Korean is written in Hangul (한글), a phonetic alphabet of 24 letters (14 consonants + 10 vowels). It was designed in the 15th century to be easy to learn — you can pick it up in a weekend.
Letters combine into syllable blocks, never written linearly. Each block has 2–4 letters arranged top-to-bottom and left-to-right: · initial consonant + vowel (e.g. 가 = g + a) · initial consonant + vowel + final consonant (e.g. 한 = h + a + n) · some blocks have a double final consonant
The 14 basic consonants: ㄱ (g/k), ㄴ (n), ㄷ (d/t), ㄹ (r/l), ㅁ (m), ㅂ (b/p), ㅅ (s), ㅇ (silent at start / -ng at end), ㅈ (j), ㅊ (ch), ㅋ (k), ㅌ (t), ㅍ (p), ㅎ (h).
The 10 basic vowels: ㅏ (a), ㅑ (ya), ㅓ (eo, like or), ㅕ (yeo), ㅗ (o), ㅛ (yo), ㅜ (u), ㅠ (yu), ㅡ (eu, like good without rounding), ㅣ (i).
There are also five doubled consonants (ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ) — pronounced tenser and more sharply than their singles.
Hanja (Chinese characters) appear occasionally in formal writing, but modern Korean is almost entirely Hangul.
Each example below has three parts: the original text, a literal gloss describing how every word works, and a natural translation. The glosses use a few shorthand labels so they stay short. Don't worry about memorising them — this is a reference you can come back to.
Person and number · 1sg / 2sg / 3sg — first / second / third person singular (I, you, he/she/it) · 1pl / 2pl / 3pl — first / second / third person plural (we, you-all, they)
Gender and case · m / f / n — masculine / feminine / neuter · sg / pl — singular / plural · m.sg — combined: masculine singular (and similarly f.pl, n.sg, etc.) · NOM / ACC / GEN / DAT / INS / LOC — grammatical cases (nominative/accusative/genitive/dative/instrumental/locative) — which role the word plays in the sentence
Tense and aspect · PRES — present · PRET — preterite (a finished past event) · IMPF — imperfect (an ongoing or habitual past situation) · FUT — future · PERF — perfect (an action completed with present relevance) · PROG — progressive (action in progress, e.g. am eating) · COND — conditional (would…)
Mood · IND — indicative (regular statement) · SUBJ — subjunctive (uncertainty, wishes, doubts) · IMP — imperative (commands) · INF — infinitive (dictionary form: to go, to eat)
Other · REFL — reflexive (action on oneself: myself, yourself) · PERS — personal a (Spanish only — marks a human direct object) · HON — honorific (extra-polite form, common in Japanese/Korean) · TOP / SUB / OBJ — topic / subject / object markers (Japanese, Korean) · CL — classifier (Chinese, Japanese, Korean — a counter word for nouns) · NEG — negation
Korean is written in Hangul (한글), an alphabet invented in the 15th century under King Sejong. It has 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels — the individual letters are called jamo (자모). Hangul is phonetic: each letter represents one sound, so what you see is what you say. Unlike Chinese characters, jamo are not written one after another in a line — they are grouped into syllable blocks with a fixed internal pattern: initial consonant + medial vowel (+ optional final consonant). This makes Korean text visually compact and easy to scan once you know the blocks. Hangul is famously easy to learn — most learners can read after a few hours. In this guide, Revised Romanization is used in parentheses to approximate the sounds for absolute beginners.
Korean is a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) language: the verb always comes last. The basic pattern is Subject + Object + Verb, with modifiers (adjectives, adverbs, relative clauses) placed before the word they modify. Because grammatical roles are marked by particles attached to nouns, the order of the noun phrases is more flexible than in English — but the verb stays at the end. The subject is very often dropped when it is clear from context, especially I and you. In conversation, single-word answers and verb-only sentences are common. Time expressions usually come early; place expressions come before the verb.
Korean has no articles (a / an / the) and no grammatical gender. A bare noun like 책 (chaek) can mean a book, the book, books, or some books, depending on context. Pluralization is optional: the suffix 들 (-deul) can be added to mark a plural, but it is mostly used with animate nouns (people, animals) and is often left off when number is clear from context or from a number word. With inanimate things, 들 is rarely used. Number words (하나, 둘, 셋…) and counters do the job of making quantity explicit when needed.
