What you'll learn
- Name the six types and give one example of each.
- Sort an unknown word into a type with a short decision table.
- Explain why Korean has no separate linking-verb or modal-verb class.
- Recognise transitive and intransitive pairs such as 열다 and 열리다.
Prerequisites: you know that a verb is a stem plus an ending, as shown in How Korean verbs work. Time: about 30 minutes.
Key facts
- Descriptive verbs correspond to English adjectives and still conjugate like verbs.
- Korean has no separate linking-verb or modal-verb class.
- Auxiliary verbs follow a main verb joined by -아/어 or -고.
The first section gives the whole map, so that each later section can zoom in on one type.
What Types of Verbs Does Korean Have?
Korean has six working types of verbs. They are "working" types because each one is defined by how the word behaves, not by a fixed list in a grammar book. The table gives a one-line test and one example for each, and the polite present, the form you will use most.
| Type | Korean term | Example | Polite present | Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action verb | 동작 동사 | 먹다 (eat) | 먹어요 | takes -는 before a noun: 먹는 사람 |
| Descriptive verb | 형용사 | 크다 (be big) | 커요 | takes -(으)ㄴ before a noun: 큰 집 |
| Copula | 서술격 조사 / 지정사 (이다) | 이다 (be) | 이에요 / 예요 | attaches to a noun: 학생이에요 |
| Existential verb | 존재사 | 있다 (exist) | 있어요 | 있는 / 없는 before a noun |
| Auxiliary verb | 보조 용언 | 보다 (try) | 먹어 봐요 | follows a main verb joined by -아/어 or -고 |
| 하다 verb | 하다 동사 | 공부하다 (study) | 공부해요 | noun + 하다, always 해요 |
If you meet an unknown word, ask the questions in the next table in order. The first "yes" gives you the type and the first rule to apply.
| Question to ask | If yes, the type is | First rule that follows |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Is it a noun plus 하다? | 하다 verb | the polite present is always 해요: 공부해요 |
| 2. Is it 이다 or 아니다, attached to a noun? | copula | 이에요/예요 and 이/가 아니에요 |
| 3. Is it 있다, 없다 or a word ending in them, such as 맛있다? | existential | 있는 / 없는 before a noun |
| 4. Does it follow another verb joined by -아/어 or -고 and add a meaning? | auxiliary | main verb + 아/어 + helper |
| 5. Does it describe a state and take -(으)ㄴ before a noun? | descriptive | 큰, 예쁜, 좋은 |
| 6. None of the above | action | 먹는, 가는, 읽는 |
Counts from this site's verb dictionary list show which types you will meet most. Of its 474 entries, 212 are action verbs that do not end in 하다, 105 are 하다 verbs, 153 are descriptive words (of which 53 end in 하다), and 4 are the special words 이다, 아니다, 있다 and 없다. Auxiliary verbs have no entries of their own, because each one is also an ordinary verb. These counts describe the site's word list, not word frequency in speech. The browsing options are in the Korean verb list. The next section starts with the biggest group.
Action Verbs: 가다, 먹다, 읽다
Action verbs name something a person or thing does, and the biggest test is that they take the present modifier -는. 먹다 gives 먹는 사람 ("a person who eats"), and 가다 gives 가는 길 ("the road [someone] takes"). This group is the largest block of the Korean verb dictionary.
An action verb can take an object, which is a noun marked with the particle 을/를. A verb that takes an object is transitive (타동사), and a verb that does not is intransitive (자동사).
| Verb | Meaning | Takes an object? | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | to eat | yes (transitive) | 밥을 먹어요. "I eat rice." |
| 읽다 | to read | yes (transitive) | 책을 읽어요. "I read a book." |
| 가다 | to go | no (intransitive) | 학교에 가요. "I go to school." |
Action verbs accept the full set of verb-only patterns. They form the plain present with -ㄴ다/-는다 (먹는다, 간다), commands with -(으)세요 (먹으세요), suggestions with -자 (먹자) and the progressive -고 있다 (먹고 있어요). The object test is a clue, not a rule, because 가다 has no object and is still an action verb. The next section covers the group that fails these tests.
Descriptive Verbs and Adjectives: 크다, 예쁘다
A descriptive verb names a quality or state, and its test is that it takes -(으)ㄴ before a noun. 크다 gives 큰 집 ("a big house"), and 예쁘다 gives 예쁜 꽃 ("a pretty flower"). English calls these words adjectives, and Korean dictionaries call them 형용사.
The key difference from English is that a Korean descriptive verb needs no "be" verb. 집이 커요 means "The house is big", and 커요 already contains the meaning "is". Because the word is a verb in form, it takes the same endings as an action verb: 커요 (polite present), 컸어요 (past), 큽니다 (formal).
| Form | Action verb 먹다 | Descriptive verb 크다 |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 먹어요 | 커요 |
| Polite past | 먹었어요 | 컸어요 |
| Before a noun | 먹는 사람 | 큰 사람 |
| Plain present | 먹는다 | 크다 |
| Request with -(으)세요 | 먹으세요 | not used as a request |
| Progressive -고 있다 | 먹고 있어요 | not used |
The page Korean verb vs adjective explains the five places where the two groups differ, and the Korean adjectives hub gives word lists. Next, the copula needs its own section, because it behaves differently from both groups.
