01 / UNDERSTAND
Build on what you know
Each topic explains one grammar point in plain English, then builds on what came before. Add new patterns in small, manageable steps and learn at your own pace.
Korean grammar app
Korean grammar
Now it clicks
Finally understand Korean grammar—one small step at a time. Learn particles, verb endings and sentence patterns with clear explanations, native-speaker audio and practice. For iPhone, iPad and Android.
Download free — try the first 10 topics with full audio & exercises
No account required · Unlock the rest anytime with a one-time purchase
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185step-by-step grammar topics
3,200+examples with audio
Particles & verbsexplained in context
One purchaselifetime course access
Try it hereExample 1 / 3
이에요 or 예요? Try it yourself
Topic 1 · The verb “to be”
학생이에요.
(I) am a student.
학생 + 이에요 → 학생이에요
학생 means “student” and ends with the consonant ㅇ. Add 이에요 after a consonant: 학생이에요. The subject is left out when it is clear from context.
Hear the pattern in a sentence
학생이에요.
(I) am a student.
Native-speaker audio. Tap to listen.
Your turn · Choose the missing word
(I) am a student.
학생___.
3 examples practised
That’s how a pattern clicks
After a consonant, use 이에요. After a vowel, use 예요. Now take the next small step in the app.
Try the first 10 topics free ↗Understand the pattern
A website lesson using real course examples. See the app ↗
Make the connection
Korean grammar
one small step at a time
185 self-contained topics give you a clear path through the grammar. Start with your first Korean sentence, then build through 은/는 and 이/가, tenses and particles to causatives, honorifics, reported speech and the formal 습니다 style.
02 / HEAR
Learn vocabulary in context
Explore 3,200+ annotated examples, each with native-speaker audio and an English translation. Notes explain how the grammar works and what new words mean, so your vocabulary grows alongside it.
03 / PRACTISE
Put each pattern into practice
Use interactive exercises to practise the Korean grammar you have just learned. Choose the right form, build sentences and connect the explanation to an answer you can produce yourself.
Inside Bootstrap Korean Grammar
See how the learning happens
Korean app previews. Select a screen to take a closer look.
01Understand the rule
Topic 11 explains Korean present-tense verbs ending in 아요, with examples, translations and grammar notes.
02Build a Korean sentence
Use the English meaning as your guide and tap the words to build 기차가 가요 — The train is going.
03Type the correct form
Practise changing a verb to the present tense using the Korean keyboard. Check your answer and try again when needed.
04Understand why
The “Why?” explanation shows how 일어나다 becomes 일어나요, then puts the correct form back into the full sentence.
05Remember with review
Revisit earlier phrases with spaced repetition. Here, choose between 이에요 and 예요 to complete I am a student.
06Revisit each example
Hear the pronunciation, check the translation and review the notes, one example at a time.
07Hear it Say it
Play a phrase, slow it down or record your pronunciation to compare. Use voice commands to control the audio review.
08Save useful phrases
Star the examples you want to revisit and keep them together in your personal Study List.
Understand your mistakes
Make a mistake with the topic’s grammar? A short “Why?” explanation shows the correct answer and the rule behind it, so you know what to change next time.
Keep earlier grammar fresh
Use spaced repetition to revisit phrases at increasing intervals. Keep practising earlier patterns as you work through new topics.
Your own Study List
Star examples you want to keep and gather them in your personal Study List. Focus your review on useful phrases and the grammar you want to practise again.
From Korean learners
Grammar that earns its place
A godsend to any Korean language learner
“I'm so pleased to have found this app. It makes complex Korean grammar simple to understand. It's now my go-to grammar resource.”
Great app
“I find it structured and very handy. I believe this will be useful in my Korean studies.”
Excerpt · The full review also shares feedback on exercise controls and instructions.
Read the full review
I find it structured and very handy. I believe this will be useful in my Korean studies. I am right handed. I find it very cumbersome to do some of the exercises since some of them demanding me to alter hand and press enter with my left hand. I would suggest you swipe for enter and/ or make the position of the button possible to move depending on if you’re right or left handed or you get that option when you start the app for the first time. I managed to swipe away the instructions when I opened without reading them and couldn’t find them afterwards. I almost didn’t figure out how to do the exercises and nearly uninstalled the app. I suggest you have the possibility to review the instructions somewhere in the menus in the app too. Or use another symbol that indicates exercises better.