Particles are short suffixes attached to nouns to mark their grammatical role. The choice between two forms (with/without final consonant) depends on whether the noun ends in a consonant or a vowel. Key particles: 은/는 (topic — as for…); 이/가 (subject — new information / focus); 을/를 (direct object); 에 (location of being, time, destination — at / in / to); 에서 (place of action, origin — at / from); 의 (possessive — of / -'s); 와/과 or 하고 (and / with); 도 (also, too — replaces 은/는/이/가/을/를); 부터 (from — starting point); 까지 (until / up to).
Korean verbs change ending depending on who you are speaking to. The three main levels for learners are: formal polite (-(스)ㅂ니다 / -(스)ㅂ니까?) — used in news, business, the military, first meetings; informal polite (-아요 / -어요) — the everyday polite style for strangers, colleagues, older peers; and plain / casual (-다 dictionary form, -아/어 without 요) — used with close friends, family, children, or in writing. For most spoken situations, learners should default to the informal polite style (-아요/-어요). Dropping the final 요 turns a sentence into casual speech — do not do this with strangers or elders.
Every Korean verb (and descriptive verb / adjective) ends in -다 in its dictionary form. Remove -다 to get the stem, then attach an ending. For example, 가다 (gada, to go) → stem 가-. To form the polite informal -아요/-어요 ending, you choose -아요 if the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ (positive / bright vowel harmony), otherwise -어요. The irregular verb 하다 (to do) becomes 해요. Many stems contract with the ending: 가다 → 가요 (not 가아요), 서다 → 서요, 오다 → 와요, 배우다 → 배워요.
The present tense in informal polite style is just stem + -아요 / -어요 / 해요, depending on vowel harmony (see Verb stems). It covers both I eat and I am eating, and also general truths and near-future plans understood from context: 내일 가요 (I'll go tomorrow). In formal polite style, the ending is -(스)ㅂ니다: add -ㅂ니다 if the stem ends in a vowel, -습니다 if it ends in a consonant. The same form is used for all persons (I / you / he / she / we / they) — only the dropped subject and context tell you who is acting.
The past tense inserts -았- / -었- between the stem and the ending. The choice follows the same vowel harmony as the present: -았어요 after stems whose last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, -었어요 otherwise. 하다 becomes 했어요. The same contractions apply: 가다 + 았어요 → 갔어요, 오다 → 왔어요, 마시다 → 마셨어요. The form is identical for all persons, and like the present, the subject is usually dropped. For formal polite past, the ending is -았/었습니다: 갔습니다, 먹었습니다, 했습니다.
The common spoken future / probability form is -(으)ㄹ 거예요. Add -ㄹ 거예요 if the stem ends in a vowel, and -을 거예요 if it ends in a consonant. It expresses plans, intentions, and confident predictions: I will… / I'm going to… / (it) probably …. The plain/written future is -(으)ㄹ 것이다. There is also -겠어요, which adds a nuance of intention, polite offer, or guess (I will / it must be). Negative future: just negate the verb, e.g. 안 갈 거예요 (I won't go). Time words (내일, 다음 주) make the future meaning clearer.
Korean has two ways to make a sentence negative. (1) Short negation: put 안 directly before the verb. 안 가요 (I don't go), 안 먹어요 (I don't eat). With 하다 compound verbs (noun + 하다), 안 goes between the noun and 하다: 공부 안 해요 (I don't study). (2) Long negation: replace the dictionary ending -다 with -지 않다, then conjugate. 가다 → 가지 않아요, 먹다 → 먹지 않아요. Both mean the same; long form is slightly more formal/written. To say cannot (inability or impossibility), use 못 before the verb: 못 가요 (I can't go), or the long form -지 못해요.
In the informal polite style, statements and questions look identical — only rising intonation at the end marks a question. 가요? (are you going?) vs. 가요. (I'm going.). In the formal polite style, swap the statement ending -ㅂ니다 for the question ending -ㅂ니까?: 갑니까? (do you go?). Wh-questions use a question word placed where the answer would go (no word order change): 뭐 / 무엇 (what), 누구 (who), 어디 (where), 언제 (when), 왜 (why), 어떻게 (how), 얼마 (how much). The verb keeps the same ending.
이다 (ida) is the to be used to identify or define a noun (X is Y). It is unusual: it attaches directly to the noun, with no space. In informal polite style, it becomes -이에요 after a consonant and -예요 after a vowel: 학생이에요 (I am a student), 의사예요 (she is a doctor). The formal polite form is -입니다. The negative of 이다 is 아니다 (anida), which takes the subject particle 이/가 on the preceding noun (not 을/를): 학생이 아니에요 (I am not a student).
