문장구조A1

Basic Sentence Structure

Q: When is 기본 문장 구조 used?

Korean uses SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) word order — the verb always comes last . This is the most fundamental difference from English (SVO).

Q: How is 기본 문장 구조 formed?

Tip: Think of Korean sentences as building blocks that stack before the verb. The verb is like a period — it ends everything.

Korean SOV word order and basic sentence patterns

Learning Goal

Can construct basic Korean sentences using SOV word order

Exam Skills:쓰기읽기

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

저는 학생이에요.

I am a student.

저는 커피를 마셔요.

I drink coffee.

아침에 학교에 가요.

I go to school in the morning.

뭐 해요?

What are you doing?

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

기본 문장 구조 — Basic Sentence Structure

Korean uses SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) word order — the verb always comes last. This is the most fundamental difference from English (SVO).

Language	Order	Example
English	SVO	I eat rice.
Korean	SOV	저는 밥을 먹어요. (I + rice + eat)

Key rules:

The verb is always last — this is the one non-negotiable rule
Other elements (subject, object, time, place) can be rearranged relatively freely
Subjects and objects are often dropped when clear from context: 밥 먹어요 = "(I) eat rice"
Particles (조사) attach to nouns to show their grammatical role, so word order is flexible

Basic patterns:

Pattern	Korean	Meaning
S + V	저는 가요.	I go.
S + O + V	저는 물을 마셔요.	I drink water.
S + Location + V	저는 학교에 가요.	I go to school.
S + Time + Location + V	저는 아침에 학교에 가요.	I go to school in the morning.

Tip: Think of Korean sentences as building blocks that stack before the verb. The verb is like a period — it ends everything.

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Learners place the verb in the middle of the sentence (SVO habit) or forget that the verb must be last. 🇬🇧 English speakers: The SVO→SOV switch is the #1 challenge. English speakers say *저는 먹어요 밥을 instead of 저는 밥을 먹어요. Practice: always put the verb last. 🇩🇪 German speakers: German has V2 rule and verb-final in subordinate clauses (weil ich Reis esse), so the concept of verb-final is somewhat familiar. Still, the consistent SOV is new.

저는 학생이에요.

I am a student.

Basic S+V pattern: 저 (I) + 는 (topic) + 학생 (student) + 이에요 (am). The copula 이에요 comes last.

저는 커피를 마셔요.

I drink coffee.

SOV order: 저 (I) + 는 (topic) + 커피 (coffee) + 를 (object) + 마셔요 (drink). Verb 마셔요 is last.

아침에 학교에 가요.

I go to school in the morning.

Subject 저는 is dropped (clear from context). Time (아침에) and place (학교에) come before the verb (가요).

뭐 해요?

What are you doing?

Minimal sentence: 뭐 (what) + 해요 (do). Subject 'you' is dropped. Even in questions, the verb is last — Korean uses intonation, not word order, for questions.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

Basic Sentence Structure

기본 문장 구조 — Basic Sentence Structure

Common Error Patterns

Put it into practice

Frequently asked questions