Korean Adjectives – Descriptive verbs and how to conjugate them

Just like how adjectives are used in English, Korean adjectives are that fun little thing that can make an otherwise dull sentence pop out with color and character. We imagine trying to come up with sentences without using any would often come across as quite flat and lifeless.

By equipping yourself with a diverse range of Korean adjective knowledge, you’re one step further into mastering a new language. On top of that, you’ve learned tons of words to dress up and add depth to your sentences.

An ant, ice cube, chocolate, sun, book and snail

We also have a FREE PDF guide that you can take with you on the go. Check it out below:

In this lesson, we will teach you a little bit about how to use Korean adjectives and give you a list of the most common ones. To further help you understand how they are used, we have also prepared some sample sentences for you to view and take notes on. Let’s get learning!

What are Korean adjectives (Descriptive verbs)?

Just like in other languages, a Korean adjective also describes whether a noun is big or small, young or old, cheap or expensive, and so on. And just like with Korean verbs, there are also irregular adjectives in the Korean language.

How do you say “Korean adjectives” in Korean?

The word for “adjective” in the Korean language is 형용사 (hyeongyongsa). You can use it whenever you are talking about adjectives in general.

How to conjugate adjectives in Korean

Adjectives in Korean need to be conjugated when in use; instead of picking the Korean word out of a Korean dictionary and directly placing it into a sentence as you first saw it. After all, these conjugations give a more precise meaning to the Korean word.

We already have a blog post introducing you to the basic rules of Korean conjugation, but we’ll go over how to specifically conjugate Korean adjectives below.

  • The basic way to conjugate a Korean adjective is by removing 다 from the word. You will then be left with the verb stem.
  • The next step is to add the appropriate ending (~ㄴ/은/는) to the verb stem. This depends if the verb stem ends in a vowel or consonant.
  • If the verb stem ends with a consonant, you will add ~은 or ~는. ~는 typically only follows after the verb stem ends in the letter ㅅ or ㅆ.
  • In the case of a vowel, ~ㄴ is added to the verb stem.
  • Note that typically Korean adjectives ending with ~적, such as religious (종교적 | jonggyojeok) are written with ~인 conjugation.

Conjugating irregular Korean adjectives

In the case of the aforementioned irregular Korean adjectives, here’s how to conjugate them.

  • If the adjective stem ends in ㅂ, drop the ㅂ, and add ~운.
  • If the adjective stem ends in ㄹ, the ㄹ gets dropped, and ~ㄴ is added to the stem, treating the word stem sort of like it ends in a vowel.
  • Note that not all of the adjective stems ending in ㅂ are irregular descriptive verbs.
  • Also, in some cases, when the adjective stems end in ㅎ, it will get dropped, and the stem gets treated as if it ends in a vowel. However, in some cases, the ㅎ remains, and the ~은 ending gets added instead.

Korean adjectives in their different forms

As you learn Korean further, you’ll notice that there are also situations where you can use the adjective in its basic form or dictionary form.

This is possible in situations where the Korean adjective comes after a noun, although typically only in certain types of written text. You might get to use it in an academic article but might look a little funny using it in a text conversation with a friend.

In many ways, conjugating Korean adjectives work the same way as conjugating a verb would. In fact, if we get technical with it, Korean adjectives are actually descriptive verbs derived from their base form, which is the infinitive verb form. They simply gain the form of a Korean adjective through correct conjugations.

Thus, in the Korean language, rather than separate Korean verbs and adjectives, there are action verbs (verbs) and descriptive verbs (adjectives). Some action verbs are also possible to shape into descriptive verbs by using them together with certain descriptive words.

Conjugated Korean adjectives list

Below are different examples of conjugated Korean adjectives to help you better understand the concept above.

