Korean grammar, unit by unit

By the end: Introduce yourself, describe daily life, and handle shops, directions and appointments.

1. 1 자기소개 저는 한국 사람이에요
   이다 to be — the copula that turns a noun into a sentence 5 은/는 vs 이/가 topic particle — what the sentence is about, with a hint of contrast 7
2. 2 가족 회사원이 아니에요
   이/가 subject particle — introduces something as new information 9 이/가 아니다 to not be — the negative of 이다
3. 3 일상생활 저도 드라마를 좋아합니다
   -습니다, -습니까 formal polite ending — announcements, first meetings, the news 12 을/를 object particle — marks what the verb acts on 2 도 also, too — and the particle it quietly replaces
4. 4 학교 여기가 지훈 씨의 학교입니까?
   과/와, 하고 and / with — 과/와 in writing, 하고 in speech 1 의 possessive — and why Koreans drop it more often than not 1
5. 5 날씨 날씨가 좋지 않아요
   -아요 / -어요 polite everyday ending (해요체) — the default register of spoken Korean 12 -지 않다 long-form negation — the fuller, slightly softer 안 1
6. 6 친구 친구한테 편지를 써요
   에게, 한테 to a person — 에게 in writing, 한테 in speech 1 만 only, just — and why it takes a positive verb where 밖에 takes a negative 1
7. 7 위치 지금 어디에 있어요?
   (장소)에 at, to — a destination or a static location 1 에서 where an action happens, and where you came from
8. 8 날짜 토요일에 친구를 만났어요
   -았-/-었- past tense — built on the same stem rule as 해요체 4 (시간)에 at a time — and the time words that refuse it 3
9. 9 운동 저는 수영을 못해요
   부터 from — a starting point in time -지 못하다 long-form 못 — unable rather than unwilling 1
10. 10 약속 같이 점심을 먹을까요?
    -을까 shall we? — a suggestion phrased as a question 2 -읍시다 let's — direct, and not for people senior to you 1 -고 and — listing and plain sequence, with no causal claim 1
11. 11 음식 떡볶이는 매워서 잘 못 먹어요
    -아서 / -어서 because — statement only, never before a command 2 -고 싶다 want to — and why it cannot describe someone else 1
12. 12 쇼핑 운동화를 좀 보고 싶어요
    -지만 but — the plain contrast, blunter than 는데 보다 than — the comparison particle
13. 13 취미 케이 팝(K-pop) 댄스를 출 수 있어요?
    -을 수 있다 can, cannot — ability and possibility -고 있다 be doing — the progressive 1
14. 14 여행 고향에 가기 전에 여행을 할 거예요
    -기 전에 before doing — the mirror of -은 후에 -으려고 intending to, in order to
15. 15 건강 약을 먹은 후에 푹 쉬세요
    -은 후에 after doing — plain sequence, no stress on finishing -으세요 polite command — and the honorific present tense 2
16. 16 교통 여기에서 서울역까지 어떻게 가요?
    에서, 까지 from here to there — the pair that marks a route -으십시오 formal command — signs, announcements, service speech
17. 17 집들이 집들이에 뭘 사 가야 돼요?
    -어야 되다 have to, must — the obligation half of the 되다 family 1 -고요 softening a statement or answer
18. 18 여가 길이 막히니까 공연장까지 지하철로 갑시다
    (으)로 by, toward, as — one particle doing three jobs -(으)니까 because — the one that works before commands and suggestions 2
19. 19 길 찾기 저랑 같이 사러 가요
    -으러 in order to — with verbs of going and coming 이랑 and / with — the casual spoken one
20. 20 방문 어머니께서 꽃을 좋아하세요
    께서 honorific subject particle — for someone you elevate -으시- honorific infix — raises the person you are talking about 5

By the end: Maintain conversation on familiar topics, make plans, and handle public services.

