The 100 Most Common Adverbs in Korean

by Nie Ae // May 4 // 0 Comments

안녕하세요! Annyeonghaseyo! Language in general, may it be English or Korean, uses adverbs to express certain statements. This article will be your guide to know more about Korean adverbs.

Here are the 100 most common Korean adverbs useful in daily life conversations.

Here's What You'll Learn (Click for Quick Navigation):

Adverbs / 부사 [ Boosa]

Adverbs of manner / 양태 부사 [yangtae boosa]

Adverbs of time / 시간 부사 [ shigan boosa]

Adverbs of place / 장소 부사 [ jangso boosa]

Adverbs of frequency / 빈도 부사 [ bindo boosa]

Adverbs in never changing forms

Conclusion

Adverbs / 부사 [ Boosa]

Generally, this part of speech has the role of modifying verbs, adjectives, clauses, sentences and other adverbs.
Just like English language, Korean also has different types of adverbs. There are adverbs of manners, time, place, frequency, levels and other more.
As English adverbs usually are words that end with (ly), Korean adverbs have words of adjective+게, adverbs +히 and noun or derivative +(적)으로.
However, there are also adverbs words on their original forms, which means no suffixes are used nor changes on their word structure.
Some words are changed from nouns, pronouns, verbs and even prepositions to be used as adverbs.

Adverbs of manner / 양태 부사 [yangtae boosa]

Some are adjective words that become adverbs upon changing their last syllable from 다 to 게.
(쉽다 - 다 = 쉽 + 게 = 쉽게)[ swipta - ta = swip + ge = swipge] which means
(easy - y + ily = easily) in English.
Some are adjective words that become adverbs upon changing their last syllable from 다 to 게.
(쉽다 - 다 = 쉽 + 게 = 쉽게)[ swipta - ta = swip + ge = swipge] which means
(easy - y + ily = easily) in English.

한글	Pronunciation	Translation
좋다 - 좋게	Johta - johke	Good- well
나쁘다 - 나쁘게	Napeuda - napuege	Bad - badly
귀엽다 - 귀엽게	Kweyeopta - kweyeopke	Cute - cutely
아름답다 - 아름답게	Aruemdapta- aruemdapke	Beautiful - beautifully
비싸다 - 비싸게	Bissada - bissage	Expensive - expensively
싸다 - 싸게	Ssada - ssage	Cheap - cheaply
멋지다 - 멋지게	Meotjida - meotjige	Awesome - awesomely
강하다 - 강하게	Ganghada - ganghage	Strong - strongly
약하다 - 약하게	Yakhada - yakhage	Weak - weakly
맛있다 - 맛있게	Mashita - mashike	Delicious - deliciously
크다 - 크게	Keuda - keuge	Large - largely
길다 - 길게	Kilda - kilge	Long - lengthily
짧다 - 짧게	Dzabta - dzabge	Short- shortly
넓다 - 넓게	Neolbta - neolbge	Wide - widely
작다 - 작게	Jakta - jakge	Small - little
밝다 - 밝게	Balkta - balkge	Bright- brightly
어둡다- 어둡게	Eodoopta - eodoopge	Dark- darkly
둥글다 - 둥그렇게	Donggeulda - donggeureoke	Round - roundly
평평하다 - 평평하게	Pyeongpyeonghada - pyeongpyeonghage	Flat - flatly
똑바르다 - 똑바르게	Ttokbareuda - ttokbareuge	Straight - straightly
행복하다 - 행복하게	Haengbokhada - haengbokhage	Happy- happily
피곤하다 - 피곤하게	Pigonhada - pigonhage	Tired- tiredly
흥분하다 - 흥분하게	Heungbonhada - heungbonhage	Excited - excitedly
훌륭하다 - 훌륭하게	Hoolyoonghada - hoolyoonghage	Wonderful - wonderfully
친절하다 - 친절하게	Chinjeorhada - chinjeorhage	Polite - politely
기쁘다 - 기쁘게	Kipeuda - kipeuge	Glad - gladly
슬프다 - 슬프게	Seulpeuda - seulpeuge	Sad - sadly
좋다 - 좋게	Johta- johke	Good - well
민감하다 - 민감하게	Mingamhada - mingamhage	Sensitive - sensitively
화나다 - 화나게	Hwanada - hwanage	Angry - angrily

Some are noun words ending with 하다 changed to 히 to become adverbs
(완전하다 - 하다 = 완전 + 히 = 완전히/ wanjeonhada - hada + hi = wanjeonhi)
Which in English is complete + ly = completely
While some are adjective words - the last 2 syllables to 히 to become an adverb.
(대단하다 - 하다 = 대단 + 히 = 대단히 ) (dedanhada - hada = dedan + hi = dedanhi)
[great + ly = greatly]

