Speaking About Various Actions with 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)

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

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.

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.

Time + Action

아침에 운동해요.

저녁에 요리해요.

Place + Action

도서관에서 공부해요.

집에서 일해요.

You can use the 하다 verb to ask common, everyday questions. By swapping out a few question words, you can ask about someone's actions, location, or schedule.

Question Frame · Meaning

지금 무엇을 해요? · What are you doing now?

어디에서 일해요? · Where do you work?

언제 청소해요? · When do you clean?

같이 운동할까요? · Shall we exercise together?