essay in korean for beginners

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The Only Guide You Need to Pass TOPIK Test

Best Self-Study Material to Prepare for TOPIK Test

TOPIK Essay Writing Guide – Evaluation and Marking Scheme

The readers of TOPIK GUIDE have frequently been writing to us for some guidance on the Essay part of TOPIK Writing (쓰기) section. So Here We are putting this detailed article about this.

Most of the questions in TOPIK are multiple choice and objective type where there is, clearly, only one correct answer. You don’t even need a human to check if the answers are right or wrong. Mostly OMR recognition softwares do the job.  The problem is with the subjective type questions. In these questions there is no ‘one correct answer’. Different persons can give different answers and they all may be correct. Sometimes it is difficult to even say whether the answer is right or wrong because it may be partially right and partially wrong.

This type of questions generally appear in the Writing section of TOPIK. And believe me, you are not the only person who find them difficult. Evaluating this type of questions is the most difficult task for Examiners as well. As these questions are evaluated by real humanss and not the machines, there are high chances of variation in evaluation process depending upon the personality and psychological status of the examiner. And that”s why it confuses the test takers on what and how to write the answer of such questions so that it looks correct to the evaluator. Particularly, the TOPIK Essay writing part is the most difficult of these subjective questions.

Most of TOPIK test takers are confused at some point of time about what and how exactly they are expected to write in the essay. Do they want to check your grammar vocabulary, spelling etc? or Do they want to test your writing skills, like how beautifully and logically you put your thought, how great your thoughts are? or Do they want to see how beautiful your handwriting is? Will using difficult words and complex sentences get you more marks? There are many such questions that confuse the mind of test takes, specially when they appear for the first time. Many people find themselves in a very difficult situation when the topic of the essay is related to Korea. I know many people  who thought writing anything wrong about Korea or Koreans will fetch them poor marks. 😉

In this series on TOPIK essay writing, we are going to clear all those doubts. We are going to tell you exactly how TOPIK essays are evaluated and marked. The series is based on ‘ model evaluation guideline ‘ from NIIED, the organization that conducts the TOPIK test.

We have divided the series in to 3 parts in which we will take 3 model essays each from beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of TOPIK and will analyse the evaluation system by giving detailed marking pattern of 3 model answer essays.

Below is the model guideline that all the evaluators have to follow, according to NIIED:-

We will start with the Beginner Level .

Here is the Essay Question that we will take as a model:-

I am leaving you with three example answer essay. read properly and think how you would mark them if you were the examiner. In the next post we will see how the TOPIK evaluators marked them.

TOPIK Beginner Model Essay 1

TOPIK Beginner Model Essay 2

Go to TOPIK Essay Writing Evaluation Analysis – Beginner Level

Dr. Satish Satyarthi

Satish is the Founder and CEO of TOPIK GUIDE. He is passionate about languages. He created TOPIK GUIDE website to help Korean language learners learn Korean effectively, succeed in TOPIK test and achieve their goals. He has a PhD in Korean language. His research area has been 'Teaching Korean as a Foreign Language (외국어로서의 한국어교육)'. He is a Seoul National University (GKS) alumni. He has been active in Korean language teaching and research for more than 10 years.

Hello, thanks for this post.İ think first one is best, right Because second one has some mistakes and third one is not good How abkut this essay’s points. İ wonder bexause i will get this exam next year.그래서 열심히 공부 합니다. 정말 감서헙니다.

Thanks a lot for sharing this nice and informative post, This posts shows your efforts that how do you cover any topic research. I really like your blog because your blog has updated posts on different current issues. I would request you to keep sharing your thoughts. Essay Writing

이것은 너무 도와주신 글인데 감사합니다 선배님.

hello i hav a doubt.. see topik test are conducted 4times in evry 1year…and as for me i will be giving my test in the 40th topik…i have 3years…but i live in india and here the educational sessions end in june…so my point is that i wont be able to make it in the beginners level 1 test which is conducetd in january…should i wait for another year or shud i give level 1 topik in july???

This beginner essay writing will definitely be a great resource for the students who will write essay first time in their academic career. Essay writing is not so much tough, just need a little bit attention due to which students can write essays of excellent quality. Buy Essay

Thanks for this post, I speak spanish,and I dont found information about it. thanks

Great to know that it helped… Thank you.

