Top 50 Verbs Flashcard List

🎯 Big Picture

🗂️ The 50 Essential Verbs

🔄 General Conjugation Patterns

• 하다 verbs → 해요: 공부하다→공부해요, 일하다→일해요, 시작하다→시작해요, 좋아하다→좋아해요

• ㄷ-irregular (듣다, 묻다) → ㄹ + 어요: 듣다→들어요, 묻다→물어요 (the ㄷ becomes ㄹ before a vowel ending)

• 르-irregular (모르다) → stem doubles + 라/러요: 모르다→몰라요

• ㅂ-irregular (돕다) → 워요/와요: 돕다→도와요 (a small group of ㅂ-verbs use 와요 instead of 워요)

• 으-irregular (쓰다) → drop 으, add 어요: 쓰다→써요

• Regular stems → 아요/어요 directly: 가다→가요, 먹다→먹어요, 받다→받아요, 웃다→웃어요

🔁 Synonym Alert

• 보다 vs 읽다 — 보다 is "to see/watch" (TV, a movie, or even loosely "to read" a book informally); 읽다 is specifically "to read" text aloud or silently.

• 알다 vs 배우다 — 알다 is "to know" (a fact, a person); 배우다 is "to learn" (a skill, a language) — the process of acquiring that knowledge.

• 주다 vs 보내다 — 주다 is "to give" (hand something over directly); 보내다 is "to send" (mail, message, or dispatch something to travel).

• 좋아하다 vs 사랑하다 — 좋아하다 is "to like" (casual, broad — food, hobbies, people); 사랑하다 is "to love" (deeper, usually romantic or familial).

• 쉬다 vs 자다 — 쉬다 is "to rest" (relax, take a break); 자다 is specifically "to sleep."

⚠️ Pitfalls to Dodge

1. 모르다 ≠ 알다 + 안 — "to not know" is its own irregular verb (모르다→몰라요), not a negated form of 알다.

2. 듣다 → 들어요, not 듣어요 — the ㄷ becomes ㄹ before a vowel ending. Writing 듣어요 is a very common beginner mistake.

3. 가지다 vs 가져오다 — 가지다 means "to have/hold" something; 가져오다 means "to bring" it (carry it here). Don't mix them up when asking someone to bring something.

4. 좋아하다 takes 을/를, not 이/가 — "I like coffee" is 저는 커피를 좋아해요, not 커피가 좋아해요 (that would imply "coffee likes [something]").

5. 모르다's 르-irregular doubling — the stem vowel doubles before 아/어: 모르다→몰라요, not 모라요. This pattern shows up again with 다르다 (different) → 달라요.

Exercise 1 — Word Recall: Korean → English 📋➡️🔤

Exercise 2 — Word Recall: English → Korean 🔤➡️📋

Exercise 3 — Conjugation Practice 🔄➡️✅

Exercise 4 — Pattern Practice: English → Korean 🔤➡️📐

Exercise 5 — Mixed Mastery: Opposite/Paired Verbs 🔄🎭