EnglishVerb FormConjugated Adjective
Happy행복하다 (haengbokada)행복한 (haengbokan)
Salty짜다 (jjada)짠 (jjan)
Blue파랗다 (parata)파란 (paran)
Good
좋다 (jota) 좋은 (joeun)
Small
작다 (jakda)작은 (jageun)
Cool
멋있다 (meositda)멋있는 (meosinneun)
Fun
재미있다 (jaemiitda)재미있는 (jaemiinneun)
Hot
덥다 (deopda)더운 (deoun)
Easy
쉽다 (swipda)쉬운 (swiun)
Far멀다 (meolda)먼 (meon)
Rare
드물다 (deumulda)드문 (deumun)
Attractive매력적 (maeryeokjeok)매력적인 (maeryeokjeogin)
Economical경제적 (gyeongjejeok)경제적인 (gyeongjejeogin)

How to use Korean adjectives in sentences

There are two positions you can place the Korean adjective in a sentence: before or after the noun. Its placement determines the way it is conjugated.

  1. The adjective appears before the noun. If the adjective appears before the noun, for example, you are describing “a small house,” you will conjugate the adjective as shown above. This means that if a stem ends in a consonant, you can add ~은. If the stem ends in a vowel, you can add ~ㄴ, and then the irregular adjectives have their own ending.
  2. The adjective appears after the noun. In these cases, what you are saying is closer to “the house is small.” Here you can just use the dictionary form if it is in written text or used among close friends, or follow the regular conjugation of the different tenses. You can use either the present, past, or future tense with adjectives.

Most common Korean adjectives

Finally, here is the most useful and basic Korean adjectives list for you to learn. We’ve presented them in their dictionary form, but with the above directions, you will be able to use them in sentences. Below we’ve also included a few sample sentences to further illustrate how Korean adjectives act in sentences.

Korean adjectives – Colors

Below are Korean adjectives for colors. These adjectives can help you describe nouns easier, just as “blue eyes,” “yellow dress,” “black hair,” etc.

EnglishKorean
Black검정색 (geomjeongsaek)
Blue파랑색 (parangsaek)
파랗다 (parata)
Brown갈색 (galsaek)
Gray회색 (hoesaek)
Green초록색 (choroksaek)
Orange주황색 (juhwangsaek)
Purple보라색 (borasaek)
Red빨간색 (ppalgansaek)
빨갛다 (ppalgata)
White하얀색 (hayansaek)
하얗다 (hayata)
Yellow노랑색 (norangsaek)

You can also learn what more colors in Korean are called with our article on the topic. Note that while colors also count as adjectives, in the Korean language, they are not seen as descriptive verbs, unlike most other adjectives.

Korean adjectives – Distances, Sizes, and Shapes

If you’d like to describe nouns based on their dimensions, distances, sizes, and shapes, then you can familiarize the Korean adjectives list below.

EnglishKorean
Big크다 (keuda)
Far멀다 (meolda)
Heavy무겁다 (mugeopda)
High높다 (nopda)
Light가볍다 (gabyeopda)
Little적다 (jeokda)
Long기다 (gida)
Low낮다 (natda)
Narrow 좁다 (jopda)
Near가깝다 (gakkapda)
Round동그랗다 (donggeurata)
Sharp, pointed뾰족하다 (ppyojokada)
Sharp, pointed날카롭다 (nalkaropda)
Short짧다 (jjalda)
Short (in height)키가 작다 (kiga jakda)
Small작다 (jakda)
Soft부드럽다 (budeureopda)
Square정사각형 (jeongsagakyeong)
Square네모낳다 (nemonata)
Straight일자형 (iljahyeong)
Tall키가 크다 (kiga keuda)
Tiny 아주 작다 (aju jakda)
Tough
질기다 (jilgida)
Triangular삼각형 (samgakyeong)
Triangular세모낳다 (semonata)
Wide넓다 (neolda)

Korean adjectives – Qualities and Situations

Korean adjectives can be used to describe the weather, a person, qualities, and situations. These words can help readers and listeners have a clearer picture of them.

