When you meet new people, one question that might come up is age. Knowing how to say “How old are you” in Korean would come in handy in these moments.

In this post, we’ll teach you the different ways to say it. Let’s get to it!

Different ways to ask “How old are you” in Korean

There are different ways to say “How old are you” in Korean, depending on who you are speaking with. We’ve listed them below.

Formal “How Old Are You” in Korean

Here is how you can formally ask, “How old are you?” in Korean.

1. 연세가 어떻게 되십니까? (yeonsega eotteoke doeshimnikka)

If you are in a formal situation such as a presentation or interview, then you can use the above expression to ask how old somebody is.

Example:

A: 연세가 어떻게 되십니까? (yeonsega eotteoke doesimnikka)

How old are you?

B: 마흔다섯 살입니다. (maheundaseot sarimnida)

I am 45 years old.

Standard “How Old Are You” in Korean

There are several ways to ask this question in Korean. Here are some of them.

1. 연세가 어떻게 되세요? (yeonsega eotteoke doeseyo)

This is usually used when speaking to somebody older than you.

2. 나이가 어떻게 되세요? (naiga eotteoke doeseyo)

If you are speaking to somebody of a similar age, then you can ask, “How old are you?” in Korean.

3. 몇 살이에요? (myeot sarieyo)

This is another way to ask when talking to someone of the same age, although 몇 살이에요 (myeot sarieyo) sounds a bit less formal than 나이가 어떻게 되세요 (naiga eotteoke doeseyo)?

Example:

A: 나이가 어떻게 되세요? (naiga eotteoke doeseyo)

How old are you?

B: 스무 살이에요. (seumu sarieyo)

I’m 20 years old.

Informal “How Old Are You” in Korean

Below is how you can ask someone about their age in an informal way. However, if you ask somebody their age, you are probably not close enough to them to get away with using informal language.

1. 몇 살이야? (myeot sariya)

It is best to play it safe and say 몇 살이에요 (myeot sarieyo)? instead of 몇 살이야 (myeot sariya)?

To learn more about the question word used for these sentences, you can read our article on “How” in Korean.

“What’s your date of birth” in Korean

This may not exactly be “How old are you,” but it’s another way to determine someone’s age.

You may hear people ask you for your birthdate. That means you’ll tell them your birth year, birth month, and birthdate (in that order). For example:

생년월일이 어떻게 됩니까? (saengnyeonworiri eotteoke doemnikka)

What’s your date of birth?

If you were born on Jan 15, 1995, you can say:

1995년 1월 15일 (천구백구십오 년 일 월 십오 일 | cheongubaekgusibo nyeon il wol sibo il)

This is a very common question if you go somewhere where you’ll need to be registered, such as at the dentist or doctor’s office. They use the year you were born plus your birth month and day to look you up in their systems.

Ways to reply to “How old are you” in Korean

How you respond to someone asking, “How old are you?” in Korean can vary based on the formality of the situation. Here are responses for different formalities.

Formal response

For a formal response, you can say:

저는 서른일곱 살입니다. (jeoneun seoreunilgop sarimnida)

I am 37 years old.

Standard response

For a standard response that is polite yet not overly formal, you can say:

저는 서른일곱 살이에요. (jeoneun seoreunilgop sarieyo)

I am 37 years old.

This is similar to the first response but in a less formal tone.

This response is suitable for everyday conversations and goes somewhere between formality and casualness.

Informal response

In a more casual setting with friends, you can say:

나는 서른일곱 살이야. (naneun seoreunilgop sariya)

I am 37 years old.

This response is suitable when talking to someone who is the same age as you or younger.

If you’re unsure of which response to use, the standard one is your best choice to avoid being rude.

Remember, age in Korea is often calculated differently, so you might also want to clarify if you’re using international age or Korean age.

How to say “age” in Korean

There are three words that can be used to say “age” in Korean. If you are speaking to somebody who is a lot older than you, or if you are in a formal setting, then you should use the word 연세 (yeonse).

If you are speaking to somebody younger than you or of a similar age, you can use the words 나이 (nai) or 살 (sal).

살 (sal) translates as something closer to “years old” rather than age. If you want to say “years old” when talking about someone a lot older than you, then you should say 세 (se) instead of 살 (sal).

Somewhat ironically, to ask somebody their age in Korean, you have to guess how old they are to allow you to use the correct level of politeness.

There is a big chance of confusion when non-Koreans talk about age with Koreans. The way that most South Koreans avoid confusion is to use the terms “Korean age” and “international age” when talking about age.

