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The 100 Most Common Korean Adjectives

by Nie Ae // March 29 // 0 Comments

Adjectives are an invaluable part of learning any language. They help us to describe people, places, and objects.

In Korean, adjectives come in two forms, but here we will cover only their main form. In this case they end in 다, are inflected like verbs, and come at the end of sentences.

Now let’s check the list of common Korean adjectives!

Most Common Korean Adjectives
Korean wordRomanizationEnglish
행복하다haengboghadato be happy
피곤하다pigonhadato be tired
기쁘다gippeudato be glad
화나다hwanadato be angry
슬프다seulpeudato be sad
아프다apeudato be painful
배가 고프다baega nopeudato be hungry
목이 마르다mogi maleudato be thirsty
졸리다jollidato be sleepy
걱정하다geogjeonghadato be worried
무섭다moseobdato be scared
짜증나다jjajeungnadato be annoyed
놀라다nolladato be surprised
수줍다sujubdato be shy
재미있다jaemiissdato be interesting
재미없다jaemieobsdato not be interesting
심심하다samsamhadato be bored
지루하다jiluhadato be boring
조용하다joyonghadato be quiet
시끄럽다siggeuleobdato be loud
뜨겁다tteugeobdato be hot
따뜻하다ttatteushadato be warm
차갑다chagabdato be cold
시원하다siwonhadato be cool
신선하다sinseonhadato be fresh
아름답다aleumdabdato be beautiful
예쁘다yeppeudato be pretty
귀엽다gwiyeobdato be cute
잘생기다jalsaeng-gidato be handsome
못생기다mos-saeng-gidato be ugly
크다keudato be big
작다jagdato be small
많다manhdato be a lot, many
적다jeogdato be few, little
좁다jobdato be narrow
넓다neolbdato be wide, broad
뚱뚱하다ttungttunghadato be fat, overweight
통통하다tongtonghadato be chubby
날씬하다nalssinhadato be slim, slender
깡마르다kkangmaleudato be skinny, scrawny
덥다deobdato be hot (weather)
뜨겁다tteugeobdato be hot (objects)
따뜻하다ttatteushadato be warm (both weather and objects)
춥다chubdato be cold (weather)
차갑다chagabdato be cold, icy (objects)
싸늘하다ssaneulhadato be chilly, frosty
습하다seubhadato be damp, humid
건조하다geonjohadato be dry
흐리다heulidato be cloudy
좋다johdato be good, fine
어렵다eolyeobdato be difficult
쉽다swibdato be easy
깨끗하다kkaekkeushadato be clean
더럽다deoleobdato be dirty
빠르다ppaleudato be fast
천천하다cheoncheonhadato be slow
느리다neulidato be slow
급하다geubhadato be urgent
늦다neujdato be late
이르다ileudato be early
똑똑하다ttogttoghadato be smart, clever
멍청하다meongcheonghadato be stupid, foolish
싸다ssadato be cheap
비싸다bissadato be expensive
새롭다saelobdato be new
오래되다olaedoedato be old (objects)
튼튼하다teunteunhadato be strong, sturdy
씩씩하다ssigssighadato be brave
약하다yaghadato be weak
건강하다geonganghadato be healthy
쓰다sseudato be bitter
짜다jjadato be salty
시큼하다sikeumhadato be sour
맵다maebdato be spicy
달콤하다dalkomhadato be sweet
기름지다gileumjidato be fatty, greasy, oily
맛있다mas-issdato be delicious, tasty
맛없다mas-eobsdato be not delicious
가득하다gadeughadato be full, crammed
비어 있다bieo issdato be empty
나쁘다nappeudato be bad, poor
딱딱하다ttagttaghadato be hard, stiff
뾰족하다ppyojoghadato be sharp, pointed
부드럽다budeuleobdato be soft
말랑하다mallanghadato be soft, tender, ripe
촉촉하다chogchoghadato be moist
축축하다chugchughadato be damp, clammy, wet
젖다jeojdato get wet, damp
건조하다geonjohadato be dry, arid
미끄럽다mikkeuleobdato be slippery
편하다pyeonhadato be comfortable
불편하다bulpyeonhadato be uncomfortable
괜찮다gwaenchanhdato be alright, okay
이상하다isanghadato be weird, strange
복잡하다bogjabhadato be jammed, crowded
편리하다pyeonlihadato be convenient
다르다daleudato be different
같다gatdato be the same
착하다chaghadato be good-natured, nice
비열하다biyeolhadato be mean, nasty

Building the descriptive vocabulary to help you communicate is an important step for learning a language, as it allows you to put your thoughts into words accurately.

With the help of this list, you will improve your ability to express yourself in Korean. 

Don’t forget to check out our Easy Guide to Korean Adjectives to learn more!

Just remember to practice daily and you’ll see progress!

화이팅!!!

About the Author Nie Ae

Nie Ae is a Filipina by blood but is now bearing a Korean citizenship and residing in South Korea. She is a Christian missionary, writer, translator, and more than 10 years ESL teacher to Korean nationals.