🧱 Korean Sentence Structure: SOV Basics for Beginners

If you're an English speaker, Korean sentence structure may feel... reversed. 😵

But don’t worry — once you get the pattern, it becomes second nature!

Korean follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order.
Let’s break it down with simple examples and tips to build strong, natural Korean sentences from Day 1. 🏗️📚

📐 What is SOV?

In English, we usually say:

I eat rice.
→ Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)

In Korean, it becomes:

I rice eat.
→ Subject + Object + Verb (SOV)

Example:
저는 밥을 먹어요.
→ jeoneun babeul meogeoyo
→ I rice eat = I eat rice.

📌 The verb always goes last in Korean.

🧑‍🏫 Sentence Structure Elements

Here’s a basic template:

[Subject] + [Object] + [Verb]

Element	Example	Korean	Meaning
Subject	I	저는	jeoneun
Object	coffee	커피를	keopireul
Verb	drink	마셔요	masyeoyo

✅ Final sentence:
저는 커피를 마셔요.
→ I drink coffee.

🧩 Example Sentences

저는 책을 읽어요. → I read a book.
친구가 영화를 봐요. → A friend watches a movie.
우리는 한국어를 공부해요. → We study Korean.
엄마는 밥을 만들어요. → Mom makes rice.
고양이가 창문을 봐요. → The cat looks at the window.

💡Note: Particles like 은/는, 이/가, and 을/를 help identify each word’s role in the sentence. (See previous post!)

🔁 Can You Mix the Order?

In Korean, you can move words around for emphasis because particles show the function.

✅ Example:

밥을 저는 먹어요. (I eat rice.)
저는 밥을 먹어요.
먹어요, 저는 밥을. (poetic/dramatic tone)

But for beginners, always stick to Subject + Object + Verb for clarity. 🛠️

💬 Practice Tip

Start building your own sentences! Try this template:

저는 [object]를 [verb]요.

Examples:

저는 사과를 먹어요. (I eat an apple.)
저는 영화를 봐요. (I watch a movie.)
저는 음악을 들어요. (I listen to music.)

Say them aloud or write a mini diary using this structure. ✍️📓

👩‍🏫 Want to Practice Making Sentences Live?

Sentence structure is the foundation of Korean. I can help you practice building and speaking real Korean sentences — with corrections and confidence!

👉 Book a live class with me on italki:
https://www.italki.com/ko/teacher/7916559

Let’s build strong Korean together, one sentence at a time! 🧱💬