πŸ‚

Seasons and Their Vibes

Keywords
λ΄„ / 여름 / 가을 / 겨울
Lesson #
S
Done
Section
Basic Vocabulary
🧭
TL;DR: Today's words are the four seasons plus the word for "season" itself β€” λ΄„ (spring), 여름 (summer), 가을 (fall/autumn), 겨울 (winter), and κ³„μ ˆ (season). Korea has four very distinct seasons, and these words come up constantly in small talk, planning, and weather chat.
πŸ¦‹
Iru Helper Note: You just learned λ§‘μŒ, λΉ„, 눈, λ°”λžŒ, and 흐림 β€” now you can connect them to the seasons! κ²¨μšΈμ—λŠ” 눈이 μ™€μš” (it snows in winter), μ—¬λ¦„μ—λŠ” 날씨가 λ”μ›Œμš” (it's hot in summer). And once you know which season you're in, you'll start craving its flavors β€” which is exactly where the next lesson, <mention-page url="https://app.notion.com/p/344be37590c0812f-a989-da1d9c9e4ca7">, picks up. Quick example using all five: ν•œκ΅­μ€ λ΄„, 여름, 가을, 겨울 λ„€ κ³„μ ˆμ΄ λšœλ ·ν•œ λ‚˜λΌμ˜ˆμš”. (Korea is a country with four very distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall, and winter.)

🎯 Big Picture

Korea's four seasons are a constant topic of conversation β€” they shape clothing, food, holidays, and even how people greet each other ("ν™˜μ ˆκΈ°μ— 감기 μ‘°μ‹¬ν•˜μ„Έμš”" β€” be careful of catching a cold during the change of seasons). λ΄„, 여름, 가을, 겨울 each have a distinct personality, and κ³„μ ˆ is the umbrella word that ties them together. Once you have these five words, you can talk about your favorite time of year, plan activities, and link back to the weather vocabulary you just learned.

πŸ“– Core Vocabulary Family

1. λ΄„ (Spring)

λ΄„ is spring β€” the season of new beginnings, warming weather, and blooming flowers.
  • λ΄„μ—λŠ” 꽃이 많이 ν”Όμ–΄μš”. (Many flowers bloom in spring.)
  • 봄이 되면 날씨가 λ”°λœ»ν•΄μ Έμš”. (When spring comes, the weather gets warm.)
Grammar note: Use the time particle 에 with seasons: 봄에 (in spring). 봄이 μ˜€λ‹€/λ˜λ‹€ means "spring comes/arrives."

2. 여름 (Summer)

여름 is summer β€” hot, humid, and full of vacation plans.
  • μ—¬λ¦„μ—λŠ” 날씨가 λ”μ›Œμš”. (It's hot in summer.)
  • 여름 νœ΄κ°€ κ³„νš μžˆμ–΄μš”? (Do you have summer vacation plans?)
Grammar note: λ₯λ‹€ (to be hot) is γ…‚-irregular β†’ λ”μ›Œμš”, the same pattern as 무λ₯λ‹€ β†’ λ¬΄λ”μ›Œμš” from the weather lesson.

3. 가을 (Fall / Autumn)

가을 is fall β€” known for cool weather, colorful leaves, and being "the season of reading."
  • κ°€μ„μ—λŠ” 단풍이 정말 μ˜ˆλ»μš”. (The autumn leaves are really pretty in fall.)
  • 가을은 λ…μ„œμ˜ κ³„μ ˆμ΄μ—μš”. (Fall is the season of reading.)
Grammar note: The pattern [κ³„μ ˆ] + 의 + [ν™œλ™/λͺ…사] means "the season of ___" β€” λ…μ„œμ˜ κ³„μ ˆ (the season of reading), μ—¬ν–‰μ˜ κ³„μ ˆ (the season of travel).

4. 겨울 (Winter)

겨울 is winter β€” cold, snowy, and full of holidays and breaks.
  • κ²¨μšΈμ—λŠ” 눈이 μ™€μš”. (It snows in winter.)
  • 겨울 방학이 곧 μ‹œμž‘ν•΄μš”. (Winter break starts soon.)
Grammar note: This links directly back to 눈이 μ˜€λ‹€ (snow falls/comes) from the Weather Conditions lesson β€” 겨울 is when you'll use that phrase most!

