1.

Korean sentence structure : The verb comes last , so going backward from English is
likely to be understood well.
Eng) I study Korean ( S V O)
Kor) . ( I Korean study - S O V )
2. We have markers.
1) Topic (Comparison) Marker : /
( When the topic syllable ends in a vowel, add . When ending in a consonant, add )
2) Object Marker : /
( When the object syllable ends in a vowel, add . When ending in a consonant, add )
. ( I Korean study)
( Teacher exercise does)
3) Subject Marker : /
( When the subject syllable ends in a vowel, add . When ending in a consonant, add )
. ( I Korean person am)
. ( Teacher American person is)
: Korean person , : American person

~ : is, am, are~

4-1) Place Markers (in or at) : N / N

When the verb of a sentence is a state verb, N is used to mean 'in N' or 'at N '.
: school : library : exist, (is, am, are) : study
Paul . -> Paul school at is -> Paul is at school.
But when the verb is an action verb , which is most of the case, N is used to mean 'in N'
or 'at N'
Paul . -> Paul the library in studies. -> Paul studies in the library.

4-2) Place Markers ( to / from) : N / N

When there are action verbs like come and go, N means to N and N means from
N
: school : go : America : came
Paul . : Paul school to goes. -> Paul goes to school.
Paul . : Paul America from came -> Paul came from America ( Also, this
means that Paul is from America)
3. Conjugation of Verbs and Adjectives
Korean verbs and adjectives are conjugated according to tense, politeness level , passive
and causative forms, and speech styles. (FYI, Kpop lyrics usually have causal endings and
words rather than formal ones.)
Base form ( infinitive form ending in )
ex) ( stem word ending): to go
-> ( present tense formal ending): go
->

( present tense casual ending): go

-> ( past tense formal ending): went

-> ( past tense causal ending) : went
Ending in means formal speech and there are rules about how to conjugate depending on
the stems.
1) The verb ending in ( to do) becomes
->
to study( to do studying) -> study
2) If the stem has ' ' or '' vowel , add to the stem to form the present tense
( to go) -> -> * (go)
(to live) -> (live)
( to see) -> -> * ( * see)

3) Add to all other stems to form the present tense

( to eat) -> (eat)
( to drink) -> -> * (drink)
( to give) -> -> * ( give)
* the usual form when saying it fast
4. Connecting Sentences
1) Use conjunctive adverbs like ( and, also) , ( but) , (so/therefore)
2) Use conjunctive endings
For example
1) . Kpop .
2) Kpop .
: Korean language : study : listen
1) I Korean study. Also Kpop listen (Kor)
2) I Korean study and Kpop listen (Kor)
1) I study Korean. Also I listen to Kpop. (Eng)
2) I study Korean and listen to Kpop.(Eng)
'' takes the infinitive stem ( - )
instead of the infinitive form.

while '' takes the conjugated form (-)

1) . .
2) .
: often : study : words : a lot : know
1) I Korean often study. Therefore words a lot know (Kor)

2) I Korean often study so words a lot know (Kor)

1) I often study Korean. Therefore I know words a lot. (Eng)
2) I often study Korean so I know words a lot.(Eng)
5. When pronouns are obvious, we usually don't say them .
Casual talk example)
A: ? ( everyday Korean study? ) -> Do u study Korean everyday?
B: . ( Yes. Fun)

-> Yes. It is fun.

1. () / '' can/ cannot"

When the verb stem ends in a consonant , add () / . When ending in a vowel
or , add / . Its infinitive form is () / . Without ' ' at the end, it
becomes casual talk
: I (formal) : to do (to speak language) : Korean language

: I (causal)

. / . (formal)
. / .(causal)
->I can / can't speak Korean.
1-1 -V / V- " can't (couldn't) V "
Place before the verb or add verb stem to . Also, don't forget to conjugate the
ending depending on the tense.
.= ( formal) -> I can't speak Korean.
.= . (formal) -> I couldn't speak Korean.
But in case of N verbs (N+ to do), place in between.
: to swim
. = .(casual) -> I can't swim.
2. - () " stop ~, dont~"

Add verb stem to - (). Its infinitive form is - (" to stop")

: to do
! / ! -> Stop doing it
(casual ) /

(formal)

3. - " V/A -and "

Add verb/adjective stem to .
: I (formal ) : breakfast , morning : to eat : school

~: to~

: go (: to go )
.( formal)
-> I eat breakfast and go to school.
4. - " -want to - "
Add verb stem to - . Without ' ' at the end, it becomes casual talk. Its infinitive
form is - ( "to want to")
: I (causal) : to dance

: well

. (casual)
-> I want to dance well
5. V/A " noun"
Add verb/adjective stem to , then it turns into noun.
: my : hobby

: to sing

.
My hobby is singing.
6. - N ( present tense of modification)

