Building vocabulary is essential for Korean fluency. This guide covers compound verbs, Sino-Korean words, and organizes basic vocabulary in a way that helps with verb conjugation.

Compound Verbs (합성 동사)

Korean often combines two verbs to create new meanings. Understanding these combinations helps you grasp nuances in communication.

물어보다 (Try to Ask)

하나 물어볼게요. (Let me ask you one thing.)

  • 묻다 (ask) + 보다 (see) = 물어보다
  • Meaning: ask to see/understand
  • The 보다 adds a sense of “trying” or “testing”
  • Conjugation: 묻다 → 물어 (dim vowel changes ㄷ to ㄹ)

Note: Adding ~보다 to verbs often means “try to do”:

  • 해보다 (try to do)
  • 먹어보다 (try to eat)
  • 입어보다 (try on clothes)

받아주다 (Accept/Receive as a Favor)

선물을 받아주세요. (Please accept this gift.)

  • 받다 (receive) + 주다 (give) = 받아주다
  • From the giver’s perspective, they don’t know if the receiver wants to accept
  • So they say “give (me the favor) of receiving”
  • Conjugation: 받다 → 받아 (bright vowel)

Note: Adding ~주다 to verbs adds the nuance of doing something as a favor:

  • 도와주다 (help - do the favor of helping)
  • 기다려주다 (wait - do the favor of waiting)

Sino-Korean Words (한자어)

Many Korean words come from Chinese characters. Understanding the character components helps memorize vocabulary.

Word Formation Pattern

Korean Word Character Breakdown Meaning
신문 신 (新/new) + 문 (文/writings) Newspaper
문장 문 (文/writings) + 장 (章/chapter/sentence) Sentence

Learning the meaning of common Chinese character components helps you understand and remember new words.

Common Character Meanings

Character Korean Sound Meaning Example Words
新 신 new 신문 (newspaper), 신년 (new year)
文 문 writing, literature 문장 (sentence), 문학 (literature)
學 학 study, learning 학교 (school), 학생 (student)
人 인 person 인간 (human), 인생 (life)

Memorization Tips (단어 쉽게 외우기)

Create memorable associations to learn vocabulary faster.

Example: 건강 (Health)

  • 건 = strong (If you have a gun, it’s strong, right?)
  • 강 = strong (from 강하다, meaning “to be strong”)

While 강 technically means “comfortable” in 건강, the character 강 also appears in 강하다 (strong), which is more commonly used. So remember it as “strong + strong = health.”

Basic Vocabulary by Vowel Type

Organizing vocabulary by vowel type helps with conjugation since bright vowels use 아 and dim vowels use 어.

Nouns

Korean English
무엇, 뭐 what
멋 niceness, style
맛 taste
재미 fun

Bright Vowel Verbs (use 아 for conjugation)

Korean English Conjugated (~요)
하다 do 해요
알다 know 알아요
받다 receive 받아요
보다 see 봐요
가다 go 가요
오다 come 와요
자다 sleep 자요
사다 buy 사요
날다 fly 날아요

Related vocabulary:

  • 나비 = butterfly (something that flies - 날다)

Dim Vowel Verbs (use 어 for conjugation)

Korean English Conjugated (~요)
주다 give 줘요
묻다 ask 물어요 (irregular ㄷ→ㄹ)
걷다 walk 걸어요 (irregular ㄷ→ㄹ)
두다 put 둬요

Neutral Vowel Verbs (use 어 for conjugation)

Korean English Conjugated (~요)
있다 be, exist 있어요

Passive Verbs (피동사)

Korean passive verbs are formed by adding suffixes like 이, 기, 리, 히 to verb stems.

Common Pattern: 이기리히

These four syllables represent the passive suffixes:

  • 이
  • 기
  • 리
  • 히

Example: 걸리다 (Take time)

20분 걸려요. (It takes 20 minutes.)

  • From 걸다 (to hang) + 리 → 걸리다
  • When something “hangs” on you, it takes your time

Quick Reference: Verb Conjugation by Type

Vowel Type Verbs Connection Example
Bright (ㅏ,ㅗ) 가다, 오다, 보다 아 갔다, 왔다, 봤다
Dim (ㅓ,ㅜ) 주다, 걷다, 묻다 어 줬다, 걸었다, 물었다
Neutral (ㅡ,ㅣ) 있다, 쓰다 어 있었다, 썼다

Summary

Building Korean vocabulary effectively:

  1. Compound verbs: Understand how verb combinations create new meanings
  2. Sino-Korean words: Learn character components to remember words
  3. Vowel-based organization: Group verbs by vowel type for easier conjugation
  4. Memory techniques: Create associations that make sense to you

The more connections you make between words, the easier they become to remember and use naturally.