있다 (itda) means to exist / to be (located) / to have, and its opposite 없다 (eopda) means to not exist / to not have. In informal polite form they are 있어요 / 없어요. To say something is located somewhere, use place + 에 있어요: 학교에 있어요 (it's at school). To say someone has something, use person + 은/는 + thing + 이/가 있어요: 저는 시간이 있어요 (I have time). Note that have uses 있다, not the copula 이다 — these two verbs are completely distinct. The same logic applies to don't have: 저는 돈이 없어요 (I have no money).
Korean grammatically marks respect for the subject of a sentence — usually someone older, a superior, or a stranger — by inserting -(으)시- into the verb, between the stem and the ending. Add -시- after a vowel stem, -으시- after a consonant stem. In informal polite form, -시- + -어요 contracts to -세요: 가다 → 가세요 (you/he/she goes — respectful), 읽다 → 읽으세요. A few verbs have special honorific forms: 먹다 → 잡수시다 (to eat, respectful), 자다 → 주무시다 (to sleep), 있다 → 계시다 (to be / exist, for people). Do not use 시 about yourself.
Korean is written in Hangul (한글), an alphabet invented in 1443 and designed to be easy to learn. It has 14 basic consonants and 10 basic vowels, plus combined forms. Hangul is phonetic: each letter represents one sound. Letters are not written in a line but grouped into syllable blocks, each containing one to four letters in a fixed pattern (initial consonant + vowel, optionally + final consonant, sometimes + second final). For example, 한 = ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ (han), 국 = ㄱ + ㅜ + ㄱ (guk), together 한국 (Hanguk, Korea). All syllables must begin with a consonant in writing; if the sound starts with a vowel, the silent ㅇ is used.
This is the complete reference for every individual letter (jamo, 자모) used in modern Korean. Each cell shows the jamo, its Revised Romanization, and (when distinctive) the approximate IPA value. The Korean alphabet has 14 basic consonants, 5 doubled (tense) consonants, 10 basic vowels, and 11 compound vowels. Together these 40 jamo build every Korean syllable block.
Basic consonants (14)
| Jamo | Roman | IPA | Position notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄱ | g / k | [k] / [g] | voiceless initial, voiced between vowels |
| ㄴ | n | [n] | always [n] |
| ㄷ | d / t | [t] / [d] | like ㄱ, voiced between vowels |
| ㄹ | r / l | [ɾ] / [l] | flap initial, [l] in final position or doubled |
| ㅁ | m | [m] | always [m] |
| ㅂ | b / p | [p] / [b] | like ㄱ |
| ㅅ | s | [s] / [ɕ] | softer before ㅣ, ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅛ, ㅠ |
| ㅇ | (silent) / ng | [-] / [ŋ] | silent placeholder initial, [ŋ] as final |
| ㅈ | j | [tɕ] / [dʑ] | like ㄱ |
| ㅊ | ch | [tɕʰ] | aspirated |
| ㅋ | k | [kʰ] | aspirated ㄱ |
| ㅌ | t | [tʰ] | aspirated ㄷ |
| ㅍ | p | [pʰ] | aspirated ㅂ |
| ㅎ | h | [h] | often very soft between vowels |
Tense (doubled) consonants (5)
| Jamo | Roman | IPA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㄲ | kk | [k͈] | tense ㄱ, no aspiration |
| ㄸ | tt | [t͈] | tense ㄷ |
| ㅃ | pp | [p͈] | tense ㅂ |
| ㅆ | ss | [s͈] | tense ㅅ |
| ㅉ | jj | [tɕ͈] | tense ㅈ |
Basic vowels (10)
| Jamo | Roman | IPA | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅏ | a | [a] | father |
| ㅑ | ya | [ja] | yacht |
| ㅓ | eo | [ʌ] | but |
| ㅕ | yeo | [jʌ] | young |
| ㅗ | o | [o] | go |
| ㅛ | yo | [jo] | yo-yo |
| ㅜ | u | [u] | too |
| ㅠ | yu | [ju] | you |
| ㅡ | eu | [ɯ] | good without lip rounding |
| ㅣ | i | [i] | see |
Compound vowels (11)
| Jamo | Roman | IPA | Built from |
|---|---|---|---|
| ㅐ | ae | [ɛ] | ㅏ + ㅣ |
| ㅒ | yae | [jɛ] | ㅑ + ㅣ |
| ㅔ | e | [e] | ㅓ + ㅣ |
| ㅖ | ye | [je] | ㅕ + ㅣ |
| ㅘ | wa | [wa] | ㅗ + ㅏ |
| ㅙ | wae | [wɛ] | ㅗ + ㅐ |
| ㅚ | oe | [we] | ㅗ + ㅣ |
| ㅝ | wo | [wʌ] | ㅜ + ㅓ |
| ㅞ | we | [we] | ㅜ + ㅔ |
| ㅟ | wi | [wi] | ㅜ + ㅣ |
| ㅢ | ui | [ɰi] | ㅡ + ㅣ |
Note: in modern Seoul speech, ㅐ (ae) and ㅔ (e) are pronounced almost identically, and ㅙ / ㅚ / ㅞ all collapse to roughly [we].
