100 Essential Korean Words
Boost your Korean language skills with this free vocabulary list of 50 essential daily life words! Each entry includes the Korean word, pronunciation, English translation, and practical example sentences with English explanations. Perfect for beginners and intermediate learners looking to expand their everyday Korean vocabulary.
Essential Korean Dialy Words
| 한국어 | 발음 | 영어 | 예문 | 예문(영어) |
| 집 | jib | house/home | 저는 집에 있어요. | I am at home. |
| 학교 | hak-gyo | school | 학교에 갑니다. | I go to school. |
| 회사 | hoe-sa | company/office | 회사에서 일해요. | I work at a company. |
| 친구 | chin-gu | friend | 친구를 만나요. | I meet my friend. |
| 가족 | ga-jok | family | 가족과 식사해요. | I eat with my family. |
| 밥 | bap | rice/meal | 밥을 먹어요. | I eat a meal. |
| 물 | mul | water | 물을 마셔요. | I drink water. |
| 커피 | keo-pi | coffee | 커피를 좋아해요. | I like coffee. |
| 차 | cha | tea/car | 차를 마셔요. | I drink tea. |
| 책 | chaek | book | 책을 읽어요. | I read a book. |
| 영화 | yeong-hwa | movie | 영화를 봐요. | I watch a movie. |
| 음악 | eum-ak | music | 음악을 들어요. | I listen to music. |
| 전화 | jeon-hwa | phone/call | 전화해 주세요. | Please call me. |
| 컴퓨터 | keom-pyu-teo | computer | 컴퓨터를 사용해요. | I use a computer. |
| 인터넷 | in-teo-net | internet | 인터넷을 해요. | I use the internet. |
| 시장 | si-jang | market | 시장에 가요. | I go to the market. |
| 가게 | ga-ge | store/shop | 가게에서 샀어요. | I bought it at the shop. |
| 돈 | don | money | 돈이 없어요. | I have no money. |
| 시간 | si-gan | time | 시간이 있어요? | Do you have time? |
| 오늘 | o-neul | today | 오늘 뭐 해요? | What are you doing today? |
| 내일 | nae-il | tomorrow | 내일 만나요. | See you tomorrow. |
| 어제 | eo-je | yesterday | 어제 갔어요. | I went yesterday. |
| 아침 | a-chim | morning | 아침을 먹어요. | I eat breakfast. |
| 점심 | jeom-sim | lunch | 점심 먹었어요? | Did you eat lunch? |
| 저녁 | jeo-nyeok | dinner/evening | 저녁에 운동해요. | I exercise in the evening. |
| 일 | il | work/job | 일이 많아요. | I have a lot of work. |
| 공부 | gong-bu | study | 공부를 해요. | I study. |
| 시험 | si-heom | exam/test | 시험이 있어요. | I have a test. |
| 운동 | un-dong | exercise | 운동을 해요. | I exercise. |
| 산책 | san-chaek | walk | 산책해요. | I take a walk. |
| 쇼핑 | syo-ping | shopping | 쇼핑을 좋아해요. | I like shopping. |
| 옷 | ot | clothes | 옷을 사요. | I buy clothes. |
| 신발 | sin-bal | shoes | 신발을 신어요. | I wear shoes. |
| 음식 | eum-sik | food | 음식이 맛있어요. | The food is delicious. |
| 요리 | yo-ri | cooking | 요리를 잘해요. | I cook well. |
| 사진 | sa-jin | photo | 사진을 찍어요. | I take a photo. |
| 여행 | yeo-haeng | travel | 여행을 가고 싶어요. | I want to travel. |
| 택시 | taek-si | taxi | 택시를 탔어요. | I took a taxi. |
| 버스 | beo-seu | bus | 버스를 기다려요. | I wait for the bus. |
| 지하철 | ji-ha-cheol | subway | 지하철을 타요. | I take the subway. |
| 병원 | byeong-won | hospital | 병원에 가요. | I go to the hospital. |
| 약 | yak | medicine | 약을 먹어요. | I take medicine. |
| 문 | mun | door | 문을 열어요. | I open the door. |
| 창문 | chang-mun | window | 창문을 닫아요. | I close the window. |
| 의자 | ui-ja | chair | 의자에 앉아요. | I sit on the chair. |
| 탁자 | tak-ja | table | 탁자 위에 있어요. | It’s on the table. |
| 휴대폰 | hyu-dae-pon | cellphone | 휴대폰을 써요. | I use my cellphone. |
| 열쇠 | yeol-swae | key | 열쇠를 찾았어요. | I found the key. |
| 선물 | seon-mul | present/gift | 선물을 받았어요. | I received a present. |
Commonly Confused Words
Some Korean words look or sound similar but have different meanings. For example, “집” (jib) means “house” or “home,” while “가정” (ga-jeong) refers more to “family” or “household.” “차” (cha) can mean both “tea” and “car,” so context is important. If you’re unsure, check the example sentences or ask a native speaker.
Everyday Usage Tips
- Politeness matters:
In Korean, using polite endings like “-요” (yo) at the end of sentences is important in daily life. All the example sentences in the list use the polite form, which is safe to use in most situations. - Combining words:
Many daily life words are often used together. For example, “아침” (a-chim, morning) + “밥” (bap, meal) = “아침밥” (breakfast). Try combining words to expand your vocabulary naturally. - Practice with friends:
If you have Korean friends or language partners, challenge each other to use as many words from the list as possible in a conversation.
Download and Keep Practicing!
To make your learning even easier, I’ve created a free PDF version of this 100-word vocabulary list. Download it, print it, and keep it with you for quick reference. Remember, consistency is key—review a few words every day, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your vocabulary grows.
Final Thoughts
Mastering daily life vocabulary is an essential step on your Korean learning journey. With these 100 words, you’ll be able to navigate everyday situations, understand more of what you hear and read, and express yourself with greater confidence. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes—language learning is all about practice and perseverance. If you have any questions, want more example sentences, or need advice on studying Korean, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy studying, and 화이팅 (hwaiting)!
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