Adjective Classes - A Cross-Linguistic Typology

9 The Adjective Class in Korean 237

talta sweet'

maypta 'hot' (taste)

ttukepta 'hot'

palkta 'bright'

malkta 'clear'

seyta 'strong'

telepta 'dirty'

6. HUMAN PROPENSITY
   cohta 'like'
   tepta 'feel warm'
   kipputa 'happy'
   culkepta 'delightful'
   pankapta glad to see'
   pulepta 'envious'
   komapta 'thankful'
   kulipta 'beloved'
   aswipta 'feel at a loss'
   puluta 'full' (stomach)
   ecilepta 'dizzy'
   papputa 'busy'


7. SPEED
   ppaluta, ssata 'fast, quick'
   cacta 'frequent'


8. DIFFICULTY
   swipta 'easy'
   ikta 'practised'
   kkatalopta 'complicated'


9. SIMILARITY
   kathta 'same'


10. QUALIFICATION
    paluta 'correct'
    olhta 'true'
    macta 'correct, suitable'


11. QUANTIFICATION
    manhta 'many, much'
    tumulta 'rare'


12. POSITION
    nophta 'high'
    kakkapta 'near'

ssuta 'bitter'

sita sour'

chata 'cold, chilly'

etwupta 'dark'

hulita 'cloudy'

aphuta 'sick'

silhta 'dislike'

chwupta 'feel cold'

sulphuta 'sad'

noyepta 'indignant'

cikyepta 'sick of

twulyepta 'afraid of

koylopta 'painful'

pukkulepta 'ashamed'

kkatalopta 'fastidious'

kophuta 'hungry'

siphta 'wishful, want'

key.uluta 'lazy'

nulita 'slow'

tetita 'tardy, slow'

elyepta 'difficult'

sethwuluta 'unpractised'

penkelopta 'intricate'

taluta 'unlike, different'

thullita 'wrong'

kuluta 'incorrect'

cekta 'few, little'

nacta 'low'

melta 'far/distant'

CARDINAL NUMBERS are not adjectives in Korean but form a separate numeral
class. Like nouns, they do not inflect and, when used pre-nominally, they behave as
specifiers, as in hana 'one' vs. han salam 'one person'.