Syllable block construction. Every Korean syllable is one square block built from 2 to 4 jamo in fixed positions: initial consonant (초성) + medial vowel (중성) + optional final consonant (종성). If the syllable starts with a vowel sound, the silent ㅇ fills the initial slot (so a is written 아, not just ㅏ). With a vertical vowel (ㅏ, ㅓ, ㅣ, ㅑ, ㅕ, ㅐ, ㅔ), the initial sits to the left of the vowel: 가, 너, 비. With a horizontal vowel (ㅗ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅛ, ㅠ), the initial sits on top of the vowel: 고, 누, 므. A final consonant (or two) sits underneath the whole top arrangement: 한 (ㅎ + ㅏ + ㄴ), 닭 (ㄷ + ㅏ + ㄹㄱ).
Final-consonant pronunciation. In final (받침) position, only seven sounds are pronounced: [k], [n], [t], [l], [m], [p], [ŋ]. Several jamo collapse onto the same value: ㄱ ㅋ ㄲ all sound like [k]; ㄷ ㅌ ㅅ ㅆ ㅈ ㅊ ㅎ all sound like [t]; ㅂ ㅍ all sound like [p]. When the next syllable starts with ㅇ, the final consonant resyllabifies and is pronounced as the initial of the next block: 한국이 → han-gu-gi.
The informal polite present is the single most important verb ending for learners. It is built by taking the dictionary form (always ending in -다), dropping -다 to get the stem, and attaching one of three endings according to the stem's last vowel.
The rule (vowel harmony)
| Stem ends in vowel... | Ending | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ㅏ or ㅗ (bright) | -아요 | vowel harmony |
| any other vowel (dark) | -어요 | vowel harmony |
| stem 하- (하다 verbs) | 해요 | special |
Contractions happen when stem-vowel and ending-vowel meet:
| Stem | + ending | Contracts to | Verb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 가- (ㅏ) | + 아요 | 가요 | 가다 to go |
| 서- (ㅓ) | + 어요 | 서요 | 서다 to stand |
| 오- (ㅗ) | + 아요 | 와요 | 오다 to come |
| 배우- (ㅜ) | + 어요 | 배워요 | 배우다 to learn |
| 마시- (ㅣ) | + 어요 | 마셔요 | 마시다 to drink |
| 보내- (ㅐ) | + 어요 | 보내요 | 보내다 to send |
| 먹- (consonant ㅓ) | + 어요 | 먹어요 | 먹다 to eat |
| 읽- (consonant ㅣ) | + 어요 | 읽어요 | 읽다 to read |
| 공부하- | + 여요 | 공부해요 | 공부하다 to study |
One form covers all six persons: I, you, he, she, we, they. The same ending also works as a question (with rising intonation) and a gentle command (with falling intonation): 가요. (I go / I'm going.) / 가요? (Are you going?) / 가요! (Let's go / go!).
Common pitfalls
- Don't write 가아요 or 오아요. The contraction is obligatory, not optional. - 하다 verbs are a whole class (공부하다, 일하다, 사랑하다, 운동하다, 요리하다). All become 해요. - A few stems are irregular: 듣다 → 들어요 (ㄷ → ㄹ before vowel), 돕다 → 도와요 (ㅂ irregular), 짓다 → 지어요 (ㅅ drops), 모르다 → 몰라요 (르 irregular).
To say I want to + verb, attach -고 싶다 directly to the verb stem. The form 싶다 is itself a descriptive verb, so it takes the usual polite endings.
