Making Sentences
Korean word order, the essential particles 은/는, 이/가, 을/를, and your first verb conjugations.
4.1Korean word order: Subject – Object – Verb
English says “I eat rice”, Korean says “I rice eat” — the verb always comes last. If you speak Nepali, this will feel natural: म भात खान्छु has exactly the same order as 저는 밥을 먹어요.
저는 밥을 먹어요.
I eat rice. (I + rice + eat)
म भात खान्छु।
친구가 책을 읽어요.
My friend reads a book.
साथीले किताब पढ्छ।
저는 한국어를 공부해요.
I study Korean.
म कोरियन भाषा पढ्छु।
Because particles mark each word's role, Korean word order is flexible — but the verb must always be at the end.
4.2Particles — the glue of Korean
Particles are small markers attached to nouns that show their role in the sentence — like ले, लाई, and मा in Nepali. The form often depends on whether the noun ends in a consonant or a vowel.
| Particle | Marks | After consonant / vowel | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 은/는 | topic (“as for…”) | 은 / 는 | 저는 학생이에요 — As for me, I'm a student |
| 이/가 | subject | 이 / 가 | 비가 와요 — It's raining |
| 을/를 | object | 을 / 를 | 밥을 먹어요 — (I) eat rice |
| 에 | time / destination | 에 | 학교에 가요 — (I) go to school |
| 에서 | place of action | 에서 | 집에서 공부해요 — (I) study at home |
| 도 | “also, too” | 도 | 저도 가요 — I'm going too |
| 하고 | “and / with” | 하고 | 친구하고 밥을 먹어요 — I eat with a friend |
4.3Saying “is/am/are”: 이에요 / 예요
To say “A is B”, attach 이에요 (after a consonant) or 예요 (after a vowel) to the noun. This is the polite everyday form.
저는 학생이에요.
I am a student.
म विद्यार्थी हुँ।
이것은 책이에요.
This is a book.
यो किताब हो।
저는 의사예요.
I am a doctor.
म डाक्टर हुँ।
여기는 네팔이에요.
This is Nepal.
यो नेपाल हो।
4.4Present tense: -아요 / -어요 / 해요
Korean dictionary verbs end in -다 (가다 “to go”, 먹다 “to eat”). To speak politely, drop -다 and add -아요 if the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, otherwise -어요. Verbs ending in 하다 become 해요.
| Dictionary form | Rule | Polite present |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 (to go) | ㅏ + 아요 merges | 가요 |
| 오다 (to come) | ㅗ + 아요 → 와요 | 와요 |
| 먹다 (to eat) | ㅓ → + 어요 | 먹어요 |
| 마시다 (to drink) | ㅣ + 어요 → 여요 | 마셔요 |
| 읽다 (to read) | ㅣ (not ㅏ/ㅗ) + 어요 | 읽어요 |
| 공부하다 (to study) | 하다 → 해요 | 공부해요 |
| 일하다 (to work) | 하다 → 해요 | 일해요 |
저는 학교에 가요.
I go to school.
म विद्यालय जान्छु।
커피를 마셔요.
I drink coffee.
म कफी पिउँछु।
한국에서 일해요.
I work in Korea.
म कोरियामा काम गर्छु।
4.5Making negatives
The easiest negative: put 안 right before the verb. A slightly more formal option is attaching -지 않아요 to the verb stem. Both mean the same thing.
저는 고기를 안 먹어요.
I don't eat meat.
म मासु खान्नँ।
오늘은 학교에 안 가요.
I'm not going to school today.
술을 마시지 않아요.
I don't drink alcohol.
4.6Asking questions
In polite speech, questions use exactly the same form as statements — just raise your intonation at the end. 가요. = “I go.” / 가요? = “Are you going?” Add a question word for details:
| Question word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 뭐 | what | 이게 뭐예요? — What is this? |
| 어디 | where | 어디에 가요? — Where are you going? |
| 언제 | when | 언제 와요? — When are you coming? |
| 누구 | who | 누구예요? — Who is it? |
| 왜 | why | 왜 울어요? — Why are you crying? |
| 얼마 | how much | 얼마예요? — How much is it? |
| 어떻게 | how | 어떻게 가요? — How do I get there? |
이름이 뭐예요?
What is your name?
तपाईंको नाम के हो?
화장실이 어디예요?
Where is the bathroom?
शौचालय कहाँ छ?
이거 얼마예요?
How much is this?
यो कति हो?