🎨 Describing and Modifying in Korean: Adjectives & Adverbs
The Magic Paintbrush Analogy
Imagine you have a magic paintbrush. Without it, you can only draw stick figures. But WITH it, you can add colors, sizes, textures, and movement!
Korean adjectives and adverbs are your magic paintbrush. They turn boring sentences into vivid pictures!
🏠 Part 1: ADJECTIVES (Describing Words)
Adjectives are like stickers you put on nouns to describe them.
Think of it this way:
- Noun alone: “dog” → Just a plain dog
- Noun + Adjective: “big dog” → Now we can SEE it!
📏 Size Adjectives - How Big or Small?
Size adjectives tell us if something is big, small, tall, short, long, or wide.
The Size Family:
| Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 큰 | keun | big | 큰 집 (big house) |
| 작은 | jageun | small | 작은 새 (small bird) |
| 긴 | gin | long | 긴 머리 (long hair) |
| 짧은 | jjalbeun | short | 짧은 치마 (short skirt) |
| 높은 | nopeun | tall/high | 높은 산 (high mountain) |
| 낮은 | najeun | low | 낮은 책상 (low desk) |
| 넓은 | neolbeun | wide | 넓은 바다 (wide sea) |
| 좁은 | jobeun | narrow | 좁은 길 (narrow road) |
🎯 Story Time!
A little mouse (작은 쥐) lived in a big house (큰 집). The house had a long hallway (긴 복도) and tall windows (높은 창문). The mouse loved the wide garden (넓은 정원) but was scared of the narrow hole (좁은 구멍) in the wall.
⭐ Quality Adjectives - How Good or Bad?
Quality adjectives tell us if something is good, bad, new, old, or clean.
The Quality Family:
| Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 좋은 | joeun | good | 좋은 친구 (good friend) |
| 나쁜 | nappeun | bad | 나쁜 날씨 (bad weather) |
| 새로운 | saeroun | new | 새로운 신발 (new shoes) |
| 오래된 | oraedoen | old | 오래된 나무 (old tree) |
| 깨끗한 | kkaekkeutan | clean | 깨끗한 방 (clean room) |
| 더러운 | deoreoun | dirty | 더러운 옷 (dirty clothes) |
🎯 Quick Memory Trick!
- 좋은 (good) sounds like “JO-eun” → Think “JOY”!
- 나쁜 (bad) sounds like “NAP-peun” → A bad nap!
👃 Sensory Adjectives - What Do Your Senses Say?
Sensory adjectives describe what you see, hear, taste, smell, or feel.
The Senses Family:
| Sense | Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 👀 See | 밝은 | balgeun | bright | 밝은 빛 (bright light) |
| 👀 See | 어두운 | eoduun | dark | 어두운 밤 (dark night) |
| 👂 Hear | 시끄러운 | sikkeureoun | noisy | 시끄러운 음악 (noisy music) |
| 👂 Hear | 조용한 | joyonghan | quiet | 조용한 도서관 (quiet library) |
| 👅 Taste | 달콤한 | dalkomhan | sweet | 달콤한 케이크 (sweet cake) |
| 👅 Taste | 매운 | maeun | spicy | 매운 김치 (spicy kimchi) |
| 👃 Smell | 향기로운 | hyanggiroun | fragrant | 향기로운 꽃 (fragrant flower) |
| ✋ Touch | 부드러운 | budeureoun | soft | 부드러운 베개 (soft pillow) |
| ✋ Touch | 딱딱한 | ttaktakhan | hard | 딱딱한 의자 (hard chair) |
🎯 Imagine This Scene:
You walk into a quiet library (조용한 도서관). The bright light (밝은 빛) helps you read. You sit on a soft chair (부드러운 의자) and smell fragrant tea (향기로운 차). Perfect!
👍 Evaluation Adjectives - Your Opinion!
Evaluation adjectives share what you think about something.
The Opinion Family:
| Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 예쁜 | yeppeun | pretty | 예쁜 꽃 (pretty flower) |
| 못생긴 | motsaenggin | ugly | 못생긴 신발 (ugly shoes) |
| 재미있는 | jaemiinneun | fun/interesting | 재미있는 영화 (fun movie) |
| 지루한 | jiruhan | boring | 지루한 수업 (boring class) |
| 쉬운 | swiun | easy | 쉬운 문제 (easy problem) |
| 어려운 | eoryeoun | difficult | 어려운 시험 (difficult test) |
| 중요한 | jungyohan | important | 중요한 회의 (important meeting) |
| 유명한 | yumyeonghan | famous | 유명한 가수 (famous singer) |
🎯 Your Day in Korean:
Today I watched a fun movie (재미있는 영화). The famous actor (유명한 배우) was so pretty (예쁜)! The story was easy to understand (쉬운 이야기). Not a boring moment (지루한 순간)!
🚀 Part 2: ADVERBS (Action Modifiers)
If adjectives are stickers for nouns, adverbs are power-ups for verbs!
Adverbs tell us HOW, WHEN, HOW OFTEN, or HOW MUCH something happens.
📊 Degree Adverbs - How Much?
Degree adverbs tell us the intensity of an action or description.
The Intensity Scale:
조금 ←――――――――――――→ 매우/아주/정말/너무
(a little) (very/really)
| Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 조금 | jogeum | a little | 조금 피곤해요 (a little tired) |
| 좀 | jom | somewhat | 좀 바빠요 (somewhat busy) |
| 꽤 | kkwae | quite | 꽤 좋아요 (quite good) |
| 매우 | maeu | very | 매우 행복해요 (very happy) |
| 아주 | aju | very | 아주 맛있어요 (very delicious) |
| 정말 | jeongmal | really | 정말 예뻐요 (really pretty) |
| 너무 | neomu | too/so | 너무 좋아요 (so good) |
| 완전히 | wanjeonhi | completely | 완전히 이해해요 (completely understand) |
🎯 The Excitement Ladder:
- 조금 좋아요 → “It’s a little good”
- 꽤 좋아요 → “It’s quite good”
- 매우 좋아요 → “It’s very good”
- 정말 좋아요 → “It’s really good!”