Hello. Thank you for the great review and the whole site… it helps a lot 🙂 I am preparing for the intermediate level TOPIK, and I was just wondering if the 400-600 characters are counted with or without space?? Do you know anything about this? I was sure it’s without space (because that’s how usually it is at language tests), but then just to make sure, I put a sample essay from the official TOPIK paper and copied it to Word, to see how many characters it is. And it turned out that it’s 353 characters without space, and 456 with space… So I’m kind of confused now :/ Do they count it with space? It makes a huge difference actually….

Actually it’s with spaces…

Thank you so much for the quick reply ^^

Hi, I would like to know if you have to write the essay using the ㅂ니다 form. I have been learning Korean on my own and talking to my friends. We usually just use the polite speach ending in 요. But Since this is a test I guess I will have to use the other form right?

You can check this post:- https://www.topikguide.com/2012/07/which-form-of-language-to-use-in-topik-exam-formal-plain-or-informal.html

hi , i want to know if i can pass the level 2 of topik exam how can i use by this score, thank you for your answer

It can help you getting into a Korean university or getting a job in a Korean company… It also helps you get certain types of Visa…

Good morning teacher.nice to meet you in your team chart. am from Cambodian now i stay in Cambodian too . but i want to test Korea exam how can i do it because am so far from here. so u can advice me how to do? am looking for you reply me back .thank you so much. i want to study more in Korea but am so poor so i don’t have money to study at there. if you have a good advice for me please tell me …i can test from internet or anther test .thank you.good bye see u reply soon..from Sophea Cambodia..good luck for you.

많은 분들이 한국어를 공부하시군요. 다들 좋은 결과 얻으시길 희망합니다. !

my big problem in topik exam is the writing part , i had no clew about it . but this article made me feel more comfortable and bit ready for it 🙂 thanks a miliiooooooon 🙂

same problem

hello, thanks for this post i am preparing 31th intermadiate topik exam and i wondering about essays topik?

thanks for this information..now when you are told to write about a countries love or parent love what are the essential things to write???

It depends on the level..

여러분 열심히 공부 하세요

There’s a little bit of spelling errors in Example 2. Here’s some of the ones that I caught:

“카탸가 제 비밀들은 질 지켰습니다.” — 잘* “하지만 우리 지금 만나면 저는 너무 행벅해집니다.” — 행복* “우리가 맛있는 자를 마실겁니다.” — 차* “저는 제 친구 너무 보고 싶어서 발리 러시아에 가거싶습니다.” — 빨리* and 가고 싶습니다*

Also, any tips on how to get Level 6? What kind of essay structure are they looking for to get level 6? If I get all points or at least enough points to reach level, is that how I can get level 6?

Example 3 also has a bit of errors.

“체 취미 축구입니다.” — 제* and I think it sounds better to write 제 취미는* “이 사람이 세게에서 진짜 유명해요.” — 세계* “그리고 이 사람안테…” — 한테* “나중에 아마 저는도 유명 축구사람 됩니다.” — 저도* and 유명한* and 축구선수* “만나면 아추 좋아합니다.” — 아주* “우리 집에 조대할고예요, 우리 아버지게서도 정말 좋아요.” — 초대 할 거예요* and 아버지께서*

I could be wrong, but I think those are some errors.

Yes, those are errors. That’s why example essay 2 & 3 got less marks. Check this post: https://www.topikguide.com/2012/04/topik-essay-writing-guide-beginner.html

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100 Essential TOPIK 1 Grammars for Beginners

Enhance your Korean language skills with our comprehensive, free online library of essential Korean letters and grammar.​  Specifically designed for TOPIK I learners, this resource is ideal for those aiming to achieve levels 1 and 2 in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK).

Explore the 100 TOPIK 1 Grammar Lessons for  Beginners :

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Korean Grammar for Beginners

Last modified: Oct 11, 2024 | 14 min read | By Laura Toyryla

Learning Korean? If you’re studying the Korean language , then you’ll need to have your Korean grammar down!

Today, we’ll teach you the basics of Korean grammar so you can start forming sentences that mean exactly what you want to say.

Ready to become a grammar master? Let’s learn the basics of Korean grammar!

