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Cheatography

Basic Korean Grammar Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

A basic Korean grammar reference.

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

Topic particle

The theme particle indicates the main topic of the statement. It can be 은 (if the theme ends on consonant) or
(if the theme ends on vowel).

Example:
 김 입니다
. (I am Kim)

Direction

The 에서 particle is used to indicate where is happening an action (like to go, to hit, to drive).

Ex: PC방에서 이메일을 보냈어. (I sent an e-mail at the PC room)

Informal verb conjug­ations

Ending letter after dropping -다
Vowel closest to -다
What to add to the verb root
Example (infin­itive)
Consonant
ㅏ or ㅗ
받아 (받다)
 
NOT ㅗ or ㅏ
Vowel
ㅏ, ㅐ, ㅓ
nothing
가 (가다)
 
봐 (보다)
 
change ㅡ to ㅓ
써 (쓰다)
 
changeㅣ to ㅕ
기다려 (기다리다)
 
쉬어 (쉬다)
 

Object particle

The object particle indicates the object of the statement. It can be 을 (if the object ends on consonant) or 를 (if the object ends on vowel).

Example: 텔레비전 시청하다. (Watch TV)

Sino-K­orean Numbers

1
9
2
10
3
100
4
1000
5
10000
6
100000
십만
7
100000
백만
8

Polite verb conjug­ation

For make polite a verb, just add 요 to the informal conjug­ation of the selected verb.

Example: 받다 (infn) -> 받아 (infr) -> 받아요 (polite)

Formal verb conjug­ation

For making the formal version of a verb, add ㅂ니다 at the end of the root if it ends on vowel, or 씁니다 if it ends on consonant.

Ex 1: 입다 (infn) -> 있습니다
Ex 2: 하다 (infn) -> 합니다
 

Dative particle

There are four dative particles in Korean: 에게, 한테, 에 and 게.

에게 and 한테 are used when the actions are directed to animated things, on the other hand, 에 and 게 are used in the opposite case: when the actions are directed to an inanimated object.

Note: 게 is the honorific form of 에.

Ex 1: 저는 엄마에게 전화를 했습니다. (I called my mom)
Ex 2: 저는 학교 갑니다. (I go to school)

Native Korean Numbers

1
하나
20
스물 (스무)
2
30
서른
3
40
마흔
4
50
5
다섯
60
예순
6
여섯
70
일흔
7
일곱
80
여든
8
여덟
90
아흔
9
아홉
100
10