100 Essential TOPIK 1 Grammars for Beginners

TOPIK 1 grammar list

100 Essential TOPIK I Korean Grammars for Beginners

Enhance your Korean language skills with our comprehensive, free online library of essential Korean letters and grammar.​ Specifically designed for TOPIK I learners, this resource is ideal for those aiming to achieve levels 1 and 2 in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK).

Key Features of Our Beginner Grammar Lessons:

• Concise Grammar Explanations: Each grammar point is articulated clearly for optimal understanding.
• Real-Life Examples: A variety of examples from daily life to illustrate the use of each grammar point.
• Comparison Techniques: Grammar comparisons to clarify concepts and avoid confusion.

Ready to Level Up? Check Out Our Intermediate Grammar Guide

For learners who are ready to advance their skills, we also offer "90 Essential Korean Grammars for Intermediate Learners (TOPIK II)." Dive deeper into Korean grammar and take your proficiency to the next level!

Explore the 100 TOPIK 1 Grammar Lessons for Beginners:

1. Expressing Korean Alphabets, Numbers, Dates and Times in Korean

1.1 Korean Alphabet: How to Read, Write, and Pronounce

1.2 Numbers in Korean = Sino-Korean and Native-Korean

1.3 Dates and Times in Korean = reading Year/Month/Date/Day & Hour/Minute


2. Expressing Tenses and Negation in Korean

2.1 Present Tense in Korean = A/V/N-(스)ㅂ니다 or A/V-아/어요.

2.2 Past and Past Perfect Tense in Korean = A/V-았/었어요 and A/V-았/었었어요.

2.3 Future and Progressive Tense in Korean = V-(으)ㄹ 거예요 and V-고 있다

2.4 Negative Expressions in Korean = (1) 아니다, 없다, 모르다; (2) V-지 않다, 안 V; (3) 못 V, V-지 못하다

2.5 N요 grammar = An honorific ending used as a short answer to a question

3. How to Use Particles in Korean

3.1 N-은/는 vs 이/가 = 'topic marker' vs 'subject marker' in Korean

3.2 을/를 and N의 = 'object particle' and 'possessive particle' in Korean

3.3 N와/과, N (이)랑, N하고 = 'and' ~ listing particle in Korean

3.4 N에, N에서 time & place particles in Korean = at/on (time), in/on/at/to (place)

3.5  에서 까지, 부터 까지 grammar = from (place) to (place), from (time) to (time)