Here is an easy-to-learn Korean PDF on Korean Grammar that you can download and take with you:

• 1 Korean Grammar in Use
• 2.1 How are Korean sentences structured?
• 3 Effective Grammar Learning
• 4 Korean Nouns
• 5 Korean Pronouns
• 6 Korean Particles
• 7 Korean Adjectives
• 8.1 “To be” in Korean
• 8.2 “To have” in Korean
• 8.3 “To not have” in Korean
• 8.4 “To do” in Korean
• 9.1 Other Korean adverbs
• 9.2 Korean Adverbs of Frequency
• 9.3 Korean Adverbs of Place
• 9.4 Korean Adverbs of Time
• 10 Korean Conjugation
• 11 Korean Negative Verb Form
• 12 Korean punctuation
• 13 Korean Grammar PDF
• 14 Other helpful resources

Korean Grammar in Use

Korean grammar, like any other language, has a lot of rules and topics to cover. However, you don’t need to know everything and the more advanced topic as you’re starting. You’ll only need to know the Korean grammar in use .

These are basic grammar topics and rules that you’ll need to know to bring your Korean skills to the next level.

Below, we’ll explain Korean grammar in use with Hangeul (Korean Alphabet) and in Romanized English. You can learn the Korean Alphabet in under an hour here .

Is Korean grammar difficult?

It wouldn’t be accurate to say that Korean grammar is difficult or easy. Like many Asian languages, the grammar is quite different from English. But like the grammar of any foreign language, Korean grammar follows the rules and sentence structure that makes sense.

In fact, Korean grammar is pretty straightforward. This gives you more reason to love and learn Korean ! You just need to get used to the primary quirk of its grammar.

You may know that English basic grammar follows the structure:

SUBJECT (S) + VERB (V) + OBJECT (O)

For example, I (subject) study (verb) Korean (object). Most languages have an SVO grammar structure like this. The action leads the object so you know what is happening before  you know what it’s happening  to.

How are Korean sentences structured?

Basic Korean grammar, on the other hand, uses the order:

SUBJECT (S) + OBJECT (O) + VERB (V) .

For native speakers of languages that use the SVO grammar structure, such as English, this may sound confusing and incorrect.

Korean, Japanese, and to some extent German, all use SOV in their grammar. You’ll understand why this kind of grammar makes sense when forming a Korean sentence later in the lesson. For now, here are some examples of the sentence structure of Korean to help you get acquainted with the grammar:

Example 1: I ate an orange.

나는 오렌지를 먹었어요.

(naneun orenjireul meogeosseoyo)

I + orange + ate

Example 2: My big brother plays football.

오빠가 축구를 해요.

(oppaga chukgureul haeyo)

Big brother + football + to do

Example 3: I meet my friend.

나는 친구를 만나요.

(naneun chingureul mannayo)

I + friend + to meet

To understand why the Korean language uses grammar like this , you need to understand a bit about Korean verbs and how they work.

We’ll give you a quick introduction and explanation of how Korean verbs work in Korean grammar below. But before we get into Korean verbs, let’s learn about the other parts of speech:

• Korean nouns
• Korean pronouns

Korean Particles

Korean adjectives, effective grammar learning.

Korean grammar can be daunting and complex for beginners because it uses a sentence structure different from most languages. But don’t get intimidated by that. 

There are fun and motivating ways you can learn it. You can look for these in the courses you’re going to take to learn Korean.

• Step-by-step approach –  You can start with the basics and bring it up to the next level one step at a time. You don’t have to be good at the most complex sentence structure immediately. 
• 80/20 principle – Start by learning 20% of sentence structure, Korean words, and verb endings that you will use 80% of the time. This means that you don’t have to learn everything all at once. 
• Simple explanations – Grammar can become overwhelming if the explanations are too complex. You’ll find the lesson easy to understand if the explanations are simple.

In our Inner Circle program , we use these 3 frameworks to teach Korean grammar to our students. This has helped over 18,000 students in improving their Korean language skills. 

Korean Nouns

In any language, the first basic part of speech we all learn is the noun. We start building our vocabulary and knowledge of the language with nouns. Once we know them, we can easily build phrases or simple sentences.

Korean nouns are called 명사 (myeongsa). They are made plural by adding 들 after the noun. However, some nouns, like in the English language, don’t need 들 for them to be made plural as they’re already understood as plural nouns.

For example:

학생 → 학생들 남자 → 남자들 사람 → 사람들 책 → 책들 꽃 → 꽃들

Korean nouns are used as subjects and objects in sentences. The particles 이 and 가 are used when Korean nouns are used as a subject. On the other hand, the topic markers 을 and 를 are used when a Korean noun is used as an object in a sentence.

Example 1: Hyerim is eating an apple.

혜림이 사과를 먹고 있어요.

(hyerimi sagwareul meokgo isseoyo.)

Example 2: The students read a Science book.

