Lesson 12: Conjugating Korean descriptive verbs (adjectives) using ㄴ/은

안녕하세요!

Get ready to unravel one of the most thrilling aspects of the Korean language – the vibrant world of descriptive verbs, also known as adjectives! Prepare to dive head-first into the colourful sea of “ㄴ/은” conjugation. It’s not just a grammar point; it’s a window into the Korean way of describing everything beautiful, fun, sad, exciting, and even a little strange in life! 😄

“But why adjectives?” you may ask. Well, picture yourself in a bustling market in Seoul. You spot a mouthwatering 떡볶이 (spicy rice cake) from afar. How would you describe it to your friend? Spicy, sweet, delicious, hot? That’s where adjectives come in! They’re the sprinkles on your language sundae, the kimchi in your Korean feast, and today, you’re going to master them.

Are you afraid of the ㄴ/은 ending? Fear not, for it’s nothing more than a friendly grammatical mark that wants to make friends with you. Together, we’ll learn how to play with these adjectives, how to conjugate them, and how to unleash their full expressive potential.

So grab your notebooks, sharpen those pencils, and buckle up, because this lesson is going to be a roller coaster of descriptive fun! And, hey, don’t forget to put on your thinking caps; they can be very “유용한” (useful)!

Ready, set, conjugate! 🚀

What are descriptive verbs?

Descriptive verbs, also known as adjectival verbs or adjective verbs, in Korean, play a role similar to adjectives in English. They describe states, conditions, or qualities of nouns. Unlike English adjectives, Korean descriptive verbs can be conjugated and used in various grammatical structures.

Common Descriptive Verbs

Korean	Romanization	English
있다	Ittda	To have, to exist
없다	Eobda	To not have, to not exist
좋다	Johda	To be good
나쁘다	Nappeuda	To be bad
크다	Keuda	To be big, large
작다	Jakda	To be small, little
많다	Manta	To be many, much
적다	Jeokda	To be few, less
뜨겁다	Tteugeopda	To be hot
차갑다	Chagapda	To be cold
에쁘다	Yeppeuda	To be pretty, beautiful
멋있다	Meositta	To be stylish, cool
편하다	Pyeonhada	To be comfortable, easy
불펀하다	Bulpyeonhada	To be uncomfortable
재미있다	Jaemiitta	To be interesting, fun
지루하다	Jiruhada	To be boring, tedious
신선하다	Sinseonhada	To be fresh
늙다	Neulgda	To be old (for people)
오래되다	Oraedoeda	To be old (for things)

There are two different ways to conjugate descriptive verbs depending on their position.

DESCRIPTIVE VERB + NOUN is conjugated using the ㄴ/은 structure and it is used to say things like:

• expensive car
• new phone
• pretty clothes
• delicious food
• hot tea

HOWEVER

If you remember, verbs are usually placed at the end and so when the descriptive verb is placed at the end, the 아/어/여 rules apply (but they are slightly different to the action verbs so we will cover them in a future lesson).

It is commonly used in a structure NOUN IS + DESCRIPTIVE VERB.

• This coffee is cold.
• This car is expensive.
• That book is interesting.
• This room is small.

This lesson covers the first type of conjugation so shall we get into it?

Conjugation

DESCRIPTIVE VERB (ADJECTIVE) + ㄴ/은

1. Take a verb i.e. 예쁘다
2. Drop “다” i.e. 예쁘
3. Add appropriate ending based on the below rules (in this case it is 예쁜)

• If the verb stem ends in a vowel, add -ㄴ
• If the verb stem ends in a consonant, add -은
• If the verb stem ends in a consonant “ㅂ”, drop ‘ㅂ’ and add 운
• If the verb stem ends in a consonant “ㄹ”, drop “ㄹ” and add ㄴ

• 비싸다 –> 비싸 + ㄴ –> 비싼 (expensive)
• 빠르다 –> 빠르 +ㄴ –> 빠른 (fast)
• 바쁘다 –> 바쁘 + ㄴ –> 바쁜 (busy)
• 작다 –> 작 + 은 –> 작은 (small)
• 많다 –> 많 +은 –> 많은 (many)
• 무섭다 –> 무서 + 운 –> 무서운 (scary)
• 어렵다 –> 어려 + 운 –> 어려운 (difficult)
• 쉽다 –> 쉬 + 운 –> 쉬운 (easy)
• 멀다 –> 머 + ㄴ –> 먼 (far)

Exceptions

• If the word ends in 있다, it is followed by 는 and becomes 있는
• If the word ends in 없다, it is also followed by 는 and becomes 없는

For example

• 있다 –> 있는
• 재미있다 –> 재미있는
• 없다 –> 없는
• 재미없다 –> 재미없는
• 맛있다 –> 맛있는
• 맛없다 –> 맛없는

Basics of Descriptive verbs (adjectives) in Korean

In Korean, descriptive verbs, commonly referred to as adjectives, serve the essential function of describing or qualifying nouns. Unlike English, where adjectives and verbs are distinct, Korean often uses the term “descriptive verb” to refer to what English speakers might consider an adjective. These descriptive verbs behave similarly to action verbs but are used to describe characteristics or states of being. Here’s an overview of the basics:

Definition and Distinction

• Descriptive Verbs (Adjectives): These verbs describe a quality or condition of a noun. For example, the word “큰” (big) is a descriptive verb that can describe a big house, big tree, etc.
• Action Verbs: In contrast, action verbs describe an action or movement, such as running, eating, or sleeping.