In this section, you’ll learn the different adjectives in Korean that you can use to describe words for qualities of a person or weather, and other situations.

EnglishKorean
Able 할 수 있다 (hal su itda)
Abnormal 비정상적 (bijeongsangjeok)
Accidental 우연하다 (uyeonhada)
Adventurous 모험적 (moheomjeok)
Alright 괜찮다 (gwaenchanta)
Animated, brisk 활발하다 (hwalbalhada)
Annoying 짜증스럽다 (jjajeungseureopda)
Attractive, charming 매력적 (maeryeokjeok)
Automatic 자동적 (jadongjeok)
Available 구할 수 있다 (guhal su itda)
Bad 나쁘다 (nappeuda)
Bad 불쾌하다 (bulkwaehada)
Beautiful 아름답다 (areumdapda)
Beautiful (typically a man's action) 멋지다 (meotjida)
Best 제일 좋다 (jeil jota)
Bleak 아슬아슬하다 (aseulaseulhada)
Blind 맹목적 (maengmokjeok)
Blushing 얼굴이 빨개지다 (eolguri ppalgaejida)
Bold 대담하다 (daedamhada)
Boring 지루하다 (jiruhada)
Bright 밝다 (balda)
Central 중심되다 (jungsimdoeda)
Certain 확실하다 (hwaksilhada)
Cheap 싸다 (ssada)
Chilly, frosty 싸늘하다 (ssaneulhada)
Chronic 고질적 (gojiljeok)
Chubby 통통하다 (tongtonghada)
Circular 둥그다 (dunggeuda)
Clean 깨끗하다 (kkaekkeuthada)
Clear 분명하다 (bunmyeonghada)
Closed 닫히다 (datida)
Cold 차갑다 (chagapda)
Cold (weather) 춥다 (chupda)
Comfortable 편안하다 (pyeonanhada)
Common 흔하다 (heunhada)
Complete 전적 (jeonjeok)
Complicated, crowded, jammed 복잡하다 (bokjapada)
Continuous 지속적 (jisokjeok)
Convenient, easy 편하다 (pyeonhada)
Convenient 편리하다 (pyeollihada)
Cool (in appearance) 멋있다 (meositda)
Correct 올바르다 (olbareuda)
Creepy, ghostly, spooky 으스스하다 (euseuseuhada)
Crucial 결정적이다 (gyeoljeongjeogida)
Curly 곱슬곱슬하다 (gopseulgopseulhada)
Cute 귀엽다 (gwiyeopda)
Damp 축축하다 (chukchukada)
Dangerous 위험하다 (wiheomhada)
Dark 어둡다 (eodupda)
Dead 죽다 (jukda)
Dear 극진하다 (geukjinhada)
Deceiving 기만적 (gimanjeok)
Democratic 민주 적이다 (minju jeogida)
Detailed 자세하다 (jasehada)
Detailed 구체적 (guchejeok)
Detailed, meticulous, close 면밀하다 (myeonmilhada)
Different 다르다 (dareuda)
Difficult 어렵다 (eoryeopda)
Dirty 더럽다 (deoreopda)
Dry 건조하다 (geonjohada)
Early 이르다 (ireuda)
Easy 쉽다 (swipda)
Economical 경제적이다 (gyeongjejeogida)
