Adjectives

Question 1

있다

Answer 1

to have something

Common Usages:
할 말이 있다 = to have something to say
할 게 없다 = to have nothing to do
할 게 많다 = to have a lot to do

Notes: ~이/가 must be attached to the object that is being possessed.

Examples:
저는 펜이 있어요 = I have a pen
저는 많은 돈이 있어요 = I have a lot of money
질문이 있어요? = Do you have a question?
저는 내일 할 일이 있어요 = I have something I need to do tomorrow
한국에서는 모든 집에 밥솥이 있어요 = All houses in Korea have a rice cooker

Question 2

크다

Answer 2

to be big

크다 follows the ㅡ irregular.

Common Usages:
키가 크다 = to be tall
키가 몇 센티예요? = How tall are you?
키가 얼마나 돼요? = How tall are you?

Examples:
그 집은 아주 커요 = That house is very big
저는 남동생보다 키가 더 커요 = I am taller (my height is bigger) than my brother

Question 3

작다

Answer 3

to be small

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “작따”

Common Usages:
키가 작다 = to be short

Example:
저는 작은 집에서 살아요 = I live in a small house
이것은 너무 작은가요? = Is this too small?
당근을 작은 조각으로 자르세요 = Cut the carrots into small pieces, please
이 셔츠가 너무 작아서 못 입어요 = I can’t put this shirt on because it is too small
이 바지가 너무 작아서 다른 것으로 바꿀 거예요 I’m going to change these pants to another (a different) pair because they are too small

Question 4

새롭다

Answer 4

to be new

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “새롭따”

새롭다 follows the ㅂ irregular.

Examples:
저는 새로운 차를 샀어요 = I bought a new car
그 병원은 새로워요 = That hospital is new
저는 새로운 차를 사고 싶어요 = I want to buy a new car
저는 새로운 안경을 샀어요 = I bought new glasses
저는 새로운 바지를 사야 돼요 = I need to buy new pants
우리 회사는 새로운 회사원을 찾고 있어요 = Our company is looking for new workers
새로운 핸드폰을 사고 전화번호를 바꿨어요 = After buying a new phone, I changed my phone number

Question 5

낡다

Answer 5

to be old (not age)

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “낙따”

Notes: This word is not used to describe a person, only an object. Instead, it describes that something is old/worn down. To describe a person you should use 늙다. To describe something that is old (but still nice, like a historical building), you should use 오래되다.

Example:
이 학교 건물은 매우 낡아요 = This school’s building is very old
이 집은 너무 낡아요 = This house is very old

Question 6

비싸다

Answer 6

to be expensive

Example:
이것은 너무 비싸요 = This (thing) is too expensive
집 값은 비싸지고 있어 = House prices are getting expensive

Question 7

싸다

Answer 7

to not be expensive, to be cheap

Example:
이 가게는 싼 음식을 팔아요 = this store sells cheap/inexpensive food

Question 8

아름답다

Answer 8

to be beautiful

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “아름답따”

아름답다 follows the ㅂ irregular.

Common Usages:
아름다운 여자 = beautiful girl

Examples:
그 여자가 너무 아름다워요 = That girl is very beautiful
그 선생님은 아름다워요 = That teacher is beautiful
저의 아내는 아름답다 = My wife is beautiful
Lyrics from ‘강남스타일’: “아름다워 사랑스러워 그래 너 hey 그래 바로 너 hey”

Question 9

뚱뚱하다

Answer 9

to be fat, to be chubby

Example:
그 사람은 너무 뚱뚱해요 = That person is very fat
형은 아버지보다 더 뚱뚱해요 = My older brother is fatter than my dad

Question 10

길다

Answer 10

to be long

길다 follows the ㄹ irregular.

Example:
저 여자의 머리는 길어요 = That girl’s hair is long
저의 손가락은 길어요 = My finger is long
줄이 왜 이렇게 길어요? = Why is the line so big/long?
한국에서는 겨울 방학이 여름 방학보다 더 길어요 = In Korea, winter vacation is longer than summer vacation

Question 11

좋다

Answer 11

to be good

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “조타”

Notes: Although this translates to “good,” it is often used to say that one “likes” something.

Examples:
우리 학교는 매우 좋아요 = Our school is very good
저는 우리 학교가 좋아요 = I like our school
그 선생님은 좋아요 = that teacher is good
아무 때나 좋아요 = Anytime is good
날씨가 좋아서 산책하는 것은 즐거워요 = It is pleasant to go to for a walk because the weather is so good

Question 12

위험하다

Answer 12

to be dangerous

The noun form of this word translates to “danger”

Common Usages:
위험성 = riskiness
위험물 = something dangerous

Examples:
그 장소가 너무 위험해서 가지 마세요 = That place is very dangerous, so don’t go
이런 일은 위험해요 = This type of work is dangerous
그 사람은 위험한 남자입니다 = That person is a dangerous man

Question 13

잘생기다

Answer 13

to be handsome

Notes: A composition of the adverb 잘 (well) and the verb 생기다 (to look like), which means it gets conjugated as a verb. It typically conjugates to the past tense (잘생겼다) even when talking about the present tense.

