Vocabulary · Verbs
The 100 essential Korean verbs (with audio and conjugation)
A curated, thematic list of 100 Korean verbs, the ones you'll hear in everyday speech, dramas, and casual conversation. Each verb links to its full entry: context-rich meanings, conjugation across the 3 politeness levels, examples, and native pronunciation.
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.
- ida·to be (copula)(e.g. 학생이다 = to be a student)
- itta·there is, to have, to be (location)
- eopta·there isn't, to not have
- hada·to do(the most productive verb in Korean)
- doeda·to become, to work (function)
- gajida·to have, to own, to take
- batta·to receive
- juda·to give
- mandeulda·to make, to create
- sijakhada·to start, to begin
- kkeunnada·to end (intransitive)
- 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.
- gada·to go
- oda·to come
- deureogada·to go in, enter
- nagada·to go out, exit
- ollagada·to go up, climb
- naeryeogada·to go down
- doragada·to return, go back
- tteonada·to leave, depart
- dochakhada·to arrive
- mannada·to meet
- dallida·to run
- geotta·to walk(ㄷ-irregular)
- tada·to ride, to take (transport)
- naerida·to get off, to fall (rain)
- unjeonhada·to drive
Daily-life verbs
Verbs you'll use every day to describe your routine: eat, sleep, work, rest.
- meokda·to eat
- masida·to drink
- jada·to sleep
- ireonada·to get up, to wake up
- ssitta·to wash
- ipda·to wear, to put on (clothes)
- beotta·to take off (clothes)
- sinda·to put on (shoes)
- sseuda·to write, to use, to wear (glasses)(polysemic)
- sada·to buy
- palda·to sell
- yorihada·to cook
- cheongsohada·to clean, to do housework
- swida·to rest
- ilhada·to work
- undonghada·to exercise, to do sports
- salda·to live
- jukda·to die
Communication and speech
Speech is central in Korean, where every communication verb comes with a politeness level (banmal, jondaenmal).
- malhada·to speak, to say
- deutda·to listen, to hear(ㄷ-irregular)
- mutda·to ask(ㄷ-irregular)
- daedaphada·to answer, to reply
- iyagihada·to tell, to chat
- bureuda·to call, to sing (a name)(르-irregular)
- jeonhwahada·to phone, to call
- insahada·to greet
- yaksokhada·to promise, to make plans
- seolmyeonghada·to explain
- gareuchida·to teach
- 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.
- boda·to see, to watch
- saenggakhada·to think, to believe
- alda·to know
- moreuda·to not know(르-irregular)
- ihaehada·to understand
- gieokhada·to remember, to memorize
- itda·to forget
- baeuda·to learn
- gongbuhada·to study
- chatda·to look for, to find
- manjida·to touch
- neukkida·to feel
- mitda·to believe, to trust
- gyeoljeonghada·to decide
- 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.
- saranghada·to love (deep love)
- joahada·to like, to enjoy
- sireohada·to dislike, to hate
- hwanaeda·to get angry
- utda·to laugh, to smile
- ulda·to cry
- gyeolhonhada·to marry
- heeojida·to break up, to part ways
- dowajuda·to help
- hwanyeonghada·to welcome
- gamsahada·to thank, to be grateful
- sagwahada·to apologize
- yongseohada·to forgive
- chingchanhada·to compliment, to praise
- datuda·to argue, to quarrel
Creation, transformation, manipulation
To describe what you do with your hands: create, manipulate, transform an object or a situation.
- geurida·to draw, to paint
- noraehada·to sing
- chumchuda·to dance
- jjikda·to take (photo), to stamp
- kkeurida·to boil
- gupda·to grill, to bake(ㅂ-irregular)
- ssipda·to chew
- samkida·to swallow
- jareuda·to cut(르-irregular)
- buchida·to stick, to attach
- chida·to hit, to play (an instrument)
- dakda·to wipe, to brush, to polish
- 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.
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