학생들이 과학 책을 읽어요.

(haksaengdeuri gwahak chaegeul ilgeoyo.)

To know more about Korean nouns, we have lessons on Body Parts in Korean , Animals in Korean , Fruits, Nuts, and Vegetables in Korean , Fish in Korean , and Jobs in Korean to help you get started.

Korean Pronouns

Korean pronouns are a very important part of Korean grammar, especially in daily conversations. It’s also important to know that, unlike English pronouns, Korean pronouns can vary in terms of formality.

If you are speaking to someone of a higher position or social status, you should use Korean pronouns that are formal. It would be offensive to Koreans if you use Korean pronouns that are not appropriate to the relationship or the social status between you and the person you’re talking to or talking about.

Here is a resource that will help you learn about the basic Korean pronouns.

Korean particles are also another important part of Korean grammar. Without Korean particles, Korean sentences wouldn’t be complete. In general, Korean particles can have many functions but can be summarized as subject/object markers and indicators.

If you plan to be fluent in Korean, you’ll need to learn and understand how to properly use Korean particles. Here’s a resource for you to learn the most commonly used Korean particles.

Korean adjectives make story-telling and daily conversations easier and more fun. They help us describe and give a clear picture of nouns.

Korean adjectives are called 형용사 (hyeongyongsa) in Korean. They usually take the 하다 (hada) form.

• 시원하다 (siwonhada) → to be cool
• 따뜻하다 (ttatteutada) → to be warm
• 깨끗하다 (kkaekkeutada) → to be clean
• 유명하다 (yumyeonghada) → to be famous
• 똑똑하다 (ttokttokada) → to be smart
• 착하다 (chakada) → to be nice
• 건강하다 (geonganghada) → to be healthy

But it’s important to note that not all words ending with 하다 (hada) are adjectives.

• 많다 (manta) → to be much
• 적다 (jeokda) → to be a little
• 작다 (jakda) → to be small
• 크다 (keuda) → to be big
• 멀다 (meolda) → to be far
• 싸다 (ssada) → to be cheap
• 비싸다 (bissada) → to be expensive
• 가깝다 (gakkapda) → to be near
• 나쁘다 (nappeuda) → to be bad

When describing nouns with Korean adjectives, they usually take the Korean adjective + Korean noun form. This is similar to how we describe nouns in English.

• 비싼 시계 (bissan sigye) → an expensive watch
• 착한 남자 (chakan namja) → a nice guy
• 따뜻한 사람 (ttatteutan saram) → a warmhearted person

Korean adjectives are also like verbs. They are descriptive verbs and go at the end of a Korean sentence. And because they go at the end of a sentence, they also use the same verb endings when conjugated.

오늘은 날씨가 더워요. (oneureun nalssiga deowoyo.)

Today’s weather is hot.

이 시계는 비싸요. (i sigyeneun bissayo.)

This watch is expensive.

To learn more about Korean adjectives here’s a resource for you called Korean Adjectives – Descriptive verbs and how to conjugate them .

Basic Korean Verbs

Verbs are one of the most important parts of speech in Korean grammar. They’re called 동사 (dongsa) in Korean. The beauty of Korean verbs comes from the fact that by simply learning them and their correct conjugated forms, you’re able to form a sentence.

In Korean grammar, the verb needs to be conjugated based on the context. This means that Korean verbs follow certain grammar rules that control how they’re spelled.

You’ll conjugate the word depending on its tense, level of politeness, and whether the connecting vocabulary ends in a vowel or consonant.

For example, the verb 자다 (jada). This means “to sleep”. This word will be spelled differently depending on certain grammar rules, such as tenses.

• Polite Present tense: 자요 (jayo)
• Polite Past tense: 잤어요 (jasseoyo)
• Polite Future tense: 잘 거예요 (jal geoyeyo)
• Polite Present progressive: 자고 있어요 (jago isseoyo)

However, the form does not change depending on the subject! So you don’t have to worry about the Korean particle changing (a topic for another article).

Let’s dive a bit further into this grammar point with some examples of conjugation. Note that we’ll mention Korean honorific verbs. Go here  if you’re not familiar with them yet.

“To be” in Korean

The verb “to be” in Korean is 이다 (ida). This is usually when you want to specify something or when the subject and predicate are the same.

저는 중국 사람이에요. (jeoneun jungguk saramieyo.)

I’m Chinese.

석민 씨는 가수예요. (seongmin ssineun gasuyeyo.)

