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“Parts of speech” are categories that describe the function of words in a sentence.
In Korean, the term for “parts of speech” is 품사 (pumsa).
This table provides a summary of the nine main parts of speech in Korean, including their names in both Korean and English, along with their respective Romanized forms using the Revised Romanization system.
| English | Korean | Revised Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | 명사 | Myeongsa |
| Pronoun | 대명사 | Daemyeongsa |
| Verb | 동사 | Dongsa |
| Adjective | 형용사 | Hyeongyongsa |
| Adverb | 부사 | Busa |
| Particle | 조사 | Josa |
| Interjection | 감탄사 | Gamtansa |
| Determiner | 관형사 | Gwanhyeongsa |
| Numerals | 수사 | Susa |
Learning the parts of speech in Korean is essential for understanding how sentences are structured. Here’s an overview of the nine main parts of speech in Korean:
1. Nouns (명사)
Definition: Nouns in Korean function similarly to those in English; they name people, places, things, or ideas.
Examples:
- 사람 (saram) – person
- 학교 (hakgyo) – school
- 책 (chaek) – book
2. Pronouns (대명사)
Definition: Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition.
Examples:
- 저 (jeo) – I (formal)
- 너 (neo) – you (informal)
- 그 (geu) – he/him or that
3. Verbs (동사)
Definition: Verbs describe actions, occurrences, or states of being.
Examples:
- 먹다 (meokda) – to eat
- 가다 (gada) – to go
- 하다 (hada) – to do
4. Adjectives (형용사)
Definition: Adjectives describe or modify nouns, giving more information about them.
Examples:
- 크다 (keuda) – big
- 작다 (jakda) – small
- 아름답다 (areumdapda) – beautiful
5. Adverbs (부사)
Definition: Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, often indicating how, when, where, or to what extent something happens.
Examples:
- 빨리 (ppalli) – quickly
- 많이 (mani) – a lot
- 잘 (jal) – well
6. Particles | Postpositions (조사)
Definition: Particles are attached to words (noun, pronoun, adverb, numeral) to indicate the word’s role in the sentence (such as subject, object, or topic markers).
Examples:
- 이/가 (i/ga) – subject marker
- 을/를 (eul/reul) – object marker
- 에 (e) – at, to (location marker)
7. Interjections | Exclamations (감탄사)
Definition: Interjections express emotions or reactions.
Examples:
- 와! (wa!) – Wow!
- 아이구 (aigeu!) – Oh my!
- 어머! (eomeo!) – Oh!, OMG!
8. Determiners (관형사)
Definition: Determiners are words that come before nouns to give more information about them. They help show if something is specific or general, how many there are, who owns it, etc.
Examples:
- 이 (i) – this
- 그 (geu) – that
- 몇 (myeot) – several, some
Definiteness: “this book” (a specific book)
Quantity: “some books” (how many)
Possession: “my book” (who owns it)
9. Numerals (수사)
Definition: Indicate numbers or quantities.
Example:
- 하나 (hana, one)
- 둘 (dul, two)
- 셋 (three, set)
*Conjunctions (접속사)
Definition: Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses. While Korean does have words that work like conjunctions, traditional Korean grammar doesn’t classify them separately because their functions are already built into other parts of the language.
Examples:
- 그리고 (geurigo) – and
- 그래서 (geuraeseo) – so
- 하지만 (hajiman) – but
Korean Sentence Structure Considerations
In Korean, the basic sentence structure is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV). This means that the verb usually comes at the end of the sentence, unlike in English, where it typically comes after the subject.
For example:
- English: I eat an apple.
- Korean: 나는 사과를 먹어요. (naneun sagwareul meogeoyo.)
Here’s a quick breakdown:
- 나 (na) – I (subject)
- 는 (neun) – topic marker
- 사과 (sagwa) – apple (object)
- 를 (reul) – object marker
- 먹어요 (meogeoyo) – eat (verb)
By understanding these parts of speech, you can better grasp how Korean sentences are constructed and how each word functions within a sentence.