Elegant, sophisticated, refined 고상하다 (gosanghada)
Elegant, graceful 우아하다 (uahada)
Empty 비다 (bida)
Endless 끝없다 (kkeuteopda)
Enjoyable 즐겁다 (jeulgeopda)
Enormous 막대하다 (makdaehada)
Exact 정확하다 (jeonghwakada)
Exciting 신이 나다 (sini nada)
Expensive 비싸다 (bissada)
Faint, dim 희미하다 (huimihada)
Faithful 충실하다 (chungsilhada)
Famous 유명하다 (yumyeonghada)
Famous 뛰어나다 (ttwieonada)
Fast 빠르다 (ppareuda)
Fat, overweight 뚱뚱하다 (ttungttunghada)
Fatal 치명적 (chimyeongjeok)
Fierce, wild, stormy 사납다 (sanapda)
Formal 공식적 (gongsikjeok)
Fresh 신선하다 (sinseonhada)
Full 가득하다 (gadeukada)
Fun, interesting 재미있다 (jaemiitda)
Fundamental 기본적 (gibonjeok)
Good 좋다 (jota)
General 일반적 (ilbanjeok)
Good looking, handsome 잘생기다 (jalsaenggida)
Great, enormous 엄청나다 (eomcheongnada)
Great 대단하다 (daedanhada)
Hard 딱딱하다 (ttakttakada)
Hasty 황급하다 (hwanggeupada)
Horrible, terrible 끔찍하다 (kkeumjjikada)
Hot 뜨겁다 (tteugeopda)
Hot (weather) 덥다 (deopda)
Huge 거대하다 (geodaehada)
Damp, moist, humid 습하다 (seupada)
Ideal 이상적이다 (isangjeogida)
Important 중요하다 (jungyohada)
Impossible 불가능하다 (bulganeunghada)
Inconvenient 불편하다 (bulpyeonhada)
Inexpensive 값싸다 (gapssada)
Informal 비공식적 (bigongsik)
Innovative 획기적 (hoekgijeok)
Intentional 의도적 (uidojeok)
International 국제적이다 (gukjejeogida)
Late 늦다 (neutda)
Legal 합법적이다 (hapbeopjeogida)
Long-term 장기적 (jangijeok)
Loose 풀리다 (pullida)
Lovely 사랑스럽다 (sarangseureopda)
Lucky, fortunate 다행스럽다 (dahaengseureopda)
Mad 미치다 (michida)
Major 중대하다 (jungdaehada)
Manual 수동적 (sudongjeok)
Married 결혼을 하다 (gyeolhoneul hada)
Messy 지저분하다 (jijeobunhada)
Messy 엉만이다 (eongmanida)
Miraculous 기적적 (gijeokjeok)
Moist 촉촉하다 (chokchokada)
Much 많다 (manta)
National 전국적이다 (jeongukjeogida)
Natural 정상적이다 (jeongsangjeogida)
Natural 자연스럽다 (jayeonseureopda)
Necessary 필요하다 (pillyohada)
New 새롭다 (saeropda)
Noisy 시끄럽다 (sikkeureopda)
Not interesting 재미없다 (jaemieopda)
Old 오래되다 (oraedoeda)
Only 유일하다 (yuilhada)
Open 열려 있다 (yeollyeo itda)
Ordinary 평범하다 (pyeongbeomhada)
Painful 아프다 (apeuda)
