive |
| 만나다 | mannada | to meet |
| 달리다 | dallida | to run |
| 걷다 | geotta | to walk (ㄷ-irregular) |
| 타다 | tada | to ride, to take (transport) |
| 내리다 | naerida | to get off, to fall (rain) |
| 운전하다 | unjeonhada | to drive |
Daily-life verbs
Verbs you'll use every day to describe your routine: eat, sleep, work, rest.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | meokda | to eat |
| 마시다 | masida | to drink |
| 자다 | jada | to sleep |
| 일어나다 | ireonada | to get up, to wake up |
| 씻다 | ssitta | to wash |
| 입다 | ipda | to wear, to put on (clothes) |
| 벗다 | beotta | to take off (clothes) |
| 신다 | sinda | to put on (shoes) |
| 쓰다 | sseuda | to write, to use, to wear (glasses) (polysemic) |
| 사다 | sada | to buy |
| 팔다 | palda | to sell |
| 요리하다 | yorihada | to cook |
| 청소하다 | cheongsohada | to clean, to do housework |
| 쉬다 | swida | to rest |
| 일하다 | ilhada | to work |
| 운동하다 | undonghada | to exercise, to do sports |
| 살다 | salda | to live |
| 죽다 | jukda | to die |
Communication and speech
Speech is central in Korean, where every communication verb comes with a politeness level (banmal, jondaenmal).
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 말하다 | malhada | to speak, to say |
| 듣다 | deutda | to listen, to hear (ㄷ-irregular) |
| 묻다 | mutda | to ask (ㄷ-irregular) |
| 대답하다 | daedaphada | to answer, to reply |
| 이야기하다 | iyagihada | to tell, to chat |
| 부르다 | bureuda | to call, to sing (a name) (르-irregular) |
| 전화하다 | jeonhwahada | to phone, to call |
| 인사하다 | insahada | to greet |
| 약속하다 | yaksokhada | to promise, to make plans |
| 설명하다 | seolmyeonghada | to explain |
| 가르치다 | gareuchida | to teach |
| 읽다 | ikda | to read |
Thought, perception, learning
Cognitive verbs: see, understand, remember. The pair 알다 / 모르다 (to know / to not know) is one of the first you'll learn.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 보다 | boda | to see, to watch |
| 생각하다 | saenggakhada | to think, to believe |
| 알다 | alda | to know |
| 모르다 | moreuda | to not know (르-irregular) |
| 이해하다 | ihaehada | to understand |
| 기억하다 | gieokhada | to remember, to memorize |
| 잊다 | itda | to forget |
| 배우다 | baeuda | to learn |
| 공부하다 | gongbuhada | to study |
| 찾다 | chatda | to look for, to find |
| 만지다 | manjida | to touch |
| 느끼다 | neukkida | to feel |
| 믿다 | mitda | to believe, to trust |
| 결정하다 | gyeoljeonghada | to decide |
| 선택하다 | seontaekhada | to choose, to select |
Emotions and relationships
Korean places huge weight on shared emotions and relational politeness. These verbs run through all social life.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 사랑하다 | saranghada | to love (deep love) |
| 좋아하다 | joahada | to like, to enjoy |
| 싫어하다 | sireohada | to dislike, to hate |
| 화내다 | hwanaeda | to get angry |
| 웃다 | utda | to laugh, to smile |
| 울다 | ulda | to cry |
| 결혼하다 | gyeolhonhada | to marry |
| 헤어지다 | heeojida | to break up, to part ways |
| 도와주다 | dowajuda | to help |
| 환영하다 | hwanyeonghada | to welcome |
| 감사하다 | gamsahada | to thank, to be grateful |
| 사과하다 | sagwahada | to apologize |
| 용서하다 | yongseohada | to forgive |
| 칭찬하다 | chingchanhada | to compliment, to praise |
| 다투다 | datuda | to argue, to quarrel |
Creation, transformation, manipulation
To describe what you do with your hands: create, manipulate, transform an object or a situation.
| Hangul | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 그리다 | geurida | to draw, to paint |
| 노래하다 | noraehada | to sing |
| 춤추다 | chumchuda | to dance |
| 찍다 | jjikda | to take (photo), to stamp |
| 끓이다 | kkeurida | to boil |
| 굽다 | gupda | to grill, to bake (ㅂ-irregular) |
| 씹다 | ssipda | to chew |
| 삼키다 | samkida | to swallow |
| 자르다 | jareuda | to cut (르-irregular) |
| 붙이다 | buchida | to stick, to attach |
| 치다 | chida | to hit, to play (an instrument) |
| 닦다 | dakda | to wipe, to brush, to polish |
| 보내다 | bonaeda | to send, to spend (time) |
Frequently asked questions
Why 100 verbs specifically?
Korean frequency studies show that the 100 most common verbs cover roughly 80% of everyday spoken language. Mastering this list gives you a solid base to understand most basic conversations and read the majority of common sentences.
Do all Korean verbs end in 다?
Yes, in their dictionary form (infinitive). The final 다 is a grammatical marker that drops when conjugating: 가다 (to go) becomes 가요, 갔어요, 갈 거예요 depending on tense and politeness. That's why verbs are always listed in -다.
What's the difference between 알다 and 알아요?
알다 is the dictionary form ("to know"), the one you learn first. 알아요 is the standard polite form (해요체), used in normal conversation between adults who aren't close. To a friend, you'd say 알아 (banmal).
What's an 'irregular verb' in Korean?
It's a verb whose stem changes when certain endings are attached. The most common irregular types are ㄷ-irregular (듣다 → 들어요), ㅂ-irregular (굽다 → 구워요), 르-irregular (모르다 → 몰라요), and ㅎ-irregular. The list above flags the most common irregulars.
How do I memorize all these verbs quickly?
The best approach is to learn them in context rather than as a flat list. Build flashcards grouped by theme (movement, daily life…) and revise with concrete examples. Our dictionary gives you a translated example for every verb, use it.