Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the Korean vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and audio.
Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.
You will start with everyday Korean words like the food (음식), the drink (음료), the cup (컵) — the vocabulary that appears most often in real conversations.
| English | Korean | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| the food | 음식 | The food is delicious. 음식이 맛있어요. |
| the drink | 음료 | I want a drink. 저는 음료를 마시고 싶어요. |
| the cup | 컵 | The cup is full. 컵이 가득 차 있어요. |
| the bottle | 병 | The bottle is empty. 병이 비어 있어요. |
| the plate | 접시 | The plate is clean. 접시가 깨끗해요. |
| the spoon | 숟가락 | I use a spoon. 저는 숟가락을 사용해요. |
| the fork | 포크 | I eat with a fork. 저는 포크로 먹어요. |
| the knife | 칼 | The knife is sharp. 칼이 날카로워요. |
| the breakfast | 아침 식사 | I eat breakfast. 저는 아침을 먹어요. |
| the lunch | 점심 식사 | We have lunch at noon. 우리는 정오에 점심을 먹어요. |
| the dinner | 저녁 식사 | They eat dinner together. 그들은 함께 저녁을 먹어요. |
| the bread | 빵 | I buy bread. 저는 빵을 사요. |
| the butter | 버터 | I put butter on the bread. 저는 빵에 버터를 바르고 있어요. |
| the cheese | 치즈 | I eat cheese. 저는 치즈를 먹어요. |
| the milk | 우유 | I drink milk. 저는 우유를 마셔요. |
| the coffee | 커피 | I drink coffee in the morning. 저는 아침에 커피를 마셔요. |
| the tea | 차 | I like tea. 저는 차를 좋아해요. |
| the juice | 주스 | I drink juice. 저는 주스를 마셔요. |
| the soda | 탄산음료 | I drink soda. 저는 탄산음료를 마셔요. |
| the rice | 쌀 | I eat rice. 저는 밥을 먹어요. |
Every word explained individually – with example sentence: Browse all 1000 words →
The 100 most important Korean words →
The 100 most important Korean verbs →
| to borrow | 빌리다 |
| to buy | 사다 |
| to clean | 청소하다 |
| to close | 닫다 |
| to cook | 요리하다 |
| to do | 하다 |
| to drink | 마시다 |
| to eat | 먹다 |
| to find | 찾다 |
| to get | 받다 |
| She is my friend | 그녀는 제 친구예요. |
| They have fun together | 그들은 함께 즐겁게 놀아요. |
| We eat lunch together | 우리는 함께 점심을 먹어요. |
| She smiles a lot | 그녀는 많이 웃어요. |
| He tells funny jokes | 그는 재미있는 농담을 해요. |
| I visit my friends | 저는 친구들을 방문해요. |
Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.
All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for listening before you fall asleep.
All words and sentences to look up and read offline.
Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.
Type your own words – AI translates them, adds example sentences and the trainer practises them with you.
Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.
Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.
With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.
Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.
Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.
For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable Korean vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with audio.