Painless 고통 없다 (gotong eopda)
Past 지나가다 (jinagada)
Perfect, complete, full 완전하다 (wanjeonhada)
Personal 사적 (sajeok)
Physical 물질적 (muljiljeok)
Physical 신체적 (sinchejeok)
Pleasant, enjoyable 즐겁다 (jeulgeopda)
Popular 인기 있다 (ingi itda)
Possible 가능하다 (ganeunghada)
Powerful 강하다 (ganghada)
Pretty 예쁘다 (yeppeuda)
Pretty 이쁘다 (ippeuda)
Psychological 심리적 (simnijeok)
Qualitative 질적 (jiljeok)
Rare 드물다 (deumulda)
Ready 준비가 되다 (junbiga doeda)
Real 실재하다 (siljaehada)
Refreshing, cool 시원하다 (siwonhada)
Regular, periodic 주기적 (jugijeok)
Regular, even 고르다 (goreuda)
Relative 상대적 (sangdaejeok)
Religious 종교적 (jonggyojeok)
Rich 풍족하다 (pungjokada)
Right 맞다 (matda)
Right 정확하다 (jeonghwakada)
Rough 거치다 (geochida)
Safe 안전하다 (anjeonhada)
Same, similar 같다 (gatda)
Scary 무섭다 (museopda)
Serious 심각하다 (simgakada)
Short-term 단기적 (dangijeok)
Sick 병들다 (byeongdeulda)
Silent 고요하다 (goyohada)
Similar 비슷하다 (biseuthada)
Simple, easy, brief 간단하다 (gandanhada)
Simple 단순하다 (dansunhada)
Simple, easy 용이하다 (yongihada)
Single 미혼 (mihon)
Skinny 깡마르다 (kkangmareuda)
Slim 날씬하다 (nalssinhada)
Slippery 미끄럽다 (mikkeureopda)
Slow 느리다 (neurida)
Slow 느릿느릿하다 (neurinneurithada)
Smooth 매끈하다 (maekkeunhada)
Special 특별하다 (teukbyeolhada)
Strenuous, hard 힘들다 (himdeulda)
Strong 강력하다 (gangnyeokada)
Sturdy 튼튼하다 (teunteunhada)
Successful 성공적 (seonggongjeok)
Suspicious 의심이 많다 (uisimi manta)
Talented, gifted 재능이 있다 (jaeneungi itda)
Tentative 시험적 (siheomjeok)
Thick 두껍다 (dukkeopda)
Thin 얇다 (yalda)
Thrilling 흥분되다 (heungbundoeda)
Tidy 깔끔하다 (kkalkkeumhada)
Tight 단단하다 (dandanhada)
Traditional 전통적 (jeontongjeok)
Ugly 못생기다 (motsaenggida)
Unfortunate, sorry 유감스럽다 (yugamseureopda)
Uninteresting 재미없다 (jaemieopda)
Unstable (weather) 변덕스럽다 (byeondeokseureopda)
Urgent 급하다 (geupada)
Useful 유용하다 (yuyonghada)
Useless 소용없다 (soyongeopda)
Various 다양하다 (dayanghada)
Weird, strange 이상하다 (isanghada)
Well-built 체격이 좋다 (chegyeogi jota)
Wet 젖다 (jeotda)
Wrong 잘못되다 (jalmotdoeda)
Wrong 틀리다 (teullida)