한국 나이 (Hanguk nai) – Korean Age

만 나이 (man nai) – international age

Example sentence:

저는 올해 스무 살이지만 만으로는 열아홉 살이에요. (jeoneun olhae seumu sarijiman maneuroneun yeorahop sarieyo)

I’m twenty in Korean age but nineteen in Western age.

These are some common Korean words that you’ll hear. You may notice them if you live in Korea and know how to read Hangeul.

Other Korean Age Terms

You may also hear these terms when people are talking about the international age. They all mean the same as “만 나이 (man nai).”

국제 나이 (gukje nai) – international age

미국 나이 (miguk nai) – American age

외국 나이 (oeguk nai) – foreign age

Wrap Up

Mastering how to ask “How old are you?” in Korean is crucial for engaging with Korean culture, whether it’s for personal relationships, enjoying K-Pop, or K-dramas. To make sure you are asking this question politely, learning all about Korean Speech Levels would also come in handy!

How old are you? Let us know in the comments below!

The post “How old are you?” in Korean – Asking someone’s age appeared first on 90 Day Korean.

Welcome to Jangsaengpo, a hidden gem nestled within the industrial tapestry of Ulsan, South Korea. In a city pulsating with modernity, Jangsaengpo stands as a testament to the bygone era, a place where time seems to have slowed, allowing for introspection amidst the clangor of progress.

As a photographer with an insatiable curiosity for something authentic, the allure of Jangsaengpo is undeniable. It’s a paradoxical landscape where the industrial relics of “Old Ulsan” coexist with pockets of rejuvenation, offering a canvas ripe for exploration.

At first glance, Jangsaengpo may seem frozen in the early 2000s, but therein lies its charm. The city’s earnest endeavors to revive its fishing port have transformed derelict structures into cultural hubs, like the observatory/coffeeshop/ culture center that now offers panoramic views of the SK Petroleum factory.

Yet, beyond the superficial upgrades, Jangsaengpo pulsates with raw authenticity. A mere stroll unveils a world devoid of ubiquitous chain cafes and pasta place, instead one can still find establishments serving whale meat—a nod to the city’s maritime heritage. Here, every rusted facade and weathered building tells a story of resilience and evolution.

In my quest for the genuine, I found solace amidst the cracks and rust, capturing moments that transcend time. The juxtaposition of modernity and tradition, evident in the architectural landscape, serves as a poignant reminder of Ulsan’s rich tapestry.

For the discerning street photographer, Jangsaengpo is a treasure trove. It beckons with its unfiltered scenes of daily life, far removed from the polished veneer of upscale neighborhoods. Here, the artistry lies in capturing the essence of existence, unadorned and raw.

As dawn breaks over Jangsaengpo, fishermen emerge, casting their nets in hopes of a bountiful catch. It’s in these fleeting moments of industry that the soul of the city reveals itself, casting a spell on those willing to embrace its authenticity.

My sojourn through Jangsaengpo was not marked by grandeur, but by the simple pleasures of exploration. It afforded me the freedom to experiment, to seek beauty in the mundane, and to find satisfaction in the ordinary.

So, as I returned home, the taste of the morning’s coffee still lingering on my lips, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment. For in Jangsaengpo, amidst the grit and charm, I had discovered a slice of Ulsan’s soul—a timeless narrative waiting to be captured through the lens.

The post Exploring the Grit and Charm of Jangsaengpo: A Photographic Journey through Ulsan’s Industrial Heart appeared first on The Sajin.

Learning basic Korean verbs for beginners is a great way to approach a complex topic of Korean grammar more easily.

We’ll teach you the most common verbs in the Korean language below. Let’s get to it!

Most Common Korean Verbs

Learning Korean verbs is an essential step in learning Korean. They express actions, states, and events. In its basic form, the Korean verb always ends with 다 (da). For example, 먹다 (meokda) means “to eat,” and 가다 (gada) means “to go.”

List of the most common Korean verbs

Here’s a list of verbs that are related to daily activities:

Korean	English
가다 (gada)	to go out
오다 (oda)	to come
주다 (juda)	to give
받다 (batda)	to receive
자다 (jada)	to sleep
먹다 (meokda)	to eat
마시다 (masida)	to drink
일어나다 (ireonada)	to wake up
씻다 (ssitda)	to wash
입다 (ibda)	to wear
걷다 (geotda)	to walk
놀다 (nolda)	to play or to have fun
돕다 (dopda)	to help
일하다 (ilhada)	to work
만나다 (mannada)	to meet
공부하다 (gongbuhada)	to study
운동하다 (undonghada)	to exercise
산책하다 (sanchaekhada)	to take a walk
요리하다 (yorihada)	to cook
청소하다 (cheongsohada)	to clean
쇼핑하다 (syopinghada)	to shop
운전하다 (unjeonhada)	to drive
전화하다 ( jeonhwahada)	to call

Korean Verb Conjugation Patterns

You can modify verbs to indicate different tenses and politeness levels. So, learning these patterns is important for communicating in Korean. Here are some common verb conjugation patterns:

Conjugation based on the Politeness Levels

There are two common polite speeches, which are 하십시오체 (hasipsioche) for formal speech and 해요체 (haeyoche) for polite informal speech.

