🏃 20 Must-Know Korean Verbs: Executive Guide to Natural Sentences (2026)

Master the heart of Korean sentences. Learn 20 essential verbs with polite conjugations, real-world examples, and a 5-minute daily practice routine

From Korea ...분 소요

Updated: 20 February 2026

Published: 20 June 2025

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Updated Jan 29, 2026 | Core Grammar Masterclass | Expert Insight by Director Brian

🎬 The 20-Verb Rule: Master the Foundation of Korean Fluency

💡 What was your most used word today?

Think about your day. Verbs like get, make, take, do, or go were likely in almost every sentence you spoke. Linguistic research (Zipf's Law) shows the top 20 verbs account for 40-50% of daily English interactions.

Korean is exactly the same. If you can use the 20 essential verbs below naturally, your overall proficiency will skyrocket (부쩍 늘다). You don't need a huge dictionary—you need these 20 muscles to work perfectly.

Just as a palace needs a strong foundation, your Korean needs these 20 verbs.

☕ Brian’s Executive Insight: The Anchor Effect

In my 20 years leading professional teams, I’ve noticed that true Executive Presence doesn't come from a complex vocabulary, but from sentence closure. Because Korean verbs always come at the end, mastering these 20 forms allows you to "anchor" your thoughts with authority. Practice these until they become second nature.

🔑 The "Top 20" Master List (Daily Training)

Practice saying the Polite Form (-아요/어요) aloud. Bookmark this page for your daily check-in!

#	Meaning	Basic Form	Polite Form
1	Go	가다	가요
2	Come	오다	와요
3	Eat	먹다	먹어요
4	Drink	마시다	마셔요
5	Do	하다	해요
6	See/Watch	보다	봐요
7	Sleep	자다	자요
8	Wake up	일어나다	일어나요
9	Have/Exist	있다	있어요
10	Not have	없다	없어요
11	Buy	사다	사요
12	Learn	배우다	배워요
13	Meet	만나다	만나요
14	Listen	듣다	들어요
15	Read	읽다	읽어요
16	Write/Use	쓰다	써요
17	Speak	말하다	말해요
18	Wait	기다리다	기다려요
19	Live	살다	살아요
20	Walk	걷다	걸어요

✍️ Brian’s 5-Minute Daily Drill

The Mirror Drill: Stand in front of a mirror. Pick 3 verbs and say a full sentence aloud. (e.g., "한국어를 배워요.")
Write Your Diary: In the comments below, write one new sentence about what you did today. I'll check it!
Drama Hunting: Watch 5 minutes of a K-drama. Every time you hear one of these 20 verbs, repeat the whole line.