Add verb stem to to modify a noun

: to like : friend : well
: to dance
Kpop : A friend who likes Kpop
: A friend who dances well
7. N N

" N's N"

between noun and noun acts as 's. But we often drop ' ' when we speak.
: my (casual) : friend

: older brother

: my friend's older brother

8. - " won't -"

(causal)

Add V/A stem to . Also, ' - ' is a formal way to say it. On the other
hand, -() (formal) / -() (causal) means 'will- '
: that : person : again, : to hurt
. (casual)
. (formal)
- (I) won't hurt that person again (If pronouns like 'I' are obvious in the context, we don't
say it.)
8-1) - () " will "

(causal)

When the V/A stem ends in a consonant, add (formal) /(casual) . When ending
in a vowel or , add (formal) / (casual)
: friend ~: with~ : dinner : to eat : Korea : song : to practice
. (formal)/ . (casual)
-> I will eat dinner with a friend

 .(formal) / . (casual)
-> I will practice a Korean song.
9. - / / " try to - "
Conjugate the verb stem and add (casual) or ( formal). Its infinitive form is -//
("to try to")
: to learn : learn (conjugated present tense)
(casual) / (formal) -> Try to learn Korean.
10. -() ()
This is used to express a reason in the first clause to give a suggestion or advice in the
second clause. When the V/A stem ends in a consonant, add or . When ending
in a vowel or , add or
: I (casual) : to play the piano
to sing a song

: ( you& topic marker, casual) :

. ->I will play the piano so u sing a song.

11.V/A -() " mild surprise or wonder ending"
It is used to express mild surprise or wonder when u learn something through direct
experience or agree with someone else. It is like 'wow' , 'certainly' , ' really' in English.
Without '' , it becomes casual talk.
: to sing a song : well
. (casual)
( you really sing a song well -> you are really good at singing a song.)
12. N , V/A-()
It expresses the time when an action or state occurs or its duration
: school vacation ( I& topic marker , formal) : Korea ~ : to ~ : go
. (formal)
-> During school vacation, I go to Korea.
When the V/A stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or , add
: to be tired

N : this N :medicine : eat

 . (formal)
-> When I am tired, I take this medicine.
~ : in ~ : to live . was fun
.( formal)
-> When I lived in Korea, it was fun.
13. V/A-// () " must , have to , should"
Conjugate the V/A stem and add or . Please refer to K- Grammar basics #3 for
conjugation rules. Its infinitive form is V/A-// ()
: Korean language : to practice : a lot
.( .) (formal)
FYI, depending on the context, the subject can be ' I ' or someone else when there is no
subject written in the Korean sentence.
->( I ) should practice Korean a lot.
->or (You or He or...) should practice Korean a lot.
14. - () N (Adjective/ Verb past tense of modification )
When A/V stem ends in a consonant, add to modify a noun. When ending in a vowel, add
to modify a noun.
: to be bad : guy : to be good : song
( bad guy) / (good song
: I : yesterday : to meet : friend : to read : book
( the friend who I met yesterday
( the book that I read yesterday)
Let's expand this example further.
.(casual) -> The book that I read yesterday was fun.

15. - " not to let somebody -"

Add verb stem to .
: mom : to go out : me
( ) . (casual)
Mom doesn't let (me) go out.
16. V -() or -() "while , at the same time"
When Verb stem ends in a consonant , add () or (). When ending in a vowel or ,
add or . This is used always in the first clause.
: lyrics : to look

: Korean language : study

Kpop (or ) . (formal)

-> While looking at Kpop lyrics, ( I ) study Korean.
17. V-() / " to know / not to know (how) to

"

When the verb stem ends in a consonant, add () / . When ending in a vowel
or , add / .
: I (casual)

: Korean food : to cook : know

/ . (casual)
-> I know/ don't know how to cook Korean food.
N: that N : person : Korean, Korean alphabet : to read
? (casual)
-> Does that person know how to read Korean?
17-1) V-() / "I know / didn't know that S would V "
: in the end : you (casual) : to leave : to know : not to know
. (casual) -> I knew you would leave me in the end.
18. V/A- // "past tense"
When the word stem ends in the vowel or , add -. When ending in any other
vowel , add -. For verbs and adjectives ending in , add - . FYI, Without at
the end, it becomes casual talk as always.

 : to meet : last weekend : friend : you (casual) : lunch : to

eat
.(formal) ->( I ) met a friend last weekend.
? (casual) -> you lunch ate? - did you eat lunch ?
- : to get married to

: boyfriend

. (casual) ->(I) got married to my boyfriend.

