2 · The basic sentence
Adjectives are verbs: 날씨가 좋아요
descriptive verbs
A Korean adjective means “to be X” and conjugates like a verb, with no word for “be”.
In Korean an adjective is a kind of verb. 좋다 does not mean “good” but “to be good”, and it conjugates exactly like a verb: 좋아요 (it is good), 좋았어요 (it was good), 좋아요? (is it good?). There is no separate “be”: 날씨가 좋아요 is “weather good-is”. Adding 이에요 to an adjective, the way English adds “is”, is a very common beginner’s mistake.
The endings are the verb endings: the polite present (작아요, 커요, 비싸요, 맛있어요), the past (작았어요, 비쌌어요), the formal style (작습니다, 비쌉니다), and the negative with 안: 안 비싸요. Every adjective that ends in 하다 follows 하다: 조용하다 (to be quiet) becomes 조용해요.
The thing described is the subject and takes 이 or 가, or 은 or 는 when it is the topic: 이 가방이 비싸요, 서울은 커요. Feelings and states work the same way, with the person as the topic: 저는 기분이 좋아요, “as for me, the mood is good” — “I’m in a good mood”.
Adjectives differ from action verbs in a few places that come later. They have no progressive and no commands: there is no “be quiet” built directly on 조용하다. In the plain written style the present is the dictionary form itself, 좋다, where an action verb says 먹는다. And before a noun they take a different ending from action verbs: 좋은 사람 (a good person), but 자는 아이 (a sleeping child).
The form
| dictionary form | 좋다, 크다, 비싸다 |
| polite present | 좋아요, 커요, 비싸요 |
| past | 좋았어요, 컸어요, 비쌌어요 |
| formal | 좋습니다, 큽니다, 비쌉니다 |
| negative | 안 좋아요, 안 커요, 안 비싸요 |
| before a noun | 좋은 날, 큰 집, 비싼 차 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
An adjective conjugates like a verb and needs no word for “be”.
오늘은 날씨가 좋아요.The weather is nice today.
The thing described is the subject, with 이/가 or 은/는.
이 식당 음식이 정말 맛있어요.The food at this restaurant is really tasty.
Adjectives in 하다 take 해요, like verbs in 하다.
도서관은 항상 조용해요.The library is always quiet.
The negative puts 안 before the adjective.
이 옷은 안 비싸요.These clothes aren’t expensive.
The past and the formal style are formed as with verbs.
어제는 정말 추웠어요.It was really cold yesterday.
A closer look
Telling an adjective from a verb
Dictionaries list both with 다 at the end, so the form alone does not tell you. The meaning usually does: a quality or a state (크다, big; 바쁘다, busy; 아프다, ill or sore) is an adjective, an action (먹다, 가다) is a verb. A good test is whether you could say “please do it”: you can ask someone to eat, but not to be big.
Some words are adjectives in Korean where English uses a verb. 좋다 means “to be good”, and with a person as the topic it comes close to “to like”: 저는 이 노래가 좋아요, “I like this song”, literally “as for me, this song is good”. The action verb 좋아하다 (to like) takes an object instead: 저는 이 노래를 좋아해요.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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an English adjective is a noun in Korean
then 이에요 is right after all: 최고예요 (it’s the best), 부자예요 (he is rich, literally “a rich person”).
이 집 냉면은 최고예요.The cold noodles here are the best.
English and Korean do not always choose the same word class. When the Korean word is a noun, it takes the copula; when it is a descriptive verb, it conjugates.
How to spot it
- -아요/어요
- 좋아요
- 커요
- -해요
Example sentences
방이 조금 작아요.The room is a little small.
서울은 정말 커요.Seoul is really big.
요즘 많이 바빠요.I am very busy these days.
이 가방이 너무 비싸요.This bag is too expensive.
주말에는 집이 조용해요.The house is quiet at the weekend.
저는 오늘 기분이 좋아요.I’m in a good mood today.
7 more example sentences
이 사과는 정말 달아요.These apples are really sweet.
제 동생은 키가 커요.My younger brother is tall.
시험이 생각보다 쉬웠어요.The exam was easier than I thought.
그 가게는 사람이 항상 많아요.That shop is always busy.
오늘은 별로 안 추워요.It isn’t very cold today.
이 방은 아주 깨끗합니다.This room is very clean.
저는 지금 너무 피곤해요.I’m really tired right now.
Worth knowing (1)
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Feelings and the person who has them
Words for sensations are adjectives too, and the person who feels them is the topic while the part that hurts is the subject: 저는 다리가 아파요, “my legs hurt”, literally “as for me, the legs are sore”.
저는 다리가 아파요.My legs hurt.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English needs “is” before an adjective; Korean does not, because 비싸다 already means “to be expensive”. Conjugate the adjective itself. 이에요 belongs after nouns only.
A Korean adjective is a verb meaning “to be X”: conjugate it, and never add ieyo.
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.