500 Korean Words at a Glance
The 500 words are not one long list. They are the first 100 words plus four study units of 100, so each page stays short enough to finish in a week or two. The first 100 words are pronouns, people, time, numbers, places and basic adverbs. The four units add objects, work, travel, feelings and abstract ideas, in that order of need.
| Unit | Words | Level | Starts with | Groups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Korean Words | 1 to 100 | A1 | 이 (this) | Pronouns, people and family, time and numbers, places and things, basic adverbs |
| Korean Words 101 to 200 | 101 to 200 | A1 | 가방 (bag) | Everyday objects, people and places, food and shopping, time and weather, useful adverbs |
| Korean Words 201 to 300 | 201 to 300 | A1 | 부모님 (parents) | Home and family, work and money, transport and places, body and health, connectors and adverbs |
| Korean Words 301 to 400 | 301 to 400 | A2 | 생각 (thought) | Feelings and opinions, places and directions, school and study, nature and seasons, frequency and degree words |
| Korean Words 401 to 500 | 401 to 500 | A2 | 사회 (society) | Society and news, work and business, travel and hotels, abstract nouns, time order and connectors |
The order inside each unit is an editorial study order, which means a judgement of what a beginner needs next. It is not a count from a text corpus, so word 150 is not necessarily rarer than word 140. One pattern is measurable: after the first 100 words, the share of Sino-Korean words (words built from Chinese-derived syllables) grows. It is 28 of 100 in the top 100, 50 of 100 in words 101 to 200 and 58 of 100 in words 201 to 300. Nouns for objects, places, jobs and money overtake the pronouns that dominate the first list.
This hub lists nouns, adverbs and connectors. Verbs and adjectives are in the verbs section, starting with 100 Korean verbs. You also need to read Hangul comfortably, so go to reading Hangul first if the tables feel slow.
Which List Should You Open First?
Open the unit that matches your next need, but finish the top 100 Korean words first, because the later units assume you know them. After that the units can be taken in order or by goal.
| If you want to talk about | Open |
|---|---|
| Things you carry, food, shops, days of the week | Korean Words 101 to 200 |
| Family, home, jobs, banks, buses, health | Korean Words 201 to 300 |
| Opinions, directions, school, the seasons | Korean Words 301 to 400 |
| News, work, hotels and travel, reasons | Korean Words 401 to 500 |
A realistic pace is about 25 new words a week, which takes about 20 weeks for all five lists, or about 4 weeks per unit of 100 once you add review. Recognising a word on a page is easier than producing it in speech, so say each word and its example sentence aloud, and treat a word as learned only when you can use it in a sentence.
Words 101-200
Korean Words 101 to 200 covers everyday objects (가방, 시계, 지갑), people and places (의사, 미술관, 카페), food and shopping (김치, 비빔밥, 계산서), time and weather (the days of the week, 장마, 미세먼지) and useful adverbs (이렇게, 어떻게, 왜). It is the first step after the top 100, and it never repeats a word from it.
What Is in the Words 201-300 List?
Korean Words 201 to 300 covers home and family (부모님, 아파트, 냉장고), work and money (회사원, 월세, 계좌), transport and places (교통카드, 정류장), body and health (머리, 약국, 건강) and connectors (그렇지만, 그러니까). Every Work and money word is Sino-Korean except one loanword, which makes this the best unit for seeing how Chinese-derived syllables repeat.
Words 301-400
Korean Words 301 to 400 is where vocabulary starts to carry opinions, reasons and plans. It groups feelings and opinions, places and directions, school and study, nature and seasons, and frequency and degree words, and it opens with 생각 (thought).
What Is in the Words 401-500 List?
Korean Words 401 to 500 closes the series with society and news, work and business, travel and hotels, abstract nouns, and time order with connectors. It opens with 사회 (society) and ends with a 500-word checkpoint so you can check your progress.
What Do All the Lists Have in Common?
