Korean Descriptive Nouns at a Glance
This section sits inside Korean Vocabulary and holds six lists: Korean Shapes Vocabulary, Korean Materials Vocabulary, Korean Measurement Vocabulary, Korean Position Words Vocabulary, Korean Quantity Words Vocabulary and Korean Opposites Vocabulary. The words are nouns, plus a few adverbs and noun-like words. They are the vocabulary of description, so you can use them with 이에요/예요 (it is) or with a particle, without any verb conjugation.
| List | Words | Level | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shapes | 25 | A1 | Drawing, maths and patterns on clothes |
| Materials | 30 | A2 | Labels, shops and recycling |
| Measurement | 30 | A2 | Height, weight, size and units |
| Position words | 20 | A1 | Saying where something is |
| Quantity words | 25 | A2 | Saying how much or how many |
| Opposites | 35 | A2 | Learning words in pairs |
Which List Should You Open First?
Open Position Words first if you want to say where things are, Shapes if you want the easiest start, and Measurement if you need numbers and units. The lists do not depend on each other, so you can take them in any order. The order in the table follows the order of a description: look, material, size, place, amount. The table below matches a goal to a list.
| Your goal | Open this list first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Describe where something is | Position words | Five words (위, 아래, 앞, 뒤, 안) cover most sentences |
| Draw, read maths or shop for clothes | Shapes | 동그라미, 네모 and 세모 are quick wins |
| Read a clothing or product label | Materials | 면, 가죽 and 플라스틱 appear on tags |
| Give your height, weight or an amount | Measurement | Units such as 센티미터 and 킬로그램 |
| Say "a lot", "a little" or "not at all" | Quantity words | 많이, 조금 and 하나도 |
| Learn faster by pairing words | Opposites | Each word comes with its pair |
Shapes
Twenty-five words for the shapes you draw and see, from the everyday 동그라미 (circle), 네모 (square) and 세모 (triangle) to the school words 원, 사각형 and 삼각형, solid shapes such as 원기둥 and 원뿔, and the pattern words on clothes, such as 줄무늬. Each flat shape has a plain name and a school name, and the page shows both. It is the easiest list to start with.
Open it at Korean Shapes Vocabulary. For one word at a time, see circle in korean.
What Is in the Materials List?
Thirty words for what things are made of: natural materials such as 나무 (wood) and 종이 (paper), metals such as 철 and 금, fabrics and leather on clothing labels, plastics, and glass and building materials. It teaches the pattern for saying what something is made of: 나무로 만들었어요.
Open it at Korean Materials Vocabulary. For one word at a time, see wood in korean and glass in korean.
Measurement
Thirty words for length, height, weight, volume, area and temperature. It starts with the nouns 길이 (length), 높이 (height) and 키 (a person's height), then the metric units 센티미터 and 킬로그램, and two traditional units still heard in daily talk, 평 and 근. It also teaches the question forms that ask for a number.
Open it at Korean Measurement Vocabulary. For one word at a time, see height in korean and weight in korean.
What Is in the Position Words List?
Twenty words for where something is: 위 (above), 아래 (below), 앞 (front), 뒤 (behind), 안 (inside) and 밖 (outside), and words for between, near and far. Korean has no prepositions, so the pattern is place + position word + 에, as in 책상 위에 (on the desk).
Open it at Korean Position Words Vocabulary.
Quantity Words
Twenty-five words for how much and how many: 많이 (a lot), 조금 (a little), 모두 and 전부 (all), 일부 (some), 약 and 정도 (about), and the degree words 너무, 정말 and 매우. It explains why 하나도 and 전혀 need a negative verb, and where the word for "about" goes.
Open it at Korean Quantity Words Vocabulary.
What Is in the Opposites List?
Thirty-five words, arranged in pairs: 위 and 아래, 남자 and 여자, 시작 and 끝, 가능 and 불가능. It shows how the prefixes 불-, 비-, 무- and 반- make opposites, and how Korean names synonyms (동의어) and antonyms (반의어). Adjective pairs such as 크다 and 작다 are on the adjectives pages.
Open it at Korean Opposites Vocabulary.
How Do You Describe an Object with All Six Lists?
