25. Adjective Modifier

Adjective is Verb in Korean grammar

In conjugation lessons and a lot of tense lessons, you saw Korean adjectives work just like verbs and learned it’s called descriptive verbs. Then, what do you have to do when you want to use it as an adjective before a noun, not as a verb?

맛있는 음식
tasty food

재밌는 영화
a good movie

예쁜 준
Pretty Jun (lol)

Adjective Modifiers

Some words exists as an adjective modifier from the first place without any word stem. There is no rules, you just need to memorize them.

* the numbers, from 1 to 4 to show the amount before a noun, (eg, 4 persons) are very different than normal numbers.

네 사람이요
it’s 4 persons

헌 옷은 버릴거에요
I’m going to dump worn out clothes

새 신발 샀어요
I bought new shoes

Adjective Conjugations

Adjectives before a noun use their own conjugation. I told you conjugations are everything and super important in Korean grammar and now you are seeing the second reason of them (first one was tense conjugations). They all use ‘ㄴ 받침’ or ‘은/는’ at the end. So it’s very clear to see if the word should be placed before a noun as an adjective or a verb.

저 오리 예뻐요 → 예쁜 오리
That duck is pretty → Pretty duck
= root word + ㄴ (without 받침)

이 음식 맛있어요 → 맛있는 음식
This food is tasty → Delicious food
= root word + 는 (with 받침)

이 체계는 과학적이예요 → 과학적인 체계
This system is scientific → Scientific system
= 이다 adjective + ㄴ

Exceptions

Of course, there are some exceptions always. Yet, they use ‘ㄴ’ at the end of each word as a 받침 so you can recognize them easily. Some adjective modifiers don’t have a word stem. They are an adjective modifier from the first place.

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