Lesson 31 - Descriptive and Processive Verbs. What's the Difference?

Hello everyone, and welcome to KPOPOLOGY GRAMMAR.

Today we're going to explain something that might have been confusing to some of you. And, before we start introducing harder grammar patterns, we need to explain the simplest ones. So here we are, like the title suggests, explaining the difference between descriptive and processive verbs.

You could kind of tell the difference between them just by the name, but you could still be confused as to when it comes to classifying the actual verbs in one of the two categories. So, I will tell you how to recognize them and how they're used with other grammar patterns (I will give you examples, as I will explain further in the actual grammar posts).

So let's start with the descriptive verbs. You might also come across people simply calling them adjectives, and, depending on your mother tongue, you might get confused by this. It's because adjectives and verbs, in most languages, are two different things.  A verb is a verb, and an adjective is something different. However, in Korean, many people call adjectives the descriptive verbs.

What are these verbs, then? It's simple. The name already gives a hint to what these verbs are used for. You use them when indicating a state of something, how it is, to describe. 

Let's look at some descriptive verbs:

아름답다 to be beautiful

어렵다 to be hard, difficult

좋다 to be good

You probably recognize them, as we have used them in other posts, and in some homework files (that you can find here). Summarizing their functions and use, let's look at some examples:

그녀의 볼은 장미와 같이 붉어요

Her cheeks are as red as roses

아무거나 괜찮아요

Anything is fine

이 장난감들은 정말 쌌어요

These toys are really cheap

이 방은 아주 깨끗해요

This room is very clean

날씨가 흐리다

The weather is cloudy


As you can see, these verbs refer mostly to subjects, here's why they're preceded by words attached to either subject (이/가) and topic (은/는) particles. Let's look at some more examples:


아직도 화났어요?
Are you still mad


이것의 맛이 정말 써요
This is really bitter


그는 정말 씩씩해요
He is really brave


여름 덥고 습해요
Summer is hot and humid


오늘은 날씨가 매우 춥고 건조해요
Today is very cold and dry


아직 너무 일러요
It's still too early


당신 때문에 당황했어요
I was embarrassed because of you


돈까스는 조금 기름졌지만 아주 많이 맛있어요
The Tonkatsu was a bit greasy but very very delicious


쓰레기통에 쓰레기가 가득했어요
The trash can is full


배가 고파졌어요
I became hungry




Now that we've looked at the descriptive verbs, it's time to look at the processive verbs. You can also come across people just referring to them as verbs. Mainly because descriptive verbs are referred to as adjectives, so by calling the processive ones 'verbs', there's no risk to get confused.

The function of these verbs is to express an action being made, here's why they're also referred to as 'processive'. Let's look at some processive verbs:

가르치다 to teach

갈아입다 to change of clothes

감다 to close (one's eyes), to wind up

감사하다 to appreciate, to thank

Again, you probably recognize them, as we have used them in other posts, and in some homework files (that you can find here). Let's look at some sentences:

비행기를 갈아탔어요

I transferred planes

그는 숲으로 자취를 감췄어요

He disappeared into the woods

강사는 흡연의 폐해를 강조했어요

The lecturer emphasized the harmful effects of smoking

연수 프로그램을 개발했어요

The training program was developed

네가 나한테 거짓말했어요

You lied to me

How can you distinguish verbs from adjectives, then? Other than asking yourself if the verb used is expressing an action or describing something, you can understand it's processive verbs when it involves object particles or similar (을/를, 한테/한테서). Let's look at some more examples:

그 사람들이 강을 건넜어요

They crossed the river

학교까지 걸어갔어요?

Did you walk to school?

우리 가족은 고생을 견뎠어요

My family endured hardships

이미 마음을 정했어요

I've already made up my mind

너에게 결혼하고 싶어요

I want to marry you

네 제안을 고려해요

I'm going to take your offer into consideration

잘 골랐어요

You chose well

당신이 그 일에 관련돼 있어요?

Are you involved in that?

저희 가족은 5명으로 구성되어 있어요

My family consists of five members

막차를 놓쳤어요

I missed the last train

VOCABS SET ON QUIZLET: 1

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DROPBOX FILES: Main folder,  Lesson 31 Practice

I will see you next time with another grammar post!

 구름