Vocabulary is the raw material of every sentence — you can't say much without words to say it with. The encouraging news is that a relatively small set of high-frequency words covers most everyday Korean, so a beginner who learns the right essentials can start communicating fast. This is a categorized list of the core Korean words to learn first, with romanization throughout. To get the most from it, you'll want to read the Hangul directly — if you're still learning the letters, start with our Korean alphabet (Hangul) guide first, then come back.
Greetings & polite words
These are the words you'll use in almost every interaction. Learn them first — they're high-frequency and instantly useful.
- 안녕하세요annyeonghaseyo
Hello (polite)
The all-purpose polite greeting. Casual version: 안녕.
- 감사합니다gamsahamnida
Thank you (formal)
Polite everyday version: 고마워요.
- 네 / 아니요ne / aniyo
Yes / No
- 죄송합니다joesonghamnida
I'm sorry (formal)
Casual: 미안해.
- 괜찮아요gwaenchanayo
It's okay / I'm fine
Numbers (1–10, Sino-Korean)
Korean has two number systems. Here are the Sino-Korean numbers used for dates, money, and minutes; for the full picture and the native numbers, see our guide to Korean numbers, days, and dates.
- 일 이 삼 사 오il, i, sam, sa, o
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- 육 칠 팔 구 십yuk, chil, pal, gu, sip
6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Everyday verbs
Verbs are listed in their dictionary form (ending in -다). A few of these — 가다, 먹다, 있다 — appear in a huge proportion of sentences, so they're worth prioritizing.
- 가다gada
to go
- 오다oda
to come
- 먹다meokda
to eat
- 마시다masida
to drink
- 있다 / 없다itda / eopda
to exist, have / to not exist, not have
Used constantly for 'there is / there isn't' and possession.
- 하다hada
to do
Attaches to countless nouns: 공부하다 (to study), 운동하다 (to exercise).
Food & drink
- 물mul
water
- 밥bap
rice / a meal
Also means 'a meal' generally — 밥 먹었어요? ('Did you eat?') is a common greeting.
- 커피keopi
coffee
- 김치gimchi
kimchi
- 맛있다masitda
to be delicious
Time & days
- 오늘 / 내일 / 어제oneul / naeil / eoje
today / tomorrow / yesterday
- 지금jigeum
now
- 아침 / 점심 / 저녁achim / jeomsim / jeonyeok
morning / lunch (noon) / evening
- 시간sigan
time / hour
Common people & question words
- 저 / 나jeo / na
I, me (polite / casual)
- 친구chingu
friend
- 뭐 / 누구 / 어디mwo / nugu / eodi
what / who / where
- 언제 / 왜eonje / wae
when / why
How to actually memorize this list
Reading a vocabulary list once does almost nothing — you'll forget most of it by tomorrow. Memory works through repetition spaced over time: you need to see each word again right before you'd forget it. Doing that by hand is tedious, which is why most learners give up on raw word lists. Two habits make vocabulary actually stick: review with spaced repetition, and use the words in real sentences so they become active rather than just recognizable.
Our vocabulary deck is built exactly for this. It feeds you common Korean words like the ones above with Hangul, romanization, and meaning, and schedules each card with spaced repetition so you only review what you're about to forget — turning a long list into lasting knowledge with a few minutes a day. Then take the words you've learned and use them in AI conversation practice so they move from your flashcards into your actual speech. For the must-know greetings specifically, pair this with our basic Korean greetings guide.
Turn this word list into words you know
Lock in essential Korean vocabulary with a spaced-repetition deck that reviews each word right before you'd forget it.
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