58 Basic Korean Conjugations: List of Korean Linking Words
What Are Korean Conjugations?
Korean conjugations are endings that attach to verbs and adjectives to change their meaning. Think of them like verb forms in English—“go”, “went”, “going”—but Korean has many more patterns.
These endings tell you: - When something happens (past, present, future) - How polite you’re being (formal, polite, casual) - What you mean (questions, commands, suggestions, ability, desire, etc.)
The base form of Korean verbs ends in -다. To conjugate, remove -다 and add the appropriate ending. For example: - 가다 (to go) → 가요 (I go - polite) - 먹다 (to eat) → 먹었어요 (I ate - polite past)
Master these 58 patterns, and you’ll be able to express almost anything in Korean!
You can also use our free Korean Conjugator tool. Simply enter a Korean word to see how it’s conjugated in different forms.
Complete Korean Conjugations Table
# | Korean Conjugation | English Meaning | Formality |
|---|---|---|---|
Category 1: Basic Sentence Endings (Politeness & Style) | |||
1 | -다 | plain statement | Casual |
2 | -요 | polite neutral | Polite |
3 | -습니다 / -ㅂ니다 | formal statement | Very formal |
4 | -아/어 | casual | Very casual |
5 | -지 | soft statement / confirmation | Casual |
Category 2: Present, Past, Future Tenses | |||
6 | -아/어 | present | All levels |
7 | -았/었- | past | All levels |
8 | -(으)ㄹ 거예요 | future (plan) | Polite |
9 | -(으)ㄹ게요 | future (promise) | Polite |
10 | -(으)ㄹ 예정이에요 | scheduled plan | Polite |
Category 3: Questions | |||
11 | -아/어? | casual question | Very casual |
12 | -아요/어요? | polite question | Polite |
13 | -습니까? | formal question | Very formal |
14 | -지? | confirmation question | Casual |
Category 4: Commands & Requests | |||
15 | -(으)세요 | polite command | Polite |
16 | -아/어라 | direct command | Very casual |
17 | -지 마세요 | don’t do | Polite |
18 | -아/어 줘요 | please do for me | Casual |
19 | -아/어 주세요 | polite request | Polite |
Category 5: Suggestions & Proposals | |||
20 | -(으)ㄹ까요? | shall we / should I | Polite |
21 | -(으)ㅂ시다 | let’s (formal) | Formal |
22 | -자 | let’s (casual) | Very casual |
Category 6: Ability, Possibility, Permission | |||
23 | -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 | can | All levels |
24 | -(으)ㄹ 수 없다 | cannot | All levels |
25 | -아/어도 돼요 | allowed | Polite |
26 | -(으)면 안 돼요 | not allowed | Polite |
Category 7: Desire & Intention | |||
27 | -고 싶다 | want to | All levels |
28 | -(으)려고 하다 | intend to | All levels |
29 | -(으)ㄹ까 하다 | thinking of | All levels |
Category 8: Reasons, Causes, Conditions | |||
30 | -아서/어서 | because | All levels |
31 | -(으)니까 | because (speaker judgment) | All levels |
32 | -(으)면 | if | All levels |
33 | -느라(고) | because (negative result) | All levels |
Category 9: Contrast & Comparison | |||
34 | -지만 | but | All levels |
35 | -는데 | background / contrast | All levels |
36 | -(으)ㄴ/는 반면에 | whereas | All levels |
Category 10: Sequence & Simultaneity | |||
37 | -고 | and | All levels |
38 | -아/어서 | then | All levels |
39 | -(으)면서 | while | All levels |
40 | -자마자 | as soon as | All levels |
Category 11: Completion & Experience | |||
41 | -아/어 보다 | try | All levels |
42 | -아/어 버리다 | finish / regret | All levels |
43 | -(으)ㄴ 적 있다 | have experience | All levels |
44 | -아/어 놓다 | leave done | All levels |
Category 12: Obligation & Necessity | |||
45 | -아/어야 하다 | must | All levels |
46 | -(으)ㄹ 필요가 있다 | need to | All levels |
47 | -(으)ㄹ 필요가 없다 | don’t need | All levels |
Category 13: Guessing, Assumption, Evidence | |||
48 | -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 | seems | All levels |
49 | -나 보다 | I guess | All levels |
50 | -대요 | hearsay | All levels |
51 | -더라 | I noticed | All levels |
Category 14: Passive & Causative | |||
52 | -이/히/리/기- | passive | All levels |
53 | -게 하다 | make someone do | All levels |
54 | -아/어지다 | become | All levels |
Category 15: Special Grammar (TOPIK Favorites) | |||
55 | -(으)ㄴ/는 데 | in order to | All levels |
56 | -(으)ㄹ 뿐이다 | only | All levels |
57 | -기 때문에 | because of | All levels |
58 | -(으)ㄴ 채로 | while remaining | All levels |
How to Use This Table
- Find the conjugation you need in the Korean column
- Check the formality to match your situation
- Understand the meaning from the English column
- Remove -다 from your verb and attach the ending
Example: - 가다 (to go) → Remove -다 → 가 - Add -요 (polite) → 가요 (I go - polite)
Remember: Some endings change based on whether the verb stem ends in a vowel or consonant. The patterns shown here are the most common forms.
Quick Tips
- Start with basics: Master -요, -았/었-, -(으)ㄹ 거예요 first
- Match formality: Keep the same formality level throughout your sentence
- Practice daily: Use these endings in real sentences
- Listen carefully: Pay attention to how native speakers use these patterns
Sources & References
- 외국어로서의 한국어 문법 사전 (Korean Grammar as a Foreign Language)
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