Would you also love to find out how to describe different weathers and seasons? Head over to our article about Weather and Seasons in Korean!

Korean adjectives – Traits, feelings, and moods

Here are adjectives in the Korean language to describe someone’s traits, feelings, and moods. You can better express whether you’re happy, sad, or any emotions that you currently feel. If you’re saying these through text, you can even pair these words with emoticons to express yourself better.

EnglishKorean
Absentminded, blank, abstracted 망연하다 (mangyeonhada)
Active적극적 (jeokgeukjeok)
Active, energetic 활기차다 (hwalgichada)
Alert기민하다 (giminhada)
Amused재미있어 하다 (jaemiisseo hada)
Angry화나다 (hwanada)
Annoyed짜증나다 (jjajeungnada)
Anxious불안하다 (buranhada)
Arrogant거만하다 (geomanhada)
Awkward어섹하다 (eosekhada)
Bashful부끄럽다 (bukkeureopda)
Boastful자랑스럽다 (jarangseureopda)
Bored심심하다 (simsimhada)
Brave씩씩하다 (ssikssikada)
Brave용감하다 (yonggamhada)
Busy바쁘다 (bappeuda)
Calm침착하다 (chimchakada)
Calm, still, hushed 고요하다 (goyohada)
Careful조심하다 (josimhada)
Careful꼼꼼하다 (kkomkkomhada)
Cautious조심스럽다 (josimseureopda)
Cautious신중하다 (sinjunghada)
Cheerful쾌활하다 (kwaehwalhada)
Cheerful유쾌하다 (yukwaehada)
Clever영리하다 (yeongnihada)
Clumsy서투르다 (seotureuda)
Comfortable편하다 (pyeonhada)
Concerned, worried, troubled 근심스럽다 (geunsimseureopda)
Confused혼란스럽다 (hollanseureopda)
Cool쿨하다 (kulhada)
Cooperative협동적 (hyeopdongjeok)
Courageous용기있다 (yonggiitda)
Cowardly겁이 많다 (geobi manta)
Cruel잔인하다 (janinhada)
Curious궁금하다 (gunggeumhada)
Defiant도전적 (dojeonjeok)
Delicate연약하다 (yeonyakada)
Depressed우울하다 (uulhada)
Determined단호하다 (danhohada)
Diligent부지런하다 (bujireonhada)
Dramatic극적 (geukjeok)
Eager절절하다 (jeoljeolhada)
Embarrassed당황하다 (danghwanghada)
Energetic정력을 요하다 (jeongnyeogeul yohada)
Enthusiastic열정적 (yeoljeongjeok)
Envious부럽다 (bureopda)
Excited신나다 (sinnada)
Fancy, showy 화려하다 (hwaryeohada)
Feeling stressed out스트레스 받다 (seuteureseu batda)
Ferocious, fierce, vehement, violent 맹렬하다 (maengnyeolhada)
Fervent, devout 열렬하다 (yeollyeolhada)
Fervent, enthusiastic, wild 열광적 (yeolgwangjeok)
Free자유롭다 (jayuropda)
Free (idle)한가하다 (hangahada)
Full배부르다 (baebureuda)
Funny, hilarious 우습다 (useupda)
Generous후하다 (huhada)
Generous관대하다 (gwandaehada)
Glad, pleased, delighted 기쁘다 (gippeuda)
Good-humored상냥하다 (sangnyanghada)
Happy행복하다 (haengbokhada)
Hard-working근면하다 (geunmyeonhada)
Hard-working부지런히 일하다 (bujireonhi ilhada)
Healthy건강하다 (geonganghada)
Helpful도움이 되다 (doumi doeda)
Helpless무력하다 (muryeokada)
Honest, frank 솔직하다 (soljikada)
Humble천하다 (cheonhada)
Hungry배고프다 (baegopeuda)
Hungry배가 고프다 (baega gopeuda)
Indifferent, ignorant 무관심하다 (mugwansimhada)
Innocent, naive 천진난만하다 (cheonjinnanmanhada)
Instinctive본능적 (bonneungjeok)
Jealous질투하다 (jiltuhada)
Kind, friendly 친절하다 (chinjeolhada)
Lazy게으르다 (geeureuda)
Lazy, relaxed 느긋하다 (neugeuthada)
Lazy여유롭다 (yeoyuropda)
Lonely외롭다 (oeropda)
Loud시끄럽다 (sikkeureopda)
Mean비열하다 (biyeolhada)
Naughty버릇없다 (beoreuseopda)
Nervous불안해 하다 (buranhae hada)
Nice착하다 (chakada)
Obedient순순하다 (sunsunhada)
Old늙다 (neulda)
Outgoing사교적이다 (sagyojeogida)
Polite공손하다 (gongsonhada)
Poor가난하다 (gananhada)
Quiet조용하다 (joyonghada)
Relaxed여유 있다 (yeoyu itda)
Rich돈 많다 (don manta)
Rich부유하다 (buyuhada)
Rude무례하다 (muryehada)
Sad슬프다 (seulpeuda)
Scared무섭다 (museopda)
Selfish이기적이다 (igijeogida)
Serious진지하다 (jinjihada)
Shy수줍다 (sujupda)
Sleepy, drowsy 졸리다 (jollida)
Smart똑똑하다 (ttokttokada)
Social사회적이다 (sahoejeogida)
Sorrowful, grief-stricken 비통하다 (bitonghada)
Strict엄격하다 (eomgyeokada)
Strong강하다 (ganghada)
Stupid멍청하다 (meongcheonghada)
Surprised놀라다 (nollada)
Tired피곤하다 (pigonhada)
Thirsty목이 마르다 (mogi mareuda)
Thoughtful생각이 깊다 (saenggagi gipda)
Uncomfortable불편하다 (bulpyeonhada)
Weak약하다 (yakada)
Well-behaved예의 바르다 (yeui bareuda)
Worried, concerned 걱정하다 (geokjeonghada)
Young젊다 (jeolda)

