Korean Word Order: Subject-Object-Verb
The most important difference between Korean and English is word order. English uses SVO (Subject-Verb-Object), but Korean uses SOV (Subject-Object-Verb). The verb always comes at the end of the sentence.
| English (SVO) | Korean (SOV) |
|---|---|
| I eat rice. | 나는 밥을 먹다. (I rice eat.) |
| She reads a book. | 그녀는 책을 읽다. (She book read.) |
| We study Korean. | 우리는 한국어를 공부하다. (We Korean study.) |
Key Rule: In Korean, the verb is always last. Everything else can be rearranged relatively freely, though SOV is the standard order.
The Verb 이다 (to be)
이다 is the Korean equivalent of "to be" (am, is, are). Unlike English, 이다 attaches directly to the noun it follows.
| Structure | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + 이다 | 학생이다 | is a student |
| Noun + 이다 | 책이다 | is a book |
Full Sentences with 이다
| Korean | Literal | English |
|---|---|---|
| 나는 학생이다. | I (topic) student-is. | I am a student. |
| 이것은 책이다. | This (topic) book-is. | This is a book. |
| 그것은 물이다. | That (topic) water-is. | That is water. |
The Negative: 아니다 (to not be)
아니다 means "to not be." Unlike 이다, it does not attach to the noun. Instead, the noun takes the subject particle 이/가.
| Positive | Negative |
|---|---|
| 학생이다 (is a student) | 학생이 아니다 (is not a student) |
| 책이다 (is a book) | 책이 아니다 (is not a book) |
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 나는 학생이 아니다. | I am not a student. |
| 이것은 사과가 아니다. | This is not an apple. |
Formal vs Informal Speech
Korean has multiple speech levels. For now, know these two forms of 이다:
| Level | 이다 form | 아니다 form | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain (해체) | ~이다 / ~다 | ~이/가 아니다 | Writing, casual |
| Formal polite (합쇼체) | ~입니다 | ~이/가 아닙니다 | Business, strangers |
| Informal polite (해요체) | ~이에요 / ~예요 | ~이/가 아니에요 | Daily conversation |
Examples in Formal Polite
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 저는 학생입니다. | I am a student. (formal) |
| 이것은 책입니다. | This is a book. (formal) |
| 저는 선생님이 아닙니다. | I am not a teacher. (formal) |
Making Simple Sentences
To make a basic Korean sentence:
- Start with the subject + topic particle (은/는)
- Add any objects or descriptions
- End with the verb (이다, 아니다, or any other verb)
Practice forming these sentences: - [Your name]은/는 학생이에요. → "I am a student." - 이것은 [object]이에요/예요. → "This is a [object]." - 그것은 [object]이/가 아니에요. → "That is not a [object]."