Describe an object by answering five questions in order: what shape, what colour, what size, what material, and where is it. Each question has a noun that you put before 은/는, and an answer that ends in 이에요/예요 or a verb. Here is one object, a bag, described with words from four of the lists.
| Question | Word | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour | 색 | 이 가방은 파란색이에요. | This bag is blue. |
| Shape | 모양 | 모양은 네모예요. | The shape is a square. |
| Size | 크기 | 크기는 30센티미터예요. | The size is 30 centimetres. |
| Material | 소재 | 소재는 가죽이에요. | The material is leather. |
| Position | 위치 | 책상 위에 있어요. | It is on the desk. |
Read the five sentences in a row and you have a full description. The shape comes from the shapes list, the size from measurement, the material from materials and the place from position words. The colour words are on the colors page. If you want adjectives instead of nouns, such as 크다 (be big) or 둥글다 (be round), see the size, shape and color adjectives.
The pattern is the same each time: topic noun + 은/는 + answer + 이에요/예요. After a vowel the copula is 예요, as in 네모예요, and after a consonant it is 이에요, as in 파란색이에요. A mini-test: pick three objects in the room and describe each one with words from at least three lists. For example: 컵은 유리로 만들었어요. 모양은 동그라미예요. 책상 위에 있어요.
What Do All the Lists Have in Common?
Every list follows the same format, so you learn how to read one and you can read them all. The same layout makes it easy to move from one list to the next.
| Feature | What you get |
|---|---|
| Hangul | The word in Korean letters, as written |
| Revised Romanization | A guide to the sound, not a replacement for Hangul |
| Audio | A clip for each word and each example sentence |
| Example sentence | A short sentence that shows the word in use |
| Groups | Five groups, so the list never feels like one long block |
| Practice | A flashcard deck, a quiz and a worksheet that match the page |
The romanization follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) publishes, and it is a learning aid that does not show every sound change.
Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet
Each list has its own flashcard deck, and the vocabulary flashcard decks page lists them all. Use the tables on this page for practice on paper. The quiz below checks the lead words of five lists.
Practice · 5
Which Korean word means circle?
Show answer
동그라미
동그라미 (donggeurami) means circle. It is in the shapes list.
Which Korean word means wood?
Show answer
나무
나무 (namu) means wood, and also a tree. It is in the materials list.
Which Korean word means length?
Show answer
길이
길이 (giri) means length. It is in the measurement list.
Which Korean word means above?
Show answer
위
위 (wi) means above or on top of. Its opposite is 아래, below.
Which Korean word means opposite?
Show answer
반대
반대 (bandae) means opposite. It is the lead word of the opposites list.
Where to Go Next
If you are not sure where to start, open Korean Position Words Vocabulary or Korean Shapes Vocabulary. To study words by method rather than by topic, read How to Learn Korean Vocabulary. For the small words that join these nouns into sentences, such as pronouns and question words, see Korean Pronouns, Question Words and Connectors. To return to the full set of word lists, go to Korean Vocabulary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which List in Korean Descriptive Nouns Should I Start With?
Start with Position Words if you want to say where things are, or with Shapes if you want the gentlest start. Both are level A1. After that, take Materials, Measurement, Quantity Words and Opposites, which are level A2. The lists do not depend on each other, so you can open any list that matches your goal.
How Are the Lists in Korean Descriptive Nouns Organised?
Each list has five groups of related words. A group has between four and eight words, and each word has Hangul, romanization, audio and an example sentence. Below the groups, each page explains a pattern, such as 나무로 만들었어요 for materials or 책상 위에 for position, then a pronunciation table, five common mistakes, practice and a short FAQ.
Do These Lists Include Verbs and Adjectives?
No. The lists hold nouns, with a few adverbs and noun-like words. Verbs and adjectives change shape when you conjugate them, so they are taught in the verbs section, including the size, shape and color adjectives. The example sentences use verbs, but you do not need to study them first.
How Do I Describe an Object in Korean?
Answer five questions with a noun and 이에요/예요: what shape, what colour, what size, what material and where it is. For example, 모양은 네모예요 (the shape is a square) and 소재는 가죽이에요 (the material is leather). The section above shows all five sentences for one bag, with audio.
Where Can I Find Flashcards and Worksheets for These Topics?
Each list has its own flashcard deck, and all decks are on the vocabulary flashcard decks page. Use the tables on this page for practice on paper. Your flashcard progress stays in your browser.
What Level Are These Word Lists?
Position Words and Shapes are A1, and the other four lists are A2. These are editorial estimates, not official levels, and they describe how common the words are in beginner study. For the official Korean language tests, see the test organiser, topik.go.kr.