1. 1 날씨 비가 너무 많이 오네요
   -겠- guessing or promising — the ending Koreans use for weather and for offers 2 -네 noticing something out loud — mild surprise, said to yourself and to others
2. 2 쇼핑 동대문에 가 보세요
   에게서, 한테서 from a person — the receiving end of 에게 / 한테 -어 보다 try doing — and in the past, "have you ever" 1
3. 3 외모 엄마 친구는 어떻게 생겼어요?
   -은, -는 turning a verb or adjective into something that describes a noun 께 the honorific 에게 — for someone you would not say 한테 to
4. 4 장보기 불고기를 해 먹는 게 어때요?
   -는데① setting up background before the main point 1 -는 것 turning a whole clause into a noun you can talk about
5. 5 주문 주문할게요
   -을게 I'll do it — a promise to the person in front of you -기 making a noun out of a verb, the plain way
6. 6 휴가 휴가를 어떻게 보내기로 했어요?
   -은 적이 있다 have done it at least once — experience, not past tense -기로 하다 decided to — a plan you settled on
7. 7 건강 찬 음식을 너무 많이 먹지 마세요
   -게 turning an adjective into "how" something is done -지 말다 don't — the negative command
8. 8 영화 오늘 저녁에 뭐 할래요?
   -을래 shall I? will you? — casual intention, for people close to you 밖에 nothing but — and why the verb after it must be negative
9. 9 휴일 주말마다 산에 가요
   -는데② but, though — contrast so soft it barely sounds like disagreement 마다 every — each and all of them
10. 10 학교생활 밤 10시 이후로는 조용히 할 것
    -을 것 rules and notices — the ending signs are written in -을 수밖에 없다 have no choice but to
11. 11 공공서비스 약속 장소에 가다가 돌아왔어요
    -다가 doing one thing, then switching mid-way 에서부터 starting from — a stronger 에서
12. 12 대인관계 사비나 씨는 어떤 사람을 좋아해요?
    -은 describing a noun by what already happened to it -어 주다 doing something for someone else — the favour built into the verb 1
13. 13 가정생활 집안일을 나눠서 하는 게 어때?
    -는 동안에 while, during — two things filling the same stretch of time -으면서 doing two things at once — and its hidden contrastive use
14. 14 생활 편의시설 한국에서 찜질방은 처음인데요
    -지 seeking agreement — "right?" tacked onto a sentence -기 때문에 because — the written, more formal reason 1 -음 the nominaliser of notes and signs, not conversation
15. 15 배달 치킨 두 마리를 주문하려고 해요
    에다가 onto, into — adding something to a place -으면 if, when — the all-purpose conditional 1
16. 16 의복 이 원피스를 입어 봐도 돼요?
    처럼 like, as — comparing one thing to another -어도 되다 may I? — asking and granting permission
17. 17 취미 저는 시간이 있을 때 요리해요
    -을 때 when — the moment something happens -게 되다 ending up that way — a change you did not choose 에게로 toward a person — direction rather than destination
18. 18 모임 대한 씨 딸이 태어난 지 벌써 1년이 됐어요?
    -은 지 how long it has been since -어 있다 staying in a state after the action finished -는군 realising something on the spot, half to yourself
19. 19 집 저도 학교 근처로 이사할까 봐요
    -거나 or — choosing between actions 이나 or — choosing between nouns, often with a hint of settling -을까 보다 thinking I might — a plan you are still weighing
20. 20 약속 이번 일요일은 좀 어려울 것 같아요
    -을 describing a noun by what has not happened yet -을 것 같다 I think, it seems — the hedge Koreans put on almost everything 2

By the end: Handle social life without difficulty, give opinions and advice, and switch register appropriately.

