🧱 The Structure of a Korean Sentence (SOV)

 

Learn How Korean Sentences Are Built (It's Simpler Than You Think!)

One of the biggest differences between Korean and English is the sentence structure.

While English follows a SVO (Subject – Verb – Object) order, Korean follows SOV (Subject – Object – Verb) order.

This means in Korean, the verb always comes at the end of the sentence. Let’s break it down together! 👇

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📘 Basic Word Order

Subject (S)	Object (O)	Verb (V)
저는 (I)	밥을 (rice)	먹어요 (eat)
저는 밥을 먹어요. = I eat rice.

See how the verb 먹어요 (eat) comes at the end? That’s the key to Korean sentence structure!

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🔍 More Examples

Korean Sentence	English Meaning
그는 책을 읽어요.	He reads a book.
우리는 영화를 봐요.	We watch a movie.
학생이 질문을 해요.	The student asks a question.

In every case, the verb comes last. Even if the subject or object changes, the verb stays at the end.

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💡 Why This Matters

Understanding the SOV structure will help you:

• Form correct Korean sentences
• Understand Korean subtitles and dialogues
• Improve your listening skills by expecting the verb at the end

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📝 Practice Time!

Try to create your own Korean sentence using this order:

1. Subject: 나는 (I)
2. Object: 커피를 (coffee)
3. Verb: 마셔요 (drink)

Your sentence: 나는 커피를 마셔요. = I drink coffee.

Now you try with:

• 책 (book) + 읽다 (to read)
• 노래 (song) + 듣다 (to listen)

Leave your sentence in the comments — I’ll check and correct it for you! 😊

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🎯 Ready to Practice Speaking?

Sentence structure gets easier with real conversation. Want to practice live?

👉 Book a 1:1 lesson with me on italki and master Korean sentence patterns with feedback and fun topics!

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