- 너무 좋아요! → “It’s SO GOOD!”
🔄 Frequency Adverbs - How Often?
Frequency adverbs tell us how often something happens.
The Frequency Ladder:
항상 (always) ★★★★★
↓
자주 (often) ★★★★
↓
가끔 (sometimes) ★★★
↓
드물게 (rarely) ★★
↓
절대 (never) ★
| Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 항상 | hangsang | always | 항상 웃어요 (always smile) |
| 언제나 | eonjena | always | 언제나 열심히 해요 (always work hard) |
| 자주 | jaju | often | 자주 운동해요 (often exercise) |
| 보통 | botong | usually | 보통 8시에 일어나요 (usually wake up at 8) |
| 가끔 | gakkeum | sometimes | 가끔 영화 봐요 (sometimes watch movies) |
| 드물게 | deumulge | rarely | 드물게 외식해요 (rarely eat out) |
| 절대 | jeoldae | never | 절대 포기 안 해요 (never give up) |
🎯 My Week:
I always eat breakfast (항상 아침을 먹어요). I often study Korean (자주 한국어를 공부해요). Sometimes I watch K-dramas (가끔 드라마를 봐요). I never skip homework (절대 숙제를 안 빼먹어요)!
⏰ Time Adverbs - When?
Time adverbs tell us when something happens.
The Time Family:
| Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 지금 | jigeum | now | 지금 공부해요 (studying now) |
| 오늘 | oneul | today | 오늘 바빠요 (busy today) |
| 내일 | naeil | tomorrow | 내일 만나요 (meet tomorrow) |
| 어제 | eoje | yesterday | 어제 잤어요 (slept yesterday) |
| 아까 | akka | earlier/just now | 아까 먹었어요 (ate earlier) |
| 나중에 | najunge | later | 나중에 할게요 (will do later) |
| 곧 | got | soon | 곧 도착해요 (arriving soon) |
| 먼저 | meonjeo | first | 먼저 씻어요 (wash first) |
| 이미 | imi | already | 이미 끝났어요 (already finished) |
| 아직 | ajik | still/yet | 아직 안 왔어요 (hasn’t come yet) |
| 벌써 | beolsseo | already | 벌써 갔어요 (already left) |
🎯 A Day in Time:
Yesterday (어제) I studied. Today (오늘) I’m practicing. Tomorrow (내일) I’ll speak Korean! Soon (곧) I’ll be fluent!
🎭 Manner Adverbs - How?
Manner adverbs tell us HOW an action is done.
The Style Family:
| Korean | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 빨리 | ppalli | quickly | 빨리 와요 (come quickly) |
| 천천히 | cheoncheonhi | slowly | 천천히 말해요 (speak slowly) |
| 조용히 | joyonghi | quietly | 조용히 들어와요 (come in quietly) |
| 열심히 | yeolsimhi | hard/diligently | 열심히 공부해요 (study hard) |
| 잘 | jal | well | 잘 해요 (do well) |
| 못 | mot | poorly/cannot | 못 해요 (can’t do it) |
| 같이 | gachi | together | 같이 가요 (go together) |
| 혼자 | honja | alone | 혼자 살아요 (live alone) |
| 바로 | baro | right away/directly | 바로 갈게요 (will go right away) |
| 직접 | jikjeop | personally/directly | 직접 만들었어요 (made it personally) |
🎯 The -히 Pattern!
Many manner adverbs end in -히 (like “-ly” in English):
- 조용하다 (quiet) → 조용히 (quietly)
- 천천하다 (slow) → 천천히 (slowly)
🧩 Putting It All Together
Now let’s combine everything!
Simple Sentence Building:
Subject + Time + Frequency + Manner + Verb
나는 + 오늘 + 항상 + 열심히 + 공부해요
(I + today + always + hard + study)
"I always study hard today"
Mix Adjectives and Adverbs:
| Full Sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 큰 개가 빨리 달려요 | The big dog runs quickly |
| 작은 새가 조용히 날아요 | The small bird flies quietly |
| 예쁜 꽃이 매우 향기로워요 | The pretty flower is very fragrant |
| 좋은 친구가 항상 도와줘요 | A good friend always helps |
🎓 Key Takeaways
Adjective Types:
- Size: 큰, 작은, 긴, 짧은 (big, small, long, short)
- Quality: 좋은, 나쁜, 새로운 (good, bad, new)
- Sensory: 밝은, 달콤한, 부드러운 (bright, sweet, soft)
- Evaluation: 예쁜, 재미있는, 쉬운 (pretty, fun, easy)
Adverb Types:
- Degree: 매우, 정말, 너무 (very, really, so)
- Frequency: 항상, 자주, 가끔 (always, often, sometimes)
- Time: 지금, 오늘, 내일 (now, today, tomorrow)
- Manner: 빨리, 천천히, 열심히 (quickly, slowly, hard)
🌟 Your Magic Paintbrush Is Ready!
You now have the tools to paint your Korean sentences with color and life!
Remember:
- Adjectives go BEFORE nouns (like “big house”)
- Adverbs come BEFORE verbs (like “quickly run”)
- Mix them together for vivid, powerful sentences!
Go paint your Korean world! 🎨