3.6 N에게/한테, 에게서/한터서, 께 grammar = 'to/from' a person or an animal

3.7 N도 and N만 particles = also/too, only/just

3.8 N-밖에 grammar = ‘only’ or ‘nothing but’ ~(negative form) express only one option available

3.9 N(으)로, N쯤 particles = to/by/using, about/around

3.10 N(이)나 particle = or/no less than

3.11  N처럼/ N같이 particle = like/same

3.12 N보다, N마다 particles in Korean = more...than/-er...than, every/all


4. Expressing Listing and Contrast in Korean 

4.1 V-고, V-거나, V-지만 grammar = ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘but’ in English

4.2 A-ㄴ/은데, N-인데, V-는데 grammar = (1) 'but', (2) 'so/and' in English

5. Expressing Time Events in Korean 

5.1 N 전에/후에, V기 전에, V(으)ㄴ 후에 grammar = before/ago, after/later

5.2 A/V-아/어서 grammar = (1) and/ (in order) to, (2) because (of)/ so that…

5.3 V-(으)면서 grammar = while/during…~actions occurs simultaneously

5.4 V-고 나서 grammar = and then, after doing ~express sequential events

5.5 V-자마자 grammar = as soon as, right after ~something occurs right after the end of an action or event

5.6 V-(으)ㄴ 지 grammar = how long has been 'since' I did something

5.7 N 때, A/V-(으)ㄹ 때 grammar = when, during ~express the time when an action occurs or its duration

5.8 N 중, V-는 중 grammar = in the middle of N/V, currently doing

5.9 N 동안, V-는 동안 grammar = during /for N, while V-ing

6. Expressing Ability in Korean

6.1 V-(으)ㄹ 수 있다/없다 grammar = can/ can't do V ~express possibility to do/ not do something

6.2 V-(으)ㄹ 줄 알다/모르다 grammar = know how to/ don’t know how to V

7. Expressing Demands, Permission, and Prohibition in Korean

7.1 V-(으)세요 grammar = (1) honorific ending ~show respect, (2) making requests politely

7.2 V-지 마세요 grammar = please don’t V~ requesting someone not to do something politely

7.3 V-아/어야 하다 grammar = must, have to ~express necessity to do something

7.4 V-아/어도 되다 grammar = may, can I...? ~ask permission or approval for a behavior

7.5 V-(으)면 안 되다 grammar = may not, not allowed ~express prohibition or limitation of an action

7.6 A/V-지 않아도 되다 (안 A/V-아/어도 되다) grammar = don’t have to ~express the unnecessary of a behavior

8. Expressing Hopes in Korean

8.1 V-고 싶다 and -고 싶어 하다 grammar = want to, prefer to ~express one's wish or hope

8.2 A/N/V-(으)면 좋겠다 grammar = hope, wish ~express desire, wish, or hope that has not been realized

8.3 V-기 바라다 grammar = (1) hope, wish; (2) please do, be requested ~express one’s hope or request something formally

9. Expressing Reasons and Causes in Korean

9.1 A/V-아/어서 grammar = (1) and/ (in order) to, (2) because (of)/ so that…

9.2 A/V-(으)니까 grammar = (1) because/ since, (2) when/ do sth to discover

9.3 N/A/V-기 때문에 grammar = because (of), since ~Express a reason or cause of a situation

10. Expressing Requests and Assisting in Korean

10.1 V-아/어 주다 and V-아/어 주세요 grammar = assist / please do ~assisting someone or making a request to someone

10.2 V-아/어 줄게요, V-아/어 줄까요? grammar = Shall I, Let me, I will ~attempt to help someone

10.3 부탁, 부탁하다/드리다 and -아/어 달라고 부탁하다 grammar = to ask for a favor ~politely ask someone a favor to do something

11. Expressing Experiences in Korean

11.1 V-아/어 보다 grammar = try, have tried ~ tell or ask someone to try or experience something

11.2 V-(으)ㄴ 적이 있다, V-아/어 본 적이 있다 grammar = have done, have tried ~express the past experience

12. Expressing Suggestions and Asking Opinions in Korean

12.1 V-(으)ㄹ까요? grammar = (1) shall we, why don’t we…? (2) shall I, should I…?

12.2 V-ㅂ/읍시다 grammar = let’s, shall we ~suggest someone doing something together

  