Examples:
그 남자는 너무 잘생겼어요 = That man is very handsome
저는 잘생긴 남자를 만나요 = I meet a handsome man
파란 눈이 있는 남자가 가장 잘생겼어요 = Men with blue eyes are the most handsome
그는 별로 잘생기지 않았다 = He’s not that handsome
그는 전혀 잘생기지 않았다 = He’s not handsome at all

Question 14

못생기다

Answer 14

to be ugly

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “몯쌩기다”

Notes: A composition of the adverb 못 (not well, poorly) and the verb 생기다. Like 잘생기다, it is conjugated as a verb in the past tense.

Example:
그 남자는 너무 못생겼어요 = That man is very ugly
그 여자는 우리 반에서 제일 못생긴 여자예요 = That girl is the ugliest in our class

Question 15

피곤하다

Answer 15

to be tired

The noun form of this word translates to “tiredness” or “fatigue”

Example:
저는 일을 많이 해서 너무 피곤해요 = I am very tired because I worked a lot
너무 피곤해서 자고 싶어요 = I want to sleep because I am so tired
피곤한 사람은 침대에 누워서 잤어요 = The tired person lied on the bed and slept
잠을 못 자면 다음 날에 몸이 피곤해져요 = If you don’t sleep well, the next day you will be tired

Question 16

다르다

Answer 16

to be different

다르다 follows the 르 irregular.

Common Usages:
또 따른 = another

Notes: When saying something is different “from” something, 와/과/랑/이랑 must be attached to the noun that is being compared.

Examples:
저는 다른 영화를 보고 싶어요 = I want to see a different movie
우리는 매우 달라요 = We are so different
그 건물은 어제와 달라요 = That building is different from yesterday
고양이는 강아지와 달라요 = Cats are different than dogs
캐나다는 한국과 문화적으로 달라요 = Canada and Korea are culturally different
서양사람들은 동양사람들과 달라요 = Western people are different than Eastern people
그 여자가 오늘 화장을 하지 않아서 아주 달라 보여요 = That girl looks very different today because she didn’t do her makeup

Question 17

슬프다

Answer 17

to be sad

슬프다 follows the ㅡ irregular.

Common Usages:
슬퍼하지 마세요 = Don’t be sad

Example:
우리 할아버지가 죽어서 저는 너무 슬퍼요 = I am very sad because my grandfather died
저의 여자친구는 어제 너무 슬퍼 보였어요 = My girlfriend looked really sad yesterday
제가 슬프다면 친구를 만나지 않을 거예요 = If I am sad, I’m not going to meet my friend

Question 18

맛있다

Answer 18

to be delicious

Although technically a combination of the noun “맛” (taste) and “있다” (to have) 맛있다 is officially seen as one word (literally meaning “to have taste”) and the pronunciation of ㅅ in “맛” is transferred to the next syllable. This makes the entire word sound like “마싣따.”

Conversely, 맛없다, which means “to not be delicious,” is officially seen as two words (literally meaning “to not have taste”). As such, the pronunciation of ㅅ in “맛” is usually not transferred to the next syllable and the entire word sounds like “마덥따”

Common Usages:
맛있는 음식 = delicious food

Examples:
맛있는 것을 먹고 싶어요 = I want to eat something delicious
빨간 사과는 가장 맛있어요 = Red apples are the most delicious
사과는 가장 맛있는 과일이에요 = Apples are the most delicious fruit
한식은 너무 맛있어요 = Korean food is very delicious

Question 19

재미있다

Answer 19

to be fun/funny

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “재미읻따”

Notes:
Like the word “맛있다,” 재미있다 is made up of “재미” and “있다” (to have). Therefore, even though 재미있다 is an adjective (funny), it is conjugated like 있다.

Examples:
그 영화가 너무 재미있었어요 = That movie was very funny
그 남자는 재미있는 남자예요 = That man is a funny person
제가 보고 있는 영화는 재미있어요 = The movie I am watching is funny
친구를 만났으면 재미있었을 것이다 = If I had met my friend, it would have been fun
설사를 하는 것은 재미있어요 = Having diarrhea is fun

Question 20

많다

Answer 20

to be many of, to be a lot of

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “만타”

Notes: An adjective that means “many,” 많다 can be placed before a noun to describe it, for example: 많은 사람은 저를 좋아해요 (many people like me). However, 많다 is more naturally used by using the ~는 것 principle. For example: 저를 좋아하는 사람은 많아요 (literally: there are many people who like me). The ~는 것 principle is very difficult to describe.

Examples:
그 회사에서 일하는 사람은 많아요 = There are many people who work at that company.
지난 주에 저는 계획이 많았어요 = I had a lot of plans last week
동대문시장에서 아주머니가 많아요 = There are a lot of older women in Dongdaemun market
그곳에서 구경하는 사람이 많아요 = There are a lot of people sightseeing in that place)
저는 거기에 사람이 많을 것 같아서 가고 싶지 않아요 = I don’t want to go there because there will probably be too many

Question 21

행복하다

Answer 21

to be happy

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “행보카다”

Common Usages:
행복한 사람 = happy person

Example:
저는 매우 행복한 사람이에요 = I am a very happy person
저는 공원에 가는 날에 항상 행복해요 = I am always happy on the days I go to the park
왜 그렇게 행복해 보여요? = Why do you look so happy?
저는 행복하기 때문에 죽고 싶지 않아요 = I don’t want to die because I am happy
저는 돈을 받을 때 행복할 거예요 = When I receive (the) money, I will be happy
내가 행복하면 숙제를 잘 해 = When/If I am happy, I do my homework well
제가 행복하다면 일을 더 잘 할 거예요 = If I am happy, I will work harder

