Korean verbs are either PROCESSIVE or DESCRIPTIVE. Processive verbs usually mean does (it), i.e., performs an action. Descriptive verbs (sometimes called ADJECTIVES) usually mean is (a certain way), i.e., has some characteristic. In the vocabulary lists for this textbook, descriptive verb bases are glossed with English be, e.g., 크- be big.
The distinction between descriptive and processive verbs will become more and more important as you advance through this book. For now, we point out only a few of the differences between these two types of verbs. One of the differences is that you can use the processive verbs as commands (do it! ) and suggestions (let’s do it!), but the descriptive verbs are limited to statements (it is) and questions (is it?). To say let’s be good in Korean you have to turn the sentence into one that means let’s behave nicely.
Another difference is that descriptive verbs never take an object marked with the object marker 을/를 (but note that this does not mean that all processive verbs can take the particle 을/를 ). Sometimes descriptive verbs mean has one that is (a certain way) as in:
- 책이 많아요.
I have lots of books.
But note that what corresponds to the object in English here (books) is marked with 이/가 in Korean. Descriptive verbs can have a SUBJECT (sometimes even two):
- 누가 술이 있어요?
Who has the booze? - 나는 이것이 좋아요.
I like this. - 그 음식은 맛이 좋아요.
The food has good flavor = tastes good.
Many processive verbs, on the other hand, can take a DIRECT OBJECT (sometimes even two) as well as a subject, as you learned in Section 7.5. Some examples are:
- 책을 읽어요.
Reads the book - 영화를 구경을 해요.
Watches the movie
In addition, some processive verbs can take an INDIRECT OBJECT marked by the particle 한테 (or 에게 ) for living things and the particle 에 for things or institutions. This was covered in Section 7.7:
- 동생한테 돈을 줘요.
Gives money to one’s younger sibling. - 중국사람한테 중국말을 배워요.
Learns Chinese from a Chinese.
But a few processive verbs take an indirect object with the double particle 한테서 (or 에게서) for people and the particle 에서 for things or institutions:
- 어머니한테서 돈을 받아요.
Receives money from one’s mother. - 은행에서 편지를 받아요.
Gets a letter from the bank.
있어요 and 없어요 cannot take a direct object marked with 을/를; any object that may be required for an English translation appears as a subject:
- 돈이 있어요.
has money - 시간이 없어요.
has no time
The copula is a special kind of descriptive verb; it has a number of grammatical peculiarities all its own which you will learn about through the course.