The Copula 이다 and 아니다
The copula 이다 ("to be") joins a noun to a description or an identity, and 아니다 is its negative ("to not be"). Unlike other verbs, 이다 attaches directly to the noun and cannot stand alone. 저는 학생이에요 means "I am a student", and 저는 학생이 아니에요 means "I am not a student". Korean school grammar classifies 이다 as a predicate particle (서술격 조사) and 아니다 as an adjective, and some grammars call 이다 a 지정사 ("designator"). Learner books call both the copula; the forms are the same under every label.
| Pattern | Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Noun after a vowel | 의사예요 | "[I] am a doctor." |
| Noun after a consonant | 학생이에요 | "[I] am a student." |
| Negative | 학생이 아니에요 | "[I] am not a student." |
| Formal | 학생입니다 | "[I] am a student." (formal) |
Two points help beginners. First, 이다 is for identity and category (A is B), while 있다 is for existence and location. Second, a descriptive verb does not use 이다 at all: you say 커요, not 큰이에요. The topics are covered in 이다 and 있다 and in the comparison 이다 vs 있다. The next section looks at 있다 and 없다.
How Are 있다 and 없다 Different?
있다 ("to exist, to have, to stay") and 없다 ("to not exist, to not have") behave differently from both action and descriptive verbs, so many grammars treat them as their own type, called existential words (존재사). The Standard Korean Language Dictionary (표준국어대사전) lists 있다 as both a verb and an adjective and 없다 as an adjective. Yet both take the verb ending -는 before a noun.
| Word | Meaning | Before a noun | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 있다 | to exist; to have | 있는 | 시간이 있는 사람 "a person who has time" |
| 없다 | to not exist; to not have | 없는 | 돈이 없는 학생 "a student with no money" |
| 맛있다 | to be delicious | 맛있는 | 맛있는 음식 "delicious food" |
Words built on 있다 and 없다 inherit the -는: 맛있다 gives 맛있는, and 재미없다 ("to be boring") gives 재미없는. The topic has its own page, Korean 있다 and 없다 adjectives. The next section covers verbs that need a partner.
Auxiliary Verbs as Helpers
An auxiliary verb (보조 용언) is a verb that adds meaning to a main verb instead of acting alone. The main verb comes first and is joined to the helper by -아/어 or -고. The helper carries the tense and the polite ending.
| Pattern | Helper | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| -아/어 보다 | 보다 (see) | 먹어 봐요 | "try eating" |
| -아/어 주다 | 주다 (give) | 읽어 줘요 | "read [it] for [someone]" |
| -고 있다 | 있다 (exist) | 먹고 있어요 | "is eating" |
Each helper is also a full verb: 보다 means "to see", 주다 means "to give" and 있다 means "to exist". This is why a beginner may translate 먹어 봐요 as "eat see" and miss the meaning. The group has many members, which Korean auxiliary verbs teaches one pattern at a time. The last of the six types is the largest.
하다 Verbs: Noun + 하다
A 하다 verb is a noun joined to 하다 ("to do"). 공부 ("study") plus 하다 gives 공부하다 ("to study"), and 운동 ("exercise") plus 하다 gives 운동하다 ("to exercise"). All 하다 verbs conjugate alike, with 해요 as the polite present: 공부해요, 운동해요.
| Noun | + 하다 | Polite present | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 공부 | 공부하다 | 공부해요 | to study |
| 운동 | 운동하다 | 운동해요 | to exercise |
| 조용 | 조용하다 | 조용해요 | to be quiet (descriptive) |
A 하다 word can be an action verb (공부하다) or a descriptive verb (조용하다), so this group crosses the earlier types. On this site's verb dictionary list, 158 of 474 entries end in 하다: 105 are action verbs and 53 are descriptive. The group is explained in 하다 verbs. The next section answers the questions that English categories raise.
Why Does Korean Not Have Linking or Modal Verb Classes?
