Korean Verbs by Level: Beginner to Intermediate Lists

How Do Korean Verbs by Level Work?

Korean verbs are sorted by learner need, using the CEFR-style labels A1, A2, B1 and B2, and the placement comes from the site's verb list. Each verb or adjective was assigned the level at which a learner is likely to need it, based on everyday situations and on the grammar a learner has met by then. The assignment is editorial: it is not an official list and it is not a ranking by corpus frequency.

Three facts help you read the levels:

• A word counts once, at its first level. 가다 is A1, and it is not repeated at A2.
• Adjectives are included. Korean adjectives conjugate like verbs, so the lists cover both. At A1, 64 entries are verbs and 64 are adjectives, plus the copula 이다.
• Levels are a guide. A learner may meet a B1 word at A1 because it appears in a favourite song. The lists tell you what to prioritise, not what to avoid.

The level scale itself is explained in Korean language levels. With the basis clear, the next step is choosing a list.

Which List Is Right for You?

The right list depends on what you can already say, and the table below gives a test for each starting point. Read the sentence aloud. If you can say it and build similar ones without looking, move up one level.

If you have never conjugated a verb, read how Korean conjugation works first, because every list shows the polite present form. If you want the most useful 100 verbs regardless of level, grouped by theme, use 100 Korean verbs instead. The next section shows what changes as you go up.

What Changes from Level to Level?

Three things change as you climb: the number of entries, the share of 하다 verbs and the irregular classes you meet. The table summarises the counts.

Read the table in three ways:

• 하다 words grow. At A1, 하다 words are 24% of the entries, at A2 36% and at B1 to B2 38%. They are the second-largest group at A2, after regular words, and at B1 to B2 they tie with regular words at 68 each. If you know a noun, you can often guess the verb by adding 하다. See 하다 verbs.
• Irregular classes spread out. ㅂ, ㄹ, ㅡ and ㅎ words appear at A1, and 르 words start at A1 and grow at A2. The ㅅ class first appears at B1. The lists therefore double as a teaching order for the irregular classes in Korean irregular verbs.
• Pairs and polite forms arrive late. Transitive and intransitive pairs such as 열다 and 열리다 show up from A2 to B1, and honorific and humble verbs such as 드시다 and 드리다 appear at B1.

The counts may change as entries are added to the site's verb list. The three lists are described next, starting with beginners.

Beginner Verbs (A1)

Korean verbs for beginners lists the A1 verbs: what each one means, its polite present and an example sentence, grouped by everyday situation. It also marks the first irregular words, such as 듣다 (들어요) and 모르다 (몰라요), so you meet them in context.

• Entries: 129, including adjectives.
• Three verbs from the list: 가다 (to go), 먹다 (to eat), 하다 (to do).
• What you can say after it: simple statements and questions about meals, places and routines.

Elementary Verbs (A2)

Elementary Korean verbs lists the A2 verbs: travel, shopping, feelings, work and housework, with 하다 verbs and the first transitive and intransitive pairs. It adds irregular words such as 돕다 (도와요).

• Entries: 166, including adjectives.
• Three verbs from the list: 도착하다 (to arrive), 요리하다 (to cook), 걱정하다 (to worry).
• What you can say after it: plans, past events and requests about daily life.

Intermediate Verbs (B1 to B2)

The intermediate Korean verbs list covers formal, honorific, abstract and cooking verbs with meanings and examples, so you can read news and discuss plans. Honorific verbs are explained in Korean honorifics, and the formal 하다 verbs often use Sino-Korean vocabulary.

• Entries: 179, including adjectives.
• Three verbs from the list: 결정하다 (to decide), 드시다 (to eat, honorific), 올리다 (to raise).
• What you can say after it: opinions, decisions and respectful speech.

How Do the Levels Map to TOPIK?

The levels map roughly to TOPIK, the Test of Proficiency in Korean, but the mapping is an editorial estimate and not an official equivalence. TOPIK is run by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED), and it has two papers: TOPIK I covers levels 1 and 2, and TOPIK II covers levels 3 to 6. As a guide, A1 and A2 verbs support TOPIK I, and B1 and B2 verbs lead into the lower levels of TOPIK II. For exam details, see TOPIK 1. Treat Korean verbs by level as a study guide, and treat the exam as a separate check.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many verbs should I know at each level? The site's verb list has 129 entries at A1, 166 at A2 and 179 at B1 to B2, counting verbs and adjectives together. These are study targets, not exam requirements. A learner who knows most A1 entries can handle everyday statements, and each later level adds topics rather than a fixed number.

Are these Korean verb levels official? No. The levels come from the site's verb list, where each entry was placed by learner need and editorial judgement. They use the CEFR labels A1 to B2 for convenience. No official list assigns individual Korean verbs to those levels, and the TOPIK mapping on this page is an estimate.

Which list should a complete beginner use? A complete beginner should use Korean verbs for beginners (A1). It groups the A1 words by situation and shows each polite present form, so you can use a verb right away. Read the conjugation overview first if you have never added an ending to a verb.

Do the level lists include adjectives? Yes. Korean adjectives conjugate with the same endings as verbs, so each list covers both. At A1, about half the entries are adjectives such as 좋다 and 크다. The tables mark which entries are adjectives, and the conjugation forms follow the same recipes.