Seokmin is a singer.

The Korean verb 이다 (ida) can be conjugated as 예요 (yeyo) or 이에요 (ieyo) or 입니다 (imnida).

“To have” in Korean

The verb “to have” in Korean is 있다 (itda). This is also used when expressing that something exists. When used in sentences, 있다 (itda) is conjugated as 있어요 (isseoyo) or 있습니다 (itseumnida).

신용 카드 있어요. (sinyong kadeu isseoyo.)

I have a credit card.

핸드폰 있어요? (haendeupon isseoyo?)

Do you have a cell phone?

책상 위에 책이 있어요. (chaeksang wie chaegi isseoyo.)

There is a book on the desk.

“To not have” in Korean

The verb “to not have” in Korean is 없다 (eopda). This is the opposite of the Korean verb 있다 (itda).

Similar to the 있다 (itda), 없다 (eopda) is conjugated as 없어요 (eopseoyo) or 없습니다 (eopseumnida) depending on the level of politeness you want to convey.

저는 언니가 없어요. (jeoneun eonniga eopseoyo.)

I don’t have a sister.

수연 씨는 고양이 없어요. (suyeon ssineun goyangi eopseoyo.)

Suyeon doesn’t have a cat .

냉장고에 우유가 없어요. (naengjanggoe uyuga eopseoyo.)

There is no milk in the refrigerator.

“To do” in Korean

The verb “to do” in Korean is 하다 (hada). You’ll often see this verb attached to many Korean verbs.

노래하다 (noraehada) → To sing

요리하다 (yorihada) → To cook

공부하다 (gongbuhada) → To study

말하다 (malhada) → To speak

Korean Adverbs

Korean adverbs help describe verbs and adjectives similar to how they work in English grammar. They are called 부사 (busa) in Korean.

Many Korean adverbs are from other forms, such as verbs and adjectives.

There are 3 common forms of Korean Adverbs.

The first form is -이 (-i)/-히(-hi).

• 완전하다 (wanjeonhada) – complete → 완전히 (wanjeonhi) – completely
• 편하다 (pyeonhada) comfortable → 편히 (pyeonhi) – comfortably
• 솔직하다 (soljikada) – honest → 솔직히 (soljiki) – honestly
• 깨끗하다 (kkaekkeutada) – clean -> 깨끗이 (kkaekkeusi) – cleanly

The second form is -게 (-ge)

• 빠르다 (ppareuda) – quick → 빠르게 (ppareuge) – quickly
• 맛있다 (masitda) – delcious → 맛있게 (masitge) – deliciously
• 멋지다 (meotjida) – awesome → 멋지게 (meotjige) awesomely

The third form is -으로 (-euro) or 적으로 (jeogeuro)

• 사적 (sajeok) – personal → 사적으로 (sajeogeuro) personally
• 공식 (gongsik) – official → 공식적으로 (gongsikjeogeuro) – officially
• 일반 (ilban) – common → 일반적으로 (ilbanjeogeuro) – commonly

Other Korean adverbs

There are also adverbs that aren’t from verbs/adjectives. A few of them are 잘 (jal), 매우 (maeu), and 바로 (baro).

나는 글씨를 잘 써요. (naneun geulssireul jal sseoyo.)

I write well.

그녀는 매우 아름다워요. (geunyeoneun maeu areumdawoyo.)

She is very beautiful .

나는 학교에서 바로 집에 왔어요. (naneun hakgyoeseo baro jibe wasseoyo.)

I came home straight from school.

Korean Adverbs of Frequency

They are used to describe how often an adjective, action, or verb happens.

Two examples of Korean adverbs of frequency are 항상 (hangsang) and 자주 (jaju). Below are sample sentences of both adverbs.

저는 항상 안전운전을 해요. (jeoneun hangsang anjeonunjeoneul haeyo.)

I always drive safely.

저는 자주 책을 읽어요. (jeoneun jaju chaegeul ilgeoyo.)

I often read books.

Korean Adverbs of Place

These are adverbs that help describe or modify adjectives and verbs. They help you know where the word it modifies happens.

Two examples of Korean adverbs of place are 야외 (yaoe) and 밖에 (bakke). Below are sample sentences of both adverbs.

야외에서 우리는 많은 이야기를 했어요. (yaoeeseo urineun maneun iyagireul haesseoyo.)

We talked a lot outdoors.

학생들은 밖에서 놀았어요. (haksaengdeureun bakkeseo norasseoyo.)

