Frequency lists of the “100 most common words” exist for every language, and Korean is no exception — but memorising a raw list rarely sticks. What works better is learning the small core of pronouns, question words, and everyday verbs that appear in nearly every sentence, then building outward from there. Here’s that core set, grouped so it’s easier to hold onto.

Pronouns

Question Words

Writing these words out a few times, alongside speaking them aloud, builds recall much faster than reading alone.

Everyday Verbs

Everyday Nouns

“하다” (to do) deserves special mention — it’s one of the most versatile verbs in Korean and attaches to hundreds of nouns to make new verbs, similar to how English adds “-ify” or “-ize” to words. Once you know it, you unlock a huge chunk of everyday vocabulary almost for free.