Question 22

행복하다

Answer 22

to be happy

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “행보카다”

Common Usages:
행복한 사람 = happy person

Example:
저는 매우 행복한 사람이에요 = I am a very happy person
저는 공원에 가는 날에 항상 행복해요 = I am always happy on the days I go to the park
왜 그렇게 행복해 보여요? = Why do you look so happy?
저는 행복하기 때문에 죽고 싶지 않아요 = I don’t want to die because I am happy
저는 돈을 받을 때 행복할 거예요 = When I receive (the) money, I will be happy
내가 행복하면 숙제를 잘 해 = When/If I am happy, I do my homework well
제가 행복하다면 일을 더 잘 할 거예요 = If I am happy, I will work harder

Question 23

지루하다

Answer 23

to be boring

Notes: In English we use similar words to describe that one is bored, and that something is boring. However, in Korean, these are separate words. If you are bored, you can use “심심하다.” If something is boring (and thus, making you bored), you can use “지루하다”

Example:
수업은 매우 지루해요 = Class is so boring

Question 24

마르다

Answer 24

for a person to be too thin

마르다 follows the 르 Irregular.

Notes: This is usually used in a negative way.

If you are telling somebody that they look (too) thin, this is usually used in the past tense. For example: 형! 너무 말랐어! = (Brother!) You look so thin!

Example:
보통 모델들은 말라요 = Models are usually thin

Question 25

멀다

Answer 25

to be far away

멀다 follows the ㄹ Irregular.

Example:
우리 집은 너무 멀어요 = Our home is very far
저는 먼 병원에 갔어요 = I went to a far away hospital (a hospital that is far away)

Question 26

마르다

Answer 26

to be dry

마르다 follows the 르 Irregular.

Notes:
Most commonly used as “목 마르다” (literally: dry throat) to indicate that one is thirsty.

Example:
그 강은 완전히 말랐어요 = That river has completely dried up

Question 27

비슷하다

Answer 27

to be similar

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “비스타다”

Examples:
저와 저의 아버지는 너무 비슷해요 = My father and I are very similar
저는 친구와 비슷해요 = I am similar to my friend

Question 28

싫다

Answer 28

to not be good

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “실타”

Common Usages:
가기 싫다 = to not want to go
먹기 싫다 = to not want to eat

Notes: 싫다 can be used to say “one does not like” by attaching ~이/가 to an object.

Example:
저는 그 사람이 싫어요 = I don’t like that person
학교가 싫어요 = I don’t like school
맥주가 싫어요 = I don’t like beer

Question 29

오래되다

Answer 29

for an object to be old

Notes:
Like 낡다, 오래되다 can only be used to describe objects – but 낡다 implies that the object in question is also damaged/rugged in some form. Using 오래되다 simply implies that it is has been a long time since something was built/released/bought, etc…

Example:
저는 저의 오래된 핸드폰을 팔았어요 = I sold my old phone
그 식당이 오래되었다 = That restaurant is old
우리는 오래된 집에 갔다 = We went to the old house
한국문화는 오래됐고 흥미로워요 = Korean culture is long/old and interesting
오늘 새로운 복사기가 올 거라서 이 오래된 것을 버려야 돼요 = The new photocopier will come today, so we have to throw out this old one

Question 30

배고프다

Answer 30

to be hungry

Notes: This is sometimes as “배가 고프다”

Common Usages:
배고파 죽겠다 = I’m so hungry I could die

Examples: 나는 별로 배고프지 않아 = I’m not really hungry
저는 먹고 싶지만 배고프지 않아요 = Even though I want to eat, I am not hungry
밥을 안 먹으면 배고플 거야 = If you don’t eat, you will be hungry

Question 31

빠르다

Answer 31

to be fast

빠르다 follows the 르 irregular.

Notes: The adverb form of this word is 빨리

Example:
그 차는 너무 빨라요 = That car is too fast
택시는 버스보다 더 빨라요 = The taxi is quicker than the bus

Question 32

느리다

Answer 32

to be slow

Notes:
느리다 is used when “slow” has a negative meaning, usually from moving too slow. For the positive meaning, the adverb “천천히” is used. For example: 천천히 먹어 = eat slowly

Example:
이 인터넷은 왜 이렇게 느려요? = Why is this internet so slow?

Question 33

착하다

Answer 33

to be nice

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “차카다”

Notes: Another common way to say “nice” is “친절하다”

Examples:
한국 사람들은 보통 아주 착해요 = Korean people are usually very nice
저의 첫 번째 친구는 착했어요 = My first friend was nice

Question 34

쉽다

Answer 34

to be easy

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “쉽따”

쉽다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Examples:
그 일은 너무 쉬웠어요 = that task was very easy
저는 쉬운 일을 했어요 = I did easy work
누구나 그 쉬운 일을 잘 해요 = Anybody can do that easy job well

Question 35

덥다

Answer 35

to be hot

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “덥따”

덥다follows this ㅂ irregular

Common Usages:
날씨가 덥다 = the weather is hot

Notes: 덥다 is only used to talk about the weather or one’s body, not the temperature of objects.

