Verbs of the mind — 알다, 모르다, 생각하다, 되다, 기억하다

These five verbs are about knowing, thinking, becoming, and remembering. 알다 and 모르다 are opposites. They also change shape in different ways.

01알다aldaㄹ drop

to know · to have information about something, or to be aware of it.

Forms 알아요 · 압니다 (the ㄹ drops out) · 알았어요

Note 알겠습니다 means I understand. It is a useful formal expression.

Examples 길을 알다 (to know the way) · 잘 알다 (to know well)

그 사람을 잘 알아요. I know that person well. | 잘 = well | The person or thing known takes 을/를

02모르다moreuda르 irregular

to not know · to have no information about something. The opposite is 알다.

Forms 몰라요 (an extra ㄹ appears) · 모릅니다 · 몰랐어요

Examples 길을 모르다 (to not know the way) · 잘 모르다 (to not really know)

죄송해요, 저도 잘 몰라요. Sorry, I'm not sure either. | 죄송해요 = sorry | The form is 몰라요, not 모르어요

03생각하다saenggakada🔊 [생가카다]

to think · to think about something, or to have an opinion.

Pronunciation [생가카다]. The final consonant ㄱ joins the next ㅎ and makes a ㅋ sound. You see this change in many -하다 verbs.

Examples -라고 생각하다 (to think that ~) · 깊이 생각하다 (to think deeply)

저도 그렇게 생각해요. I think so too. | 그렇게 = that way | This is a natural way to agree with what someone just said

04되다doeda

to become · to turn into something else. It also means that something gets done or works out well.

Forms 돼요 · 됩니다 · 됐어요 (past)

Note The noun before 되다 takes 이/가: 의사가 되다, not 의사를 되다.

Examples 의사가 되다 (to become a doctor) · 봄이 되다 (spring comes) · 안 되다 (it doesn't work)

저는 선생님이 되고 싶어요. I want to become a teacher. | -고 싶다 = to want to | You can use this sentence to talk about a future goal

05기억하다gieokada🔊 [기어카다]

to remember · to keep information or an experience in your mind, or to bring it back.

Note 알다 is about what you know now. 기억하다 means you remember something from the past. Use 기억나다 when a memory comes back by itself.

Examples 이름을 기억하다 (to remember a name) · 잘 기억나다 (to remember clearly)

그 사람 이름을 기억해요? Do you remember that person's name? | 기억하다 takes an object. 기억나다 is for a memory that comes back by itself

Quick check3 questions

Fill in each blank with the right form of the verb in brackets.

Show answers

1. 몰라요 2. 되고 3. 기억해요

모르다 picks up an extra ㄹ

Study tip 잘 모르겠어요 means I'm not quite sure. It sounds softer than 몰라요, which means I don't know.

TOPIK I Core Vocabulary · Core Words ④