19. N () N

" N or N "

When the noun ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel, just add .
: tea : coffee

: bread : cooked rice

(tea or coffee) / ( bread or cooked rice )

20. V/A-// " though, even if"
Conjugate the V/A and add . Please refer to K- Grammar basics #3 for conjugation rules.
: to exercise : to lose weight ~ : not ~
. (formal)
->Though (I) do exercise, (I) don't lose weight.
21. V/A - ( V/A - // ) not
For present tense, add V/A stem to - or ( V/A - / / ) . For past tense, add V/A
stem to or ( V/A -//)
When using , you should conjugate the V/A. Without '' at the end, it becomes a casual
talk. Its infinitive form is V/A- ( V/A- )
: Korean language : to be easy : to be difficult
yesterday

: tomorrow :

. = .(formal) -> Korean language is not easy.

. = . (casual) -> Korean language is not difficult.
* in case of N+ ( N+ to do) verbs like (to study), ( to sing), ( to
work), place right between N and .
. .(formal) -> Tomorrow (I) dont do working = Tomorrow (I) dont work.

For past tense:

. (formal) ->Yesterday (I) didn't do working =Yesterday (I) didn't work
22. V/A - () / N-() " if "
When the stem ends in a consonant, add , when ending in a vowel or , add
: to be bored : to watch
. (formal) -> If bored , (I) watch Korean dramas.
When the noun ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel, add .
N: that N : person : really : Korean person : Korean language :
well : to do, to speak a language)
Mina .(casual) ->If that person is a Korean person, he will
speak Korean language well.
23. V/A-? ( casually interrogative ending)
For present tense, add stem to . For past tense , add -// to . For future tense, add
() to . When the stem ends in a consonant, add () . When ending in a vowel or
, add . ( For past tense conjugation rules, plz refer to #18)
: to be busy : well : to sleep

: what : to eat

? ->( Are you ) busy?

? -> (Did you) sleep well ?
? What ( are you) going to eat?
23-1) V/A-() ? ( interrogative ending as a similar form of ?)
? (Casual) ->( Are you ) busy?
? (Casual) -> (Did you) sleep well ?
If you add , it sounds polite
? -> (Did you) sleep well ?
24.V/A- () /
It is a connective ending used in the first clause and corresponds to (who/ what/ where/
when/ how/ whether + Clause in English. So the next clause usually follows with (to
know) , (not to know), ( to be curious) and the like.
For nouns, when the noun end in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel, add .
For adjectives , when the stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or ,
add .
: good thing

: not to be : not to know, not to be sure

 (casual)
-> I'm not sure whether it is a good thing or not.
* ''mostly sounds like '' when we say fast.
N: this N : building : how (much,long) : to be high : to know
? (formal)
-> Do you know how high this building is?
For present tense verbs , add to the stem .
: here : how : to go : where : to live
? (formal)-> Do you know how to go(get) here?
Sunmi * ?(casual) -> Do you know where Sunmi lives?
( * when clashes with , disappears to make our pronunciation easy)
For past tense adjectives and verbs , add //.
: party ~: to~ : who : to

come : to remember

.(casual)
-> I remember who came to the party.
For future tense verbs, when the stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a
vowel or , add .
: next year : Korea ~: in ~ : to study : yet : not to know
: dinner : where : to eat
.(casual)
->I don't know yet if I'm going to study in Korea next year.
. (casual)
-> I don't know yet where to eat dinner

25. V-() " plan to, intend to"

When the stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or , add
. The infinitive form is () . ("to plan to, to intend to") Without at the end, it
becomes casual talk.
: school vacation N : during (on) N : Korea ~: to ~ : to go on a trip :
photo : to take (a photo) : a lot (adverb)
.(casual) -> During school vacation, I plan to go on a trip to Korea.
. (formal) -> I plan to take a lot of pictures.
26. V - " to tell somebody not to V
This is a negative form of indirectly imperative quotation. Add verb stem to .
: teacher : late : to come
. (formal) -> The teacher told me not to come late.
26-1) Its positive form is V - () " to tell somebody to V"
When the verb stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or ,
add .
: friend : quickly : to come
: mom : this thing : to eat
. (casual) -> (My) friend told me to come quickly.
(casual) -> (My) mom told me to eat this.
27. V/A-() / N-() " I hope ~ "
When the V/A stem ends in a consonant, add .When ending in a vowel or , add
. Its infinitive form is -() .
: tomorrow : to rain ( - rain, : to come) (N) ~: not ~
. (formal) -> I hope it is not raining tomorrow.
For nouns, when the noun ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel,
add .
: a lie

N (): to be N

. (casual) -> I hope that was a lie

28. V- // " please ~ for me"

Conjugate the verb stem and add (formal), ( polite) or (casual). Its infinitive
form is V- // . Please refer to 'K - grammar basics' for conjugation rules.
: to give a ride

: to help : phone : number : to inform

(casual) -> Give me a ride.