“Funny” in Korean

To describe something as “funny” in Korean, just like Korean jokes or comedy movies, you can say 우습다 (useupda). This word can also mean “hilarious.”

“Nice” in Korean

The Korean word for “nice” is 착하다 (chakada). You can use this to describe someone kind or good-hearted. For instance, if you asked for someone’s help and someone offered you assistance, then this word can describe them.

“Sleepy” in Korean

The word for “sleepy” in Korean is 졸리다 (jollida). But if you mean to say “tired,” you can use the term 피곤하다 (pigonhada) instead.

“Mean” in Korean

The word for “mean” in Korean is 비열하다 (biyeolhada),

Korean adjectives – Tastes

Here are some adjectives in Korean to help with describing nouns with certain tastes and textures. These adjectives will come in handy if you’d like to describe what a certain Korean dish tastes like for you.

EnglishKorean
Bitter쓰다 (sseuda)
Bland, tasteless 싱겁다 (singgeopda)
Chewy쫄깃쫄깃하다 (jjolgitjjolgithada)
Crispy바삭바삭하다 (basakbasakhada)
Delicious맛있다 (masitda)
Disgusting역겹다 (yeokgyeopda)
Fermented발효되다 (balhyodoeda)
Fishy비리다 (birida)
Flat김빠지다 (gimppajida)
Greasy느끼하다 (neukkihada)
Not delicious맛없다 (mateopda)
Fatty, greasy, oily 기름지다 (gireumjida)
Salty짜다 (jjada)
Sour시다 (sida)
Sour시큼하다 (sikeumhada)
Spicy매콤하다 (maekomhada)
Spicy맵다 (maepda)
Stale신선하지 않다 (seonseonhaji anta)
Sweet달콤하다 (dalkomhada)
Sweet달다 (dalda)
Soft, tender, ripe말랑하다 (mallanghada)

Sample sentences for Korean adjectives

To get you properly started with using Korean adjectives in sentences, here is an ample amount of examples of Korean sentences. You can study each sentence and its meaning for you to understand how to use adjectives in the Korean language better.

우리 고양이는 너무 귀엽지? (uri goyangineun neomu gwiyeopji?)

Isn’t our cat so cute?

비싼 프라다 가방을 사고 싶어요. (bissan peurada gabangeul sago sipeoyo.)

I want to buy an expensive Prada bag.

그 발코니가 되게 넓어요. (geu balkoniga doege neolbeoyo.)

The balcony is very wide.

북유럽에서는 여름에 거의 자정까지 바깥 날씨가 밝다. (bungnyureobeseoneun yeoreume geoui jajeongkkaji bakkat nalssiga balda.)

In Northern Europe, it is light outside until almost midnight in the summer.

와, 한라산을 오르는 게 이렇게 힘든 줄은 몰랐네. (wa, hallasaneul oreuneun ge ireoke himdeun jureun mollanne.)

Whoa, I did not realize it was this hard to hike up Hallasan.

오늘 정말 높은 굽의 신발을 신고 싶어요. (oneul jeongmal nopeun gubui sinbareul singo sipeoyo.)

Today I want to wear shoes with really high heels.

제일 가까운 병원은 어디예요? (jeil gakkaun byeongwoneun eodiyeyo?)

Where is the nearest hospital?

미국에서 한국까지 너무 멀어요. 비행시간은 13시간이 넘네요! (migugeseo hangukkkaji neomu meoreoyo. bihaengsiganeun 13sigani neomneyo!)

