Skip to main content
Subscribe Now

Free Korean Grammar Reference: Particles, Tenses & Patterns

48 core curriculum grammar lessons from Hangul through Core 1B, organized by unit. Click any card for interactive examples and detailed explanations—no account required.

Looking for more patterns beyond the core units? Browse extended grammar patterns (connectors, particles, speech levels, TOPIK-ready forms).

Unit 0: Hangul, the Korean alphabet

한글

Unit 0
hangulvowels

Basic vowels ㅏ ㅓ ㅗ ㅜ ㅡ ㅣ

Korean's six basic vowels. Every syllable starts with a consonant. If there isn't one, ㅇ is used as a silent placeholder (e.g. 아 = just the vowel ㅏ).

아

a

ah (the vowel ㅏ)

Unit 0
hangulconsonants

Basic consonants ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅈ ㅎ

Nine plain consonants. They combine with vowels into syllable blocks: consonant on the left or top, vowel on the right or bottom.

가

ga

ga

Unit 0
hangulvowels

Y-vowels ㅑ ㅕ ㅛ ㅠ

Iotized ("y-glide") vowels: add a quick "y" sound before the base vowel. ㅏ→ㅑ (ya), ㅓ→ㅕ (yeo), ㅗ→ㅛ (yo), ㅜ→ㅠ (yu).

야

ya

ya

Unit 0
hangulconsonantsaspiration

Aspirated consonants ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅊ

Aspirated consonants release a puff of air. Pairs with the plain consonants: ㄱ↔ㅋ, ㄷ↔ㅌ, ㅂ↔ㅍ, ㅈ↔ㅊ.

코

ko

nose

Unit 0
hangulconsonantstense

Tense consonants ㄲ ㄸ ㅃ ㅆ ㅉ

Tense (doubled) consonants: pronounced with tight throat muscles, no breath. Korean has a three-way distinction: plain / aspirated / tense.

싸다

ssa-da

cheap

Unit 0
hangulvowelsdiphthongs

Complex vowels ㅐ ㅔ ㅒ ㅖ ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅢ

Eleven combined vowels. In modern Seoul speech ㅐ and ㅔ sound nearly identical ("eh"); ㅢ has special rules depending on position.

의사

ui-sa

doctor

Unit 0
hangulbatchim

받침: final consonants

A 받침 is a consonant at the bottom of a syllable block. Any 받침 collapses to one of seven sounds: [ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅇ]. So 옷, 옻, and 잇 all sound the same [옫].

책

chaek

book

Unit 7: Time

시간

Unit 7
time

몇 시에 / 시+분 / 시 반

Telling time. Use 시 for hours, 분 for minutes, 반 for :30.

열두 시 삼십 분

yeol-du si sam-sip bun

12:30

Unit 7
from-to

시간 + 부터/까지

From/until. Time ranges.

9시부터 5시까지

a-hop-si-bu-teo da-seot-si-kka-ji

From 9 to 5

Unit 7
approximation

쯤 (대략/약)

쯤 = about/around (approximate time/amount).

8시쯤 일어나요

yeo-deol-si-jjeum i-reo-na-yo

I get up around 8

Unit 7
past-tense

동사 + -았/었어요 (과거)

Past tense. -았어요 after ㅏ/ㅗ, -었어요 otherwise. 하다 → 했어요.

갔어요

gat-sseo-yo

went

Unit 7
conjunction

동사 + -고 / 그리고 (순서/나열)

Connect actions: V1-고 V2. Often past is marked on the final verb.

밥을 먹고 농구했어요

bab-eul meok-go nong-gu-hae-sseo-yo

I ate and then played basketball

Unit 7
suggestion

동사 + (으)ㄹ까요?

Suggestion. "Shall we? / Want to?"

갈까요?

gal-kka-yo?

Shall we go?

Unit 8: Weather

날씨

Unit 8
adjective

날씨 형용사 + -아요/어요

Describe weather with adjectives: 맑아요/흐려요/더워요/추워요, etc. (includes ㅂ irregular like 덥다/춥다).

맑아요

mal-ga-yo

It is clear/sunny

Unit 8
conjunction

형용사/상태 + -고 (나열)

Stack states: A-고 B (and).

비가 오고 추워요

bi-ga o-go chu-wo-yo

It's raining and cold

Unit 8
cause

아서/어서 (이유 → 결과)

Cause → result: because A, B.

비가 와서 집에 있어요

bi-ga wa-seo ji-be i-sseo-yo

Because it’s raining, I stay home

Unit 8
inabilitynegation

못 vs 안

못 = cannot (circumstance/ability), 안 = don’t (choice).

비가 와서 운동을 못 해요

bi-ga wa-seo un-dong-eul mot hae-yo

I can't exercise because it’s raining

Unit 8
inability

못 + 동사 (불가능)

Cannot. Express inability due to circumstances/ability.

못 가요

mot ga-yo

I cannot go