Korean does not have separate classes for linking verbs or modal verbs, because the meanings are carried by other tools. English grammar sorts verbs into linking verbs (be, seem, become), helping verbs (do, have) and modal verbs (can, must, may). The crosswalk shows where each English idea goes in Korean.
| English category | Korean equivalent | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Linking verb "be" | the copula 이다/아니다 | 학생이에요 |
| Linking with adjectives "is big" | the descriptive verb alone | 커요 |
| Linking "become" | the verb 되다 | 의사가 돼요 "[I] become a doctor" |
| Helping verb | auxiliary verbs | 먹고 있어요 |
| Modal "can" | -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 | 먹을 수 있어요 |
| Modal "must" | -아/어야 하다 | 먹어야 해요 |
| Modal "may" | -아/어도 되다 | 먹어도 돼요 |
Saying "Korean has no modal class" is a teaching simplification. Korean grammar does describe modality, but it does so with endings and patterns on ordinary verbs, so the learner does not need to memorise a modal class. The crosswalk holds for reflexive meaning too: Korean has no reflexive verb class and uses words such as 자기 ("oneself") and 스스로 ("by oneself") instead. English "can be seen" and "can be heard" usually map to the passive verbs 보이다 and 들리다: 산이 보여요 means "The mountain is visible", and 소리가 들려요 means "A sound can be heard".
Transitive and Intransitive Pairs
Many Korean verbs come in pairs, with a transitive member that takes an object and an intransitive member that does not. Learners meet these pairs before they study the passive.
| Transitive (takes 을/를) | Intransitive (takes 이/가) |
|---|---|
| 열다: 문을 열어요 "[I] open the door" | 열리다: 문이 열려요 "The door opens" |
| 끝내다: 수업을 끝내요 "[I] finish class" | 끝나다: 수업이 끝나요 "Class ends" |
The pairs lead into the grammar of passive and causative verbs. The next section collects the mistakes that follow from English categories.
Common Misconceptions
- "Adjectives need a be verb." They do not. 커요 already means "is big". Adding 이다 gives a wrong sentence.
- "있다 always means have." 있다 means "to exist", "to have" and "to stay", depending on the sentence. 시간이 있어요 can mean "There is time" or "I have time".
- "하다 means only do." In a 하다 verb it is a light verb that turns a noun into a verb or adjective, and 조용하다 means "to be quiet".
- "Helpers are separate words." 먹어 봐요 is one idea, "try eating". Read the helper with its main verb.
- "Every type has a separate conjugation." The types share most endings. The differences are in the modifier, the plain present, commands and -고 있다.
Practice
Sort the following words into a type before you check the answers: 읽다, 예쁘다, 학생이에요, 맛있다, 운동하다, 먹어 봐요.
Practice · 6
Which type is 읽다?
Show answer
action verb
Which type is 예쁘다?
Show answer
descriptive verb
Which type is 이다 in 학생이에요?
Show answer
copula
Which type is 맛있다?
Show answer
existential word
Which type is 운동하다?
Show answer
하다 verb
In 먹어 봐요, which word is the helper?
Show answer
봐요
The answers are action verb, descriptive verb, copula, existential word, 하다 verb and auxiliary verb (봐요, from 보다).
What Should You Learn after the Types of Korean Verbs?
After the Korean types of verbs, read verbs vs adjectives, which explains the five places where descriptive verbs differ from action verbs. Then read 이다 vs 있다, which sorts the two verbs that both translate as "to be". Together the two pages cover the types where English speakers make the most mistakes.
What this page does not cover. It does not cover every auxiliary pattern, honorific verbs such as 드시다, or the irregular classes. About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. The Korean text and spoken forms on this page were machine-generated and reviewed and signed off by Min-ji Park on 15 October 2026. Forms were cross-checked with the site's rule-based conjugation engine. Romanization follows the Revised Romanization of Korean and is shown only as a learning aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Korean have linking verbs? Korean has one close match: the copula 이다 ("to be") with its negative 아니다. It attaches to a noun, as in 학생이에요 ("I am a student"). Adjectives need no linking verb, because 크다 already means "to be big". So there is no separate linking-verb class, just 이다/아니다 plus descriptive verbs.
Does Korean have modal verbs? Not as a verb class. Korean builds the meanings of "can", "must" and "may" with endings and helper patterns on an ordinary verb: -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 ("can"), -아/어야 하다 ("must") and -아/어도 되다 ("may"). Calling this "no modal class" is a teaching simplification, since grammars of Korean do describe modality.
What are helping verbs in Korean? Helping verbs, called 보조 용언, are verbs that add meaning to a main verb joined by -아/어 or -고. 보다 adds "try" in 먹어 봐요, 주다 adds "for someone" in 읽어 줘요, and 있다 adds "in progress" in 먹고 있어요. Each helper also works alone as a full verb.
Is an adjective a verb in Korean? In practice, mostly yes. Korean adjectives (형용사) take verb endings, so 크다 gives 커요, 컸어요 and 큽니다 the way 가다 gives 가요, 갔어요 and 갑니다. Grammars therefore call them descriptive or stative verbs. They differ from action verbs in the form before a noun, the plain present, commands and -고 있다.
Which type is 하다? 하다 ("to do") is an action verb on its own and the base of the 하다 verb group. Attached to a noun, it makes a verb or adjective: 공부하다 ("to study"), 조용하다 ("to be quiet"). The 하다 group is large: this site's verb dictionary list has 158 of 474 entries that end in 하다, and they all conjugate to 해요.