Examples:
오늘 날씨가 너무 더워요 = Today the weather is too hot
오늘은 어제보다 더 더워 = Today is hotter than yesterday
너무 더워서 창문을 열었어요 = I opened a window because it is too hot
날씨가 춥다가 갑자기 더워졌어요 = The weather was cold, and then suddenly became hot
오늘 날씨가 너무 더워 가지고 약속을 취소했어요 = Because the weather is so hot today, I cancelled my plans

Question 36

그립다

Answer 36

to miss (a thing)

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “그립따”

그립다 follows this ㅂ irregular

Notes: “보고 싶다” can is used when one misses a person.

In English “to miss” is a verb. 그립다 is an adjective in Korean that describes the feeling that is felt when one misses something. It is more commonly used when one misses a non-person. As an adjective, it must get treated as one. Therefore, in order to say that one misses something, it is commonly used in the Subject – Object – Adjective form that is taught in Lesson 15.

Examples:
저는 우리 학교가 그리워요 = I miss our school
저는 한국 음식이 그리워요 = I miss Korean food
저는 결혼한 게 좋지만 한편으로 결혼 전 생활도 그리워요 = I like being married, but, on the other hand, I also miss my life before I got married

Question 37

그립다

Answer 37

to miss (a thing)

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “그립따”

그립다 follows this ㅂ irregular

Notes: “보고 싶다” can is used when one misses a person.

In English “to miss” is a verb. 그립다 is an adjective in Korean that describes the feeling that is felt when one misses something. It is more commonly used when one misses a non-person. As an adjective, it must get treated as one. Therefore, in order to say that one misses something, it is commonly used in the Subject – Object – Adjective form that is taught in Lesson 15.

Examples:
저는 우리 학교가 그리워요 = I miss our school
저는 한국 음식이 그리워요 = I miss Korean food
저는 결혼한 게 좋지만 한편으로 결혼 전 생활도 그리워요 = I like being married, but, on the other hand, I also miss my life before I got married

Question 38

귀엽다

Answer 38

to be cute

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “귀엽따”

귀엽다follows this ㅂ irregular

Common Usages:
귀여운 여자 = cute girl

Examples:
저의 여자 친구는 너무 귀여워요 = My girlfriend is very cute
그 여자는 귀여워요 That girl is cute
저는 귀여운 여자를 좋아해요 = I like cute girls
그 강아지의 꼬리는 아주 귀여워요 = That puppy’s tail is very cute

동생이 너무 귀여워서 가끔씩 동생의 볼을 꼬집어요
= My younger sibling is so cute that sometimes I pinch his/her cheeks

슬기의 볼이 통통하고 귀여워서 매일 뽀뽀해주고 싶어요
= Seulgi’s cheeks are very chubby and cute, so I want kiss them everyday

길을 걷다가 시선이 느껴져서 쳐다보니 귀여운 남자가 저를 보며 서 있었어요
= I was walking down the street and I felt somebody looking at me, so I looked and saw a cute man standing there looking at me

기린의 털 때문에 기린이 노란색 옷을 입은 것 같이 보였다. 나는 기린이 목이 길어서 무서울 줄 알았는데 오히려 귀여웠다.
= Because of their fur, it looked like the giraffes were wearing yellow clothes. Giraffes have long necks, therefore I thought they would be scary, rather, they were cute.

Question 39

춥다

Answer 39

to be cold

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “춥따”

춥다 follows this ㅂ irregular

Common Usages:
날씨가 춥다 = the weather is cold

Notes:
춥다 is only used to talk about the weather or one’s body, not the temperature of objects.

Examples:
캐나다는 겨울이 추운 나라예요 = Canada is a cold country in the winter
날씨는 주말에 추워졌어요 = The weather got cold over the weekend
너무 추워서 저는 겨울이 싫어요 = I don’t like winter because it is too cold
현재 날씨는 평소보다 조금 추워요 = The present/recent weather is colder than normal
요즘에 날씨가 점점 추워져요 = Lately, the weather is getting gradually colder
날씨가 추워서 따뜻한 옷을 입었어요 = The weather is cold, so I put on warm clothes

Question 40

어렵다

Answer 40

to be difficult

어렵다 follows the ㅂ irregular

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “어렵따”

Common Usages:
어려운 문제 = difficult problem

Examples:
수학은 너무 어려워요 = Math is too difficult
한국에서 대학교는 고등학교보다 덜 어려워요 = In Korea, University is not as hard as high school
저는 어려운 내용을 천천히 설명했어요 = I explained the difficult content slowly
부장님을 만족시키는 것은 어려워요 = Is it is difficult to satisfy our boss
고등학교는 한국에서 어려워요 = High school is difficult in Korea

Question 41

더럽다

Answer 41

to be dirty

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “더럽따”

더럽다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Example:
우리 집은 지금 매우 더러워요 = Our house is really dirty right now
쥐는 너무 더러워요 = Rats are very dirty
바다는 춥고 더러워요 = The ocean is cold and dirty
제가 세수를 하지 않았기 때문에 얼굴이 더러워 보여요 = My face looks dirty because I didn’t wash it

Question 42

바쁘다

Answer 42

to be busy

바쁘다 follows the ㅡ irregular

Examples:
제가 너무 바빠서 내일 못 가요 = I can’t go tomorrow because I am so busy
저는 어제 너무 바빴어요 = I was very/too busy yesterday