Conjugation
| Person | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| present polite | 가고 싶어요 | ga-go sip-eo-yo |
| present formal | 가고 싶습니다 | ga-go sip-seum-ni-da |
| negative | 가고 싶지 않아요 | ga-go sip-ji an-a-yo |
| past | 가고 싶었어요 | ga-go sip-eoss-eo-yo |
| question | 가고 싶어요? | ga-go sip-eo-yo? |
Works the same with any verb: 먹고 싶어요 (I want to eat), 마시고 싶어요 (I want to drink), 자고 싶어요 (I want to sleep), 공부하고 싶어요 (I want to study).
Important: third person uses 〜고 싶어하다. Korean draws a strict line: -고 싶다 describes the speaker's (or addressee's) own desire. To say he/she wants to, switch to -고 싶어하다: 동생이 자고 싶어해요 (my brother wants to sleep). English speakers often forget this and produce ungrammatical 동생이 자고 싶어요.
Object particle shift. With 〜고 싶다, the object can take 이/가 instead of 을/를, especially when the desire is emphasized: 물이 마시고 싶어요 / 물을 마시고 싶어요 are both fine; the first feels more emotional.
Compare with -고 싶어요 (this section) vs -(으)면 좋겠어요 (I wish / I hope), which expresses a wish that may or may not be in your power.
The everyday spoken way to express a plan or intention (English I'm going to / I will) is -(으)ㄹ 거예요. Choose the form based on the stem's last sound.
The rule
| Stem ends in... | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a vowel | -ㄹ 거예요 | 가 + ㄹ 거예요 → 갈 거예요 I'll go |
| a consonant | -을 거예요 | 먹 + 을 거예요 → 먹을 거예요 I'll eat |
| stem in ㄹ (drops) | -ㄹ 거예요 | 살 → 살 거예요 I'll live |
**Conjugation grid (가다 to go)**
| Polite informal | 갈 거예요 | | Polite formal | 갈 겁니다 / 갈 것입니다 | | Negative | 안 갈 거예요 | | Question | 갈 거예요? | | Past form (probably did) | 갔을 거예요 |
It covers three overlapping meanings that English splits into will / am going to / probably: 1. Personal plan. 내일 부산에 갈 거예요. (I'm going to Busan tomorrow.) 2. Confident prediction. 비가 올 거예요. (It'll probably rain.) 3. Inference about the past with 〜았/었을 거예요. 벌써 도착했을 거예요. (They must have arrived already.)
Compare with 〜겠어요. 〜겠어요 also expresses future, but with more personal commitment or on-the-spot decision: 제가 하겠습니다 (I'll do it, formal volunteering). Use 〜(으)ㄹ 거예요 for ordinary plans you already had.
Common pitfall. Don't say 갈 것이에요 in casual speech: that's the written form. Use 거예요 in conversation.
Korean does not have a true English-style perfect (I have done), but it expresses the related experience perfect (I have ever done) with the construction V + -(으)ㄴ 적이 있다, literally there is a time I did X.
Form
| Stem ends in... | Add | Example (먹다 to eat) |
|---|---|---|
| a vowel | -ㄴ 적이 있어요 | 가 → 간 적이 있어요 |
| a consonant | -은 적이 있어요 | 먹 → 먹은 적이 있어요 |
| ㄹ stem (drops ㄹ) | -ㄴ 적이 있어요 | 살 → 산 적이 있어요 |
Negative: -(으)ㄴ 적이 없다 (have never...). 간 적이 없어요 (I've never gone).
Conjugation grid (가다)
| Affirmative | 간 적이 있어요 | | Negative | 간 적이 없어요 | | Formal | 간 적이 있습니다 | | Question | 간 적이 있어요? |
Usage notes - Used for whole experiences in your life, not for very recent events. Don't say 오늘 아침에 커피를 마신 적이 있어요 (today I've drunk coffee). Use the past tense 마셨어요 instead. - 적이 can also be replaced with 일이: 간 일이 있어요 means the same. - The particle 이 is often dropped in casual speech: 간 적 있어요. - For resulting state (I am married, I have lived in Seoul for 3 years), Korean uses different patterns: 〜아/어 있다 or 〜고 있다 (see Progressive).
Compare with simple past. 간 적이 있어요 = I have been there at some point. 갔어요 = I went. Use the past tense for specific events; use 〜(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 only when emphasizing the fact of having experienced it.
There are two main ways to soften I want into I would like. The first is simply to use the past tense of 싶다: 〜고 싶었어요 (literally I had wanted to) sounds a touch more tentative than 〜고 싶어요. The more idiomatic and commonly used wish construction is -(으)면 좋겠어요, literally it would be good if....