한글	Pronunciation	Translation
완전하다 - 완전히	Wanjeonhada - wanjeonhi	Complete - completely
솔직하다 - 솔직히	Soljikhada - soljikhage	Honest - honestly
분명하다 - 분명히	Boonmyeonhada - boonmyeonghage	Obvious - obviously
우연하다 - 우연히	Wooyeonhada - wooyeonhage	Coincidental - coincidentally
확실하다 - 확실히	Hwakshilhada - hwakshilhage	Sure - surely
정확하다 - 정확히	Jeonghwakhada - jeonghwakhage	Exact - exactly
간단하다 - 간단히	Kantanhada - kantanhage	Simple - simply
상당하다 - 상당히	Sangdanghada - sangdanghage	Considerable - considerably
천천히	cheoncheonhi	slowly
열심히	Yeolshimhi	zealously

*Please note that the last two examples differ from the others as they don’t have 하다 and their root word is at it is.
*Adverbs from noun words ending with 적으로 and 으로 / jeogeuro and euro.

한글	Pronunciation	Translation
일반 - 일반적으로	ilban- ilbanjeogeuro	Common- commonly
기본 - 기본적으로	Gibon - gibonjeogeuro	Standard - standardly
기적 - 기적적으로	Gijeok - gijeokjeogeuro	Miracle- miraculously
공식 - 공식적으로	Gongshik - gongshikjeogeuro	Official - officially
의도 - 의도적으로	Euydo -euydojeogeuro	Intention - intentionally
자동 - 자동으로	Jagong - jadong euro	Automatic - automatically
수동 - 수동으로	Soodong- soodong euro	Manual - manually
사적 - 사적으로	Sajeok - sajeogeuro	Personal - personally
전적 - 전적으로	Jeonjeog - jeonjeogeuro	Whole - wholly
질적 - 질적으로	Jiljeog- jiljeogeuro	Qualitative - qualitatively

Adverbs of time / 시간 부사 [ shigan boosa]

한글	Pronunciation	Translation
오늘	oneul	today
어제	eoje	yesterday
내일	neyl	tomorrow
지금	jogeum	now
나중에	najoongye	later/ after a while
오늘 밤	Oneul bam	tonight
매일	meyl	Everyday / daily
주간	Joogan	Every week / weekly
매년	menyeon	Every year / yearly
마침네	machimne	finally
곧	gwot	soon
전에	jeone	before
후에	hoowe	after
이미	imi	already
아직	ajik	yet

Adverbs of place / 장소 부사 [ jangso boosa]

These are preposition words + 에 = adverbs
(집 + 에 = 집에 / [jib + e = jibe]) we translate it to English as at home.
Korean term 에 can be in, out, on, at or to when translated to English. But please be reminded that not all of them are just adverbs. Because some of them are suffixes of different use.

한글	Pronunciation	Translation
안에	ane	inside
밖에	bakke	outside
여게	yeoge	here
저게	jeoge	that
거게	geoge	there
위에	wiye	above
밑에	mitte	below
앞에	ape	In front
뒤에	dwiye	At the back
실네	shilne	indoor
야외	yawe	outdoor
까까에	kakaye	near
멀에	meole	far
위쩍	widzeok	left
오른쩍	oreundzeok	right

Adverbs of frequency / 빈도 부사 [ bindo boosa]

한글	Pronunciation	Translation
항상	hangsang	always
까끔	kakeum	sometimes
자주	jajoo	often
한번씩	hanbeonshik	Once in a while
절대	jeolte	never
때때로	ttettero	occasionally
규칙적으로	kyoochikjeogeuro	regularly
보통으로	Botong euro	normally
습관적으로	seupgwanjeogeuro	habitually
드물게	deumoolge	rarely

Adverbs in never changing forms

한글	Pronunciation	Translation
꽤	kkwe	quite
많이	manhi	plenty
아주	ajoo	very
일부러	ilbooreo	intentionally
함부로	hambooro	thoughtlessly
꼭	kkok	must
반드시	bandeushi	At all cost
갑자기	gapjagi	suddenly
틀림 없이	Teulim eopshi	certainly
바로	baro	immediately

Conclusion

Way to go! As we can notice, though the language is different, English and Korean adverbs uses and roles are quite similar. Such as, changing the word endings. As well as having different types of adverbs.

Just like English, Korean language also has its exceptions to the rules. Meaning, not only the words with suffix -ly are considered as adverbs. But be reminded that not all Korean words ending with 게 are adverbs, some of them are prepositions,nouns and pronouns.

So please stay on track and we will do our best to provide an easy way to enhance your Korean language skills with so much fun! Don’t forget to share with everyone on Facebook, Twitter or send to your friends’ email.

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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.