The USA is really far from South Korea. The flight time is over 13 hours!

나는 머리가 갖고 있는것 좋아요. (naneun gin meoriga gatgo inneungeot joayo.)

I like having long hair.

그 사람은 기쁜 사람인가요? (geu sarameun gippeun saramingayo?)

I wonder if that person is pleased?

세계에서 가장 아름다운 곳이 어디라고 생각하나요? (segyeeseo gajang areumdaun gosi eodirago saenggakanayo?)

Where do you think is the most beautiful place in the world?

그 영화가 생각보다 더 괜찮았네. (geu yeonghwaga saenggakboda deo gwaenchananne.)

That movie was nicer than I thought it would be.

나는 놀라서 크게 소리를 질렀다. (naneun nollaseo keuge sorireul jilleotda.)

이 수업이 너무 지루해. (i sueobi neomu jiruhae.)

This class is so boring.

내일 편안한 옷을 입고 오세요. (naeil pyeonanhan oseul ipgo oseyo.)

Please wear comfortable clothes tomorrow.

아! 방금 발목을 삐었어요. 너무 아파요! (a! banggeum balmogeul ppieosseoyo. neomu apayo!)

Oh! I just sprained my ankle. It hurts so much!

저는 파랑색을 제일 좋아해요. (jeoneun parangsaegeul jeil joahaeyo.)

I like blue the most.

하얀 집은 엄청 예쁘지 아닌가요? (geu hayan jibeun eomcheong yeppeuji aningayo?)

Isn’t that white house really pretty?

한국에서 빵은 인기가 많아요. (hangugeseo dan ppangeun ingiga manayo.)

Sweet bread is popular in South Korea.

Sample Conversation:

당신의 남동생은 아주 조용한 사람인것 같아요. (dangsinui namdongsaengeun aju joyonghan saramingeot gatayo.)

Your brother seems to be a very quiet person.

A: 클럽에 갈래요? (keulleobe gallaeyo?)

Wanna go to a club?

B: 미안해요, 복잡한 장소들은 안좋아해요. (mianhaeyo, bokjapan jangsodeureun anjoahaeyo.)

I’m sorry, I don’t like crowded places.

 

A: 토마스 씨, 들 수 있는 가장 무거운 무게는 뭐예요? (tomaseu ssi, deul su inneun gajang mugeoun mugeneun mwoyeyo?)

Thomas, what is the heaviest weight that you can lift?

B: 스쿼트에서 100kg을 들 수 있어요. (seukwoteueseo 100kgeul deul su isseoyo.)

I can lift 100kg in squats.

A: 너도 어제 숙제가 유난히 어렵다고 생각했니? (neodo eoje sukjega yunanhi eoryeopdago saenggakaenni?)

Did you think yesterday’s homework was unusually difficult?

B: 안 그래? 너무 쉬운 줄 알았어. (an geurae? neomu swiun jul arasseo.)

It wasn’t, though? I thought it was super easy!

Wrap Up

Wow! That are so many new cool Korean adjectives and words for you to learn today! If you are still in the mood to widen your Korean vocabulary today after that mammoth of a list of Korean adjectives, why not check out our more general list of most popular Korean words? Can’t go wrong with this resource in learning Korean!

Also, below in the comments, we’d love to know what your most commonly used Korean adjectives are. Perhaps you could try to showcase them by using Korean adjectives only? We’re excited to know the most popular adjectives used as we learn Korean these days!

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4 thoughts on “Korean Adjectives – Descriptive verbs and how to conjugate them”

    1. Hi, ~이는 can be often found in verbs that ends with 이다. For example, 반짝이는 별 (=twinkling start) is from the verb 반짝이다 (to twinkle). If there is an adjective that has letter 이 at the end of the roots, you would add 는 after it and then you will also have ~이는.

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