사람들

§ What does 사람들 mean?

Korean Word

사람들 (saramdeul)

Definition

People.

Word Type

Noun

CEFR Level

A2

사람들 (saramdeul) is the plural form of 사람 (saram), which means 'person'. Adding 들 (deul) to a noun makes it plural. So, 사람들 simply means 'people' or 'persons'. It's a very common word, and you'll hear it all the time in Korean conversations.

§ How to use 사람들 in a sentence

Using 사람들 is pretty straightforward. Like most Korean nouns, it will often be followed by a particle that indicates its role in the sentence. Here are some common ways you'll see it:

• As the subject of a sentence (who or what is doing the action): You'll typically add the subject particles 이/가 (i/ga) or 은/는 (eun/neun) to 사람들.

• As the object of a sentence (who or what receives the action): You'll use the object particles 을/를 (eul/reul).

• To indicate possession (whose people): Use the possessive particle 의 (ui).

• To indicate a destination or to/from people: Use particles like 에게 (ege) or 한테 (hante) for 'to people', and 에게서 (egeseo) or 한테서 (hanteseo) for 'from people'.

You can also combine it with other words to form common phrases:

• 많은 사람들 (manheun saramdeul): Many people
• 젊은 사람들 (jeolmeun saramdeul): Young people
• 몇몇 사람들 (myeochmyeoch saramdeul): Some people

§ Common mistakes to avoid

One common mistake is overusing 들 (deul). In English, we always say 'many people'. In Korean, if the plurality is already clear from context or another word (like 'many' - 많이 or 많은), sometimes 들 can be omitted. However, it's generally safe to include it when you explicitly mean 'people' in a general sense.

In the example above, '많아요' (manhayo - many/a lot) already implies plurality, so '사람들' is not strictly necessary, though '사람들이 많아요' is also correct and very natural. When in doubt, adding 들 is usually a good bet to clearly indicate 'people' as plural.

§ Korean Word: 사람들

Word

사람들 (sa-ram-deul)

Part of Speech

Noun

CEFR Level

A2

Definition

People

§ Where you hear 사람들

You'll hear 사람들 everywhere in Korea because it simply means 'people'. It's a very basic and essential word. Let's look at some common situations where you'll encounter it.

§ At work

In a work environment, you might talk about the people you work with, or the people involved in a project. It's often used casually.

§ At school

Whether you're a student or a teacher, you'll constantly refer to other students, teachers, or staff as 'people'.

§ In the news

News reports often discuss groups of people, whether it's the general public, a specific community, or those affected by an event.

§ Everyday situations

Beyond specific contexts, 사람들 is used in general conversation to refer to groups of people.

• When talking about a crowd:

  거리에 사람들이 너무 많아요. (There are too many people on the street.)

• Referring to people in general:

  모든 사람들은 행복하고 싶어합니다. (All people want to be happy.)

• Talking about guests or visitors:

  오늘 우리 집에 사람들이 올 것이에요. (People are coming to our house today.)