이달 초에 친구들과 모임이 많을 거여서 매우 바쁠 것 같아요
= I will probably be very busy at the beginning of this month because I have a lot of meetings with friends

우리가 원래 내일 만나기로 했는데 우리 둘 다 너무 바빠서 다음 주로 연기했어요
= We originally decided to meet tomorrow, but we delayed it to next week because we were both so busy

Question 43

같다

Answer 43

to be the same

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “갇따”

Common Usages:
~ㄹ 것 같다 grammatical principle (Introduced in Lesson 35)
똑같다 (exactly the same)

Example:
저는 같은 바지가 있어요 = I have the same pants
캐나다 사람들은 한국 사람들과 같아요 = Canadian people are the same as Korean people
이 학교는 우리 학교와 같아요 = This school and our school are the same
저 식당은 이 식당과 같아요 = That restaurant is the same as this one
우리 아빠는 저것을 싫어할 것 같아요 = Dad will probably not like that
선생님이 그 수업을 하지 않을 것 같아요 = The teacher probably won’t (teach) that lesson

Question 44

안전하다

Answer 44

to be safe

Common Usages:
안전띠 = safety belt, seat belt

Examples:
이 직업은 안전해서 좋아요 = This job is good because it is safe
저는 거리를 안전하게 건넜어요 = I crossed the street safely
우리 아버지는 차를 항상 안전하게 운전해요= Our dad always drives his car safely
주위가 안전하지 않아요 = This area/surrounding area isn’t safe

그 아파트가 경비 아저씨가 있지만 안전하지 않아요
= Even though that apartment (complex) has a security guard, it isn’t safe

사람들이 운전을 할 때 신호를 준수해야 안전해요
= When people drive, only when they obey the traffic signals is it safe

Question 45

딱딱하다

Answer 45

to be hard, to be rigid

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “딱따카다”

Examples:
이 빵은 너무 딱딱해요 = This bread is too hard
다이아몬드는 딱딱하다 = Diamonds are hard
저는 반죽을 딱딱할 때까지 저었어요 = I stirred the batter until it was hard
바나나가 초록색일수록 딱딱해요 = The greener bananas are, the harder they are

저는 디스크가 있어서 딱딱한 바닥에서 자야 돼요
= I have a herniated disk, so I need to sleep on a hard floor

너무 딱딱한 음식을 많이 먹으면 턱에 무리가 가서 좋지 않아요
= If you eat a lot of hard food, it puts too much stress on your chin so it is not good

Question 46

부드럽다

Answer 46

to be soft

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “부드럽따”

부드럽다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Examples:
그녀의 손은 부드러워요 = Her hands are very soft
그 여자의 피부가 너무 부드러워요 = That girl’s skin is very smooth/soft
손이 부드럽지 않아서 로션을 발랐어요 = I put lotion on my hands because they weren’t soft
매우 부드럽고도 이상한 느낌이었다 = It had a very soft, but also a very strange feel
이 베개를 저것과 비교하면 이 베개가 훨씬 부드러워요 = If you compare this pillow with that one, this pillow is much softer

Question 47

가능하다

Answer 47

to be possible

Common Usages:
가능성 = possibility
환불 가능 = refunds are possible (you would see this on a sign in a store)
교환 가능 = exchanges are possible (usually seen on a sign at a store)

Examples:
그것이 가능하다고 생각해요? = Do you think that is possible?
그것은 경제적으로 가능하지 않아요 = That isn’t economically possible
교환은 1주일 이내 가능합니다 = Exchanges are possible within one week

정부는 지진 가능성 때문에 적색 경보를 내렸어요
= The government issued a red alert because of the possibility of an earthquake

북한 사람들이 북한에서 탈출할 때도 잡혀서 죽을 가능성이 있어요
= It is possible for North Korean people to be captured and killed even when they are trying to escape the country

Question 48

불가능하다

Answer 48

to be impossible

Example:
그것을 움직이는 것이 불가능해요 = It is impossible to move that

Question 49

예쁘다

Answer 49

to be pretty

예쁘다 follows the ㅡ irregular

Common Usages:
예쁜 여자 = pretty girl

Example:
그 여자가 너무 예뻐요 = That girl is very pretty
저의 여자 친구는 귀엽고 예뻐요 = My girlfriend is cute and pretty
그 여자의 구두가 예뻐요 = That girl’s boots are pretty
여자 친구는 얼마나 예뻐요? = How pretty is your girlfriend?
그 여자들은 예뻐요 = Those girls are pretty

Question 50

나쁘다

Answer 50

to be bad

나쁘다 follows the ㅡ irregular

Common Usages:
나쁜 사람 = bad person
건강에 나쁘다 = for something to be unhealthy

Example:
그것은 건강에 나빠요 = That is bad for your health
그 사람의 상황은 나빠요 = That person’s situation is not good
그 학생의 태도가 나빠요 = That student’s attitude is bad
담배는 건강에 나빠요 = Cigarettes are bad for your health (unhealthy)
공기가 나빠서 저는 숨을 못 쉬어요 = I can’t breathe because the air is bad
나쁜 소식이 있어요 = There is some bad news
그 나쁜 짓을 왜 했어요? = Why did you do that (bad action)?
친구는 나쁜 학교에 가고 있어요 = My friend is going to the bad school

Question 51

늙다

Answer 51

to be old

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “늑따”

Notes:
This is typically only used when somebody is actually old, not when somebody is comparatively older than somebody else.