.( polite) -> Give me a ride, please.
( formal) -> Help me, please
( casual) -> Let me know (your) phone number.
29.V- // " and " / so, because
Conjugate the verb stem and add . This is a connective ending and has two meanings
depending on the context.
1) Sequence ("and") : The first event is placed in the first clause and the second one in the
second clause. Two events are closely related.
: (over) there : to sit : to talk ~ : let's (casual) : next week
: to meet : to play, to hang (out) with
. (casual) ->Let's sit and talk over there.
.(casual) -> Let's meet and play next week.
2) reason & result : the reason is placed in the first clause and the result in the second
clause.
: to be late : I'm sorry, I apologize (formal) : to like : Korea ~
: to be interested in~ : a lot
.( formal) -> I'm sorry for being late
Kpop . (casual) -> (I) like Kpop so (I'm) much interested in
Korea.= Because (I) like Kpop, (Im) much interested in Korea.
30. V/A - " but, however"
Add stem to . This is a connective ending.
: Korean language : to be difficult : to learn ~ : to want to
.(casual) -> Korean is difficult but I want to learn.
31. V/A- V/A - , N-() N-() " whether - or - "
Add V/A stem to . In case you add nouns, you need to add ( ) . When the noun ends in
a consonant, add , when ending in a vowel , add

: applicant : age : to be a lot : to be little : not to matter N

: Seoul N tower : Myoungdong (a popular shopping area) : anywhere : to
be fine
. (formal) -> Whether the applicants are old or young, it
doesn't matter
N .(formal) -> Whether it is Seoul N tower or Myoungdong,
anywhere is fine ( to go).
32. V -() / A - / N() " Indirectly declarative quotation for
present tense "
1) When the verb stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or ,
add . The contracted form is - / -. Without at the end, it becomes
casual talk.
: to come : now
Mike . (formal) = Mike ( contracted formal)
-> Mike said he is coming now.
2) For adjectives, add stem to . The contracted form is -. Without at the
end, it becomes casual talk.
: Bulgogi ( Korean grilled marinated beef) : to be tasty : food
Mike . (casual) = Mike . (contracted casual)
-> Mike said Bulgogi is tasty.
3) For nouns, when ending in a consonant , add . When ending in a vowel, add
. The contracted form is - / -. Without at the end, it becomes casual
talk.
Mike . (casual) = Mike . (contracted
casual) ->Mike said Bulgogi is a tasty food.
33. V- " Indirectly suggestive quotation"
Add verb stem to .
: to become a couple

: weekend - : on ( time marker) : to meet

Andy .(casual) -> Andy said we should become a couple.

Andy . (formal)-> Andy said we should meet on the weekend.
33-1. V- Lets V (casually suggestive ending)
Add verb stem to to suggest to do something together with the speaker. Its a casual
talk.
: tomorrow : to play

: go

 . ( casual) -> Lets play tomorrow

34. V- N

. (casual) -> Lets go.

" N that used to V "

Add verb stem to . It is always used in front of nouns.

: this thing
song

: to be young : to read : book : often : to listen :

( or ) . (formal) -> This is a book that I used to read when I

was young.
( or ) . (casual) -> This is a song I used to listen often.
34-1. This is also used to recollect an action started in the past but still not ended.
: I (formal)

: to see ( : saw)

? Did you see the book I was reading?

35. V/A- , N() " Indirectly interrogative quotation"
Add V/A stem to . When the noun ends in a consonant, , when ending
in a vowel, add .
: mom : what time : home ~: to ~ : to come
American person : to ask

: people :

. (casual) -> Mom asked me what time I would come home.

.(formal) -> People asked me If I was an American person.
36. N() " at least N or N or something
This is used to indicate that N is not the best option but that will suffice. When the noun
ends in a consonant, add .When ending in a vowel, add .
: coffee : not to have - () : If - (check G22) : water : please give
. (formal)-> If you don't have coffee, please give me at least water.
(water or something)
37.V-() . " thinking of (about)- , planning to - " ( Vague intention or plan)
When the verb stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or , add
. Its infinitive form is -()
: next month

: Korea

~ : to go on a trip to ~

. (formal) -> I am thinking of going on a trip to Korea next month

38. V-/ A-() / N-() " but , and"
This is a connective ending . For verbs, add the stem to . For adjectives, add the stem to
when ending in a consonant, add the stem to when ending in a vowel. For nouns,
add the stem to when ending in a consonant, add the stem to when ending a
vowel.