5. κ³„μ ˆ (Season)

κ³„μ ˆ is the general word for "season" β€” the umbrella term for λ΄„, 여름, 가을, and 겨울.
  • ν•œκ΅­μ€ μ‚¬κ³„μ ˆμ΄ λšœλ ·ν•΄μš”. (Korea has four very distinct seasons.)
  • μ–΄λ–€ κ³„μ ˆμ„ κ°€μž₯ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”? (Which season do you like best?)
Grammar note: μ‚¬κ³„μ ˆ = 사 (four, Sino-Korean) + κ³„μ ˆ = "the four seasons," written and said as one word.

πŸ—£οΈ How They Work in a Sentence

  1. ν•œκ΅­μ˜ μ‚¬κ³„μ ˆμ€ λ΄„, 여름, 가을, κ²¨μšΈμ΄μ—μš”. (Korea's four seasons are spring, summer, fall, and winter.)
  1. μ €λŠ” 단풍을 λ³Ό 수 μžˆλŠ” 가을을 κ°€μž₯ μ’‹μ•„ν•˜μ§€λ§Œ, μ—¬λ¦„μ˜ λ”μš΄ λ‚ μ”¨λŠ” λ³„λ‘œμ˜ˆμš”. (I like fall best because I can see the autumn leaves, but I'm not a fan of summer's hot weather.)
  1. λ΄„κ³Ό 가을은 짧고, 여름과 κ²¨μšΈμ€ κΈΈμ–΄μš”. (Spring and fall are short, and summer and winter are long.)

🧱 General Formation Rule

  • Time particle 에: 봄에, 여름에, 가을에, κ²¨μšΈμ— β€” "in spring/summer/fall/winter."
  • κ³„μ ˆ + 의 + noun: λ…μ„œμ˜ κ³„μ ˆ (the season of reading), κ³„μ ˆμ˜ λ³€ν™” (the change of seasons).
  • μ‚¬κ³„μ ˆ: 사 (4) + κ³„μ ˆ β€” written as one word for "the four seasons."
  • Season + 이/κ°€ μ˜€λ‹€/λ˜λ‹€: 여름이 μ™”μ–΄μš” (summer has come), 봄이 λΌμš” (it becomes spring).
  • Connect to weather: 여름 β†’ λ”μ›Œμš” (hot), 겨울 β†’ μΆ”μ›Œμš” / 눈이 μ™€μš” (cold / it snows).
πŸ”Ž
Cross-check: Search λ΄„, 여름, 가을, 겨울, and κ³„μ ˆ on the ꡭ립ꡭ어원 ν‘œμ€€κ΅­μ–΄λŒ€μ‚¬μ „ (National Institute of Korean Language's Standard Korean Dictionary) for official definitions and example sentences.

πŸ” Synonym Alert

  1. 가을 vs. 단풍철 β€” 가을 is the general word for fall, while 단풍철 ("autumn leaves season") specifically refers to the peak period when the leaves change color β€” a more poetic, specific term.
  1. νœ΄κ°€ vs. λ°©ν•™ β€” both mean "break/vacation," but νœ΄κ°€ is a vacation from work (여름 νœ΄κ°€, summer vacation), while λ°©ν•™ is a break from school (겨울 λ°©ν•™, winter break).

