Who is this lesson for?
This lesson is for learners who can already read Korean letters (Hangul).
If you can read Korean consonants and vowels, you’re ready to start speaking Korean!
You can find many great videos online to learn Hangul, so in this lesson, we’ll skip that part and start speaking right away.
My goal is simple:
I want you to speak your first Korean sentences today.
If the lessons on HelloFromKorea help you enjoy learning Korean, I’ll be very happy.
Let’s get started!
Lesson Goal
By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to introduce
- food
- objects
- people
using one simple Korean verb.
1. The Korean “To Be” Verb: 이다
Unlike English, 이다 is used after a noun.
It means
to be
or
is / am / are
2. How Koreans Change the Ending
WToday, we are going to learn one of the most useful Korean verbs: 이다.
이다 means “to be.” We use it when we say what a person, thing, food, place, or something else is.
For example:
- 학생이다 — to be a student
- 선생님이다 — to be a teacher
- 불고기이다 — to be bulgogi
- 한국이다 — to be Korea
But 이다 is the dictionary form.
When speaking Korean, we don’t usually use 이다 by itself. We change the ending depending on the situation.
The ending can change depending on:
- who you are talking to
- how close you are to that person
- how polite or formal you want to sound
For example, 학생이다 can become:
학생이야.
학생이에요.
학생입니다.
They all have the basic meaning “(someone) is a student,” but they sound different.
학생이야 is casual.
You can use it with a close friend or someone younger when casual speech is appropriate.
학생이에요 is polite but still friendly.
This is very common in everyday conversations. It is a good form to use when you want to be polite without sounding too formal.
학생입니다 is more formal.
You will often hear this style in formal situations, presentations, meetings, news reports, or when someone wants to speak respectfully.
So, if you are not sure which one to use, 이에요/예요 is a very useful polite form for everyday conversation.
Korean Culture Tip: “말이 짧네.”
Have you ever heard this expression in a Korean drama?
말이 짧네.
Literally, it means, “Your speech is short.”
But Koreans are not really talking about the number of words.
Casual Korean endings are often shorter than polite or formal endings.
Compare:
학생이야. — casual
학생이에요. — polite
학생입니다. — formal
If someone uses casual speech with a person they should speak politely to, the other person might say:
말이 짧네. I found a scene from a Korean drama where you can hear the expression “말이 짧네.” Let’s watch it together.
It is a way of pointing out, “You’re speaking too casually to me.”
That’s why choosing the right Korean ending is not only about grammar. It also shows your relationship with the person you are talking to.
* Casual
Used with close friends.
- -야
- -이야
* Polite (Recommended)
Used with people you don’t know well.
This is the form Korean learners should use first.
- -예요
- -이에요
* Formal
Used in
- presentations
- meetings
- announcements
- the news
- -입니다
3. Sentence Pattern
The pattern is very easy.
Noun + 이다
That’s it!
Let’s look at some examples.
4. Examples
Bulgogi
이것은 불고기야. This is bulgogi. (casual)
이것은 불고기예요. This is bulgogi. (polite)
이것은 불고기입니다. This is bulgogi. (formal)
Spicy Pork
이것은 제육볶음이야. This is spicy stir-fried pork. (casual)
이것은 제육볶음이에요. This is spicy stir-fried pork. (polite)
이것은 제육볶음입니다. This is spicy stir-fried pork. (formal)
Kimchi Stew
이것은 김치찌개야. This is kimchi stew. (casual)
이것은 김치찌개예요. This is kimchi stew. (polite)
이것은 김치찌개입니다. This is kimchi stew. (formal)
Kimchi Pancake
이것은 김치전이야. This is kimchi pancake. (casual)
이것은 김치전이에요. This is kimchi pancake. (polite)
이것은 김치전입니다. This is kimchi pancake. (formal)
(●’◡’●) Can You Find the Rule?
Look carefully.
Can you figure out
- when to use –야
- when to use –이야
- when to use –예요
- when to use –이에요?
Take a minute before reading the answer.
✅ The Answer
To say what a person, thing, food, or place is, simply add 이에요 or 예요 after the noun.
But how do you know which one to use?
It depends on whether the noun ends in a final consonant (받침) or a vowel.