Example:
늙은 아주머니는 넘어졌어요 = The old lady fell over

Question 52

젊다

Answer 52

to be young

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “점따”

Example:
그녀는 다른 사람보다 젊어 보여요 = She looks younger than other people

Question 53

중요하다

Answer 53

to be important

Common Usages:
중요성 = importance

Examples:
그 개념은 중요하지 않아요 = That concept is not important
가족은 가장 중요해요 = Family is the most important
학생들한테 영어회화는 중요하지 않아요 = English conversation isn’t important to Korean students
학생들이 영어를 배우는 것은 중요해요 = It is important for students to learn English
이 문제는 시민보건에 아주 중요한 것 같아요 = That problem is probably very important to the health of the citizens

Question 54

똑똑하다

Answer 54

to be smart

Common Usages:
똑똑한 학생 = smart student

Examples:
우리 학교에는 똑똑한 학생들이 많아요 = There are a lot of smart students at our school
그 사람은 착하고 똑똑해요 = That person is kind and smart
여자들이 예뻐도 똑똑하지 않으면 매력이 없어요 = Regardless of how pretty girls are, if they are not smart, they have no charm
선생님들은 학생들보다 더 똑똑해요 = Teachers are smarter than students
저는 똑똑한 여자들만 좋아해요 = I only like smart girls
공부하지 않는 학생들은 똑똑하지 않아요 = Students who do not study are not smart
저는 저의 남동생보다 훨씬 똑똑해요 = I am way/much smarter than my brother

Question 55

아프다

Answer 55

to be sick, to be sore

Common Usages:
배가 아프다 = for one’s stomach to be sore
아픈 척하다 = to pretend to be sick

Notes:
This is used to indicate that you are sick (with a cold or something similar), and to indicate that a part of your body is sore.

Examples:
어제 운동을 해서 오늘 저의 팔이 아파요 = my arms are sore because I exercised yesterday
제가 너무 아파서 많이 먹을 수 없어요 = I can’t eat much because I am very sick
목이 아파요 = I have a sore throat
저의 몸이 너무 아파서 못 가요 = I can’t go because my body is so sore
저는 너무 많이 걸어서 지금 발이 아파요 = My feet are sore because I walked so much
할머니는 어제 아파서 입원했어요 = Grandma checked into the hospital yesterday because she was sick

Question 56

완벽하다

Answer 56

to be perfect

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “완벼카다”

The noun form of this word “완벽” translates to “perfection”

Common Usages
완벽주의자 = perfectionist

Example:
그녀는 완벽한 선생님이에요 = She is a perfect teacher
그 단어로 완벽한 문장을 만들어 주세요 = Make a perfect/complete sentence using that word, please
그것은 완벽한 식사였습니다 = That was a perfect meal
저의 여자 친구가 완벽해서 저는 그녀를 사랑해요 = I love my girlfriend because she is perfect

Question 57

부끄럽다

Answer 57

to be shy

부끄럽다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Notes: This word is more common than you would think. Korean people are generally very shy and thus, this word is used a lot. It is an irregular adjective. See Lesson 7 for more information.

Example: 제가 너무 부끄러워서 발표를 못해요 = I can’t do presentations because I am so shy

The addition of ~아/어하다 is commonly done when the speaker is not the person who is shy.

부끄러워하지 마세요 = Don’t be shy!

Question 58

건강하다

Answer 58

to be healthy

The noun form of this word (“건강”) translates to “health.”

Common Usages:
건강에 좋다 = healthy
건강에 나쁘다 = unhealthy
건강 검진 = health check up
건강보험 = health insurance

Example:
담배는 건강에 나빠요 = Cigarettes are bad for your health (unhealthy)
저의 아버지는 건강한 사람이었어요 = My dad was a healthy person
저는 내일부터 건강한 음식만 먹을 거예요 = From tomorrow, I am going to eat only healthy food
그 음식은 건강에 나쁜 것 같아요 = That food seems to be unhealthy
스파게티를 많이 먹는 것이 건강에 좋은지 나쁜지 몰라요 = I don’t know if eating a lot of spaghetti is good or bad for you

Question 59

두렵다

Answer 59

to be scared

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “두렵따”

두렵다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Notes: 무섭다 and 두렵다 both translate to “scary.” 무섭다 is more typically used to describe the feeling of being scared, usually as it applies to something shocking or something outright scary like snakes or spiders. 두렵다 is more about psychological things in the future, like the fear of death or the fear of tomorrow.

두렵다 and 무섭다 typically describe that something is scary, but it can be used to indicate that you are scared of that thing by using the Subject – Object – Adjective form.

