Korean Conversation Questions: Practice Set with Answer Key

What you will learn

• Answer 25 questions at one level aloud in full sentences.
• Use the pattern each question invites, such as -(으)ㄹ 거예요 for plans.
• Keep a conversation going with a return question and follow-up stems.

Before you start: you should read Hangul and know the polite ending -요. Time: about 30 minutes per level. Level: A2, with levels 1 and 2 easier and level 4 a stretch. Audio plays only when you press a button.

Key Facts

• There are 100 questions in four levels of 25.
• Level 1 covers name, origin, family, food, daily life and likes; level 2 covers work, travel and plans.
• Level 3 covers past events and experiences; level 4 covers opinions, hypotheticals and predictions.
• Model answers are given for five questions per level, 20 in all.
• Every question uses polite -요 style, and each row names the grammar pattern the answer invites.
• Answer in at least two sentences: an answer, then one detail.

*Last updated: 2026-10-09. The Korean text, romanization and audio on this page are AI-assisted drafts.

What Are Korean Conversation Questions?

Korean conversation questions are everyday questions that start a conversation, such as 이름이 뭐예요? (what is your name?) or 주말에 뭐 해요? (what do you do at weekends?). Each one invites a short answer from the asker's own life, so they are the quickest way to practise speaking when no script is available. This page gathers 100 of them and sorts them by difficulty.

The questions are in polite -요 style, the safe style for strangers, colleagues and anyone older than you. They are also the questions you will hear in real small talk, so each one doubles as a listening drill. If you want role plays that follow a fixed scene, see Korean conversation practice, and for opening lines and short exchanges, see Korean small talk.

Why Is This Hard for English Speakers?

It is hard because English speakers answer in one word, avoid the pattern the question asks for and do not know how to ask back. In English, "Do you like coffee?" can be answered "Yes." In Korean, a bare 네 is correct, but it ends the conversation. Korean also uses no word for "you" in most questions, so the learner is unsure how to turn a question back.

The question tables below name the pattern in the last column, so you know what shape the answer should take. First, how the list works.

How Is the Question List Organised?

The list has four levels of 25 questions. Each level adds one new set of patterns, and inside each level the questions are grouped by topic.

Use the list in one of two modes.

• Partner mode. Take turns. One person asks five questions, the other answers in two sentences each, then swap. After every answer, ask a return question.
• Solo mode. Read a question aloud, pause, answer aloud and record yourself. Play the recording back and score it with the rubric at the end of this page.

The timing rule is simple: answer in at least two sentences. The first sentence answers the question, and the second adds one detail. Yes/no questions usually end with a rise. Wh-questions, which have a question word such as 뭐 or 어디, do not end with a sharp rise. A sharp final rise can even turn 뭐 into "something".

Follow-up Stems

Short stems keep a conversation moving. Use them after your own answer or after the other person's.

Level 1: about You

Level 1 asks simple facts about you. It uses the noun ending 이에요/예요, the verb ending -아요/어요 and the pattern N을/를 좋아해요 (I like N). Answer with one sentence for the fact and one for a detail.

Model answers for level 1

Question 25 has its own clips. Play the question and the model answer, then say your own.

Question 9 uses 사세요, the honorific of 살아요, because the person asked about (your parents) deserves respect. Your answer can use 사세요 too, as in 부산에 사세요. Question 14 uses a counter: 물을 두 잔 마셔요. Counters for people, such as 명, are in counters for people.

Level 2: Daily Life and Plans

Level 2 asks about work, food, travel and plans. It adds two patterns: V-(으)ㄹ 거예요 for what you will do and V-고 싶어요 for what you want to do. The questions also use places with 에서 (at, for an action) and 에 (to, for a destination).

Model answers for level 2

Notice that every model answer is two short sentences. The second one adds a detail that invites a follow-up, such as 왜요? or 언제요?

Levels 3 and 4: past, Opinions and Hypotheticals

Levels 3 and 4 are for learners who are comfortable with the present and future. Level 3 asks about the past and about experiences, with -았/었어요 and -아/어 본 적이 있어요. Level 4 asks for opinions and imaginary situations with -(으)면 and -(으)ㄹ 것 같아요, and it stretches into B1 content.

Level 3: past Events and Experiences

Model answers for level 3

Level 4: Opinions, Hypotheticals and Predictions

Model answers for level 4

Level 4 questions have no single right answer. If you do not know what to say, give a short reason: 왜냐하면 ... or a simple opinion with 제 생각에는 ... (in my opinion). The grammar for asking questions is explained in Korean questions.

Worked Example: 가족이 몇 명이에요?

The worked example takes question 6 apart and builds a two-sentence answer.

1. Find the question word. 몇 means "how many". It is followed by 명, the counter for people.
2. Hear the sound. 몇 명 is spoken [면명]: the ㅊ is said as ㄷ, which then turns into ㄴ before the ㅁ.