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

  1. Don't drop the particle 에 β€” say 봄에, not just λ΄„, when describing what happens "in spring."
  1. λ₯λ‹€ (hot, dictionary form) β†’ λ”μ›Œμš” (γ…‚-irregular) β€” don't say λ₯μ–΄μš”.
  1. 가을 and 겨울 look and sound similar at first glance β€” 가을 (fall) is mild, 겨울 (winter) is cold. Don't mix them up!
  1. κ³„μ ˆ is the general word for "season" β€” if someone asks μ–΄λ–€ κ³„μ ˆμ„ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”?, you need to answer with a specific season (λ΄„/여름/가을/겨울), not repeat κ³„μ ˆ.
  1. μ‚¬κ³„μ ˆ is one word meaning "the four seasons" β€” don't split it into 사 κ³„μ ˆ when referring to the set as a whole.
이제 λ΄„, 여름, 가을, 겨울, κ³„μ ˆλ‘œ ν•œκ΅­μ˜ μ‚¬κ³„μ ˆμ„ 자유둭게 이야기해 λ³΄μ„Έμš”! πŸŒΈβ˜€οΈπŸ‚β„οΈ
Try this exercise
  1. ___μ—λŠ” 꽃이 많이 ν”Όμ–΄μš”. (spring)
  1. ___μ—λŠ” 날씨가 λ”μ›Œμš”. (summer)
  1. ___μ—λŠ” 단풍이 μ˜ˆλ»μš”. (fall)
  1. ___μ—λŠ” 눈이 μ™€μš”. (winter)
  1. ν•œκ΅­μ€ ___이 λšœλ ·ν•œ λ‚˜λΌμ˜ˆμš”. (4 seasons, one word)
  1. μ–΄λ–€ ___을 κ°€μž₯ μ’‹μ•„ν•΄μš”? (season, general)
  1. 가을은 λ…μ„œμ˜ ___μ΄μ—μš”. (season)
  1. ___ νœ΄κ°€ κ³„νš μžˆμ–΄μš”? (summer)
  1. ___ 방학이 곧 μ‹œμž‘ν•΄μš”. (winter)
  1. λ΄„κ³Ό ___은 짧고, 여름과 κ²¨μšΈμ€ κΈΈμ–΄μš”. (fall)
Answer Key
  1. λ΄„
  1. 여름
  1. 가을
  1. 겨울
  1. μ‚¬κ³„μ ˆ
  1. κ³„μ ˆ
  1. κ³„μ ˆ
  1. 여름
  1. 겨울
  1. 가을
πŸ“¦
Vocabulary Box: λ΄„ (spring) Β· 여름 (summer) Β· 가을 (fall/autumn) Β· 겨울 (winter) Β· κ³„μ ˆ (season)
⚠️
Pitfalls Recap: Always pair seasons with 에 Β· λ₯λ‹€ β†’ λ”μ›Œμš” (γ…‚-irregular) Β· 가을 β‰  겨울 Β· κ³„μ ˆ = general, name the specific one Β· μ‚¬κ³„μ ˆ is one word.
πŸ”
Want more reps? Head down to the Practice Hub below for 10 more seasonal words and 5 extra exercises!
Β 
πŸ“¦
Practice Hub β€” Seasons Bonus Round! Here are 10 more seasonal words: 단풍 (autumn leaves), λ²šκ½ƒ (cherry blossoms), μž₯마 (rainy season), νœ΄κ°€ (vacation), λ°©ν•™ (school break), ν™˜μ ˆκΈ° (change of seasons), 첫눈 (first snow), λ”μœ„ (heat), μΆ”μœ„ (cold), and μƒˆν•΄ (New Year). Try the 5 exercises below!

Exercise 1 β€” Word Recall: Korean β†’ English πŸ‡°πŸ‡·βž‘οΈπŸ‡¬πŸ‡§

  1. 단풍
  1. λ²šκ½ƒ
  1. μž₯마
  1. νœ΄κ°€
  1. λ°©ν•™
  1. ν™˜μ ˆκΈ°
  1. 첫눈
  1. λ”μœ„
  1. μΆ”μœ„
  1. μƒˆν•΄
Answer Key
  1. autumn leaves
  1. cherry blossoms
  1. rainy season
  1. vacation (from work)
  1. school break
  1. change of seasons
  1. first snow
  1. heat
  1. cold
  1. New Year

Exercise 2 β€” Word Recall: English β†’ Korean πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§βž‘οΈπŸ‡°πŸ‡·

  1. autumn leaves
  1. cherry blossoms
  1. rainy season
  1. vacation (from work)
  1. school break
  1. change of seasons
  1. first snow
  1. heat
  1. cold
  1. New Year
Answer Key
  1. 단풍
  1. λ²šκ½ƒ
  1. μž₯마
  1. νœ΄κ°€
  1. λ°©ν•™
  1. ν™˜μ ˆκΈ°
  1. 첫눈
  1. λ”μœ„
  1. μΆ”μœ„
  1. μƒˆν•΄

