When I started learning the Korean language I found textbooks to be boring. Just following the book made it take a long time to finally learn the top 100 Korean words for daily life.
So here is my list of the top 100. But there’s a twist.
When you’re learning a new language, I found that you tend to think in your original language first. Since I was not familiar with the words in my target language, I always thought of the words I wanted to say in English first, regardless of whether those words were the most common in Korean or not.
And that makes sense. Until you’re more familiar with a new language, you’re going to be translating every word in your head as you basically translate yourself.
So here instead is a list of the top 100 most common English words, in Korean, that actually you are more likely to use when trying to express yourself at a basic, beginner stage.*
The Top 100 Korean Words to Learn
About (as in, talk about yourself): _ 대해서
After: _후에
Again: 다시
All: 모든
And: 과
Any (as in, I couldn’t find any):
At: 에서
Because (as in, because of you): _ 때문에
Before: _전에
Bring: 가져오다
But: 하지만
Can: _ 수있다
Cant _ 못하다
Come: 오다
Culture: 문화
Dad: 아버지
Day: 일
Do: 하다
Don’t know: 모르다
Eat: 먹다
Find: 찾다
From (as in, from then until now): _부터
Front: (as in, in front of something) 앞
Get: 받다
Give: 주다
Go: 가다
Good (as in, a good neighbor): 좋은_
Have: _ 있다
He: 그
Her (as in, her friend): 그녀의
Her: 그녀
Here: 여기에
Him: 그를
His (as in, his ugly car): 그의
How (as in, how did you do that?): 어떻게 _
House/home: 집
I: 나는 [Note, don’t refer to yourself this way to high status people].
If: _면
In: _ 에서
It: 그것
Know: 알다
Last (as in, last Christmas): 지난
Like: 좋다
Like (as in, to be similar): 같다
Little (as in, a little salt): 좀
Live: 살다
Look: 보이다
Make (as in, make some trouble): 만들다
Man: 남자
Many: 많은_
Mom: 어머니
More (as in, one more time): _더
Month: 달
My: 내
New: 새로운
No: 아니
Now: 지금
On: 에
One: 한
Only (as in, only you understand me): 만
Other: 다른 것
Our: 우리의
People: 사람
Question: 문제
Say: 말하다
See: 보다
Second (as in, one second): 초
She: 그녀는
So: 그래서
Some: 약간
Sound: 소리
Take: 갖다
Tell: 말하다
That: 그
Their: 그들의
There: 저쪽에
These: 이들
They: 그들
Thing: 것
Think: 생각하다
This: 이것
Those: 그것
Time (as in, what is the time?): 시간
Two: 두/이
Use: 이용하다
Very: 아주
Want (as in, I want to go shopping): 하고 싶다
Way (as in, which way?): 길
We: 우리
Well (as in, well done!): 잘
What (as in, what are you talking about?): 뭐
When: 언제
Which: 어느
Who: 누구
Why: 왜
With: 와
Work: 일
Year: 년
You: 너
Your: 너의
Things You Need
To make full use of this list you will have to know how to read Korean characters or script, also called Hangeul.
It might sound like a pain but honestly it is one of the easiest things you will ever do. It will take you 30 minutes and I promise you will feel like a rockstar when you’ve mastered it.
You can find a bunch of videos online, but here is one that I found fast and useful:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/0ZhOeA0RD9o
Comment, like or Share!
Want me to write about something else on learning Korean language? Feel free to comment!
*Ps. I will admit that I dropped out a lot of very common but non-beginner words such as grammatical connectors. If you want to learn more Korean grammar, check out Talk To Me In Korean’s great grammar lessons here.
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