Learn 500 Essential Korean Adjectives by Theme Part1. Personality Traits (사람의 성격)

 🧍‍♂️ 1. 사람의 성격 (Personality Traits)

Master 500 Basic Korean Adjectives with English and Romanization

This guide includes 500 of the most important Korean adjectives, grouped into 10 useful categories such as personality, emotions, physical sensations, size, color, time, and more. Each adjective is shown in its base Korean form (Hangul), Romanized pronunciation, and English translation. For example: 크다 (keuda) means “to be big,” and 예쁘다 (yeppeuda) means “to be pretty.”

By learning adjectives thematically, you can better understand their context and use them more naturally in conversation. For example, in the “Emotions” category, you’ll find words like 기쁘다 (gippeuda – to be happy) and 슬프다 (seulpeuda – to be sad) side by side — making them easier to remember and apply.

The Romanized spellings follow South Korea’s official Romanization system, which helps beginners pronounce words correctly, even if they haven’t fully mastered Hangul.

Whether you're studying Korean on your own or with a tutor, this collection is a great way to grow your descriptive vocabulary and speak more expressively. You can use it to build flashcards, practice writing sentences, or prepare for conversations.

From daily feelings to physical traits and time-related descriptions, these 500 adjectives will help you describe the world around you in Korean with confidence.

🧍‍♂️ 1. 사람의 성격 (Personality Traits)

1. 착하다 – chakhada – to be kind
2. 친절하다 – chinjeolhada – to be friendly
3. 정직하다 – jeongjikada – to be honest
4. 성실하다 – seongsilhada – to be diligent
5. 게으르다 – ge-eureuda – to be lazy
6. 똑똑하다 – ttokttokhada – to be smart
7. 멍청하다 – meongcheonghada – to be foolish
8. 조용하다 – joyonghada – to be quiet
9. 시끄럽다 – sikkeureopda – to be noisy
10. 소극적이다 – sogeukjeokida – to be passive
11. 적극적이다 – jeokgeukjeokida – to be active
12. 활발하다 – hwalbalhada – to be outgoing
13. 내성적이다 – naeseongjeokida – to be introverted
14. 외향적이다 – oehyangjeokida – to be extroverted
15. 용감하다 – yonggam-hada – to be brave
16. 소심하다 – sosimhada – to be timid
17. 냉정하다 – naengjeonghada – to be cold-hearted
18. 다정하다 – dajeonghada – to be warm-hearted
19. 이기적이다 – igijeokida – to be selfish
20. 이타적이다 – itajeokida – to be altruistic
21. 참을성 있다 – chameulsseong itda – to be patient
22. 급하다 – geuphada – to be hasty
23. 유머러스하다 – yumeoreoseuhada – to be humorous
24. 무뚝뚝하다 – muttukttukhada – to be blunt
25. 낙천적이다 – nakcheonjeokida – to be optimistic
26. 비관적이다 – bigwanjeokida – to be pessimistic
27. 예의 바르다 – yeyi bareuda – to be polite
28. 무례하다 – murehada – to be rude
29. 욕심 많다 – yoksim manta – to be greedy
30. 겸손하다 – gyeomsonhada – to be humble
31. 거만하다 – geomanhada – to be arrogant
32. 열정적이다 – yeoljeongjeokida – to be passionate
33. 성격이 좋다 – seonggyeogi jota – to have a good personality
34. 성격이 나쁘다 – seonggyeogi nappeuda – to have a bad personality
35. 단순하다 – dansunhada – to be simple-minded
36. 복잡하다 – bokjaphada – to be complicated
37. 관대하다 – gwandaehada – to be generous
38. 인색하다 – insaekhada – to be stingy
39. 유연하다 – yuyeonhada – to be flexible
40. 고집이 세다 – gojibi seda – to be stubborn
41. 참하다 – chamhada – to be well-mannered (esp. women)
42. 활기차다 – hwalgichada – to be lively
43. 눈치 빠르다 – nunchi ppareuda – to be quick-witted
44. 눈치 없다 – nunchi eopda – to lack tact
45. 민감하다 – mingamhada – to be sensitive
46. 둔하다 – dunhada – to be dull
47. 자상하다 – jasanghada – to be thoughtful
48. 사려 깊다 – saryeo gipda – to be considerate
49. 거칠다 – geochilda – to be rough / coarse
50. 너그럽다 – neogeureopda – to be tolerant