Korean grammar feels different from English—and that’s because it is fundamentally different. But don’t let that scare you.

Once you understand a few core patterns, Korean grammar actually becomes quite logical and predictable.

This complete guide breaks down everything beginners need to know about Korean grammar, from sentence structure to particles to verb conjugation.

Why Korean Grammar Feels Different

Korean grammar differs from English in three major ways:

Word order: Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) instead of Subject-Verb-Object
Particles: Small markers that show grammatical function
Agglutination: Grammar is built by adding endings to words

English: “I eat rice” Korean: “I rice eat” (나는 밥을 먹어요)

At first this feels backwards. But once you get used to it, Korean grammar is actually more consistent than English.

Let’s break it down step by step.

Section 1: Korean Sentence Structure

Basic Word Order: SOV

Korean follows Subject-Object-Verb order:

English pattern: Subject + Verb + Object “I eat rice”

Korean pattern: Subject + Object + Verb 나는 (I) + 밥을 (rice) + 먹어요 (eat)

More examples:

Korean	Word Order	English
저는 물을 마셔요	I + water + drink	I drink water
그는 책을 읽어요	He + book + read	He reads a book
우리는 학교에 가요	We + school + go	We go to school

The Verb Always Comes Last

No matter how complex the sentence, the verb is always at the end:

“저는 어제 친구와 함께 영화관에서 영화를 봤어요” (I yesterday friend-with together cinema-at movie watched) “Yesterday, I watched a movie at the cinema with my friend”

This means you often have to wait until the end of a sentence to understand the action!

Full guide: Korean Sentence Structure: Beginner Grammar Guide

Section 2: Korean Particles (은/는, 이/가, 을/를)

Particles are small markers attached to nouns that show their grammatical role. Think of them like English “to, from, at”—but way more important.

Subject Particles: 은/는 vs 이/가

These mark the sentence subject, but they’re not interchangeable:

은/는 (eun/neun) - Topic marker “As for [X]…” or general subject

Use after:

Consonant → 은 (저는 jeoneun - as for me)
Vowel → 는 (물은 mureun - as for water)

이/가 (i/ga) - Subject marker New information, emphasis, or answering questions

Use after:

Consonant → 이 (물이 muri - water [subject])
Vowel → 가 (나가 naga - I [subject])

Example difference:

“저는 학생이에요” (jeoneun haksaengieyo) “As for me, (I’m) a student” (topic: me)

“누가 학생이에요?” (nuga haksaengieyo?) “Who is a student?” (subject question)

“제가 학생이에요” (jega haksaengieyo) “I am a student” (emphasis: ME)

Full guide: 은/는 vs 이/가: Easy Korean Particle Guide

Object Particles: 을/를

These mark the direct object (the thing being verbed):

After consonant → 을 (eul)
After vowel → 를 (reul)

Examples:

밥을 먹어요 (babeul meogeoyo) - eat rice 물을 마셔요 (mureul masyeoyo) - drink water 커피를 마셔요 (keopireul masyeoyo) - drink coffee

Location Particles: 에, 에서, 으로

에 (e) - Static location or destination 학교에 가요 (hakgyoe gayo) - go to school 집에 있어요 (jibe isseoyo) - be at home

에서 (eseo) - Action location 학교에서 공부해요 (hakgyoeseo gongbuhaeyo) - study at school

으로/로 (euro/ro) - Direction, means, method 오른쪽으로 가세요 (oreunjjogeuro gaseyo) - go to the right

Full guide: Particles in Korean: Complete Beginner Guide

Section 3: Korean Verb Conjugation Basics

Korean verbs conjugate by adding endings to the verb stem. The base form (dictionary form) always ends in 다 (da).

Finding the Verb Stem

Remove 다 from the base form:

먹다 (meokda - to eat) → stem: 먹 (meok)
가다 (gada - to go) → stem: 가 (ga)
하다 (hada - to do) → stem: 하 (ha)

Present Tense

Add 아요/어요 to the stem:

Rule:

If stem vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ → 아요 (ayo)
All other vowels → 어요 (eoyo)
하다 → 해요 (haeyo) [irregular]

Examples:

Base	Stem	Present	Meaning
먹다	먹	먹어요	eat
가다	가	가요	go
오다	오	와요	come
하다	하	해요	do

Past Tense

Add 았어요/었어요 to the stem:

ㅏ or ㅗ vowel → 았어요
Other vowels → 었어요

Examples:

Present	Past	English
먹어요	먹었어요	ate
가요	갔어요	went
와요	왔어요	came
해요	했어요	did

Future Tense

Add 을 거예요/ㄹ 거예요 to the stem:

After consonant → 을 거예요
After vowel → ㄹ 거예요

Examples:

먹을 거예요 (meogeul geoyeyo) - will eat 갈 거예요 (gal geoyeyo) - will go

Full guide: Korean Verb Conjugation: Present, Past, and Future

Section 4: Formal vs Casual Speech

Korean has multiple speech levels based on formality and respect. As a beginner, focus on two:

Formal Polite (합쇼체)

Ends in 습니다/ㅂ니다

Use with:

Strangers
Elders
Formal situations
Business settings

Examples:

먹습니다 (meokseumnida) - (I) eat [formal]
갑니다 (gamnida) - (I) go [formal]
감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) - Thank you [formal]

Informal Polite (해요체)

Ends in 요 (yo)

Use with:

Most everyday situations
New acquaintances
When respect is needed but not extreme formality
Safest default choice

Examples:

먹어요 (meogeoyo) - (I) eat [polite]
가요 (gayo) - (I) go [polite]
고마워요 (gomawoyo) - Thanks [polite]

Casual (반말)

No 요 ending

Use ONLY with:

Close friends your age
Younger people
After someone tells you to speak casually

Examples:

먹어 (meogeo) - (I) eat [casual]
가 (ga) - (I) go [casual]
고마워 (gomawo) - Thanks [casual]

Rule of thumb: When in doubt, always use 요 form. It’s never wrong to be polite.

Full guide: Formal vs Casual Speech in Korean

Section 5: Korean Honorifics

Korean has special grammar for showing respect, especially to elders or higher-status individuals.

Honorific Verb Forms

Add 시 to verbs when talking about respected people:

먹다 (to eat) → 드시다 (honorific: to eat)
자다 (to sleep) → 주무시다 (honorific: to sleep)
있다 (to exist) → 계시다 (honorific: to exist)

Examples:

“할머니가 밥을 먹어요” (normal) “할머니가 진지를 드셔요” (honorific) “Grandmother eats”

Honorific Particles

께서 (kkeseo) - honorific subject particle (replaces 이/가) 께 (kke) - honorific location/direction (replaces 에게)

“선생님께서 오셨어요” (Teacher came)

Humble Forms

Lower yourself when talking about your own actions toward respected people:

주다 (to give) → 드리다 (humble: to give [to respected person])
묻다 (to ask) → 여쭙다 (humble: to ask)

Full guide: Korean Honorifics: Polite vs Casual Grammar Guide

Section 6: Essential Korean Verbs

Master these high-frequency verbs first:

Action Verbs

Korean	Present	Past	English
가다	가요	갔어요	to go
오다	와요	왔어요	to come
먹다	먹어요	먹었어요	to eat
마시다	마셔요	마셨어요	to drink
보다	봐요	봤어요	to see/watch
듣다	들어요	들었어요	to listen/hear
하다	해요	했어요	to do
공부하다	공부해요	공부했어요	to study
일하다	일해요	일했어요	to work

State Verbs (Descriptive)

Korean	Present	English
크다	커요	to be big
작다	작아요	to be small
좋다	좋아요	to be good
나쁘다	나빠요	to be bad
예쁘다	예뻐요	to be pretty
맛있다	맛있어요	to be delicious

Full guide: 20 Basic Korean Verbs Every Beginner Should Know

Section 7: Building Complete Sentences

Let’s put it all together:

Basic Sentence Pattern

Subject + Object + Verb

저는 + 밥을 + 먹어요 (I + rice + eat) “I eat rice”

Adding Time

Time words come at the beginning or before the verb:

오늘 저는 밥을 먹어요 (today I rice eat) “Today I eat rice”

Adding Location

Location comes before the verb:

저는 집에서 밥을 먹어요 (I home-at rice eat) “I eat rice at home”

Full Complex Sentence

어제 저는 친구와 학교에서 한국어를 공부했어요 (Yesterday I friend-with school-at Korean study-did) “Yesterday I studied Korean with a friend at school”

Reading Korean Grammar in Context

Understanding grammar rules is one thing—but can you recognize them instantly when reading real Korean?

Whether you’re:

Reading K-drama scripts
Following Korean news
Reading webtoons
Chatting with Korean friends

You need to identify particles, verb forms, and sentence patterns automatically.

Batchim trains you to recognize Korean grammar patterns at natural reading speed through:

✅ Sentence pattern drills ✅ Particle recognition practice ✅ Verb conjugation exercises ✅ Real-world context training

Complete Grammar Article Directory

Sentence Structure

Particles

Verbs & Conjugation

Speech Levels

Next Steps: Practice Grammar

Grammar becomes natural through practice:

Read actively - Identify particles and verb forms in Korean text
Make sample sentences - Use patterns you’ve learned
Use flashcards - Drill common particles and verb conjugations
Practice with Batchim - Download the app for grammar pattern recognition
Combine with phrases - Check our Essential Phrases Guide to see grammar in action

Conclusion: Korean Grammar Is Logical

Korean grammar might feel alien at first, but it’s actually more consistent than English once you understand the patterns:

✅ Clear SOV word order ✅ Particles show grammatical function ✅ Predictable verb conjugation ✅ Systematic formality levels

The key is consistent practice with real Korean content.

Ready to see Korean grammar in action? Download Batchim and start reading Korean at native speed.

Related Guides:

문법 공부 화이팅! (Happy grammar studying!) 📚🇰🇷

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