Language/Korean/Grammar/Describing-People
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| ◀️ Korean Cinema — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Describing Things ▶️ |
Introduction
Welcome to the lesson on describing people in Korean! In this lesson, you will learn how to describe people's physical appearance and personality using adjectives in Korean. This topic is important because being able to describe people is a fundamental skill in any language, and it allows you to communicate effectively and express yourself more accurately. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form descriptive sentences about people in Korean and have a better understanding of Korean grammar.
In this lesson, we will start by learning the basic adjectives used to describe people's physical appearance and personality. We will then move on to more complex sentence structures and learn how to use these adjectives in sentences. Throughout the lesson, we will provide numerous examples and exercises to help you practice and reinforce what you have learned.
So let's get started and learn how to describe people in Korean!
Describing Physical Appearance
When describing people's physical appearance in Korean, we use adjectives to convey different characteristics such as height, weight, hair color, eye color, and more. Let's start by learning some basic adjectives commonly used to describe physical appearance.
Height
To describe someone's height in Korean, we use the adjective "크다" (keuda) which means "tall" and "작다" (jakda) which means "short". Let's look at some examples:
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 키가 크다 | ki-ga keu-da | tall |
| 키가 작다 | ki-ga jak-da | short |
| 그는 키가 크다 | geu-neun ki-ga keu-da | He is tall. |
| 그녀는 키가 작다 | geu-nyeo-neun ki-ga jak-da | She is short. |
Weight
To describe someone's weight in Korean, we use the adjective "뚱뚱하다" (ddung-ddung-ha-da) which means "fat" and "마르다" (ma-reu-da) which means "thin". Here are some examples:
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 몸이 뚱뚱하다 | mom-i ddung-ddung-ha-da | fat |
| 몸이 마르다 | mom-i ma-reu-da | thin |
| 그는 몸이 뚱뚱하다 | geu-neun mom-i ddung-ddung-ha-da | He is fat. |
| 그녀는 몸이 마르다 | geu-nyeo-neun mom-i ma-reu-da | She is thin. |
Hair Color
To describe someone's hair color in Korean, we use the adjective "검은색" (geom-eun-saek) which means "black", "갈색" (gal-saek) which means "brown", "금발" (geum-bal) which means "blond", and "빨간색" (ppal-gan-saek) which means "red". Here are some examples:
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 검은색 머리 | geom-eun-saek meo-ri | black hair |
| 갈색 머리 | gal-saek meo-ri | brown hair |
| 금발 머리 | geum-bal meo-ri | blond hair |
| 빨간색 머리 | ppal-gan-saek meo-ri | red hair |
| 그녀는 검은색 머리를 가지고 있다 | geu-nyeo-neun geom-eun-saek meo-ri-reul ga-ji-go it-da | She has black hair. |
| 그는 금발 머리를 가지고 있다 | geu-neun geum-bal meo-ri-reul ga-ji-go it-da | He has blond hair. |
Eye Color
To describe someone's eye color in Korean, we use the adjective "검은 눈" (geom-eun nun) which means "black eyes", "갈색 눈" (gal-saek nun) which means "brown eyes", "파란 눈" (pa-ran nun) which means "blue eyes", and "녹색 눈" (nok-saek nun) which means "green eyes". Here are some examples:
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 검은 눈 | geom-eun nun | black eyes |
| 갈색 눈 | gal-saek nun | brown eyes |
| 파란 눈 | pa-ran nun | blue eyes |
| 녹색 눈 | nok-saek nun | green eyes |
| 그는 파란 눈을 가지고 있다 | geu-neun pa-ran nun-eul ga-ji-go it-da | He has blue eyes. |
| 그녀는 녹색 눈을 가지고 있다 | geu-nyeo-neun nok-saek nun-eul ga-ji-go it-da | She has green eyes. |
Age
To describe someone's age in Korean, we use the adjective "어린" (eo-rin) which means "young" and "늙은" (neul-geun) which means "old". Here are some examples:
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 어린 나이 | eo-rin na-i | young age |
| 늙은 나이 | neul-geun na-i | old age |
| 그는 어린 나이다 | geu-neun eo-rin na-i-da | He is young. |
| 그녀는 늙은 나이다 | geu-nyeo-neun neul-geun na-i-da | She is old. |
Other Physical Descriptions
To describe other physical characteristics such as facial features, we use adjectives like "예쁜" (ye-ppeun) which means "pretty", "잘 생긴" (jal saeng-gin) which means "handsome", "못 생긴" (mot saeng-gin) which means "ugly", "귀여운" (gwi-yeo-un) which means "cute", and "멋있는" (meot-it-neun) which means "cool". Here are some examples:
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 예쁜 얼굴 | ye-ppeun eol-gul | pretty face |
| 잘 생긴 얼굴 | jal saeng-gin eol-gul | handsome face |
| 못 생긴 얼굴 | mot saeng-gin eol-gul | ugly face |
| 귀여운 얼굴 | gwi-yeo-un eol-gul | cute face |
| 멋있는 얼굴 | meot-it-neun eol-gul | cool face |
| 그는 잘 생긴 얼굴을 가지고 있다 | geu-neun jal saeng-gin eol-gul-eul ga-ji-go it-da | He has a handsome face. |
| 그녀는 귀여운 얼굴을 가지고 있다 | geu-nyeo-neun gwi-yeo-un eol-gul-eul ga-ji-go it-da | She has a cute face. |
Describing Personality
Describing someone's personality in Korean is just as important as describing their physical appearance. It allows you to convey their character traits and qualities. Let's explore some common adjectives used to describe personality in Korean.
