Korean to English Translator
Translate Korean to English for free, with the context a word-for-word tool drops.
What changes when you translate Korean to English
Translating Korean into English changes more than the words. English has very little inflection and instead relies heavily on word order and helper verbs, with a huge vocabulary drawn from both Germanic and Romance roots. English requires an explicit subject in nearly every sentence and marks questions with word order, so translations into English often need pronouns and auxiliaries that the source language leaves out. A word-for-word tool gets the vocabulary right and these things wrong, which is why the translator above reads the whole sentence before it writes anything.
Korean and English: key differences
Korean and English diverge on the writing system, word order, formality, subject pronouns, and articles. Each row below is a place where swapping words one for one produces the wrong English sentence.
| Feature | Korean | English |
|---|---|---|
| Writing system | Hangul | the Latin alphabet |
| Typical word order | subject–object–verb | subject–verb–object |
| Formality | multiple speech levels | no formal/informal distinction |
| Subject pronouns | usually dropped | required |
| Articles | no articles | definite and indefinite |
Korean to English example sentences
Full sentences translated from Korean to English:
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 수정된 계약서를 금요일까지 보내 드리겠습니다. | We will send the revised contract by Friday. Business email commitment · formal — The subject is naturally omitted, and 드리겠습니다 presents the promised action deferentially toward the recipient · Standard Korean (South Korea) |
| 들어가기 전에 신발을 벗어 주세요. | Please take off your shoes before entering. Instruction at an entrance · neutral — The action becomes the noun-like form 들어가기 before 전에, and 벗어 주세요 makes a polite request · Standard Korean (South Korea) |
| 벌써 밥 먹었어? | Have you eaten already? Casual check-in with a close friend · informal — The intimate 해체 ending -었어 carries the question, while the subject and object particle are naturally omitted · Standard Korean; close relationship |
| 할머니께서 신문을 읽고 계세요. | My grandmother is reading the newspaper. Describing an older family member · neutral — The honorific subject particle 께서 and auxiliary 계시다 elevate the grandmother rather than the speaker · Standard Korean (South Korea) |
| 물 몇 병이 필요해요? | How many bottles of water do we need? Planning supplies · neutral — The counter 병 follows the numeral question 몇, and Korean leaves the understood we unstated · Standard Korean (South Korea) |
| 부장님께서 편찮으셔서 회의가 취소됐습니다. | The meeting was canceled because the manager was ill. Formal workplace explanation · formal — 님, 께서 and the honorific predicate 편찮으시다 agree in elevating the manager; -어서 links the reason · Standard Korean (South Korea) |
| 역에 도착하면 문자할게. | I'll text you when I arrive at the station. Message to a friend arranging a meeting · informal — -하면 marks the arrival condition and -ㄹ게 presents a speaker-controlled promise to the listener · Standard Korean; close relationship |
Common Korean to English phrases
Everyday expressions translated from Korean to English:
| Korean (한국어) | English |
|---|---|
| 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) | Hello |
| 안녕히 주무세요 (annyeonghi jumuseyo) | Good night |
| 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida) | Thank you |
| 주세요 (juseyo) | Please |
| 어떻게 지내세요? (eotteoke jinaeseyo?) | How are you? |
| 이름이 뭐예요? (ireumi mwoyeyo?) | What is your name? |
| 사랑해요 (saranghaeyo) | I love you |
| 실례합니다 (sillyehamnida) | Excuse me |
| 화장실이 어디예요? (hwajangsiri eodiyeyo?) | Where is the bathroom? |
| 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo) | Goodbye |
About the English language
English (English) is spoken by about 1.5 billion people across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and as the world's lingua franca. It belongs to the Germanic (Indo-European) language family and is written in the Latin alphabet.
- Native name
- English
- Speakers
- 1.5 billion
- Language family
- Germanic (Indo-European)
- Writing system
- the Latin alphabet
- Word order
- subject–verb–object
Korean to English translation tips
- Korean uses subject–object–verb word order, while English is subject–verb–object, so the AI restructures whole sentences instead of substituting words one by one.
- Korean is written in Hangul, and English uses the Latin alphabet, so the translator converts between writing systems for you.
- Choose a speech level from the relationship and situation, then keep sentence endings consistent. Formal 합니다체, polite 해요체 and intimate 해체 are not interchangeable stylistic decorations.
- Korean often omits recoverable subjects and objects. Particles such as 이/가, 은/는 and 을/를 express grammatical or discourse roles, so copying every English pronoun can sound unnatural or change emphasis.
- Honorifics can target the person spoken about as well as the addressee. Subject honorification may combine 께서, -시- and a special verb such as 계시다 or 편찮으시다.
- This bundle uses contemporary standard Korean and South Korean spelling and spacing. North Korean vocabulary, orthography and usage are outside the reviewed variant.
Korean to English translation FAQ
How accurate is AI Korean to English translation?
The translator uses a modern AI language model that understands context, so Korean to English results read more naturally than word-for-word tools. For legal, medical, or other high-stakes text, have a fluent speaker review the output.
What is 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) in English?
안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo) is how you say hello in Korean. The common-phrases table on this page shows more Korean expressions with their English meanings.
Which Korean politeness level should an English sentence use?
State who is speaking to whom and in what setting. Use a formal or polite ending for professional and unfamiliar relationships, and reserve intimate endings for close relationships where they are appropriate.
Why does a Korean translation omit 'I', 'we' or 'you'?
Korean normally leaves participants unstated when context identifies them. Restore a pronoun only when it prevents ambiguity or supplies a deliberate contrast, and then choose a socially appropriate form.
Sources
- National Institute of Korean Language: Korean language norms
- National Institute of Korean Language: Korean-English Learners' Dictionary
- NIKL Korean-English Learners' Dictionary: honorific subject particle 께서
- NIKL Korean-English Learners' Dictionary: honorific auxiliary 계시다
- National Institute of Korean Language: Polite Korean Language
The language facts and grammar notes on this page are checked against these references.