1. 3A·1 모임 약속 시간에 늦으면 안 돼요
   -으려면 if you intend to — a condition about your own plan -으면 되다/안 되다 it's fine if / you must not — permission and prohibition as a pair 으로부터 from — the written 에게서, used for sources and origins
2. 3A·2 만남과 추억 어제 친구를 우연히 기차역에서 만났어요
   -어도 even if — granting the condition and going ahead anyway -잖아(요) you know — and why it sounds accusing when the listener does not 1 -고 싶어 하다 what someone else wants — the third-person 고 싶다
3. 3A·3 계획과 바람 열심히 노력해야 목표를 이룰 수 있어요
   -으나 but — the written, more measured 지만 -어야 only if — the condition that has to be met first 뿐 only that and nothing else — stronger and more written than 만
4. 3A·4 자기 계발 꾸준히 운동을 하면 건강해져요
   -는다 the plain written ending of books, diaries and news -어지다 becoming — an adjective turning into a change of state
5. 3A·5 관람과 감상 우리 팀이 이겨서 정말 신나더라
   -니? asking casually — to a close friend or someone younger -어라 the blunt command — friends, anger, and sports crowds -자 let's — the casual version of 읍시다 -는구나 realising something with feeling, out loud -더라 reporting what you saw yourself, and found worth mentioning -더군(요) the same as 더라, one step more polite -다가 while doing one thing, something else happened
6. 3A·6 취미 오랜만에 영화를 보니 정말 재미있었어요
   -나 보다 I guess — a guess from evidence, with verbs -는가 보다 the same guess, attached differently -으니 on doing it, I found that — discovery rather than cause -은 결과 as a result of — the written summary phrase
7. 3A·7 휴식과 휴가 여행을 가는 대신에 집에서 쉬는 것이 좋겠네요
   -느라고 because I was busy doing — and why the result is always negative -자마자 the instant one thing ends, the next begins -는 대신에 instead of — swapping one action for another -어야지 I really should — a resolution you make to yourself
8. 3A·8 인터넷과 컴퓨터 궁금한 것은 인터넷 게시판에 댓글로 남겨 주세요
   -어야겠- I'd better — deciding on the spot -을 텐데 it probably would, but — a guess with a "but" hanging off it 요 the 요 you can stick on almost anything to make it polite
9. 3A·9 성격과 외모 제 친구는 성격이 활발해요
   -었었- the past before the past — and why it implies "not any more" -어 보이다 looks that way — judging by appearance alone -거든① because, you see — explaining something the listener did not know
10. 3A·10 능력과 평판 공부면 공부, 운동이면 운동 정말 못하는 게 없는 것 같아요
    -는 편이다 tends to be — softening a judgment into a tendency 같이 like, as — the spoken counterpart of 처럼 이면 if it's — listing things by pairing them up
11. 3B·11 식품 채소를 사려거든 시장에 가세요
    -기 위해 in order to — the written purpose -거든② if you happen to — a condition before a command 이고 and — listing in the written register
12. 3B·12 외식 오늘은 제가 점심을 살 테니 새로 생긴 한식당에 가요
    -을 테니 since I will — my intention as your reason -도록 so that, until — the result you are aiming at
13. 3B·13 요리 고기를 양념에 넣고 나서 30분 기다립니다
    -는 만큼 as much as — proportion between two things 만큼 as much as — the particle version -고 나다 after finishing — the completion is the point -은 다음에 after — plain sequence, with no emphasis on completion
14. 3B·14 일정 휴가철이 다 되어 가는데 휴가 계획은 세웠어요?
    -어 가다/오다 gradually getting there, or coming this way over time -는다고① quoting what someone said — the plain reported statement 만 아니면 if it weren't for — the one thing standing in the way -고서 and then — where the first action shapes the second
15. 3B·15 숙소 여행을 가려고 인터넷에서 숙소를 찾는 중이에요
    -는 중이다 in the middle of doing -는다고② quoting, in a different sentence position 이란 the thing called — introducing a definition 이라고 quoting a noun, or naming something
16. 3B·16 여행 준비와 짐 싸기 여행 가방을 잃어버리지 않도록 가방에 이름표를 달았어요
    -어 가지고 and then, with that — spoken and a bit casual -던데① I noticed, and — reporting what you saw, inviting a response -어다가 doing it there and bringing it here
17. 3B·17 의복 흰색 셔츠가 청바지와 잘 어울려요
    -기는 as for doing it — conceding before you disagree -으면 좋겠다 I wish, it would be nice if -어 드리다 doing something for someone you respect — the humble 어 주다
18. 3B·18 생활용품 중고 소파를 사려다가 새 제품을 샀어요
    -으려다가 I was going to, but then -고 말다 ended up doing it — usually regret, sometimes relief -는 반면 whereas, while on the other hand
19. 3B·19 인간관계와 예절 한국 예절에 대하여 조언해 주세요
    -던 the noun modifier for something unfinished or habitual in the past -는 탓에 because of — blame, and only for bad outcomes 에 대하여 about, regarding — the written 에 대해
20. 3B·20 사회생활 내일 회의 준비는 다 됐어요?
    -는다거나① quoting alternatives — saying this or that -게 하다 make someone do it — the causative built from scratch 보고 telling someone — the spoken particle for the person addressed