3. Choose the number system. People are counted with a native number before 명: 한 명, 두 명, 세 명, 네 명. The Sino-Korean 사 is wrong here.
4. Build sentence one. 저희 가족은 네 명이에요. 저희 is the humble "our", and 이에요 follows the consonant ㅇ of 명.
5. Add sentence two. 부모님하고 동생이 있어요. This adds the detail.
6. Ask back. 그럼 민수 씨는요? The 요 on a short phrase makes it a polite question.

The question is a wh-question, so it does not end with a sharp rise. The return question 민수 씨는요? does rise a little. You will know it worked when your answer has an answer sentence, a detail and a question back. The same steps work for all 100 questions. A few mistakes catch learners out.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make Here?

The most common mistakes are one-word answers, missing endings and the wrong number system.

• Learners often answer with a single word, such as 한국. Actually a full sentence is expected, such as 저는 한국에서 왔어요, because a one-word answer ends the conversation.
• Learners often drop the polite ending, as in 가족 네 명. Actually the ending carries respect, so say 네 명이에요, because a bare noun sounds abrupt.
• Learners often count people with Sino-Korean numbers, as in 사 명. Actually 명 takes a native number, so say 네 명, because people are counted with the native series.
• Learners often ask back with 너는요 or 당신은요. Actually a name plus 씨는요 is the polite choice, because 너 is casual and 당신 can sound confrontational.
• Learners often change the tense of the question. Actually the answer follows the question, so answer 했어요 with 했어요, because tense signals when the event happened.
• Learners often stay silent when they do not know. Actually 잘 모르겠어요 is a complete answer, so say it, because silence is harder for the other person than "I'm not sure".

Test these in the practice set next.

Practice and Answer Key

Exercise 1: Ask in Korean.

1. What is your name?
2. Where do you live?
3. What time do you get up?
4. Do you like coffee?
5. What did you do yesterday?

Exercise 2: Match each question with an answer pattern.

1. 가족이 몇 명이에요?
2. 어디에 살아요?
3. 내일 뭐 할 거예요?
4. 한국에 가 본 적이 있어요?

a. 서울에 살아요. b. 네 명이에요. c. 네, 가 본 적이 있어요. d. 친구를 만날 거예요.

Exercise 3: Correct the mistake.

1. 사 명이에요.
2. (Asked: 어디에서 왔어요?) 한국.
3. 너는요?

Score your answers. Use the same four-part rubric as every speaking page, with 0, 1 or 2 points per part, for a total out of 8. Score five answers from one level together.

Eight is a perfect score. Six or more on your second pass means you can move to the next level, and a score below five means repeating the first pass. A score of exactly five means one more practice round before you move on. A self-score is a rough guide, so ask a partner to check the Sounds row now and then.

Answer key:

Exercise 1: (1) 이름이 뭐예요? (2) 어디에 살아요? (3) 보통 몇 시에 일어나요? (4) 커피를 좋아해요? (5) 어제 뭐 했어요?

Exercise 2: 1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c.

Exercise 3: (1) 네 명이에요, because 명 takes a native number. (2) 저는 한국에서 왔어요, because a full sentence is expected. (3) 민수 씨는요?, because 너 is too casual.

For a speaking task, pick one level, answer the first five questions aloud in at least two sentences each, record yourself and compare with the model answers.

Where to Go Next

This lesson covers 100 questions with 20 model answers, the two-sentence rule and a handful of follow-up stems. It does not cover long monologues, formal interview questions, casual 반말 questions between friends or questions about sensitive topics such as money and age. A real partner may ask in a different order or in casual style. The audio is AI-generated pronunciation audio, so real speakers may sound different.

Next: Talk to Yourself in Korean, a 10-minute self-talk routine for days without a partner. Before this lesson, Korean Hobbies Conversation Practice shows how to keep small talk going, and Korean Doctor Visit Conversation covers a longer role play. To find a partner, see the Korean language exchange message lesson.

Frequently Asked Questions

What questions can I practise Korean conversation with? Use the 100 questions on this page. They are in four levels of 25: about you, daily life and plans, past events and experiences, and opinions and hypotheticals. Start at the level where you can answer most questions with a short polite sentence, and move up when you can answer a whole level without looking at the English.

How do I use the list alone? Read a question aloud, pause, and answer in at least two sentences. Record yourself on your phone, then play the recording back and score it with the four-part rubric. Do one level at a time, five questions a day, and redo the same five the next day without the English to see the change.

What if I do not know the answer? Say so in Korean instead of going silent. 잘 모르겠어요 means "I am not sure", and 음... is a natural pause. Then give an easier answer: a guess, a short example or a related fact. You can also ask 다시 한번 말해 주세요 if you did not understand the question.

How long should my answers be? At least two sentences. The first sentence answers the question, and the second adds one detail, for example 저희 가족은 네 명이에요. 부모님하고 동생이 있어요. A one-word answer ends the conversation, while two sentences give the other person something to ask about.

How do I ask a question back? Add a short return question after your answer. The simplest is a name plus 씨는요? (and you?), as in 민수 씨는요? Others are 그럼 ... 어때요? (what about ...?) and follow-up stems such as 왜요? (why?) and 정말요? (really?). Avoid 당신, which can sound confrontational.

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