Examples of Common Descriptive Verbs

• “작다” (small)
• “예쁘다” (pretty)
• “빠르다” (fast)
• “맛있다” (delicious)
• “춥다” (cold)
• “덥다” (hot)

Conjugation Similarities

Descriptive verbs are conjugated in similar ways to action verbs in various tenses and speech levels. Understanding the rules of conjugation helps in forming proper sentences.

Usage in Sentences

Descriptive verbs can be used as predicates, like action verbs, or in attributive positions, where they describe a noun directly. For example:

• Predicate position: “카메라 비싸요 ” (The camera is expensive).
• Attributive position: “비싼 카메라” (Expensive camera).

You can see from the above examples that the word “비싸다” changes depending on where in the sentence it is placed whereas in English, it doesn’t change. This is why they are referred to in Korean as descriptive verbs. We will look at how to conjugate them in their predicate position in another lesson, for now let’s just look at the structure of ADJECTIVE + NOUN.

Importance in Korean Language

Descriptive verbs play a vital role in the Korean language, adding richness and nuance to expressions. Learning how to use them properly, especially with specific conjugations like ㄴ/은, will greatly enhance communication skills.

In the next section, we’ll dive into the specific conjugation rules for ㄴ/은 with descriptive verbs, but understanding these basics is the foundation for building that more complex knowledge. By mastering descriptive verbs, students will be able to more precisely and creatively express thoughts and observations in Korean.

Examples

Dictionary form	Conjugated	Example Korean	Example English
작다	작은	작은 도시	Small city
예쁘다	예쁜	예쁜 엄마	Pretty mom
빠른 차	빠른	빠른 차	Fast car
크다	큰	큰 집	Big house
길다	긴	긴 머리	Long hair
덥다	더운	더운 날씨	Hot weather
아름답다	아름다운	아름다운 꽃	Beautiful flower
행복하다	행복한	행복한 가족	Happy family
착하다	착한	착한 친구	Kind friend
똑똑하다	똑똑한	똑똑한 학생	Smart student
맛있다	맛있는	맛있는 은식	Delicious food
깨끗하다	깨끗한	깨끗한 방	Clean room
유명하다	유명한	유명한 배우	Famous actor
편하다	편한	편한 의자	Comfortable chair
진지하다	진지한	진지한 대화	Serious conversation
재미있다	재미있는	재미있는 책	Interesting book
안전하다	안전한	안전한 길	Safe road
부드럽다	부드러운	부드러운 손	Soft hands
새롭다	새로운	새로운 옷	New clothes
건강하다	건강한	건강한 음식	Healthy food

Activity 1

Conjugate the below into adjectives.

1. 크다
2. 맛있다
3. 아름답다
4. 조용하다
5. 길다
6. 덥다
7. 빠르다
8. 멀다
9. 새롭다
10. 무섭다

Activity 2

Translate the below to Korean.

1. New phone
2. Kind child
3. Beautiful weather
4. Small house
5. Long road

Activity 1 Answers

1. 크다 – 큰
2. 맛있다 – 맛있는
3. 아름답다 – 아름다운
4. 조용하다 – 조용한
5. 길다 – 긴
6. 덥다 – 더운
7. 빠르다 – 빠른
8. 멀다 – 먼
9. 새롭다 – 새로운
10. 무섭다 – 무서운

Activity 2 Answers

1. New phone – 새로운 핸드폰
2. Kind child – 착한 아이
3. Beautiful weather – 아름다운 날씨
4. Small house – 작은 집
5. Long road – 긴

Wrap up

And there you have it! You’ve just tackled the wonderful world of Korean adjectives in the attributive position, and now you’re armed with a powerful tool to describe nouns. From “작은 도시” (small city) to “빠른 차” (fast car), you’ve learned to bring colour and life to your sentences.

Remember, practice makes perfect! Feel free to mix and match the adjectives and nouns you’ve learned today. Create your own sentences and express your thoughts more vividly. Korean is not only a language but an art, and you’ve just added a splash of color to your linguistic palette.

Have any questions? Feeling puzzled or just want to brag about your new skills? Leave a comment below, and I’ll be right there with you. If you’ve enjoyed this lesson as much as I enjoyed creating it for you, give yourself a pat on the back. You did awesome! 😄👍

Keep up the great work, and don’t forget to smile. Language learning is a journey, and you’re well on your way! See you in the next lesson, where we’ll continue to explore the fantastic world of Korean.

감사합니다! (Thank you!)