Korean Korean Vocabulary Building Syllabus

What are the Korean words for the four seasons?

봄 (bom) = spring, 여름 (yeoreum) = summer, 가을 (gaeul) = autumn, 겨울 (gyeoul) = winter.

How do you say "mother" and "father" in polite/standard Korean?

어머니 (eomeoni) = mother and 아버지 (abeoji) = father. The casual forms are 엄마 (mom) and 아빠 (dad).

What are the Korean words for "older brother" as spoken by a male vs. a female?

A male says 형 (hyeong); a female says 오빠 (oppa) to refer to an older brother.

What are the Korean words for "older sister" as spoken by a male vs. a female?

A male says 누나 (nuna); a female says 언니 (eonni) to refer to an older sister.

How do you say "younger sibling" in Korean, and how do you specify gender?

동생 (dongsaeng) means younger sibling. 남동생 (namdongsaeng) = younger brother, 여동생 (yeodongsaeng) = younger sister.

What are the Korean words for "grandmother" and "grandfather"?

할머니 (halmeoni) = grandmother and 할아버지 (harabeoji) = grandfather.

What is the Korean word for "family" and how do you say "friend"?

가족 (gajok) = family; 친구 (chingu) = friend.

How do you say "husband" and "wife" in Korean?

남편 (nampyeon) = husband and 아내 (anae) = wife (부인 buin is a polite reference to someone's wife).

What is the Korean word for "water" and "rice/cooked rice (also a meal)"?

물 (mul) = water; 밥 (bap) = cooked rice, which also broadly means "a meal."

What is kimchi in Korean, and what category of food is it?

김치 (gimchi) — a traditional fermented vegetable side dish (반찬, banchan), most commonly made from napa cabbage and chili.

How do you say "I'll eat well" before a meal and "I ate well" after a meal in Korean?

Before: 잘 먹겠습니다 (jal meokgetseumnida). After: 잘 먹었습니다 (jal meogeotseumnida).

How do you say "delicious" and "not tasty" in Korean?

맛있어요 (masisseoyo) = delicious/tasty; 맛없어요 (madeopseoyo) = not tasty.

What are the Korean words for "meat," "vegetable," and "fish"?

고기 (gogi) = meat, 채소/야채 (chaeso/yachae) = vegetable, 생선 (saengseon) = fish (as food).

How do you ask for the menu and the bill/check in a Korean restaurant?

Menu: 메뉴 주세요 (menyu juseyo) — "Please give me the menu." Bill: 계산서 주세요 (gyesanseo juseyo) — "Please give me the bill."

What does 주세요 mean and how is it used when ordering food?

주세요 (juseyo) means "please give me." You place the item before it, e.g., 물 주세요 (mul juseyo) = "Water, please."

What are the Korean words for the basic tastes "spicy," "sweet," and "salty"?

매워요 (maewoyo) = spicy, 달아요 (darayo) = sweet, 짜요 (jjayo) = salty.

How do you say "restaurant" and "coffee shop/cafe" in Korean?

식당 (sikdang) = restaurant; 카페 (kape) = cafe.

What are the Korean words for the directions left, right, front, and back?

왼쪽 (oenjjok) = left, 오른쪽 (oreunjjok) = right, 앞 (ap) = front, 뒤 (dwi) = back.

How do you ask "Where is it?" in Korean, and what word means "where"?

어디예요? (eodi-yeyo?) = "Where is it?" The question word 어디 (eodi) means "where."

How do you politely ask "How do I get to ~?" or "How do I go?" in Korean?

어떻게 가요? (eotteoke gayo?) — "How do I go?" You can add a place, e.g., 시청 어떻게 가요? (How do I get to City Hall?).

What are the Korean words for "subway," "bus," and "taxi"?

지하철 (jihacheol) = subway, 버스 (beoseu) = bus, 택시 (taeksi) = taxi.

How do you say "airport," "station," and "ticket" in Korean?

공항 (gonghang) = airport, 역 (yeok) = station, 표 (pyo) = ticket.

What are the Korean words for "go straight," and "turn"?

직진 (jikjin) or 쭉 가세요 = go straight; 도세요 / 돌다 (dolda) = to turn (e.g., 오른쪽으로 도세요 = turn right).

How do you say "near/close" and "far" in Korean?

가까워요 (gakkawoyo) = it's near/close; 멀어요 (meoreoyo) = it's far.

What is the Korean word for "hotel" and how do you say "bathroom/restroom"?

호텔 (hotel) = hotel; 화장실 (hwajangsil) = restroom/bathroom.

How do you ask "How much is it?" when shopping or paying in Korean?

얼마예요? (eolma-yeyo?) — "How much is it?"

What does the word 저기요 (jeogiyo) mean and when is it used?

저기요 (jeogiyo) means "Excuse me" — used to get a stranger's or a server's attention, for example to call a waiter.

What is the difference between the polite particles used for "yes" and "no" in Korean?

네 (ne) or 예 (ye) = yes; 아니요 (aniyo) = no. 네 can also signal "I'm listening / okay."

How do you say "Please wait a moment" and "Just a second" in Korean?

잠깐만요 / 잠시만요 (jamkkanmanyo / jamsimanyo) — "Just a moment, please."

How do you count the hours 1 through 3 o'clock in Korean, showing the native-number changes before 시?

1:00 = 한 시 (han si), 2:00 = 두 시 (du si), 3:00 = 세 시 (se si). Native numbers 하나/둘/셋 shorten to 한/두/세 before the counter 시.