1) "but"
: (I &topic marker) : to sing : can't : to dance : well :
actor(actress) (Park Sinhye)
.(formal) -> I can't sing but I dance well.
.(casual) -> Park Sinhye is an actress but dances well.
2) " background situation or reason -> and"
: to be ok : to try to go
Trick art museum .(casual) -> Trick art museum is ok, try it.
3) Used as an interrogative ending to slightly appose or complain to the listener
: I (casual) : what : to do something wrong
? (casual) -> what did I do wrong?
39. V/A -() (same as V/A- ())

"Since, Because, so"

When the stem ends in a consonant, add or . When ending in a vowel or , add
or
: I am sorry (formal) : this week : to be busy : next week
. . (casual) -> Sorry. This week I am busy so next week let's
meet .
-> Sorry. Since (Because) this week I am busy , next week let's meet .
: today : to be tired : tomorrow : to do
. (casual) -> Today, I am tired so lets do it tomorrow
39-1. N -() (same as V/A- ())

"since, because , so"

When the noun ends in a consonant, add or . When ending in a vowel, add or

: you (casual) : my (casual) : friend : secret : to inform , to tell

(casual) -> Since you are my friend, I will tell you a secret
40. N () " by means of , with , to , toward"
When the noun ends in consonant, add . When ending in vowel or , add .
: subway : to go V -: let's V : right side : ball pen : to write V-()
: formal command ending

 : Let's go by subway.
: Let's go to the right side.
: Write with a ball pen.
41. N () " am, are, is N " (casual)
It is used only casually right after nouns. When the noun ends in a consonant, add .
When ending in a vowel, add . Its infinitive form is () "to be"
N : that N : child : who : my : younger brother
A: ? : Who is that child?

B: : He is my younger brother

41-1) The opposite form is N(/) am/ are/ is not N (casual)

When the noun end in a consonant, add N . When ending in a vowel, add N .
A: ? : Is that child your younger brother?
B: : He is not my younger brother
42. A/V -() / / () . " I think , It looks ( sounds) like , It appears that "
Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk and its infinitive form is ~ .
1) For adjectives and past tense verbs
When the stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or , add
.
: you, your : idea, thought : to be good
to see) : well

: to take a test ( : test, :

.(casual) -> I think your idea is good

. (formal) ->I think took the test well.
2) For present tense verbs
Add stem to .
: to like
Jeremy Sarah . (formal) -> It looks like Jeremy likes Sarah

3) For future tense verbs

When the stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or , add
.
: so : to be hungry : to die N: that N : person ~ : without~ :
can't : to live : to be fun, interesting : that thing (that)
. (casual) -> I am so hungry that I think I'm going to die.
. (casual) ->I think I won't be able to live without that person.
. (formal) -> That sounds like fun.
43. V- () N (Future tense of modification)
When the verb stem ends in a consonant, add in front of the noun. When ending in a
vowel or , add in front of the noun.
: today : to do : things, work : much / many( adverb) : to have , to exist
: this thing (this) : tomorrow : to eat : thing, stuff : me : to help
: person N : only N
.(formal) -> Today (I) have many things to do.
. (casual) -> This is the the thing to eat tomorrow. ( This is what I am going
to eat tomorrow)
Kevin .(casual)-> The person to help me is only Kevin.
44. N () " to N "
The nouns should be people or other leaving creatures . Otherwise, is added to the
nouns.
: teacher ( a shortened form of ) : I , me : Korean language :
to teach : gift : to give(honorific) : in the morning : flower : water :
to give
Anna . (casual) -> Anna teacher taught Korean to me.
. (formal) -> (I) will give a gift to (my) teacher.
. (casual) -> (I) gave water to the flower->(I) watered the flower in the
morning.
45. V/A-(?) Confirming or looking for the listeners agreement
Add the stem to . If the speaker intends to ask the listener, raise up the tone at the
end. Also, is usually shortened into . Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk.
: of course : that thing (that) : not to know (: didn't know) : to
be tasty : class : to be fun, interesting

 .( casual) : Of course, I didn't know that.

? (formal) : That is tasty, right? / Isn't that tasty?
?(formal) That class is fun, right? / Isn't that class fun?
46. V-() ~ " As ~ "
This is used to indicate an interruption of an action. Add verb stem to . can be
shortened to -
: to walk : to fall TV : to watch TV

: to fall asleep

.(formal) -> As (I) walked, (I) fell.

TV .(casual) -> As (I) watched TV, (I) fell asleep.
47. V/A- () ? Will (S) V ?
This is used to express the speakers supposition of an action or state that has yet to
happen. When the V/A stem ends in a consonant, add ?. When ending in a vowel or ,
add ? Without at the end, it becomes causal talk.
: party
be OK

N : to N : to come : this (time) : semester : grades : to

Mina ? ( casual) -> Will Mina come to the party?

? (formal) -> Will this semester's grades be OK?
47-1) Another usage for this is to ask the listener for an opinion.
: we : when : to meet up : why : to come
? ( casual) -> When should we meet up?
Mina ? (formal) -> Why didn't Mina come?
48. V- () to hope (to want ) to V / to hope ( to want) S V
Add verb stem to / . Actually is a shortened form of , which is a
combination of & (object marker). Please refer to K-Grammar # 5 to understand - .
By adding to V/A, V/A turns into a noun. Without at the end, it becomes casual talk.
: I & topic marker : you & subject marker : the truth

: to tell

.(casual) -> I hope you tell me the truth.