For example, 갑니다 (gamnida) is the formal speech, and 가요 (gayo) is the polite informal form of 가다 (gada).

When speaking casually, 해체 (haeche) is commonly used. For example, 먹어 (meogeo) is the informal form of 먹다 (meokda).

Polite informal speech forms 해요체 (haeyoche) in present tense

The most common conjugation pattern is the polite informal speech forms. This form is used in everyday conversations such as at workplaces, shops, etc.

If the stem ends with Batchim (final consonant)

If the stem ends have the ㅗ /ㅏ, add 아요.

• 살다 (salda | to live) -> 살아요 (sarayo)
• 놀다 (nolda | to play)-> 놀아요 (norayo)

If the vowels are not ㅗ /ㅏ, 어요 is added.

• 먹다 (meokda | to eat) -> 먹어요 (meogeoyo)
• 입다 (ipda | to wear)-> 입어요 (ibeoyo)

If the stem ends without Batchim (final consonant)

If the vowel is ㅜ, 어요 is added:

• 주다 (juda | to give)-> 줘요 (jwoyo)* (shortened from주어요) *In speaking, the shortened version is commonly used.

If the vowel is ㅗ, 아요 is added.

• 오다 (oda | to come)-> 와요 (wayo)* (shortend from 오아요) *In speaking, the shortened version is commonly used.

If the vowel is ㅏ/ㅓ/ㅐ/ㅔ, add 요.

• 가다 (gada | to go) -> 가요 (gayo)
• 세다 (gayo seda | to count) -> 세요 (seyo)

If the vowel is l, change ㅣ to ㅕ and then add 요.

• 마시다 (masida | to drink) -> 마셔요 (masyeoyo)

If the vowel is ㅜ, change ㅜ to ㅝ and then add 요.

• 주다 (juda | to give) -> 줘요 (jwoyo)

If the vowel is ㅡ, change ㅡ to ㅓ and then add 요.

• 쓰다 (sseuda | to write) -> 써요 (sseoyo)

If the vowel is ㅡ, and the prior vowel is ㅗ/ㅏ, change ㅡ to ㅏ and then add 요.

• 모으다 (moeuda | to collect) -> 모아요 (moayo)

If the vowel is ㅟ/ㅚ, whether there is a Batchim (final consonant) or not, add 어요.

• 쉬다 (swida | to rest) -> 쉬어요 (swieoyo)

If the verb stem ends with 하, change 하 to 해 and add 요.

• 공부하다 (gongbuhada | to study) -> 공부해요 (gongbuhaeyo)

Verb Tense and Conjugation

To express different tenses, such as present, past, and future, you need to conjugate verbs by changing the verb stem.

To conjugate verbs into their polite informal form in the past tense, 았/었어요 (at/eosseoyo) is added. For the future tense, -ㄹ/을 거예요 (-r/eul geoyeyo) is added.

For example, 먹다 (meokda) becomes 먹어요 (meogeoyo) in the present tense and 먹었어요 (meogeosseoyo) in the past tense. For future tense, it becomes 먹을 거예요 (meogeul geoyeyo).

Negative Forms:

You can conjugate Korean verbs into negative forms by adding 안 (an) before the verb stem.

For example, “I don’t eat” is 안 먹어요 (an meogeoyo).

Polite command form

This verb conjugation is common as it can be used in many situations, and you will sound respectful. When telling someone to do something politely, you can add (으)세요 to the verb stem.

For example, 마시세요 (masiseyo) is the polite request form of the verb 마시다 (masida), meaning “to drink”. In a sentence, 물을 많이 마시세요 (mureul mani masiseyo) means “Drink a lot of water.”

Polite request form

When you are asking someone to do something, conjugate verbs using 아/어 주세요.

For example, 도와 주세요 (dowa juseyo) means “Please help.”

