Korean Reasoning Words Vocabulary: Word List with Audio and Examples

Korean Reasoning Words Vocabulary at a Glance

Beginner Korean teaches concrete nouns: food, places, family. Once you move past that, you need abstract nouns to explain why something happened or what you think about it. This list has 30 such words in five groups of six. It belongs to Korean Pronouns, Question Words and Connectors, next to the Korean Conjunctions Vocabulary page. The conjunctions join sentences, and these nouns fill the sentences with the content of an argument.

Most of the words are Sino-Korean, which means they come from Chinese characters and have a formal feel. That is why you hear them in news reports, meetings, school essays and exam writing more than in casual chat. They also work as building blocks: once you know 방법, you can read 해결 방법 (a way to solve something) and 공부 방법 (study method). Learning them in groups helps you compare similar pairs, such as 이유 and 원인, and 목적 and 목표, which the sections below explain.

Which Reasoning Words Should You Learn First?

Learn 이유, 방법, 생각, 문제 and 때문 first. With those five you can ask why, say how, give an opinion and name a problem: 왜 그렇게 생각해요? 이유가 뭐예요? (Why do you think so? What is the reason?). Then add 결과, 목적 and 해결, which appear in almost every explanation or report. The group sections are ordered the way an argument is built: reason, method, opinion, problem, comparison.

• Words to say. 이유, 방법, 생각, 문제, 때문. They carry everyday explanations.
• Words to recognise. 원인, 결과, 영향, 목적, 해결. You meet these in news and in essays.
• Words to add later. 입장, 주장, 근거, 방안, 공통점. They make an opinion sound organised.

The scene below shows a classroom with a board of diagrams, with twelve numbered objects that match words in the tables.

Word · 12

1. 1

   이유

   Play

   iyu

   reason

2. 2

   원인

   Play

   wonin

   cause

3. 3

   결과

   Play

   gyeolgwa

   result; outcome

4. 4

   방법

   Play

   bangbeop

   method; way

5. 5

   목적

   Play

   mokjeok

   purpose; aim

6. 6

   의견

   Play

   uigyeon

   opinion

7. 7

   생각

   Play

   saenggak

   thought; opinion

8. 8

   입장

   Play

   ipjang

   position; stance

9. 9

   문제

   Play

   munje

   problem; question

10. 10

    해결

    Play

    haegyeol

    solution; resolving

11. 11

    차이

    Play

    chai

    difference

12. 12

    비교

    Play

    bigyo

    comparison

Reason and Result (이유, 결과, 원인)

This group answers 왜 (why). 이유 is the reason a person gives, 원인 is the cause of an event, and 결과 is what followed. The last three words are connectors in noun form: 때문 (because of), 영향 (influence) and 덕분 (thanks to).

The pair 때문에 and 덕분에 matters more than it looks. 때문에 is neutral or negative, as in 비 때문에 (because of the rain), and 덕분에 gives credit for a good result. Using the wrong one changes the tone of the whole sentence.

Example Sentences

The examples use three frames. The first is noun + 이/가 + descriptive verb, as in 방법이 있어요. The second is noun + 을/를 + verb, as in 문제를 해결했어요. The third is noun + 은/는 + noun + 이에요/예요, as in 올해 목표는 한국어 공부예요. Particles follow the last sound of the noun: 이유가 (vowel, so 가), 결과가 (vowel, so 가), 문제를 (vowel, so 를) and 방법이 (consonant, so 이). Say each sentence aloud after the audio and replace the noun with another from the table.

How Do You Say Method and Purpose (방법, 목적) in Korean?

This group answers 어떻게 (how) and 왜 (why, in the sense of "what for"). A method is a way to do something, a purpose is why you do it, and a goal is what you aim to reach. A plan, a process and a stage describe how the work unfolds.

Look at the particle 보다 in the example 결과보다 과정이 중요해요. It means "than" and makes a comparison: A보다 B가 더 ... (B is more ... than A). Comparison nouns come later in this list, and you will use 보다 with them.