: all day long : with you : together : to be

: to want

(casual) -> I want to be with you together all day long.

49. V- to end up in V-ing
This is used for an unplanned event or action that finishes in a usually undesirable way. Add
verb stem to to indicate ended up in V-ing and to to indicate will
end up in V-ing. Without at the end, it become causal talk ( -> , ->
)
: very : to be sick l : to be hospitalized in
surgery ( : surgery : to receive) : to die

: now : to have

Angella .(formal) -> Because Angella was sick she ended up in

being hospitalized. ( ~ meaning because , refer to G 29)

Angella . (casual) -> If Angella doesn't get a surgery now, she

will end up in dying. (~ meaning If, refer to G22 )
50. V- / / / V-ing (Gerund)
For an action or event related to the present tense, add verb stem to / / / in order
to change the verb into a noun. You can use - only in the subject position and only in
the object position. But you can use -( ) in the both object and subject positions. For our
pronunciation convenience, we usually say instead of clearly . Actually ///
means a thing in English. For example , , , mean this thing ( this: )
: now : to breath : to be hard : I & topic marker (formal) : to
dance : to like
. = = . (formal)-> Now, breathing is
hard (Now, It is hard to breathe)
. = .= .( formal) ->
dancing ( I like to dance)

I like

* The examples above are formal talk because of at the end.

50-1) A / V(past tense) - () / / /
For an adjective or action that happened in the past , add / / / when the stem
ends in a consonant. When ending in a vowel or , add the stem to / / /
: you & object marker ~ : to let go of ~
: a lot : to eat : to regret

: to be regrettable

: dinner

= . = .( casual) -> Letting you go is

regrettable.
.= .= .( casual) -> I regret
eating a lot of dinner.
51. V/A - " Only V/A"
This is used to emphasize an action or description itself only, usually indicating there's
nothing else. Add V/A stem to for present tense. For past tense, add V/A stem to
. Without at the end, it becomes casual talk .
N: that N : woman : to be pretty. : yesterday : all day long : I &
topic marker (casual) : to eat
.(formal) -> That woman is only pretty. (indicating that maybe her
personality or/and intelligence is not good. )
. (casual) -> Yesterday all day long I only ate. (indicating that I
didn't have anything else to do)
52. V- " to be V-ing " (Progressive Tense)
For present tense, add verb stem to . For past tense, add verb stem to .
Without at the end, it becomes casual talk.
: what : to do : Korea : song
to study

: to listen : Korean language :

A: ? (casual) -> What are (you) doing?

B: . (casual) ->( I ) am listening to a Korean song.

A: ? (casual) -> What were (you) doing?

B: . (casual) -> (I ) was studying Korean.
53. N ( ) N N and N or N with N"
When the first noun ends in a consonant, use . When ending in a vowel, use .
: you ( casual, used to a close person at the same age or younger). : I ( casual)
: Teacher : student : friend : to play
: you and I
: teacher and student
.(casual) -> I played with a friend.
54. V-() / to come / to go in order to V
When the verb ends in a consonant, add /. When ending in a vowel or , add
/ . We say the purpose first before going /coming. Dont forget to conjugate the
ending depending on the tense and if you leave out at the end, it become casual talk.
: to Korea : to live : to go
to travel : to come

: to home : to play : America :

Susan . (formal) -> Susan went to Korea to live

Susan .( casual) -> Susan came to (my) home to play.
Susan .( casual) -> Susan came to America to travel.
55. V- " It looks like ~, I'm guessing"
This is used to infer or guess after seeing a particular situation or hearing about it. Add
stem to . Without at the end, it becomes casual talk. Its infinitive form is V-
.
: outside. : to rain ( : rain : to come) : a lot : to like
.(formal) -> It looks like raining outside.
Mina Sooho . (casual) -> I'm guessing that Mina likes Sooho a lot
56. // " completion of an action or event "
This is used to indicate the completion of an action or event and that nothing remains
thereafter. You should conjugate the ending depending on the tense and it becomes casual
talk without at the end.

: class ~ : to be late for ~ : finally : boyfriend : me : to leave

: this : all, everything : to eat
. (formal) -> I was late for class.
.(casual) -> Finally my boyfriend left me.
. (casual) -> I will eat up all of this .
57. V-() . "I / we will (do) - "
This is used to show the speaker's intention or promise to do something and the speaker
has to be 'I' or ' We' only. When the verb stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending
in a vowel or , add . Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk.
: homework : to do : we : to take responsibility : that : wear
. (formal) -> I will do my homework.
. (casual) -> we will take responsibility for this.
. (formal) -> I will wear that.
58. V/A - Exclamation Ending (!)
Use V/A infinitive forms. This delivers exclamation tone with all kinds of expressive feelings
after you notice or hear something.
: to be tasty : to be pretty : this , : song : to be good
After you eat something really tasty -> ! ( Its tasty!)
After you see something really pretty -> ! (Its pretty!)
After you listen to a really good song -> ( ) ! ( this song is good !)
59. V- () Once S V
This is used to explain if the action or event in the first clause continues, then over time the
result in the second clause will occur. Add verb stem to (). It doesn't matter with or
without but dropping sounds more practical.
: Korean language : continuously : to study

: to get to do well

. (formal) -> Once you study Korean continuously,

you will get to do it well.
60. A- () ? / V-?