The students played outside.

Korean Adverbs of Time

Two examples of Korean Adverbs of Time are 지금 (jigeum) and 매년 (maenyeon). Below are sample sentences of both adverbs.

저는 지금 피곤해요. (jeoneun jigeum pigonhaeyo.)

I’m tired now .

매년 겨울은 무척 추워요. (maenyeon gyeoureun mucheok chuwoyo.)

Every winter , the weather is especially cold.

Korean Conjugation

One of the basic Korean grammar rules you need to learn is conjugation. In Korean grammar, there are 2 things you can conjugate. These are verbs and adjectives.

Korean conjugations determine the meaning, tense, tone, and mood of sentences. It’s important to learn Korean verb conjugation as you progress in learning Korean. Below is a list of the common conjugations of verbs according to their tenses.

• Verb + ㅂ니다/습니다 (ㅂ nida/seumnida) = honorific verb, present
• Verb + 아요/어요 (ayo/eoyo) = polite/formal verb, present
• Verb + 야/이야 (ya/iya) = casual/informal verb, present
• Verb + 았어요/었어요 (asseoyo/eosseoyo) = polite/formal verb, past
• Verb + 았어/었어 (asseo/eosseo) = casual/informal verb, past
• Verb + 겠어요 (gesseoyo) = polite/formal verb, future
• Verb + ㄹ/을 거예요 (ㄹ/eul geoyeyo) = polite/formal verb, future
• Verb + 겠어 (gesseo) = casual/informal verb, future
• Verb + ㄹ/을 거야 (ㄹ /eul geoya) = casual/informal verb, future

One plus about Korean verbs is that they generally stick to their conjugation rules, which makes it easier to know the correct grammar structure to follow in a given situation. This helps with deciding what to include in your grammar and vocabulary studies .

Check out this article for a detailed explanation of Korean Conjugations .

Korean Negative Verb Form

Turning sentences into negatives was already mentioned when we introduced you to 없다 (eopda) . Let’s briefly go over some other negative verb forms in Korean grammar.

By adding 안 (an)  in front of the verb, excluding 있다 (itda) , you are creating a negative. For example:

• 오늘 운동  안 해요 (oneul undong an haeyo) = I don’t exercise today
• 나는 미국에 안 가요 (naneun miguge an gayo) = I am not going to the US

By adding ~지 않다 (~ji anta) to the verb stem, you are also creating a negative. Like this:

• 오늘 운동하 지 않아요 (oneul undonghaji anayo) = I don’t exercise today
• 나는 미국에 가 지 않아요 (naneun miguge gaji anayo) = I am not going to the US

* Note: This is not typically the most natural way to express it, although it is grammatically correct.

These two grammar forms are identical in their meaning. With practice, you’ll learn which situations 안 (an) and ~지 않다 (~ ji anta) sound most natural for.

One note before you finish is their use of the verb 하다 . With 안 , you will add the negative right in front of 하다 , breaking it into an object + verb, like this:

• 요리하다 (yorihada) → 요리를 안 했어요 (yorireul an haesseoyo) = to cook → did not cook

With ~지 않다 (~ ji anta), you will keep it intact and instead add the negative at the end, like this:

• 요리하다 (yorihada) → 요리하 지 않았어요 (yorihaji anasseoyo) = to cook → did not cook

Again, both grammar forms are correct, so practice to get a feel for what sounds most natural for you!

Korean punctuation

Korean punctuation is similar to the punctuation marks used in the English language. They are called 문장무호 (munjangmuho) in Korean.

There are 12 Korean punctuation marks. These are the following punctuation marks used in the Korean language:

• Question mark
• Exclamation Mark
• Single quotation mark
• Double quotation mark
• Parentheses

Learning them is important when writing essays, formal letters, emails, or academic papers.

You can find more about these punctuation marks in our lesson on Korean Punctuation .

Korean Grammar PDF

In this section, you’ll get a Korean grammar PDF with important grammar lesson points that you can download, print, and use.

Here’s how you can use the PDF:

• Read one lesson at a time. Each lesson discusses a grammar point or a pattern that can help you build Korean sentences.
• After reading one lesson, try to use the grammar point in creating your own sentence.
• Use the Korean words you already know to fill in the grammar points in each lesson. It will help you build more sentences if you have a good amount of Korean vocabulary.