Opinion (의견, 생각)

Opinion words let you state a view and defend it. 생각 is a thought and 의견 is an opinion stated to others. 입장 is your position, 주장 is a claim, 근거 is the evidence and 판단 is your judgement. Together they form the structure of a short argument.

The two words 생각 and 의견 overlap, but not fully. 제 생각에는 (in my opinion) works almost anywhere, from chat to essays. 의견 sounds more formal and is the usual word in meetings and writing, as in 제 의견은 (my opinion is). The spelling 입장 is shared by two words, "position" and "admission", so the topic decides which.

How Do You Say Problem and Solution (문제, 해결) in Korean?

Problem and solution words are the second half of most explanations. You name a problem (문제), mention the difficulty (어려움), say what is needed (필요) and propose a measure (방안) or effect (효과). The solution itself is 해결, usually with 하다: 해결하다 (to solve).

The word 문제 has two meanings, "problem" and "test question", and the context decides which. 문제가 생겼어요 means "a problem has come up", but in a classroom 문제를 풀어요 means "I work through the questions", because 문제 is also the word for a test item. A question you ask a person is 질문, not 문제.

Comparison (차이, 비교)

Comparison words are the last group. They let you set two things side by side, name what is shared and what differs, and judge the advantages and disadvantages. 차이 and 비교 are the core pair, and 장점 and 단점 are the pair you will use most often in an essay.

The words 장점 and 단점 differ by one letter and a meaning that is the opposite. Remember them by 장 (long, strong, good) for 장점 and 단 (short, lacking) for 단점. The pair almost always appears together in a comparison: 장점과 단점 (advantages and disadvantages).

How Do 이유 and 원인, and 목적 and 목표, Differ?

Two pairs cause the most confusion, because English often translates both words in each pair with one word. The table sets the pairs side by side.

In short, 이유 is the human reason and 원인 is the cause behind an event. 목적 is why you act, and 목표 is the target. Both pairs can overlap in real speech, so treat the table as a guide and not a hard rule.

Which Sentence Frames Carry These Words?

Reasoning nouns work best inside a few fixed frames. The table lists five frames with a spoken or written example. Written Korean often ends in -다 where spoken Korean ends in -요.

To connect two sentences with a reason, add a conjunction from the conjunctions page, such as 그래서 (so) or 왜냐하면 (because). These frames are also the base of exam answers: the TOPIK writing section asks candidates to explain and give opinions, so the nouns on this page appear often. Check topik.go.kr for the current exam format, and see TOPIK writing for practice.

How Do You Build a Short Opinion with Eight of These Words?

Here is a short opinion paragraph in formal written Korean (the -ㅂ니다 style) that uses eight words from the list: 방법, 목표, 계획, 의견, 이유, 효과, 단점 and 결과.

저는 한국어 공부에서 가장 중요한 것은 방법이라고 생각합니다. 목표가 분명하면 계획을 세우기 쉽습니다. 제 의견은 매일 조금씩 공부하는 것입니다. 그 이유는 효과가 크기 때문입니다. 단점은 시간이 걸리는 것이지만, 결과는 좋습니다.

The English meaning is: "I think the most important thing in studying Korean is the method. If the goal is clear, it is easy to make a plan. My opinion is to study a little every day. The reason is that the effect is large. The disadvantage is that it takes time, but the result is good." Notice how each sentence has one job: claim, support, opinion, reason, then a balance of the downside and the result. Try writing your own version about a topic you care about.

How Do You Pronounce These Words?

Reasoning words are mostly Sino-Korean, so they follow fairly regular sound rules, with a few tense consonants and some links between syllables. The Hangul shows the written form, while the spoken form shifts where one sound meets another. Standard pronunciation follows the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) rules, and the romanization follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which writes double-letter tense consonants but does not show tensing caused by a neighbouring sound.

