Adjectives (Descriptive Verbs)
Korean adjectives (descriptive verbs) and how they conjugate and modify nouns
I can use Korean adjectives as predicates and noun modifiers
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
이 가방은 비싸요.
This bag is expensive.
큰 집에 살고 싶어요.
I want to live in a big house.
날씨가 좋아요.
The weather is nice.
맛있는 한국 음식을 먹었어요.
I ate delicious Korean food.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
형용사 (Adjectives / Descriptive Verbs)
In Korean, adjectives behave like verbs — they conjugate for tense, politeness, and negation. This is why they're called descriptive verbs (형용사).
| Adjective | Dictionary | Polite form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| big | 크다 | 커요 | is big |
| small | 작다 | 작아요 | is small |
| expensive | 비싸다 | 비싸요 | is expensive |
| cheap | 싸다 | 싸요 | is cheap |
| delicious | 맛있다 | 맛있어요 | is delicious |
| pretty | 예쁘다 | 예뻐요 | is pretty |
Modifying nouns: To place an adjective before a noun, use stem + -(으)ㄴ:
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Vowel stem + -ㄴ | 큰 집 | big house |
| Consonant stem + -은 | 작은 가방 | small bag |
| 있/없 + -는 | 맛있는 음식 | delicious food |
Key difference from verbs: Adjectives CANNOT take -고 있다 (progressive). You can say 먹고 있어요 (eating) but NOT *크고 있어요 (being big).
Forget to conjugate adjectives (they are verbs in Korean). Wrong modifier form: -는 instead of -(으)ㄴ.
Common Error Patterns
Used dictionary form of adjective as predicate
Korean adjectives conjugate like verbs: 크다 → 커요, not *이 집은 크다
Wrong modifier ending for adjective
Most adjectives: stem + -(으)ㄴ. 있/없 adjectives: stem + -는
이 가방은 비싸요.
This bag is expensive.
비싸다 conjugated as predicate → 비싸요. No separate 'is' needed — the adjective IS the verb.
큰 집에 살고 싶어요.
I want to live in a big house.
크다 → 크 + -ㄴ = 큰 (big, as modifier). Adjective modifying noun = stem + -(으)ㄴ.
날씨가 좋아요.
The weather is nice.
좋다 → 좋아요 (is good). Follows 아/어 conjugation — 좋 + 아요.
맛있는 한국 음식을 먹었어요.
I ate delicious Korean food.
맛있다 uses -는 (not -ㄴ) as modifier because 있/없 adjectives are special: 맛있는 음식.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises
Put it into practice
Try a free exercise from the courseFrequently asked questions
- When is 형용사 used?
- In Korean, adjectives behave like verbs — they conjugate for tense, politeness, and negation. This is why they're called descriptive verbs (형용사).
- How is 형용사 formed?
- Modifying nouns: To place an adjective before a noun, use stem + -(으)ㄴ: Key difference from verbs: Adjectives CANNOT take -고 있다 (progressive). You can say 먹고 있어요 (eating) but NOT *크고 있어요 (being big).
- What are common mistakes with 형용사?
- Learners treat adjectives like English ones, forgetting to conjugate them. Also wrong modifier form: using -는 instead of -(으)ㄴ. EN speakers: English adjectives don't conjugate — 'The house is big' vs Korean 집이 커요 (커요 IS the adjective conjugated). Forget -(으)ㄴ when modifying nouns. DE speakers: German adjectives inflect for gender/case before nouns (großes Haus). Korean -(으)ㄴ is simpler but the concept of adjective conjugation as predicates is foreign. RU speakers: Russian short adjectives (дом велик) are predicate-like, which helps. But Korean adjectives conjugate for tense too (컸어요 = was big). CS speakers: Czech adjectives inflect for gender/number/case.