Gently Interrogative ending for Present Tense

1) When the adjective ends in a consonant, add ? . When ending in a vowel, add ?
Without at the end, it becomes casual talk.
: to be sick, to hurt

: clothes : to be small ( of size)

? (formal) -> (Are you) sick?

? ( casual) -> Are the clothes small?

2) Regardless of ending in a consonant or a vowel, add verb stem to ? Without at the

end, it becomes casual talk.
: Korean language

: to be able to do (or to be able to speak a language)

? (formal) -> can you speak Korean ?

61. V/A -, " As you know S V "
For the present tense, add V/A stem to . This becomes casual talk without at the
end.
: why : to like : to be cool, stylish
A: 2Ne1 ? (casual) -> Why do you like 2Ne1?
B: .(casual) -> As you know, they are stylish.
62. V/ A ( ) " mere protest or regret ending"
When the V/ A ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or , add .
Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk
: key : you (casual) : to have : to me ( casual) : why : to ask :
too : to come late : ticket : to be sold out
, ? (casual) -> you have the keys, why are you asking me?
. .. (casual) ->(I) came too late. The tickets were all sold out
62-1) N " mere protest or regret ending"
Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk
: why : me : to meet : you(casual) : my : the first and last at
the same time
? (casual) -> Why are you leaving me? You are my first
and last.
63. V- / A,V-() / N- . to seem ( sound) like that ~

1) For present tense verbs, add Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk.
: to rain
.(casual) -> It seems like that it is raining.
2) For adjectives and past tense verbs , when the stem ends in a consonant, add .
When ending in a vowel or , add . Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk.
N: this N : a dress ( Konglish meaning one piece) : to be small : just
a moment ago
. (casual) -> This dress seems to be small.
. ( formal) -> It seems like it rained just a moment ago.
3) For nouns, add . Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk.
N: that N : woman, girl : so : to be beautiful : goddess
. ( casual) -> That woman is so beautiful that she seems to
be a goddess.
4) For future tense verbs, when the stem ends in a consonant, add .. When ending
in a vowel or , add . Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk.
: tonight : to rain
.(casual) -> It seems like that it is going to rain tonight.
64. V,A -() / V- / V-()/ N
This is used to indicate that the action, state and nouns described in the first clause is
similar or equivalent to that in the second clause.
1) For adjectives and past tense verbs, when ending in a consonant, add . When
ending in a vowel or , add
: to eat : money : to pay : you (casual) : to be happy : I (casual) N :
also N
. (formal) -> Please pay money as much as you ate. ( please pay an mount
equal to how much you ate)
. (casual) -> I am also as happy as you
2) For present tense verbs, add
: I (casual) : to eat : to gain weight
. (casual)-> I gain weight as much as I eat.

3) For future tense verbs, when ending in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel
or , add
N: this N : tongue : right away, immediately : to melt : to be sweet
.(casual) -> This candy is sweet enough to melt on my
tongue right away.
: other : women : not to be jealous : boyfriend : to me
: to do (treat) well
.(casual) -> My boyfriend treats me well so I
wont be jealous of other women.
4) For nouns, add
: younger brother : older brother of a man : to be tall
. (formal) -> The younger brother is as tall as his older brother.
65. N() " emphasis "
This is used to emphasize the noun, especially when it is the prime example among other
possible choices. When ending in a consonant, add , when ending in a vowel, add
.
: you : whats wrong? : Jeju Island : Korea N N: Ns N : to be
representative : a tourist spot
? (casual)-> Whats wrong with you (compared to others)?
. Jeju Island is the most representative tourist spot of Korea.
66. V-() " want to V, would like to V"
When ending in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or , add (). Without
at the end, it becomes a casual talk.
: tomorrow : to meet up : to be tired :now : to sleep
? (formal)-> Do you want to meet up tomorrow?
. ( casual)-> I am tired. I want to sleep now
67. V/A -// " Even if"
This is used to indicate that what is stated in the first clause is not that great or noteworthy
: Korean language : to be difficult : Japanese language N : than N
.

Even if Korean is difficult, it wouldn't be difficult than Japanese.

