top of page
Korean Language Lab


Korean Grammar Basic #13 – How to Use “-아요 / -어요 / -여요” (Present Tense)
1️⃣ Introduction In Korean, verbs and adjectives always end with -다 in the dictionary (basic) form. For example: 가다 (to go) , 먹다 (to eat) , 하다 (to do) To make them speakable , we remove -다 and attach the right ending ( -아요 / -어요 / -여요 )based on the last vowel in the verb stem. This is called conjugation (활용) — it changes the verb form depending on tense or context. 2️⃣ Grammar Explanation 🔹 아요 / -어요 / -여요 (Present Tense) The “-다” ending is not pronounced in conversation
Oct 24, 2025


Korean Grammar Basic #12 – How to Use “-고 싶어요” (I Want To …)
1️⃣ Introduction In English, we say: I want to go.I wanted to go.I will want to go. In Korean, we express this using the verb -고 싶다 (to want) attached to another verb’s stem. Tense is shown not in the main verb (like 가다 “to go”) but in -고 싶다 , which means “to want.” 2️⃣ Grammar Explanation 🔹 -고 싶어요 (-go si-peo-yo) — “want to (do something)” Form Verb stem + -고 싶어요 Usage Use -고 싶어요 to express: Desire or wish → “I want to …” Polite intention → “I’d like to …” Suggestion w
Oct 24, 2025


Korean Grammar Basic #11 – How to Use “(으)ㄹ 때” (When)
1️⃣ Introduction In English, we say: “When I eat breakfast, I drink coffee.”“When I was young, I lived in Seoul.” In Korean, we use (을) 때 to describe when something happens or happened. It ’s one of the most common grammar forms for talking about time, habits, or past experiences. 2️⃣ Grammar Explanation 🔹 (을) 때 (eul ttae) — “When / At the time (of doing something)” Form Verb / Adjective / Noun + (으)ㄹ 때 Usage Use (을) 때 to talk about: General situations — When I do A, I
Oct 24, 2025


Korean Grammar Basic #10 – How to Use “(으)면” (If / When)
1️⃣ Introduction In English, we say: “If it rains, I stay home.”“If you study, you’ll improve.” In Korean, we use (으)면 to mean “if” or sometimes “when,” depending on context.It connects two clauses — a condition and a result . 2️⃣ Grammar Explanation 🔹 (으)면 (eu-myeon) — “If / When” Form Verb / Adjective + (으)면 Usage Use (으)면 when describing: Conditional situations — “if this happens, then that happens.” Repeated results — “when I do A, B always happens.” Suggestion
Oct 24, 2025


Korean Grammar Basic #9 – How to Use “밖에” (Only / Nothing But)
1️⃣ Introduction In English, you can say:“I only have one friend.”“There’s nothing but rice at home.” In Korean, we express this idea using 밖에,but remember — it must be followed by a negative expression (like 없다, 안 하다, or 모르다). 2️⃣ Grammar Explanation 🔹 밖에 (bak-ke) — “Only / Nothing but” Form Noun+밖에 + Negative Verb It emphasizes that something is limited — that there’s nothing else except that thing.So while English uses “only” (positive), Korean expresses it negatively:
Oct 24, 2025


Korean Grammar Basic #8 – How to Use “(으)로 / 로” (By / With / Toward)
1️⃣ Introduction In English, “to,” “by,” or “with” often serve multiple roles. In Korean, (으)로 can cover all of them depending on the context. It's used to indicate direction, transportation, material, language, or purpose. 2️⃣ Grammar Explanation 🔹 (으)로 — “By / Toward / With / In” Form Noun+(으)로 If the noun ends with a consonant , add 으로 (eu-ro) . If the noun ends with a vowel , add 로 (ro) . If the noun ends with ㄹ , just add 로 (ro) (not 으로). Form Examples: 책 → 책으로 (ch
Oct 24, 2025
bottom of page