TOPIK I Core Vocabulary · Transport & Places ③

Cars, bikes & walking — 자동차, 자전거, 비행기, 운전하다, 걷다

This lesson has three ways to travel and two verbs of movement. Two words contain 자. This is a Chinese character, and it means self.

01자동차jadongcha

car · a vehicle that moves by its own power.

Note In conversation, most people shorten this to 차. Be careful, because 차 also means tea. Check the context.

Examples 자동차를 타다 (to ride in a car) · 자동차로 가다 (to go by car)

주말에는 차로 여행을 가요. We travel by car on the weekend.  |  -로 = by, as a means  |  여행 = trip

02자전거jajeongeo

bicycle · a vehicle with two wheels. You move it with pedals.

Examples 자전거를 타다 (to ride a bike) · 자전거로 다니다 (to get around by bike)

한강에서 자전거를 탔어요. I rode a bike along the Han River.  |  한강 = the Han River, which runs through Seoul

03비행기bihaenggi

airplane, plane · a machine that flies and carries you between places.

Examples 비행기를 타다 (to take a plane) · 비행기로 가다 (to go by plane) · 비행기 표 (a plane ticket)

비행기로 두 시간쯤 걸려요. It's about two hours by plane.  |  -쯤 = about  |  To buy a ticket, you can also say 표를 끊다. It literally means to cut a ticket

04운전하다unjeonhada

to drive · to control and steer a vehicle.

Forms 운전해요 · 운전합니다 · 운전했어요

Note 타다 means to ride as a passenger. 운전하다 means to control and drive the vehicle.

Examples 차를 운전하다 (to drive a car) · 운전면허 (a driver's license)

저는 아직 운전할 줄 몰라요. I can't drive yet.  |  -(으)ㄹ 줄 모르다 means you do not know how to do something

05걷다geotdaㄷ irregular

to walk · to move on foot.

Forms 걸어요 (the ㄷ turns into ㄹ) · 걷습니다 · 걸었어요

Note 듣다 (to listen) follows the same pattern. It becomes 들어요. Learn the two words together to save time later.

Examples 길을 걷다 (to walk along the road) · 걸어서 가다 (to go on foot)

가까우니까 걸어서 가요. It's close, so let's walk.  |  -(으)니까 gives the reason  |  The form is 걸어요, not 걷어요

Quick check3 questions

Fill in each blank in Korean.

1. 한강에서 __________를 탔어요. (I rode a ______.)
2. 저는 아직 __________ 줄 몰라요. (운전하다 · I can't ______ yet)
3. 가까우니까 __________ 가요. (걷다 · with -아/어서)

Show answers

1. 자전거   2. 운전할   3. 걸어서

걷다 swaps its ㄷ for ㄹ

Study tip The character 자 (自) means self. You see it in words like 자동차, 자전거, 자유 (freedom), and 자기 (oneself). Shared characters help you remember related words.