Other helpful resources

Congratulations! You have now learned the basics of Korean grammar. It’s not that hard to learn Korean , after all. This is an essential first step in learning Korean and we’ve got lots more great Korean lessons to help you learn Korean. You might be interested in these topics as well:

• Get a plan for learning Korean here
• If you want to learn everything about South Korea, go here
• Head over here if you are interested in K-Pop , K-Dramas, or Korean movies
• Check out this page for lots of useful Korean phrases
• Get some of the most common Korean words here
• Go here to learn about Korean culture
• You can find Korean textbook recommendations here

Stick with us, and we’ll make Korean language learning fun and easy to learn!

Photo Credit: Bigstock

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126 thoughts on “Korean Grammar for Beginners”

Thank you so much for this lesson, but i am still confused about when to use verb negation “an” and verb “eopseo” .

Hi, Faith! Here is when to use verb negation “안 (an)” the verb “없어요 (eopseoyo)”. Use “안 (an)” when you want to negate an action or state, like 저는 안 자요 (jeoneun an jayo) for “I’m not sleeping.” Use “없어요 (eopseoyo)” to indicate that something is not present, doesn’t exist, or you don’t have something. For example, 저는 침대가 없어요 (jeoneun chimdaega eopseo) for “I don’t have a bed.” I hope this helps!

Hello! Im a little confused where to start with learning Korean, ive memorized the alphabet and im starting on numbers for the native number system and sino number system where do i go from here?

Hi Avalia! Thanks for your comment! It’s a common challenge for Korean learners to feel confused on where to start with learning Korean. I suggest giving yourself some kind of structure so that you know you’re making progress. ^^ Since you’ve already memorized the Korean Alphabet , you can follow the lessons on How-To Guide for Language Study to help you further.

i am still confused please give me tips so can understand verb and adj please i need help

Thanks for your comment! ^^ You can check our articles below to help you in learning Korean verbs and adjectives:

Korean Verbs – The Complete List of Passive, Action, Irregular, and Adjective Words Korean Adjectives – Descriptive verbs and how to conjugate them

If you want, you can also check our blog and visit our YouTube channel for articles and videos with great Korean content.

I am confuse that sometimes we use jeoneun and sometimes other word??

Hello Aarohi, you may use 나는 (naneun) instead of 저는 (jeoneun), when speaking casually. 저 is a humble form of 나, which can be used in polite/formal speech. ^^

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30 Useful Korean Transitional Phrases For Essay Writing

Are you studying for an upcoming exam in your Korean class or the TOPIK exam that includes essay writing? 

If you are at an intermediate to advanced level, you should become familiar with some Korean transitional phrases to make your paragraphs more interesting to read. A transitional phrase can be used to make your message transition smoothly from one sentence to the next.  

If you just write a string of sentences without any transitional phrases, your essay can end up sounding awkward and robotic without a natural flow.

In this article, I have compiled a list of 30 Korean transitional phrases that will prove very useful for you to have in your writing arsenal.

Korean Transitional Phrases

Below are some examples of these phrases I have found in recent articles that appeared in Woman Sense , a women’s magazine in Korea. 

I have underlined and highlighted where transitional phrases are used, but you can use the links provided to read through the rest of the articles to find more on your own:

From Woman Sense magazine article about Taiwan (2/16/2020):

이처럼 대만에서 채식이 보편화된 이유는 종교와 관련이 있다. 대만의 일류 호텔에서 채식 케이터링을 담당하는 요리사 임언보 씨는 “내가 채식에 관심을 갖게 된 이유는 종교 때문”이라며 “채식 요리를 업으로 삼고 있는 나 역시 채식을 하고 있다”고 말한다. 현재 대만에는 70%의 도교 및 불교 신자가 살고 있다. 따라서 채식 문화가 잘 정립돼 있고 더불어 채식이 트렌드가 되면서 젊은 층 사이에서 건강과 환경을 위해 채식을 하려는 움직임 또한 늘고 있다.

이처럼 대만에서 채식이 보편화된 이유는... The reason the vegetarian diet has become widespread to this extent is... 따라서 채식 문화가 잘 정립돼 있고... Therefore, the vegetarian culture is well established...

From Woman Sense magazine aricle about South Korean actor Park Jung-min (2/17/2020):

따지고 보면 그는 작품의 흥행 여부와 상관없이 스크린 속에서 한 번도 관객을 실망시킨 적이 없다. <파수꾼>(2010), <동주>(2015), <그것만이 내 세상>(2018), <사바하>(2019)를 거쳐 노랑머리 반항가가 된 영화 <시동>까지 늘 그랬다.

