2 · 40 words

Everyday adjectives

Clean and dirty, quiet and noisy, easy and hard, and how things look and feel.

A Korean adjective works like a verb: 깨끗해요 on its own is “it is clean”, with no word for “is”. So adjectives take the same endings as verbs, and several are irregular in the same ways — 더럽다 becomes 더러워요, and the size words ending in -다랗다 lose their ㅎ: 커다랗다, 커다란 개, “a huge dog”. Before a noun the ending changes as well: 조용한 방, a quiet room.

The words

Adjective (40)

깨끗하다to be cleanAdjective2

호텔 방이 아주 깨끗했어요.The hotel room was very clean.

더럽다to be dirtyAdjective2

신발이 너무 더러워요.My shoes are really dirty.

ㅂ-irregular: 더러워요.

어수선하다to be messy; to be in disorderAdjective2

방이 좀 어수선하지만 들어오세요.The room is a bit of a mess, but come in.

편하다to be comfortable; to be convenientAdjective2

이 의자는 정말 편해요.This chair is really comfortable.

불편하다to be uncomfortable; to be inconvenientAdjective2

이 신발은 좀 불편해요.These shoes are a bit uncomfortable.

조용하다to be quietAdjective2

우리 집은 밤에 아주 조용해요.Our house is very quiet at night.

고요하다to be still; to be calmAdjective2

새벽의 바다는 정말 고요해요.The sea is perfectly still at dawn.

시끄럽다to be noisyAdjective2

옆집이 너무 시끄러워서 잠을 못 잤어요.The neighbours were so noisy that I couldn't sleep.

쉽다to be easyAdjective2

한글은 생각보다 쉬워요.Hangul is easier than you might think.

ㅂ-irregular: 쉬워요.

어렵다to be difficultAdjective2

한국어 발음이 좀 어려워요.Korean pronunciation is a bit difficult.

간단하다to be simpleAdjective2

이 요리는 만드는 방법이 간단해요.This dish is simple to make.

복잡하다to be complicated; to be crowdedAdjective2

이 기계는 사용 방법이 복잡해요.This machine is complicated to use.

Also of streets and trains: 길이 복잡해요, “the roads are busy”.

중요하다to be importantAdjective2

건강이 제일 중요해요.Health is the most important thing.

유명하다to be famousAdjective2

이 식당은 냉면으로 유명해요.This restaurant is famous for its cold noodles.

멋지다to be great; to look goodAdjective2

오늘 옷이 정말 멋져요.Your outfit looks really good today.

근사하다to be splendid; to be lovelyAdjective2

근사한 식당에서 저녁을 먹었어요.We had dinner at a lovely restaurant.

굉장하다to be amazing; to be tremendousAdjective2

불꽃놀이가 정말 굉장했어요.The fireworks were amazing.

귀하다to be precious; to be rareAdjective2

오늘 귀한 손님이 오세요.An honoured guest is coming today.

값싸다to be cheapAdjective2

시장에서 값싼 옷을 샀어요.I bought some cheap clothes at the market.

The same as 싸다, used mostly before a noun.

푹신하다to be soft; to be well cushionedAdjective2

이 소파는 아주 푹신해요.This sofa is lovely and soft.

올바르다to be right; to be correctAdjective2

올바른 답을 고르세요.Choose the right answer.

르-irregular: 올발라요.

곧다to be straightAdjective2

나무가 아주 곧게 자랐어요.The tree has grown very straight.

반듯하다to be neat; to be straight and evenAdjective2

글씨를 반듯하게 쓰세요.Write neatly.

울퉁불퉁하다to be bumpy; to be unevenAdjective2

길이 울퉁불퉁해서 자전거 타기가 힘들어요.The road is bumpy, so cycling is hard.

평평하다to be flat; to be levelAdjective2

텐트는 평평한 곳에 치세요.Pitch the tent on flat ground.

네모나다to be squareAdjective2

네모난 상자에 선물을 넣었어요.I put the present in a square box.

조그맣다to be small; to be tinyAdjective2

조그만 가방 하나만 가져가요.I am only taking one little bag.

ㅎ-irregular: 조그매요, 조그만.

커다랗다to be huge; to be very bigAdjective2

커다란 개가 문 앞에 있어요.There is a huge dog at the door.

ㅎ-irregular: 커다래요, 커다란.

기다랗다to be long (and thin)Adjective2

가게 앞에 사람들이 기다랗게 줄을 서 있어요.There is a long queue of people outside the shop.

ㅎ-irregular, like 커다랗다.

두툼하다to be thick; to be chunkyAdjective2

겨울에는 두툼한 이불을 덮어요.In winter I sleep under a thick quilt.

묵직하다to be heavy; to be weightyAdjective2

가방이 꽤 묵직하네요.This bag is pretty heavy.

환하다to be bright; to be well litAdjective2

창문이 커서 방이 환해요.The room is bright because the windows are big.

캄캄하다to be pitch-darkAdjective2

불이 꺼져서 방이 캄캄해요.The light has gone out, so the room is pitch-dark.

투명하다to be clear; to be transparentAdjective2

이 호수의 물은 아주 투명해요.The water in this lake is crystal clear.

동그랗다to be roundAdjective2

동그란 접시에 과일을 담았어요.I put the fruit on a round plate.

ㅎ-irregular: 동그래요, 동그란.

선명하다to be vivid; to be sharpAdjective2

이 사진은 색이 선명해요.The colours in this photo are vivid.

흐릿하다to be blurry; to be faintAdjective2

안경을 안 쓰면 글씨가 흐릿해요.Without my glasses the writing is blurry.

미지근하다to be lukewarmAdjective2

커피가 벌써 미지근해졌어요.The coffee has already gone lukewarm.

싱싱하다to be fresh (of food)Adjective2

이 가게는 과일이 아주 싱싱해요.The fruit in this shop is really fresh.

끈적끈적하다to be stickyAdjective2

손이 끈적끈적해서 씻었어요.My hands were sticky, so I washed them.

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