Conjugating “Hada” Verbs

There are various Korean verb endings, but many of these verbs end with 하다 (hada). Here are some common conjugations of Korean verbs ending with 하다 (hada):

Present Tense

• Formal (하십시오체 | hasipsioche): 나는 공부합니다 (naneun gongbuhamnida) – “I study.”
• Polite Informal (해요체 | haeyoche): 나는 공부해요 (naneun gongbuhaeyo) – “I study.”
• Casual (해체 | haeche): 나는 공부해 (naneun gongbuhae) – “I study.”

Past Tense

• Formal (하십시오체 | hasipsioche): 나는 어제 운동했습니다 (naneun eoje undonghaetseumnida) – “I exercised yesterday.”
• Polite Informal (해요체 | haeyoche): 나는 어제 운동했어요 (naneun eoje undonghaesseoyo) – “I exercised yesterday.”
• Casual (해체 | haeche): 나는 어제 운동했어 (naneun eoje undonghaesseo) – “I exercised yesterday.”

Future Tense

• Formal (하십시오체 | hasipsioche): 저는 한국어를 공부할 겁니다 (jeoneun hangugeoreul gongbuhal geosimnida gongbuhal geoyeyo gongbuhal geoya) – “I will study Korean.”
• Polite Informal (해요체 | haeyoche): 나는 한국어를 공부할 거예요 (naneun hangugeoreul gongbuhal geoyeyo) – “I will study Korean.”
• Casual (해체 | haeche): 나는 한국어를 공부할 거야 (naneun hangugeoreul geoya) – “I will study Korean.”

Negative Forms

You can conjugate Korean verbs into negative forms by adding 안 (an) before the verb stem. However, conjugating verbs ending with 하다 into negative form is different. For these verbs, insert “안” in the middle, before the 하다 part.

• Formal (하십시오체 | hasipsioche): 저는 요리 안 합니다 (jeoneun yori an hamnida) – “I study.”
• Polite Informal (해요체 | haeyoche): 나는 요리 안 해요 (naneun yori an haeyo) – “I study.”
• Casual (해체 | haeche): 나는 요리 안 해 (naneun yori an hae) – “I study.”

Polite command form

To make a polite command using verbs ending in 하다, simply change 하다 to 하세요.

고속도로로 운전하세요 (gosokdororo unjeonhaseyo) – “Drive to highway.”

Polite request form

To make a polite request, 주다’s polite command form 해 주세요 is used.

천천히 운전해 주세요(cheoncheonhi unjeonhae juseyo) – “Drive slowly please.”

Korean Irregular Verbs

Some verbs do not follow standard Korean conjugation patterns. These verbs often have unique conjugation rules, which need to be memorized. Familiarizing yourself with this will help you determine the appropriate conjugation patterns to use.

ㄷ irregular

Korean verb “걷다” (deotda), meaning “to walk,” doesn’t follow a regular pattern. The ㄷ Batchim of the verb stem becomes ㄹ and then conjugated as normal.

걷다 (geotda | to walk) -> 걸어요 (georeoyo)

ㅅ irregular

Some verbs with ㅅ Batchim in their verb stem are irregular. The ㅅ is dropped and conjugated as normal.

낫다 (natda | to recover) -> 나아요 (naayo)

ㅂ irregular

The ㅂ Batchim is replaced with 우, then added to the following conjugation Korean word.

눕다 (nupda | to lie down) -> 누워요 (nuwoyo) *우+어 ->워

ㅡ irregular

For ㅡ irregular verbs, you need to check the second to last syllable of its verb stem. If its vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, ㅏ replaces ㅡ in the last syllable. If the vowel in this syllable is not ㅏ or ㅗ, ㅓ replaces ㅡ in the last syllable.

잠그다 (jamgeuda | to lock) -> 잠가요 (jamgayo)

르 irregular

When conjugating 르 irregular verb, extra ㄹ is added to the syllable before 르 in its verb stem. And then 르 becomes either 러 or 라, depending on the vowel of the syllable before 르.

고르다 (goreuda | to choose) -> 골라요 (gollayo)

ㄹ irregular

For some verbs that have ㄹ Batchim in their final syllable of the stem, their ㄹ 받침 will be dropped when conjugating with the polite request -(으)세요. Then, you will just conjugate as normal.

열다 (yeolda | to open) -> 여세요 (yeoseyo)

Conclusion

If you are a beginner, we recommend starting with simple verbs and gradually extending your vocabulary and Korean verb conjugations as you progress.

If you come across unfamiliar words, being equipped with a Korean dictionary would help. Find out more about our recommendations here.

The post Korean Verbs for Beginners – Your Easy Grammar Guide appeared first on 90 Day Korean.