Example:
그녀를 잃는 것이 두려워요 = I am afraid of losing her
저는 모르는 것이 두려워요 = I am afraid of things that I don’t know (the unknown)
저는 죽는 것이 두려워요 = I am afraid of dying

Question 60

이상하다

Answer 60

to be strange

The noun form of this word translates to “abnormality”

Common Usages:
이상해 보이다 = to look strange
이상한 것이 없다 = to be nothing unusual
이상한 느낌 = a strange feeling

Example:
그 건물은 이상해 보여요 = That building looks strange
그는 이상한 남자예요 = He is a strange man
맛이 조금 이상해요 = The taste is a little bit strange
저는 어젯밤 이상한 꿈을 꾸었어요= I had a weird dream last night

Question 61

기쁘다

Answer 61

to be glad

Common Usages:
기뻐하다 (the grammar for this is introduced in Lesson 105)

Example:
우리가 만나서 기뻐요 = I am glad that we met

Question 62

어리다

Answer 62

to be young

Common Usages:
어려 보이다 = to look young
어렸을 때부터 = since I was young
어린이집 = daycare/preschool
어린 시절 = one’s youth

Example:
저의 여자 친구는 어려요 = My girlfriend is young
저의 여자 친구는 저보다 네 살 더 어려요 = My girlfriend is four years younger than me
어렸을 때 강아지를 키우고 싶었어요 = When I was young, I wanted to raise a puppy
저는 어렸을 때부터 야구를 좋아했어요 = I’ve liked baseball since I was young
어린 한국 사람들은 대개 영어로 조금 말할 수 있어요 = Young Korean people can usually speak English a little bit

Question 63

적당하다

Answer 63

to be moderate

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “적땅하다”

Notes: This word is often used in the adverb form to make “적당히” (moderately)

Example:
적당히 먹어! = Eat moderately (don’t eat too much!)

Question 64

얇다

Answer 64

to be thin

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “얄따”

Notes:
This is not used to talk about people, only when talking about objects being thin

Example:
이 종이는 너무 얇아요 = This paper is too thin

Question 65

흥미롭다

Answer 65

to be interesting

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “흥미롭따”

흥미롭다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Example:
화학은 매우 흥미로워요 = Chemistry is very interesting
그는 흥미로운 삶을 살아요 = He lives an interesting life
한국문화는 오래됐고 흥미로워요 = Korean culture is long and interesting

Question 66

늦다

Answer 66

to be late

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “늗따”

Common Usages:
늦게까지 = until a late time

This is often irrelevant, but 늦다 is both a verb and an adjective. As a verb, it usually indicates that one arrives late. For example:

우리가 늦어서 죄송해요 = Sorry we arrived late

It is often used as an adjective to describe a time that is late. For example:

우리는 늦은 저녁을 먹었어요 = We ate a late dinner

As an adjective, ~게 is often added to it in order to create an adverb. For example:

그녀는 언제나 늦게 와요 = She comes late every time
저는 늦게 도착했어요 = I arrived late

Usually, adverbs like this end in “-ly,” however, “lately” is unnatural in these English sentences. Korean people often incorrectly use the word “lately” because of this confusion.

Again, the fact that it can be an adjective or a verb is usually irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that it can be conjugated correctly to 늦다 (as an adjective) or 늦는다 (as a verb).

Question 67

시원하다

Answer 67

to be cool, to be relaxing

Common Usages:
시원한 물 = Cool water
아! 시원해! = Ah! That feels good!

Notes: In addition to meaning “cool” (as in temperature), this word is often used to describe the feeling you get when somebody gives you a massage.

Example:
요즘에 날씨가 시원해요 = These days the weather is cool
아버지를 위해 시원한 물을 준비했어요 = I prepared cool water for my father
가을이 시원해서 좋아요 = Fall is nice because it is cool

Question 68

질투하다

Answer 68

to be jealous

The noun form of this word translates to “jealousy” or “envy”

Common Usages:
질투심 = the feeling of jealously

Notes: Often used as “질투가 나다.” See Lesson 14 for more information on how the word “나다” works in these situations.

Example:
저의 남자 친구는 항상 질투해요 = My boyfriend is always jealous

Question 69

맵다

Answer 69

to be spicy

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “맵따”

맵다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Common Usages:
눈이 맵다 = the feeling of your eyes burning (usually when cutting onions)

Example: 저는 매운 것을 못 먹어요 = I can’t eat spicy things
한식은 양식보다 더 매워요 = Korean food is spicier than western food
라면은 삼겹살보다 더 매워요 = Ramen is spicier than 삼겹살

Question 70

죄송하다

Answer 70

to be sorry

Common Usages:
죄송합니다! = Sorry!
죄송하지만… = I’m sorry, but…

Example:
늦게 와서 죄송합니다! = Sorry for coming late!
죄송하지만 저는 당신을 해고할 수밖에 없어요 = I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything but fire you

Question 71

미안하다

Answer 71

to be sorry

Common Usages:
미안합니다! = Sorry

Notes: 미안하다 is slightly less formal than 죄송하다

Example: 시끄러워서 미안해요 = Sorry it is so loud!

Question 72

무겁다

Answer 72

to be heavy

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “무겁따”

무겁다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Examples:
이 가방은 너무 무거워요 = This bag is too heavy
그 기계는 너무 무거워요 = That machine is very heavy

Question 73

가볍다

Answer 73

to be light

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “가볍따”

가볍다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Example:
이 가방은 가벼워요 = This bag is light

Question 74

유명하다

Answer 74

to be popular, to be famous

Common Usages:
유명한 사람 = famous person

Example:
그 배우는 아주 유명해요 = That actor is very famous
그 가수는 한국에서 매우 유명해요 = That singer is very famous in Korea
녹차는 한국에서 유명해요 = Green Tea is famous in Korea
저는 엄마랑 유명한 영화를 같이 봤어요 = I saw/watched a famous movie with my mom

Question 75

익숙하다

Answer 75

to be familiar with something

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “익쑤카다”

Notes: The most common definition of 익숙하다 is “to be familiar with,” but in sentences I prefer to use “to be used to.” For example, if you buy a new pair of shoes, and you still kind of prefer your previous shoes, you could say “새로운 신발에 아직 익숙하지 않아요.” (I’m not used to the new shoes yet).”