12.3 V-(으)시겠어요? grammar = would you like, why not...? ~politely suggesting or asking for preference

12.4 V-(으)ㄹ래요 grammar = (1) do you want to, how about? (2) be going to, will

13. Expressing Plans and Intentions  in Korean

13.1 A/V-겠어요 grammar = (1) will, plan to; (2) looks, sounds

13.2 V-(으)ㄹ게요 grammar = (I) will ~express intention or promise to do something

13.3 V-(으)ㄹ래요 grammar = (1) do you want to, how about? (2) be going to, will

14. Expressing Purpose and Intention in Korean

14.1 V-(으)러 가다/오다 grammar = go/come (to somewhere) to do something

14.2 V-(으)ㄹ 생각이다 grammar = thinking of, planning to ~express that someone has a thought of doing something

14.3 V-(으)려고 하다 grammar = plan to, intend to ~express intention or plan that has yet to be done

14.4 V-(으)려고 grammar = in order to, so that ~express intention or purpose to do something

14.5 N을/를 위해서, V-기 위해서 grammar = for (the sake of), (in order) to

14.6 V-기로 하다 grammar = decide to, promise to ~make a promise with oneself or someone

15. Expressing Comparison in Korean

15.1 N-에 비해(서) and N-보다 grammar = compared to N, than N ~express comparison of two things

16. Expressing Conjecture (or Guess) in Korean

16.1 A/V-겠어요 grammar = (1) will, plan to; (2) looks, sounds

16.2 A/V-(으)ㄹ까요? grammar = (3) do you think, I wonder if ~express a supposition of an action or state

16.3 A/V-(으)ㄹ 거예요 grammar = (2) I think ~express a supposition based on a direct basis

16.4 A-(으)ㄴ 것 같다, V-는 것 같다 grammar = look like, seem, I think ~express a supposition based on subjective reasons

16.5 A-ㄴ/은가 보다, V-나 보다 grammar = guess, must be ~express inference or assumption based on an objective basis

16. Expressing Suppositions and Conditions in Korean

17.1 A/V-(으)면 grammar = if, when ~express a supposition or a condition about a fact ...

17.2 V-(으)려면 grammar = if you want/ intend to…then you should…

16.3 N/A/V-아/어도 grammar = even if, regardless of ~a situation occurs regardless of the previous action

18. Expressing State-of-Being in Korean

18.1 V-고 있다 (2) grammar = ~be wearing/taking off ~state of wearing/taking off something

18.2 V-아/어 있다 grammar = 'V-ed/-ing' ~express the continuing state of a completed action

18.3 A-아/어지다 = to get/become ~express a change over time

18.4 V-게 되다 grammar = became, came to, been decided ~express a change from one state to another

19. Confirming Information in Korean

19.1 -ㄴ/은/는지 + V grammar = V + who/what/where/how/when +clause

19.2 V-는 데 걸리다/들다 grammar = take/ cost (time, money) to do something

19.3 A/V-지요? grammar = isn't / don't /..., right? ~to confirm information

20. Expressing Discovery or Surprise

20.1 -는군요, -는구나, and -군 grammar = I see that, I didn't realize that ~express surprise

20.2 N(이)네요, A/V-네요 grammar = really, certainly, wow ~ express surprise or agree with someone

20.3 A-(으)ㄴ데요, V-는데요 grammar = (1) well, (2) why/what, (3) wow, (4) set background information

21. Expressing Quotations in Korean

21.1 Direct quotations in Korean 라고 했다, 하고 했다 = said/asked/written

21.2 Indirect quotation in Korean 다고 하다 = said ~citing of what someone said

21.3 Indirect quotation in Korean 냐고 하다 = asked ~citing of what someone asked

21.4 Indirect quotation in Korean 자도 하다 = suggested ~citing of what someone suggested

21.5 Indirect quotation in Korean 라고 하다 = told ~citing of what someone requested

21.6 Indirect Quotations in Korean 대요, 래요, 재요, 냬요 = said, asked, told (casual form)

22. Irregular Conjugations and Common Connective Adverbs in Korean

22.1 Korean ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ-irregular verbs and adjectives (Part 1)

22.2 Korean ㅎ, ㅡ, ㄹ, 르-irregular verbs and adjectives (Part 2)

22.3 Common connective Korean adverbs: 그래서, 그러나, 그럼, 그런데, 그래도

23. Expressing Suffix Changes in Parts of Speech 

23.1 A/V-은/는/을 N grammar = N that A/V ~noun modifier

23.2 V-기 grammar = V-ing in English ~turn a verb or a phrase into nouns

23.3 A-게 grammar = '...-ly' or 'in a ... manner' ~turn an adjective into an adverb

23.4 A-아/어하다 grammar =~turn an adjective into a verb

24. Expressing Politeness in Korean  

24.1 N-께/께서/께서는, N-님, V-시 and essential honorific words: meaning & grammar

24.2 A-(으)ㄴ가요? V-나요? grammar = are/do you...?, Is it...?~used to politely or gently ask a question

24.3 A/V-ㄴ/은/는 건가요? V-(으)ㄹ 건가요? grammar = are/was you...? will you...? ~used to politely or gently ask a question

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Keywords: Korean grammar, TOPIK I grammars, beginner Korean, Korean for beginners, Korean grammar lessons, TOPIK 1 preparation