The Magic of 하다
The verb 하다 means "to do." In Korean, it is the most powerful and frequently used verb because it can combine with many nouns to create new action verbs.
If you know an action noun, you can usually turn it into a verb just by attaching 하다 to the end.
공부 + 하다 = 공부하다 (to study)
운동 + 하다 = 운동하다 (to exercise)
일 + 하다 = 일하다 (to work)
High-Frequency Action Words
Instead of memorizing long lists of verbs, learn these high-frequency 하다 combinations that you can use every day.
School and Work
공부하다 : to study
일하다 : to work
숙제하다 : to do homework
Daily Life and Chores
운동하다 : to exercise
요리하다 : to cook
청소하다 : to clean
Communication and Preparation
전화하다 : to make a phone call
준비하다 : to prepare
Separating with the Object Marker
Because these verbs are made of a noun plus 하다 (to do), you will often hear native speakers separate them using the object marker 을/를 .
For example, 숙제하다 (to do homework) can be split into 숙제를 하다 (to do the homework). Both mean the same thing and are used naturally in conversation.
Combined Form · Separated Form
청소하다 · 청소를 하다
요리하다 · 요리를 하다
숙제하다 · 숙제를 하다
Note: In short, casual sentences, you can drop the object marker entirely (e.g., 청소 해요 ), but practicing the separated form helps you understand Korean sentence structure.
Building Action Sentences
You can easily expand your 하다 verbs by adding a time or a place. Use 에 for time and 에서 for the place where the action happens.