Basic Korean Word List

Everyday beginner words, grouped by topic. Tap to hear.

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Which words to learn first

Start with Basics and Verbs: a few dozen words like 이것 (this), 어디 (where), 가다 (to go) and 먹다 (to eat) let you build hundreds of sentences. Then add the topic that matches your life: food if you travel, places if you live in Korea.

Verbs and adjectives end in 다

Dictionary forms like 가다 and 좋다 are not used as-is in conversation. Open the verb conjugator to see 가요, 갔어요 and other forms.

Word list written by Hanmadi for beginners.

FAQ

Is this the official TOPIK word list?

No. It is our own beginner list of common everyday words. Many of them overlap with what beginner textbooks and TOPIK I use.