따지고 보면 그는 작품의 흥행 여부와 상관없이 스크린 속에서 한 번도 관객을 실망시킨 적이 없다.

It can be argued that he has never disappointed his audience on screen regardless of his films’ blockbuster status. 

특히 <시동> 은…

In particular, “Start-Up” (movie) is...

From Woman Sense magazine article about the older generation in the spotlight (2/7/2020):

이들이 최근 주목받는 이유는 기본적으로 인구 변화 추이가 한몫했기 때문. 출산율이 현저히 낮아지면서 젊은 인구가 감소하는 대신 50~60대는 전체 인구의 30%에 육박하고 있다. 게다가 최근 IT 기술에 이들이 적응하기 시작하면서 요즘 몇 년간 온라인에서 가장 성장 속도가 빠른 구매층이기도 하다.

게다가 최근 IT 기술에 이들이 적응하기 시작하면서...

In addition to that, as they started to become more skilled in the latest information technology...

From Woman Sense magazine article about the importance of breakfast (1/29/2020):

아침을 잘 챙겨 먹으면 규칙적인 생활을 유지할 확률이 높아진다. 오전에 활동량이 많으므로 아침을 먹으면 에너지를 얻어 활동적인 하루를 보내게 된다. 특히 겨울에는 체온을 높이는 데도 도움을 줘 건강을 유지하는 데 좋다. 아침을 거르고 활동하면 몸은 활동에 필요한 에너지를 얻기 위해 체내 지방을 분해하는데, 이때 포도당과 젖산이 생성된다. 젖산은 몸의 피로도를 높이고 면역력을 떨어뜨린다. 그렇다면 아침으로 무엇을 먹으면 좋을까?

Especially in winter…

이때 포도당과 젖산이 생성된다.

At this time, glucose and lactic acid are created.

This is when glucose and lactic acid are created.

그렇다면 아침으로 무엇을 먹으면 좋을까?

If that is the case, what would be the best food to eat for breakfast?

Other useful Korean words and phrases you could check out:

Basic Korean Phrases for Travelers and Beginners

Korean Words and Phrases For Food Issues

In order to become more familiar with the above Korean transitional phrases, you should practice writing a variety of different sentences using the words/phrases listed.

I also want to emphasize how important it is for you to read other people’s writing as much as possible. As with any language, the more you read, the better you will become at writing. Try to find Korean books, magazines, newspapers, or any other types of written material that are appropriate for your level.

열심히 공부하세요!  화이팅!!

About the Author  Linda McKenna

Linda was born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to the U.S. as a teen. She previously taught at a Korean language school. She is a language enthusiast and loves learning about different languages and cultures

Key to Korean Motivation & Resources for Learning Korean

TOPIK Beginner Writing Samples (Tests 21-30)

One of the BEST things I ever studied while preparing for the TOPIK test was the sample answers that the TOPIK website provides.

TOPIK-Beginner Writing Topics & Samples (21-30).DOCX

So, I’ve decided to collect ALL the previous TOPIK Writing topics and examples provided by www.topik.go.kr into a single document. However, since there are so many, I’ve decided to split the larger document into 2 smaller parts with 10 previous tests each (TOPIK Writing began from test 10).

Take a look:

Why were these writing samples so great?

Simply, I could see some of the grammar structures and vocabulary that would give me more points on the test if I used them. Take test 29 for example. In the fourth sentence, it says:

시내에는 볼 것도 많고 맛있는 것도 많이 있기 때문입니다.

When preparing, ~기 때문입니다 (because of doing something) was one of the most useful things I learned. I made it my mission from then on to use either ~기 때문입니다 or ~때문에 (because of) in my TOPIK writing at some point.

Take a look also at the second sentence:

저는 운동을 좋아해서 친구들을 만나면 집 근처에 있는 운동장에서 농구 나 축구를 합니다.

The sentence basically says: “Since I like to exercise, if I meet my friends, we like to play basketball or soccer at the playground near my house.”

This is a great sentence to use “since” (~서) and “if” (~면) and “or” (나) and “nearby” (근처에 있는) – or any combination of the four.

Those are just a few examples of the kinds of great grammar structures you can find, learn from, and practice as you prepare for TOPIK. And if you want more help TOPIK Writing resources for Beginners, check out the following:

• TOPIK Beginner Writing Topics & Tips (한국어능력시험 초급 쓰기)

How have the TOPIK sample answers helped you on TOPIK?

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