Lesson/7
Basic Verbs
Rather than start with nouns, we're going to lean some basic verbs in Korean. After all, verbs are the heart of the language, and you'll need to understand them before you understand anything.
Here are some basic verbs:
- 있다: to exist
- 이다: to be
- 하다: to do
- 가다: to go
- 오다: to come
Note that they all end in 다. This is the lexical form, or the verb conjugated or transformed to be in the lexical form. You can tell this because it ends in 다.
The verb stem of each of the verbs is simply the lexical form with the final 다 dropped.
- 있-: exist (verb stem)
- 이-: be (verb stem)
- 하-: do (verb stem)
- 가-: go (verb stem)
- 오-: come (verb stem)
Sentence Patterns
The most basic sentence pattern in Korean is simply:
- verb
Depending on the verb, and the context, the subject, object, and context are all implied.
Lexical Form
The form in which I present the verbs below is NOT a form you will find the verbs except in a dictionary.
That's ok, since Koreans understand that when you use this form, you are talking about the verb.
When you use the lexical form, you are referring to the verb by its name, such as when I say, "What does 'walk' mean?" or "Does 'walk' require an object?" So it is a useful form, just not useful for basic language purposes.
Note that for certain verbs, their lexical form is exactly the same as other forms. This will not be an issue, because context will tell you what people mean.
Glue
The secret ingredient in verbs is glue. This is a vowel that you attach to a verb stem. It is used in many, many different forms.
The rules for glue are simple.
- If the verb stem is 하-, the glue is 여. This is often, though not always, contracted to simply 해.
- 하 + glue = 하여 = 해
- If the verb stem ends in a "bright" vowel (ㅏㅗ plus all combinations of those two: ㅑㅛㅘ), then the glue is 아. Oftentimes, this is absorbed into the previous syllable.
- 가 + glue = 가아 = 가
- 오 + glue = 오아 = 와
- If the verb stem ends in any other vowel, then it is a "dark" vowel and the glue is 어. Again, oftentimes this is absorbed into the verb stem, if possible.
- 있 + glue = 있어
- 이 + glue = 이어 = 여
Sometimes, glue will change the verb. I'll list these verbs as irregular. The rules are inconsistent, so you really have to learn each verb on its own.
To the Korean speaker, glue is such an obvious and ever-present concept that glue is often simply referred to as '-어.' If you see a verb form that starts with '-어', then you know it is actually referring to the glue I described above.
When you learn a verb, you have to learn its dictionary form and its glue form. The dictionary form ends in '-다'. You're always going to drop that '다' when you use it. The glue form ends in an open vowel.
Let's apply the glue rules to the verbs I listed above:
- 있어: exist
- 이어 or 여: be
- 하여 or 해: do
- 가: go
- 와: come
반말
I will introduce you to the first form that Korean children learn.
First, let me introduce you to the "levels of speech" concept in Korean.
Koreans like to be polite when it is necessary, but they don't like to be polite when it is unnecessary. In the words and verb forms they choose to use, they demonstrate whether they are being polite or relaxed.
Between close friends, and in family from senior to junior, 반말 is used as an affectionate sign. It indicates familiarity, comfort, acceptance, and a recognition of the duty to protect and raise properly. It is the voice of a loving father or mother to their child, or an older boy to a younger boy. Let me expound a bit on what I mean by the words I used above.
- Familiarity: The speaker knows the listener. He knows his strengths and his weaknesses. He recognizes him as a real person.
- Comfort: The speaker is relaxed in the listener's presence and is opening his own words and feelings rather than reciting a script.
- Acceptance: The speaker accepts the listener as a member of his group and clan. In Korea, membership in a group is always lifetime.
- Recognition of the duty to protect and raise properly: The speaker understands he has a duty to help the listener grow properly and be protected.
Sometimes, 반말 used in anger can represent a failing of all social graces and affordances. It is the language used to speak to children, but it is also the language spoken to dogs. When 반말 is used this way, the speaker is rough, brief, and often raises his pitch.
There are several endings in 반말, but the most common is simply this:
- -어: (final ending) Statement, question, or command (depending on intonation and context)
This is a 'final ending, meaning, you can't put any more endings on this ending.
Depending on the context and intonation, it can either mean a statement of fact, a question, or a command.
- Statement of fact:
- 가. "(I) go (now)." Also, "(You) go (tomorrow)."
- 있어. "(He) is (there)."
- Question:
- 가? "(Will you) go?"
- 있어? "(Do you) have (it)?"
- Command:
- 와. "Come (over to my house)."
- 가. "Go (home, it's time for dinner)."
For 이다, you don't really use it in this way. In 반말, you would just use "다" or "이다", depending on whether the noun ended in a consonant or not.
Note that the context is critical. Koreans, especially the men, like to say as little as possible. So you have to do a lot of reading between the lines, and listening to the body language and context to understand what is happening.
Perhaps this is why Korean dramas are internationally popular. So much of playing a role in Korean dramas is the body language and expressions. Entire books can be written about the meaning of a few phrases, and actors are good at packing all of that emotion into a single syllable.