The meaning does not change. 이에요 and 예요 have the same meaning.
The difference is mainly about making the pronunciation flow naturally.
If the noun ends in a final consonant (받침), use 이에요.
학생 + 이에요 → 학생이에요.
I am / He is / She is a student.
선생님 + 이에요 → 선생님이에요.
I am / He is / She is a teacher.
The 이 gives us a vowel sound after the final consonant, making it easier to connect the sounds naturally.
If the noun already ends in a vowel, we don’t need 이. Just use 예요.
의사 + 예요 → 의사예요.
I am / He is / She is a doctor.
친구 + 예요 → 친구예요.
I am / He is / She is a friend.
Easy Rule
Final consonant (받침) → 이에요
Vowel → 예요
Think of 이 as a little sound that helps connect the final consonant to the ending.
Once you check the last sound of the noun, choosing between 이에요 and 예요 is easy!
In short, look at the last syllable of the noun.
Let’s Practice!
We’ll mainly practice the polite style ~예요/ ~이에요 because you’ll use it most often when speaking with Korean people.
Practice1: Introducing Things
Introduce these foods. Use –예요 / –이에요.
❏Example
이것은 김치예요.
| English | Korean |
| This is tteokbokki. | (이것은) 떡볶이예요. |
| This is gimbap. | (이것은) 김밥이에요. |
| This is kimchi. | (이것은) 김치예요. |
| This is naengmyeon. | (이것은) 냉면이에요. |
(●’◡’●) Speaking Tip! Korean Often Leaves Out Pronouns
In English, we often use pronouns like I, you, he, she, it, and this.
But in Korean, pronouns are often left out when it is already clear what we are talking about.
For example, if you see tteokbokki and say:
This is tteokbokki.
A direct translation would be:
이것은 떡볶이예요.
This is tteokbokki.
This sentence is grammatically correct, but Koreans would usually just say:
떡볶이예요.
It’s tteokbokki.
We already know what we are talking about, so we don’t need to say 이것은.
This is one reason why translating English into Korean word by word can sometimes sound unnatural.
Practice2: Introducing People
When introducing people, Koreans usually say
이분instead of 이것
❏Example
This is my teacher. 이분은 제 선생님이에요.
| English | Korean |
| This is my father. | (이 분은) 제 아버지예요. |
| This is my grandmother. | (이 분은) 제 할머니예요. |
| This is my teacher. | (이 분은) 제 선생님이에요. |
| This is my mentor. | (이 분은) 제 멘토예요. |
(●’◡’●) Useful Speaking Tip!
제 = my (polite)
Use 제 when speaking politely.
Example:
제 선생님이에요. This is my teacher.
With close friends, use “내” instead.
Example:
내 선생님이야. This is my teacher.
Real Life Conversation
Dialogue 1. At a Korean Restaurant
Situation: You are at a Korean restaurant with your Korean friend.
Minsu: 이 음식은 뭐예요?
What is this food?
Jina: 이것은 불고기예요.
This is bulgogi.
Minsu: 맛있어요?
Is it delicious?
Jina: 네, 아주 맛있어요.
Yes, it’s very delicious.
Minsu: 이것은 뭐예요?
What is this?
Jina: 이것은 김치찌개예요.
This is kimchi stew.
Minsu: 와! 먹어 보고 싶어요.
Wow! I want to try it.
Dialogue 2. Meeting a Teacher
Situation: Your friend introduces a teacher.
민수: 이분은 누구예요?
Who is this?
지나: 이분은 제 선생님이에요.
This is my teacher.
민수: 안녕하세요.
Hello.
선생님: 안녕하세요. 만나서 반가워요.
Hello. Nice to meet you.
민수: 만나서 반갑습니다.
Nice to meet you, too.
Dialogue 3. Introducing Your Family
Situation: You are showing your family photo.
친구: 이분은 누구예요?
Who is this?
나: 이분은 제 어머니예요.
This is my mother.
친구: 이분은 아버지예요?
Is this your father?
나: 네, 이분은 제 아버지예요.
Yes, this is my father.
친구: 가족 사진이 정말 멋져요.
Your family picture is really nice.
Today you learned how to introduce people and things in Korean.
That’s your first step toward speaking Korean naturally.
See you in the next lesson!