The vowel ㅢ in 의견 and 의 is the hardest to say, because it starts with the flat ㅡ and glides to ㅣ. Say eu-i quickly, as one syllable. The ㅓ in 견 is unrounded: keep the lips relaxed. In 원 the lips round only for the w glide, then relax for ㅓ. Listen to the clips before you copy them.

Audio and Slow Playback

Every headword and every example sentence has its own audio. The five clips below replay the hardest words slowly. Play one, repeat it aloud, then play it again and compare.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Reasoning Words?

Five mistakes appear often.

1. Using 이유 and 원인 as the same word. 이유 is the reason a person gives for a choice, and 원인 is the cause of an event. Ask 이유가 뭐예요? to a person, and 원인이 뭐예요? about an accident.
2. Using 때문에 for a good result. 비 때문에 못 갔어요 is fine for a problem. For a good outcome, say 덕분에: 선생님 덕분에 합격했어요.
3. Mixing 목적 and 목표. A 목적 is why you do something, and a 목표 is the target you aim for. A trip can have a purpose (rest) and a goal (walk ten kilometres).
4. Dropping 에 or 이다 after 때문. 때문 needs a partner: 비 때문에 (because of the rain) or 비 때문이다 (it is because of the rain). Saying 비 때문 alone is not a sentence.
5. Using only 생각 to state a view. 생각하다 is fine in speech and in essays (the sample paragraph above uses 생각합니다). To name your position more precisely in formal writing, add 의견, 주장 or 입장: 제 주장은 ... (my argument is ...).

If you only fix one, fix the 때문에 and 덕분에 pair, because the wrong choice changes the feeling of the sentence.

Practice: Flashcards and Worksheet

Study in three steps. First, run the flashcard deck in recognition mode until you recognise all 30 words. Second, switch to listening mode and answer from the audio alone. Third, take the quiz. The deck covers all 30 words with audio, and your progress stays in your browser. The vocabulary flashcard decks page lists the other decks.

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, write your own short opinion in Korean with three of these words: one reason, one method and one result.

Where to Go Next

After this page, continue with Korean Conjunctions Vocabulary to connect your reasons into longer sentences. For exam writing, open TOPIK writing. To move up a level, return to Korean Pronouns, Question Words and Connectors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Say Reason in Korean?

Reason is 이유 (iyu). Ask for one with 이유가 뭐예요? (iyuga mwoyeyo?), which means "what is the reason?". The question word 뭐 carries the stress, and the voice does not climb sharply at the end. Use 원인 (wonin) when you mean the cause of an event. Press the audio button to hear 이유.

How Do You Pronounce 원인 (wonin)?

Say wo-nin in two beats, written [워닌]. The final ㄴ of 원 moves to the empty first slot of 인, so it sounds like 워-닌, not "won-in". The lips round only for the w at the start of 원; the ㅓ after it is unrounded. Use the slow clip to repeat it.

How Many Reasoning Words Should I Learn First?

Five first: 이유, 방법, 생각, 문제 and 때문. At five new words a day, the 30-word list takes six days plus review. Learn 때문에 and 덕분에 together in the first week, because they decide the tone of a reason.

Where Can I Practise Reasoning Words with Flashcards?

Use the vocabulary flashcard decks. The deck for this page holds all 30 words with Hangul, romanization and audio, and it offers recognition and listening modes. Your progress stays in your browser, so return daily and review the cards you missed.

Is the Romanization on This Page Official?

It follows the Revised Romanization of Korean, which South Korea adopted on 7 July 2000 and whose rules the National Institute of Korean Language (국립국어원) publishes. It is a learning aid and does not show every sound change, so rely on the Hangul and the audio.

Is There a Printable Worksheet for Reasoning Words?

A printable worksheet for these words (word list, matching, writing practice, fill-in-the-blank exercises and answer key) is available in A4 and US Letter from the download card on this page. For practice, copy the tables on this page by hand or use the flashcard deck, which carries the same 30 words.

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