Free vs Full
Start free Keep going when you’re ready
Try the first 10 topics, then unlock the complete Korean grammar course in the same app.
| What’s included | FreeGet started | Full courseLifetime access |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar topics | First 10 topicsFirst sentences, particles, pronouns & verb basics. | All 185 topicsParticles, verb endings, honorifics & more, including the first 10 topics. |
| Examples & audio | Examples and audio for the first 10 topics. | 3,200+ examplesWith native-speaker audio throughout the course. |
| Exercises | Practise the first 10 topics. | Practise every topic in the course. |
| Payment | Free to downloadThe first 10 topics are free. | One-time purchaseUnlock the full course in the app. No recurring payments. |
Your path through Korean grammar
Korean particles, verb endings and more
Start with 10 free topics, explore key patterns or search the full 185-topic course. The book and app follow the same sequence.
185 topics to explore
No matching topics. Try a different word or clear the filters.
Topics 1–10First 10 topics Free“To be”, particles, word order, pronouns and verb basics
- The verb ‘to be’ - 이에요/예요
- The Topic marker - 은/는
- The Subject marker 이/가 and Existence/Possession 있다
- The Subject marker 이/가 and Absence 없다
- Subject - Object - Verb (SOV)
- Pronouns - 저, 우리, 그 and 그녀
- This and that: 이, 그, and 저
- The verb ‘to not be’ - 아니다
- The location of existence - the particle 에
- Korean Verbs - The Infinitive
Key topics
Select a pattern to find it in the course
Show all 185 topicsHide the full topic list
Topics 11–30Verbs and everyday sentencesPresent and past tense, negation, questions and expressing wants
- Present tense verbs - Part I - 아요
- Present tense verbs - Part II - 어요
- Present tense verbs - Part III - 하다 verbs
- Location of action particle - 에서
- Where. And here and there - 어디 & 여기, 거기 and 저기
- Location of action and non-action verbs - A recap
- The difference between 이/가 and 은/는
- The Object Marker
- Negation and cannot/unable - 안 and 못
- Negating 하다 verbs
- Adjective 하다 verbs
- The Past Tense - 았/었어요
- Irregular past tenses
- What? 뭐
- Thing: 것
- To want - 고 싶다
- Verb negation with 지 않다
- But, even though - 지만
- Contrastive verb negation - 지는 않다
- Verb past bases
Topics 31–47Making everyday meaningComparisons, requests, the future tense, direction and ability
- The contrastive function of the Topic marker
- How is and how about - 어때요?
- During, while, for: 동안
- During or while doing something - 동안(에)
- More and much more - 더 and 훨씬
- Comparisons - 보다
- Good and to like - 좋다 and 좋아하다
- The Imperative - (으)세요
- Please do something / give something - 주세요
- What kind and which? - 무슨, 어떤 and 어느
- The Future Tense - (으)ㄹ 거예요
- To try, to give something a go - 보다
- The plural marker - 들
- To and from - 에 and 에서
- In the direction of - 으로/로
- To be able/unable - (으)ㄹ 수 있다 / 없다
- With, and - 와/과, 하고, (이)랑
Topics 48–63Describing and connectingAdjectives, possessives, verb nouns, reasons and linking ideas
- Gerunds: turning verbs into nouns
- And - 고
- Adjectives from descriptive verbs - 은/ㄴ
- Degrees of adjectives - 너무, 매우 and 아주
- The Narrative/Exclamation form - 다 ending
- Superlatives - 가장 and 제일
- Verb nominalisation - Verb stem + 기
- Expressing reason - 때문에
- Verb nominalization: past tense
- The Possessive Marker - 의
- Possessive pronouns
- Unable, cannot - 지 못 하다
- Adjectives from action verbs
- The thing being done - 는 것이에요
- Isn’t it? - 지요?
