Elementary - Grade 2
Lesson 4: Basic Action Verbs
What is a Verb?
A verb is an action word — it describes what someone does. In English: "I go," "I eat," "I see."
Korean verbs always end with the letter 다 (da) in their dictionary form. This is your clue that you're looking at a verb!
Five Essential Verbs
가다
ga-da
to go
먹다
meok-da
to eat
마시다
ma-si-da
to drink
보다
bo-da
to see
자다
ja-da
to sleep
Making Verbs Polite
In Korean, you change the verb ending to make it polite. For now, we'll learn the simplest pattern: drop 다 and add 요.
가다 → 가요
"Go" → "I go"
먹다 → 먹어요
"Eat" → "I eat"
마시다 → 마셔요
"Drink" → "I drink"
보다 → 봐요
"See" → "I see"
자다 → 자요
"Sleep" → "I sleep"
Note: Some verbs change more (먹다→먹어요, 마시다→마셔요, 보다→봐요). You'll learn the exact rules in Grade 3!
Example Sentences
학교에 가요.
"I go to school."
밥을 먹어요.
"I eat rice."
물을 마셔요.
"I drink water."
TV를 봐요.
"I watch TV."
밤에 자요.
"I sleep at night."
What You've Learned
- Korean verbs end in 다 in dictionary form
- Five essential verbs: 가다 (go), 먹다 (eat), 마시다 (drink), 보다 (see), 자다 (sleep)
- The polite ending ~요 makes sentences respectful