Form
| Stem ends in... | Add |
|---|---|
| a vowel | -면 좋겠어요 |
| a consonant | -으면 좋겠어요 |
Attach to any verb or descriptive verb stem: - 가다 → 갔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish I could go / I'd like to go) - 먹다 → 먹었으면 좋겠어요 - 비가 오다 → 비가 왔으면 좋겠어요 (I wish it would rain)
Note the past-tense stem 았/었: this is the common pattern even when the wish is about the present or future. The bare present form 가면 좋겠어요 also works but feels weaker.
Side-by-side comparison
| Form | Strength | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜고 싶어요 | direct I want | 가고 싶어요 I want to go |
| 〜고 싶어요 (formal 〜고 싶습니다) | polite I want | 가고 싶습니다 |
| 〜(으)면 좋겠어요 | wistful I wish / I'd like | 갔으면 좋겠어요 I wish I could go |
| 〜아/어 주세요 | polite request please do | 가 주세요 please go (do me the favor) |
At a restaurant / shop, the polite I would like X is rendered with N + 주세요 (please give me N): 커피 한 잔 주세요 (one coffee, please). 〜고 싶어요 is rarely used to order; that sounds childish.
Korean's true progressive (English be -ing, am eating, was watching) is formed by attaching -고 있다 to the verb stem. Note that the plain polite present (먹어요) also covers the progressive in most contexts, so 〜고 있다 is reserved for cases where you want to emphasize that the action is happening right now, or contrast with another state.
Form: stem + 고 있다, then conjugate 있다 normally.
| Form | Korean | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| present polite | 먹고 있어요 | meok-go iss-eo-yo |
| present formal | 먹고 있습니다 | meok-go iss-seum-ni-da |
| past | 먹고 있었어요 | meok-go iss-eoss-eo-yo |
| negative | 먹고 있지 않아요 | meok-go iss-ji an-a-yo |
| honorific | 잡수고 계세요 | jap-su-go gye-se-yo |
Two meanings
1. Action in progress. 지금 책을 읽고 있어요. (I am reading a book now.) This is the most common use. 2. Habitual or continuous over a period. 요즘 한국어를 배우고 있어요. (These days I am learning Korean.) Same form, broader time frame.
Don't confuse with 〜아/어 있다. That related pattern marks a resulting state, used with intransitive change-of-state verbs: 문이 열려 있어요 (the door is open, lit. has been opened and remains so). You cannot say 문이 열고 있어요 for this meaning.
Casual contraction. In speech, 〜고 있어요 often shortens to 〜고 있어 (casual) or just remains as is. The past 〜고 있었어요 is very common when narrating: 어제 저녁에 영화를 보고 있었어요 (I was watching a movie last night).
Honorific. For an elder subject, use 〜고 계시다 (the honorific of 있다): 할아버지께서 신문을 읽고 계세요 (Grandfather is reading the newspaper).
To say can (ability or possibility), use -(으)ㄹ 수 있다, literally there is a way to do X. Its opposite -(으)ㄹ 수 없다 means cannot.
Form
| Stem ends in... | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a vowel | -ㄹ 수 있어요 | 가 → 갈 수 있어요 I can go |
| a consonant | -을 수 있어요 | 먹 → 먹을 수 있어요 I can eat |
| ㄹ stem (drops) | -ㄹ 수 있어요 | 만들 → 만들 수 있어요 I can make |
**Conjugation grid (가다 to go)**
| Polite informal | 갈 수 있어요 / 갈 수 없어요 | | Polite formal | 갈 수 있습니다 / 갈 수 없습니다 | | Past | 갈 수 있었어요 / 갈 수 없었어요 | | Question | 갈 수 있어요? |
The shorter 못 + verb is another way to say cannot: 못 가요 (I can't go), 공부 못 해요 (I can't study). 못 emphasizes inability specifically (skill, circumstance), while 〜(으)ㄹ 수 없다 is broader and works for both cannot (inability) and cannot (not allowed). 못 is the most common way in everyday speech to say can't.
**Compare three ways to say *can***
| Form | Sense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 | general possibility / permission | 갈 수 있어요 I can go |
| -(으)ㄹ 줄 알다 | know how to (acquired skill) | 운전할 줄 알아요 I know how to drive |
| 못 + verb | concrete inability can't | 못 가요 I can't go |
The giving permission sense (you can = you may) overlaps with 〜아/어도 돼요 (it's okay to): 여기 앉아도 돼요 (you can sit here).