Every list uses the same format, so you can move between them without learning a new layout.
- Hangul: the word as written, so you practise reading, not only romanization.
- Revised Romanization: the official system, adopted on 7 July 2000 and published by the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원). It is a learning aid and does not show every sound change.
- Meaning and origin: a short English gloss; every unit also labels each word as native, Sino-Korean, loanword or mixed.
- Example sentence: one short polite-style sentence for each word, with its own audio clip.
- Nothing plays until you press a button.
The lists also share one limit: they do not claim to be a frequency ranking or an official list. TOPIK, the Test of Proficiency in Korean, has its own vocabulary page at TOPIK vocabulary, and the exam body publishes its current information on topik.go.kr. Treat these lists as study units, and the exam as a separate check.
Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet
The units for words 101 to 200 and 201 to 300 each have a starter deck of 20 cards on their page, and decks for the other two units are planned. For the whole series, browse the vocabulary flashcard decks. The 500 Korean words flashcards are a separate set of 500 cards: they open with verbs and adjectives and then move to everyday nouns, so they overlap with these lists only in part. For writing practice, see the vocabulary worksheets, including the 100 Korean words worksheet for the first unit.
Practice · 5
Which page covers words 101 to 200?
Show answer
Korean Words 101 to 200
Words 101 to 200 are the first unit after the top 100.
Which unit has the Work and money group?
Show answer
Korean Words 201 to 300
Words 201 to 300 group home and family, work and money, transport, body and connectors.
Are the numbers 101 to 500 a frequency ranking?
Show answer
No, an editorial study order
The order is an editorial judgement of what a beginner needs next.
Where are verbs and adjectives listed?
Show answer
In the verbs section
These lists hold nouns, adverbs and connectors; verbs are in the verbs section.
How many new words a week does this page suggest as a realistic pace?
Show answer
About 25
About 25 new words a week takes about 20 weeks for all five lists.
Where to Go Next
Start with Top 100 Korean Words if you have not finished it, then open Korean Words 101 to 200. When all five lists are done, continue to Top 1000 Korean Words. The parent page is Most Common Korean Words.
About this page. Last updated 2026-10-09. The Korean text and example sentences were drafted with AI assistance and cross-checked with the site's rule-based conjugation engine; a Korean reviewer checks every lesson before it is marked as reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which List in 500 Korean Words Should I Start With?
Finish the top 100 Korean words first, then open Korean Words 101 to 200. After that, take the units in order, or choose by goal: 201 to 300 for family, work and travel nouns, 301 to 400 for opinions and school, and 401 to 500 for news and hotels.
How Are the Lists in 500 Korean Words Organised?
The 500 words are the top 100 plus four units of 100 words. Each unit has five groups of 20 words by topic, and each word has Hangul, Revised Romanization, a meaning, an example sentence and audio. The order is a study order, not a frequency count.
Do These Lists Include Verbs and Adjectives?
No. The lists hold nouns, adverbs and connectors. Verbs and adjectives are in the verbs section, which starts with the 100 Korean verbs list and then moves through the beginner, elementary and intermediate verb lists.
Where Can I Find Flashcards and Worksheets for These Topics?
The pages for words 101 to 200 and 201 to 300 each end with a starter deck of 20 cards, and decks for the other two units are planned. The vocabulary flashcard decks hub lists every themed deck, including a separate set of 500 Korean words flashcards, and the vocabulary worksheets hub lists the printable sheets.
How Long Does It Take to Learn 500 Korean Words?
At about 25 new words a week, the five lists take about 20 weeks, with review sessions on top. At 10 new words a day it takes about 50 days. Recognising a word is easier than using it, so practise each word in a sentence before you count it as learned.
Are These Lists the TOPIK Word List?
No. The lists are study units made by this site. TOPIK vocabulary has its own page here, and the official information about the exam is on topik.go.kr, the site of the exam body.