K-Grammar Basics

Before you start to understand K-Pop lyrics like the way we Korean people enjoy, here are a few basic things u need to know about Korean Grammar which are very different from English.

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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) 저는   한국어를   공부해요. ( I Korean study - S O V )

2. We have markers.

1) Topic (Comparison) Marker : 는/ 은  

( When the topic syllable ends in a vowel, add 는 . When ending in a consonant, add 은)

2) Object Marker : 를/ 을

( When the object syllable ends in a vowel, add 를 . When ending in a consonant, add 을)

저는 한국어를 공부해요. ( I Korean study)

선생님은  운동을 해요 ( Teacher exercise does)

3) Subject Marker : 가/ 이

( When the subject syllable ends in a vowel, add  가 . When ending in a consonant, add 이 )

제가 한국 사람이에요. ( I Korean person am)

선생님이 미국사람이에요. ( Teacher American person is)

한국사람: Korean person , 미국사람 : American person   ~이에요 : is, am, are~

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

When the verb of a sentence is a state verb,  N에 is used to mean 'in N' or 'at N '.

학교: school  도서관: library  있어요: exist, (is, am, are)  공부해요: study

Paul이 학교에 있어요. -> Paul school at  is -> Paul is at school.

But when the verb is an action verb , which is most of the case, N에서 is used to mean 'in N' or 'at N'

Paul이 도서관에서 공부해요. ->  Paul the library in studies. -> Paul studies in the library.

4-2) Place Markers ( to / from) : N에 / N에서

When there are action verbs like ‘ come’ and ‘go’, N에 means ‘to N’ and N에서 means ‘from N’

학교: school  가요: go  미국: America  왔어요: came

Paul 이 학교에 가요. : Paul school to goes. -> Paul goes to school.

Paul이 미국에서 왔어요. : 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 다)

ex) 가 다 (  stem  word ending): to go

-> 가요 ( present tense formal ending): go

-> 가    ( present tense casual ending): go

-> 갔어요 ( past tense formal ending): went

-> 갔어 ( past tense causal ending) : went

Ending in 요 means formal speech and there are rules about how to conjugate depending on the  stems.

1) The verb ending in 하다 ( to do) becomes 해요

공부하다 -> 공부해요

to study( to do studying) -> study

2)  If the  stem has ' ㅏ' or 'ㅗ' vowel , add 아요 to the stem to form the present tense

가다 ( to go) -> 가아요 -> *가요 (go)

살다 (to live)  -> 살아요 (live)

보다 ( to see) -> 보아요 -> * 봐요 ( * see)

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

먹다 ( to eat) -> 먹어요 (eat)

마시다 ( to drink) ->마시어요 -> * 마셔요 (drink)

주다 ( to give) -> 주어요-> * 줘요 ( give)

* the usual form when saying it fast

4. Connecting Sentences

1) Use conjunctive adverbs like 그리고 ( and, also) , 그렇지만 ( but) , 그래서 (so/therefore)

2) Use conjunctive endings

For example

1) 저는 한국어를 공부해요. 그리고 Kpop을 들어요.

2)  저는 한국어를 공부하고 Kpop 을 들어요.

한국어: Korean language 공부해요: study 들어요: 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)

'고' takes the infinitive stem ( 공부하- )   while '서' takes the  conjugated form (공부해-)  instead of the infinitive form.

1) 저는 한국어를 자주 공부해요. 그래서 단어를 많이 알아요.

2) 저는 한국어를 자주 공부해서 단어를 많이 알아요.

자주 : often  공부해요: study  단어: words  많이 : a lot  알아요 : 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 a lot of words. (Eng)

2) I often study Korean so I know a lot of words. (Eng)

5. When pronouns are obvious, we usually  don't say them .

Casual talk example)

A: 매일 한국어 공부해? ( everyday Korean study? )  -> Do u  study Korean everyday?

B: 응. 재미있어 ( Yes. Fun)                         -> Yes. It is fun.

Quiz created by Eunha Seo with GoConqr