- From and to a location - 부터 and 까지
Topics 64–85Time, actions and possibilitiesTimes and dates, conditionals, ongoing actions, guesses and wishes
- Telling the time in Korean
- Dates - day, month and year
- From/since, and to/until - 부터 and 까지
- Before doing and after doing - 전에 and 후에
- So, therefore. And then - 아서/어서
- If, when, whenever - (으)면
- To and from a person - 에게/한테 and 에게서/한테서
- To do something for someone - 아/어 주다
- Or and Either - (이)나
- Instrumental marker - (으)로
- Also, too, in addition - 도
- Adverbs
- Adverbs from descriptive verbs - 게, 히 & 이
- As you know - 잖아요
- The Progressive Tense - 고 있다
- At the time of, when, during - (으)ㄹ 때
- Do not - 지 마세요
- Simultaneous actions - 면서
- It seems like, looks like - 것 같아요
- Guesses and intentions - 겠
- The future base with 겠
- To wish or hope - 면 좋겠다
Topics 86–111Intentions, causes and permissionsPolite requests, suggestions, causative verbs and expressing purpose
- Even more polite imperative - 십시오
- To become, to get, to turn into - 아/어지다
- To need and to not need - 필요 있/없다 & 필요하다
- Indefinite Nouns - 누군가, 어딘가, 뭔가 & 언젠가
- Not sure who/what/where - ㄴ/은지
- Listing possible actions - 든지
- Whenever, whatever etc. - words that use 든지
- Let’s… - (으)ㅂ시다
- Shall we…? - (으)ㄹ까요?
- Because, so - when expressing commands - (으)니까
- So that, in order to, to allow - 게
- To look like or to show - 보이다
- Introducing Causative Verbs - 사동사
- More Causative Verbs
- To end up, turned out to be - 게 됐어요
- In order to do; for the purpose of - (으)려고
- Intend to - (으)려고 하다
- To go/come with the intention of - (으)러
- To have to be/do, must, to need to - 아/어야 해요
- May, to be allowed to, ok to - 아/어도 되다
- Any, anything, anyone - 아무
- Background information - (으)ㄴ/는데
- About, concerning - 대해/대한
- And, so, that's why, therefore, in that case - 그리고, 그래서 etc.
- Just have to, it is enough to - (으)면 되다
- If (you) want to - 려면
Topics 112–137Reported speech and honorificsQuoting others, respectful language, counters and recalling experience
- Reported or Indirect speech - action verbs - ㄴ/는다고
- Reported or Indirect speech - descriptive verbs - 다고
- Reported or Indirect speech (Part III)
- In order to do, for the sake of - 위해(서)
- To take (time), how long? - 걸리다
- The honorific verb particle - (으)시
- Honorific markers, particles and verbs - 께서 & 께
- Expressing surprise - 군요
- Expressing impression, thought or surprise - 네요
- Compared to - 에 비해(서)
- Only, just - 만
- Counters - 개, 명, 마리 etc.
- Nothing but, nothing else - 밖에
- Recalling past actions - 던
- Have done, have tried - (본) 적이 있다
- In a similar way, as if - 듯(이)
- Looks like, appears to be - 듯하다
- To know/don't know how to - (으)ㄹ 줄 알았다/몰랐다
- Know/think that - 줄 알다/모르다
- May or might - (으)ㄹ지도 모르다
- I heard…. Is it true? - (으)ㄴ/는다면서요?
- To think of doing - (으)ㄹ까 하다
- To make, or to let something happen - 게 하다
- To make, or to cause something to happen - 시키다
- Make sure - 도록 하다
- Ended up doing or becoming - 게 되다
Topics 138–164More precise meaningsHypotheticals, comparisons, completed actions and degrees of possibility
- Do something in reaction: 기에 and 길래
- Hypothetical if - 다면/라면
- Past hypotheticals - 았/었다면
- Would have - ㄹ/을 텐데
- What if? - 어떡하죠?
- While in action, during - 는 중이다 & 중에
- Among - 중에(서)
- As soon as - 자마자
- Every, every time - 마다 & ㄹ/을 때마다
- Instead of, rather than - 말고
- Except, without - 빼(놓)고
- I think that - 것 같다
- Well, if not even better than - 못지않게
- Not as good as, less than - 만 못하다
- Because, and so - 아/어서 & 아/어 가지고
- As much as, as well as - 만큼
- To act like - 답다
- To leave or to keep - 두다 & 놓다
- Feelings due to an action being complete - 버리다
- To look like - 보이다
- Even if, regardless - 아/어/여도
- No less than, as many as - (이)나
- Something else might happen - (으)ㄹ 수도 있다
- Almost happened - (으)ㄹ 뻔했다
- No choice but to - (으)ㄹ 수밖에 없다
- Even to the extent that - (으)ㄹ 정도로
- Perhaps because - 아/어/여서 그런지
Topics 165–185Formal endings and finer detailsFormal statements and questions, intentions, contrasts and common idioms
- Polite ending - 습니다 / ㅂ니다
- Polite questions - 습니까? / ㅂ니까?