Exercise 3 β€” Conjugation Practice ✍️

  1. λ₯λ‹€ β†’ ___ (present, polite)
  1. μΆ₯λ‹€ β†’ ___ (present, polite)
  1. λ”°λœ»ν•˜λ‹€ β†’ ___ (present, polite)
  1. μ‹œμ›ν•˜λ‹€ β†’ ___ (present, polite)
  1. μŒ€μŒ€ν•˜λ‹€ β†’ ___ (present, polite)
Answer Key
  1. λ”μ›Œμš” (γ…‚-irregular: γ…‚ drops, μ›Œ added)
  1. μΆ”μ›Œμš” (γ…‚-irregular: γ…‚ drops, μ›Œ added)
  1. λ”°λœ»ν•΄μš”
  1. μ‹œμ›ν•΄μš”
  1. μŒ€μŒ€ν•΄μš”
πŸ“š
Quick Reference: λ₯λ‹€ and μΆ₯λ‹€ are both γ…‚-irregular β†’ λ”μ›Œμš”/μΆ”μ›Œμš”, just like 무λ₯λ‹€ β†’ λ¬΄λ”μ›Œμš”. λ”°λœ»ν•˜λ‹€, μ‹œμ›ν•˜λ‹€, and μŒ€μŒ€ν•˜λ‹€ are regular ν•˜λ‹€-verbs β†’ just swap λ‹€ for ν•΄μš”.

Exercise 4 β€” Sentence Translation: English β†’ Korean 🌍

  1. The autumn leaves are beautiful this year.
  1. The cherry blossoms have bloomed!
  1. The rainy season starts in July.
  1. I'm going on vacation next week.
  1. When does school break start?
  1. Be careful of colds during the change of seasons.
  1. The first snow fell yesterday!
  1. The summer heat is really intense this year.
  1. The winter cold is brutal today.
  1. Happy New Year!
Answer Key
  1. μ˜¬ν•΄ 단풍이 정말 μ˜ˆλ»μš”.
  1. λ²šκ½ƒμ΄ ν”Όμ—ˆμ–΄μš”!
  1. μž₯λ§ˆλŠ” 7월에 μ‹œμž‘ν•΄μš”.
  1. λ‹€μŒ 주에 νœ΄κ°€λ₯Ό κ°€μš”.
  1. 방학은 μ–Έμ œ μ‹œμž‘ν•΄μš”?
  1. ν™˜μ ˆκΈ°μ— 감기 μ‘°μ‹¬ν•˜μ„Έμš”.
  1. μ–΄μ œ 첫눈이 λ‚΄λ Έμ–΄μš”!
  1. μ˜¬ν•΄ 여름 λ”μœ„κ°€ 정말 μ‹¬ν•΄μš”.
  1. 였늘 겨울 μΆ”μœ„κ°€ 정말 λ§€μ›Œμš”.
  1. μƒˆν•΄ 볡 많이 λ°›μœΌμ„Έμš”!

Exercise 5 β€” Opposite Pairs ↔️

  1. 여름 ↔ ?
  1. λ₯λ‹€ ↔ ?
  1. λ΄„ ↔ ?
  1. λ”°λœ»ν•˜λ‹€ ↔ ?
  1. λ”μœ„ ↔ ?
Answer Key
  1. 여름 ↔ 겨울 (summer ↔ winter)
  1. λ₯λ‹€ ↔ μΆ₯λ‹€ (hot ↔ cold)
  1. λ΄„ ↔ 가을 (spring ↔ fall)
  1. λ”°λœ»ν•˜λ‹€ ↔ μŒ€μŒ€ν•˜λ‹€ (warm ↔ chilly)
  1. λ”μœ„ ↔ μΆ”μœ„ (heat ↔ cold)
λ΄„, 여름, 가을, κ²¨μšΈλΆ€ν„° 단풍, λ²šκ½ƒ, μž₯마, μ²«λˆˆκΉŒμ§€ β€” 이제 ν•œκ΅­μ˜ μ‚¬κ³„μ ˆμ„ 자유둭게 이야기할 수 μžˆμ–΄μš”! πŸŒΈβ˜€οΈπŸ‚β„οΈ