Common Usages:
~에 익숙하다 = to be accustomed to
~에 익숙하지 않다 = to not be accustomed to

Example:
저는 한국 음식 맛에 익숙해요 = I am used to the taste of Korean food
저는 그것에 익숙하지 않아요 = I’m not familiar with that

Question 76

똑같다

Answer 76

to be exactly the same

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “똑깓다”

우리가 똑같은 옷을 입고 있어요 = We are wearing exactly the same clothes
미국은 캐나다와 거의 똑같아요 = The US is almost the same as Canada

Question 77

자랑스럽다

Answer 77

to be proud

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “자랑스럽따”

자랑스럽다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Notes: 자랑스럽다 is an adjective. To indicate that you are proud of something/somebody, the particle ~이/가 must be attached to the object of the sentence.

Example:
저는 우리 아들이 자랑스러워요 = I am proud of our son
나는 네가 자랑스러워 = I am proud of you
저는 저의 딸이 아주 자랑스러워요 = I am very proud of my daughter
저는 학생들이 자랑스러워요 = I am proud of the students

Question 78

또 다르다

Answer 78

another

또 다른 문제는 그것이 비싸요 = Another problem is it (that thing) is expensive

저는 또 다른 영화를 봤어요 = I saw ANother movie
In this, maybe the person saw one movie, and then again saw a different movie.

Question 79

시끄럽다

Answer 79

to be noisy, to be loud

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “시끄럽따”

시끄럽다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Common Usages:
시끄러운 학생 = loud students
시끄러운 음악 = loud music
시끄럽게 말하다 = to speak loudly

Common Usages: 시끄럽게 (loudly)

Example:
학생들은 시끄럽게 공부했어요 = The students studied loudly
시끄러워서 미안해요 = Sorry it is so loud!
여기가 너무 시끄러워서 저는 집중할 수 없어요 = I can’t concentrate here because it is too loud
영화를 보는 동안 다른 사람들이 너무 시끄러웠어요 = While watching the movie, the other people were really loud
학생들이 너무 시끄러워서 저는 교수님의 말을 못 들었어요 = The students were too loud, so I couldn’t hear the professor

Question 80

흔하다

Answer 80

to be common

Common Usages:
흔하지 않다 = uncommon

Example:
덕석은 흔하지 않은 이름이에요 = “덕석” is not a common name

Question 81

드물다

Answer 81

to be rare

드물다 follows the ㄹ irregular

Common Usages:
드문 현상 = a rare phenomenon

Example:
그 그림은 매우 드물어요 = That painting is really rare

Question 82

가깝다

Answer 82

to be close to, to be near

The pronunciation of this word is closer to “가깝따”

가깝다 follows the ㅂ irregular

Examples:
저의 친구의 집은 가까워요 = My friend’s house is close
저의 친구는 가까운 집에 살아요 = literally – my friend lives in a near by house

성수기가 가까워질수록 숙소비가 더 비싸져요
= As it gets closer to the peak season, the price of accommodation gets more expensive

그래서 나는 여행을 가기로 결심을 했다. 아일랜드와 지리적으로 매우 가깝지만 한 번 도 가지 않았던 영국에 가기로 결심했다
= So, I decided to go traveling. I decided to go to England, which, although geographically very close to Ireland, I had not been to once.

Question 83

힘들다

Answer 83

to be difficult to do something

Notes: This is a word that is difficult to translate. It’s usually used on things that are physically straining. However, something mentally straining (like solving a math problem) could also be ‘힘들다’ because those types of things might also elicit a physical response as well.

You’d be surprised how often you hear this word in Korean. Everything is ‘힘들다.’

Going out for a walk: 아~ 힘들어!
Taking the subway: 아~ 힘들어!
Cooking a meal: 아~ 힘들어!

Common Usages:
힘든 일 = difficult work
힘들겠다! = That must be difficult!
힘들어 죽겠다 = a common phrase people say “It’s so hard it’s like I’m going to die.”

Examples:
학생들을 가르치는 것은 힘들어요 = It is hard to teach students
이 문제를 극복하는 것이 힘들 거예요 = It will be difficult to overcome this problem
그 일이 힘들지 모르겠어요 = I don’t know if that work will be difficult
소방 훈련이 힘들어 보여요 = Firefighting training looks difficult

저는 멀리 살고 있기 때문에 집까지 걸어가기 힘들어요
= It is difficult to walk home because I live far

오늘 너무 힘들어서 저는 따뜻한 목욕을 하고 싶어요
= Today was really difficult, so I want to take a warm bath

Question 84

순수하다

Answer 84

to be pure

Example:
그녀는 아주 순수해 보여요 = She looks really innocent
하얀색은 가장 순수한 색깔이에요 = White is the purest color