Sentence Structure and Word Order in Korean: A Clear Guide
Korean sentence structure is quite different from English. The basic word order in Korean is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV). Understanding this structure is essential for building simple sentences.
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The rule
In Korean, the subject comes first, followed by the object, and finally the verb. For example, in the sentence 'I eat an apple,' 'I' is the subject, 'an apple' is the object, and 'eat' is the verb. To form negatives, the word '안' is placed before the verb, and for questions, the sentence often ends with a question marker like '까'.
Sentence Structure and Word Order at a glance
| Korean Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 나는 사과를 먹는다 | I eat an apple |
| 그는 책을 읽지 않는다 | He does not read a book |
| 너는 어디에 가니? | Where are you going? |
| 우리는 영화를 본다 | We watch a movie |
| 그녀는 커피를 마신다 | She drinks coffee |
| 나는 한국어를 공부한다 | I study Korean |
| 그들은 축구를 한다 | They play soccer |
Examples of Korean sentence structure
Examples you can say out loud
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between '안' and '못'?
'안' is used to negate an action, while '못' indicates inability to do something.