NCEA L1 Korean flashcards
NCEA L1 Korean · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- 해요체 (polite informal)
- The everyday polite speech style formed with -아요/-어요. Used with strangers, acquaintances and most classroom interaction; contrasts with formal 합니다체 and casual 반말.
- 합니다체 (formal polite)
- The formal polite style using -ㅂ니다 (after vowels) and -습니다 (after consonants). Typical of announcements, news, presentations and formal conversation with superiors.
- Nasalisation (비음화)
- A sound rule where final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ becomes ㅇ, ㄴ or ㅁ before ㄴ or ㅁ. Examples: 국물 → 궁물, 합니다 → 함니다. Essential for accurate listening.
- Liquidisation (유음화)
- When ㄴ meets ㄹ or ㄹ meets ㄴ, both become ㄹㄹ. Examples: 연락 → 열락, 신라 → 실라, 별로 → 별로. Affects how words sound in connected speech.
- Native Korean numbers
- 하나, 둘, 셋, 넷, 다섯… used with counters for people (명), objects (개), age (살) and the hour (시). Often contract before counters: 한 명, 두 개, 세 시.
- Sino-Korean numbers
- 일, 이, 삼, 사, 오… used for money (원), dates (년/월/일), minutes (분) and phone numbers. Never combined with native counters like 개 or 명.
- Resyllabification (연음)
- A final consonant moves to the next syllable when that syllable starts with a vowel. Example: 한국어 is pronounced 한구거, 옷이 is pronounced 오시.
- Three-way consonant contrast
- Korean stops occur as plain (ㄱ), tense (ㄲ) and aspirated (ㅋ). Tense is unaspirated with tight vocal folds; aspirated releases a strong puff of air.
- Object particle 을/를
- Marks the direct object of a verb. Use 을 after a consonant-final noun (밥을) and 를 after a vowel-final noun (사과를).
- Topic particle 은/는
- Marks the topic or contrast, not necessarily the grammatical subject. 은 after consonants, 는 after vowels: 저는 학생이에요.
- Vowel harmony in -아요/-어요
- Stems whose last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ take -아요 (가다 → 가요); other stems take -어요 (먹다 → 먹어요). 하다 verbs contract to 해요.
- Past tense -았/었어요
- Adds past meaning to a verb or adjective stem with vowel harmony: 가다 → 갔어요, 먹다 → 먹었어요, 하다 → 했어요.
- Future -(으)ㄹ 거예요
- Expresses intention or prediction. Attach -ㄹ 거예요 to vowel-final stems and -을 거예요 to consonant-final stems: 갈 거예요, 먹을 거예요.
- Honorific suffix -시-
- Inserted before the verb ending when the subject is respected: 선생님께서 오세요. The particle 께서 replaces 이/가 for honored subjects.
- Negation with 안 and 못
- 안 negates by choice or refusal (안 가요, I am not going); 못 negates ability (못 가요, I cannot go). Long forms: -지 않다 and -지 못하다.
- Request form -(으)세요
- A polite imperative used for instructions and requests: 앉으세요 (please sit), 읽으세요 (please read). Vowel-final stems take -세요.
- Hangul syllable block
- Each block combines an initial consonant, a vowel and an optional final consonant. Read top-to-bottom, left-to-right: 한 = ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ.
- Double final consonants
- 겹받침 like ㄺ, ㄻ, ㄼ are pronounced as one sound in isolation: 값 → 갑, 삶 → 삼. Before a vowel, the second consonant links: 읽어 → 일거.
- Tense consonant minimal pairs
- Plain, tense and aspirated consonants distinguish words: 달 (moon) / 딸 (daughter) / 탈 (mask); 불 (fire) / 뿔 (horn) / 풀 (grass).
- Demonstratives 이것/그것/저것
- 이것 is near the speaker, 그것 is near the listener, 저것 is far from both. Adjectival forms are 이, 그, 저 before a noun: 이 책, 그 책.
- Connector 그래서
- Means 'therefore' or 'so'. Signals a result or consequence in a sentence: 비가 와요. 그래서 우산을 써요.
- Connector 하지만
- Means 'but' or 'however'. Introduces a contrast with the previous clause: 한국어는 어려워요. 하지만 재미있어요.
- Progressive -고 있다
- Expresses an action in progress: 지금 책을 읽고 있어요 (I am reading a book now). Attach -고 있다 to the verb stem.
- Counter 개
- A counter for inanimate objects used with native Korean numbers: 한 개, 두 개, 세 개. Cannot be used with Sino-Korean numbers.
- Spacing (띄어쓰기)
- Korean writes spaces between words but keeps particles attached to their noun: 학교에 갑니다. Wrong spacing is a common writing error.
- ㄷ irregular verbs
- Verbs ending in ㄷ change ㄷ to ㄹ before a vowel ending: 듣다 → 들어요, 걷다 → 걸어요. But 받다 and 닫다 are regular.
- ㅂ irregular verbs
- Stems ending in ㅂ change to 우 or 오 before vowel endings: 춥다 → 추워요, 덥다 → 더워요, 돕다 → 도와요.
- ㅅ irregular verbs
- Stems ending in ㅅ drop the ㅅ before a vowel ending: 낫다 → 나아요, 짓다 → 지어요. Regular verbs like 벗다 keep the ㅅ.
- 르 irregular verbs
- Stems ending in 르 double the ㄹ and add ㄹ before vowel endings: 모르다 → 몰라요, 빠르다 → 빨라요.
- Hangul spelling vs sound
- Standard orthography reflects the base form, not pronunciation. Write 감사합니다 even though it sounds 감삼니다; write 국물, not 궁물.
- Date and time format
- Dates run from largest to smallest unit: 2024년 5월 3일. Times use native numbers for the hour and Sino-Korean for minutes: 오후 세 시 삼십 분.
- ㅎ irregular verbs
- Stems ending in ㅎ drop the ㅎ before vowel endings: 그렇다 → 그래요, 하얗다 → 하얘요. Before ㄴ or ㄹ the ㅎ is silent.