68. V/A -() V/A -() ~ " The more (-er) ~"
When the stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or , add
. But it is also okay to drop the first part 'V/A -() 'and still the meaning stays the
same
: to practice : to get better
.(formal) -> The more you practice, the better you get
:a lot : to eat : to be sleepy
. (Casual) -> The more I eat , The more sleepy I am
69. V-// ( causal, imperative ending)
Conjugate the verb stem ( Please refer to K-Grammar basics for its rules) and add . For
negative one, add - to the verb stem.
: it, (that thing)

: to do : to go

! : Do it ! <> . : Dont do it !
: Go! <> : Dont go!
70. V-() ( same as V-() )
This is used to indicate that the action in the following clause is performed under the
circumstances described in the preceding clause. When the verb stem ends in a consonant,
add . When ending in a vowel or , add .
N : my N : girlfriend : break- up : not to know : to be smiling
. (formal) -> My girlfriend was smiling without knowing
our break-up
: that guy : window : to close : cigarette : to smoke
. (formal) -> That guy smoked a cigarette with the window
closed
71. A/V- (same as A/V- )
This is used to indicate that the action in the following clause is necessary to realize the
preceding action or state in the first clause.
: your (casual) : face : to draw :to smile at
. = . (casual) -> Smile at me so I can draw
your face.
: well : to listen and understand : slow : to speak

 .= .(formal) -> Please

speak slowly so I can understand you well.
( Refer to G1 & 28 for can & please )
72. V -() / . Have done / Havent done (About experience in the past)
This is used to express if you have a particular experience or not in the past. When the
verb stem ends in a consonant, add ./ . When ending in a vowel or , add
/ . Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk and its infinitive form is
V-() / .
N: that N : movie

: to watch : Korean food : to eat

. (formal) -> I havent watched that movie.

. ( casual) -> I have eaten Korean food.
73. V/A-// No matter how ~
Conjugate the Verb/Adjective stem. (For conjugation rules, refer to K-Grammar Basics)
: I (casual) : to speak, to tell

: you (casual) : to listen

. No matter how much I tell you , you dont listen.

: hard : to exercise : to lose weight
. (formal) -> No matter how hard I exercise, I dont lose weight.
74. V- / / " It is ok to- "
Conjugate the verb stem and add . Its infinitive form is V- // . Instead of
, you can add ( all right) or ( good) and the like. Without at the end, it
becomes a casual talk.
: this thing : to eat :here : to sit
?(formal) -> Is it ok to eat this ?
. (casual) -> It is ok to sit here.
75. V- / A-()
This is a combination of -()/ (describing the situation under discussion) and -/
( despite, though). For verbs, add the stem to . For adjectives, when ending in a
consonant, add . When ending in a vowel, add .
: love : to give : you (casual) : to accept
. (casual) -> Though I am giving you love, you don't accept it.

: to be full (of stomach) :again : to eat

? (casual) -> You are full, but eating again?
76. A/V -() " out of worry (fear) - "
This is used to indicate that the speaker did , or is doing the action in the following clause
out of worry or fear. when the stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel
or , add
: you (casual) : me (casual) : to catch

: I

: to hide

.(casual) -> I hid myself out of worry that you would catch me.
77. ( / / ) V-// " No matter who/what/where S V
Conjugate the verb stem. For conjugation rules, please refer to K-Grammar Basics
: you (casual) : to meet : I (casual) : not to care : to do
. (casual) -> No matter who you meet, I don't care.
78. A/V- " will, should"
Its infinitive form is ' A/V-' and usually combined with formal ending ''
: tomorrow : to rain
. (formal) -> Tomorrow it will rain.
79. V-() " since"
This is used to indicate that how much time has passed. When the verb stem ends in a
consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or , add .
: boyfriend ~ : with~ : to break up : year : to pass
1 . (casual) -> It has been 1 year since (I) broke up with my
boyfriend.
: Korea : to come : to be, to become
2 . (formal) -> It has been 2 years since I came to Korea.
80. V/A () " to pretend to V/A"
When the verb / adjective stem ends in a consonant, add . When ending in a vowel or ,
add . Without at the end, it becomes a casual talk.
: not to know N : that N : truth

 ! ( casual) -> Don't pretend not to know the truth.

(Refer to G2 for - )
81. N " nothing but N , only N"
This is always followed by a negative form which is different from English.
: I (casual) : you (casual) : not to have
. (casual) -> I have nothing but you.
:two people : not : to come
. (formal) -> Only two people came.
82. N
It refers to something being divided or repeated by its quantity or size.
: I ( formal) : a day 3 : 3 hours : study
3 . (formal) -> I study for 3 hours a day.
: tablet : to eat, to take ( honorific)
2 .( formal) -> Please take 2 tablets a day
83. V- " V and then " (same as V- )
Add verb stem to or
: homework : to do : friend N : with N : to play
. (Casual) -> I did my homework and then played with a friend.