Positive Personality Traits
To describe positive personality traits in Korean, we use adjectives like "친절한" (chin-jeol-han) which means "kind", "예의 바른" (ye-ui ba-reun) which means "polite", "착한" (chak-han) which means "good-hearted", "용감한" (yong-gam-han) which means "brave", and "지적인" (ji-jeok-in) which means "intellectual". Here are some examples:
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 친절한 | chin-jeol-han | kind |
| 예의 바른 | ye-ui ba-reun | polite |
| 착한 | chak-han | good-hearted |
| 용감한 | yong-gam-han | brave |
| 지적인 | ji-jeok-in | intellectual |
| 그는 친절한 사람이다 | geu-neun chin-jeol-han sa-ram-i-da | He is a kind person. |
| 그녀는 예의 바른 사람이다 | geu-nyeo-neun ye-ui ba-reun sa-ram-i-da | She is a polite person. |
Negative Personality Traits
To describe negative personality traits in Korean, we use adjectives like "거만한" (geo-man-han) which means "arrogant", "무례한" (mu-rye-han) which means "rude", "심술궂은" (sim-sul-kwol-eun) which means "mean-spirited", "겁쟁이" (geob-jaeng-i) which means "cowardly", and "어리석은" (eo-ri-seo-geun) which means "foolish". Here are some examples:
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 거만한 | geo-man-han | arrogant |
| 무례한 | mu-rye-han | rude |
| 심술궂은 | sim-sul-kwol-eun | mean-spirited |
| 겁쟁이 | geob-jaeng-i | cowardly |
| 어리석은 | eo-ri-seo-geun | foolish |
| 그는 거만한 사람이다 | geu-neun geo-man-han sa-ram-i-da | He is an arrogant person. |
| 그녀는 무례한 사람이다 | geu-nyeo-neun mu-rye-han sa-ram-i-da | She is a rude person. |
Other Personality Traits
To describe other personality traits, we use adjectives like "낙천적인" (nak-cheon-jeok-in) which means "optimistic", "비관적인" (bi-gwan-jeok-in) which means "pessimistic", "활발한" (hwal-bal-han) which means "energetic", "조용한" (jo-yong-han) which means "quiet", and "외향적인" (oe-hyang-jeok-in) which means "outgoing". Here are some examples:
| Korean | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| 낙천적인 | nak-cheon-jeok-in | optimistic |
| 비관적인 | bi-gwan-jeok-in | pessimistic |
| 활발한 | hwal-bal-han | energetic |
| 조용한 | jo-yong-han | quiet |
| 외향적인 | oe-hyang-jeok-in | outgoing |
| 그는 낙천적인 사람이다 | geu-neun nak-cheon-jeok-in sa-ram-i-da | He is an optimistic person. |
| 그녀는 활발한 사람이다 | geu-nyeo-neun hwal-bal-han sa-ram-i-da | She is an energetic person. |
Cultural Insights
Korean culture places a strong emphasis on appearance and the concept of "face". This means that physical appearance is often considered important in Korean society, and people may go to great lengths to maintain their appearance. However, it is also important to note that Korean society values inner beauty and character traits. Koreans admire people who are kind, polite, and respectful, and these qualities are often seen as more important than physical appearance.
In terms of physical appearance, there are certain beauty standards in Korea that may differ from Western standards. For example, pale skin is considered attractive, and many Koreans use skincare products and wear sunscreen to protect their skin from the sun. Additionally, double eyelid surgery is quite common in Korea, as many Koreans desire a more Westernized eyelid crease. These cultural insights provide a deeper understanding of the context in which physical appearance is described in Korean.
Exercises
Now it's time to practice what you've learned! Complete the following exercises to reinforce your understanding of describing people in Korean.
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks Fill in the blanks with the appropriate adjectives to describe the physical appearance or personality. Choose from the adjectives we have learned in this lesson.
1. 그는 _______ 사람이다. (kind) 2. 그녀는 _______ 눈을 가지고 있다. (blue) 3. 키가 _______ 사람이다. (tall) 4. 그는 _______ 머리를 가지고 있다. (blond) 5. 그녀는 _______ 얼굴을 가지고 있다. (pretty)
Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences Translate the following sentences into Korean.
1. She has brown hair. 2. He is thin. 3. They have black eyes. 4. He is a polite person. 5. She is an outgoing person.
Exercise 3: Describe Yourself Using the adjectives we have learned in this lesson, describe your own physical appearance and personality in Korean.
Solutions
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks 1. 그는 친절한 사람이다. 2. 그녀는 파란 눈을 가지고 있다. 3. 키가 큰 사람이다. 4. 그는 금발 머리를 가지고 있다. 5. 그녀는 예쁜 얼굴을 가지고 있다.
Exercise 2: Translate the Sentences 1. 그녀는 갈색 머리를 가지고 있다. 2. 그는 마르다. 3. 그들은 검은 눈을 가지고 있다. 4. 그는 예의 바른 사람이다. 5. 그녀는 외향적인 사람이다.
Exercise 3: Describe Yourself This exercise will vary depending on the individual's physical appearance and personality. Students should describe themselves using the adjectives learned in this lesson.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have learned how to describe people's physical appearance and personality in Korean. You now have the skills to form descriptive sentences using adjectives. Keep practicing and using these adjectives in your everyday conversations to reinforce your knowledge. In the next lesson, we will continue exploring the topic of describing people by learning how to describe things in Korean. Keep up the great work!
Videos
How to describe physical appearance in Korean? - YouTube
Describe Appearance in Korean - YouTube
Sources
Other Lessons
- Questions
- Describing Things
- Subject and Object Markers
- How to Use Have
- Korean Pronunciation
- Question Words
- Give your Opinion
- Comparatives and Superlatives
- Progressive Tense
- Future Tense
| ◀️ Korean Cinema — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Describing Things ▶️ |