- According to - 에 따라(서)
- The same as, just like - 마찬가지(로)
- Different from, unlike - 다르게 & 달리
- Why don’t you…? - 지 그래요?
- As soon as, right after - ㄴ/는 대로
- And so, as a consequence - 았/었더니
- As, based on, in the manner of - 대로
- Turning Verbs into Nouns using ㅁ/음
- No different from - (이)나 다름없다
- Warning of a negative outcome - 다가는
- Intend to, had been intending to - (으)려고 하다
- Interrupted action - (으)려던 참이다
- Although, despite that - ㄴ/는데도
- To pretend to, to act like - ㄴ/은/는 척하다
- Each, once every - 씩
- As you know… - 다시피
- Until something happens - ㄹ/을 때까지
- Instead - 대신
- Common Korean idioms
The Bootstrap Korean Grammar book
Korean grammar
In your hands
Prefer to study on paper? The companion book brings together all 185 topics and 3,200+ annotated examples. Read the explanation in the book, then use the app to hear the matching phrases and practise the grammar.
- 525
- pages
- 185
- grammar topics
- 3,200+
- annotated examples
Paperback + companion app
Buy the book Get the app free
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Email us for the offer detailsMore than a list of rules
Your book, with matching audio
Follow the same clear path
The book and app follow the same 185-topic sequence. Work from the beginning or turn straight to the grammar point you need.
Understand every example
Korean phrases come with English translations and notes on the grammar and new vocabulary. See how each pattern works in context.
Go straight to the audio
Scan the QR code at the start of a book topic with the companion app. It opens the matching topic, with native-speaker audio for the examples on the page.
Take a look inside
Tap a page to open the preview. Close it to return here.
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The people behind the course
Made for people who want to understand
I’m Peter Vujanovic, CEO and Chief Editor at Declan Software. I brought together Korean language experts to create the explanations, examples and audio in Bootstrap Korean Grammar.
Our aim is to make each pattern clear enough to understand, then give you plenty of examples to practise.
Meet the Korean language contributors
- Julia Park, Kim Sinae and Lee Youngjoo — Korean and English proofreading and advice on the grammar.
- Dada Kang — recordings of the Korean example phrases.
Before you begin
About the app
and the course
What can I try for free?
The first 10 topics are completely free and include full explanations, native-speaker audio and exercises. You can use them without creating an account in the app. A one-time in-app purchase unlocks the full 185-topic course with lifetime access — no subscription.
Is there a subscription?
No. You unlock the full Korean course with one lifetime purchase, with no monthly fees. Your app store shows the exact price in your local currency before you buy.
How is this different from free apps or websites?
Bootstrap Korean Grammar gives you a structured path through 185 self-contained topics. Each one combines a plain-English explanation, annotated examples, native-speaker audio and exercises. New vocabulary appears in context, and “Why?” feedback helps you understand a mistake instead of guessing the answer again.
Do I need to buy the book?
No. The app is a complete course on its own. Choose the companion paperback if you prefer to study explanations and examples on paper. The book follows the same topic sequence, and its QR codes open the matching topics in the app so you can listen as you read.
Can I start as a beginner?
Yes. The course starts with the verb “to be”, particles, word order and pronouns, then builds step by step. Hangul is used throughout, with English translations and audio. Knowing the Korean alphabet will help you move faster.
Which Korean grammar topics does the app cover?
The course covers topic and subject markers 은/는 and 이/가, object and location particles, verb conjugation, tense, negation, honorifics, reported speech and more. Browse the 185-topic syllabus above to see the full sequence.
Can I use it with a class or another app?
Yes. Follow the course in order or revisit a grammar point from your class or another app. Save useful examples in your Study List and use the exercises and audio for focused practice between lessons.
How does spaced repetition work?
Phrases you practise return for review at increasing intervals, helping you revisit earlier grammar as you learn new patterns. Use the review feature for ongoing practice. Spaced repetition and “Why?” explanations are available on both iOS and Android.
Is the Korean grammar app available on iPhone and Android?
The app is available for iPhone and iPad on the App Store, and Android on Google Play. Check the relevant listing for the current device requirements.
Start with one small step
Make your next Korean sentence make sense
Try the first 10 topics free. Unlock the full course with one lifetime purchase when you’re ready.