Korean B1 level is where you stop surviving in Korean and start getting things done: you can sort out a problem at a clinic, tell a friend about your weekend and explain why you prefer one plan over another. TOPIK, the national Korean exam, is the way to prove it, and its level 3 is the band usually compared to B1, though TOPIK publishes no official CEFR mapping. For an English speaker, getting from A2 to B1 takes roughly 350 to 600 hours of study.
What can you do at Korean B1 level?
The CEFR (levels explained here) describes B1 as understanding the main points of clear speech on familiar topics, coping with most travel situations, describing experiences and plans, and briefly giving reasons for your opinions. In Korean, that shows up in three ways.
You choose your speech level on purpose. Polite 해요체 (haeyo-che) with strangers and colleagues, the formal 합니다체 (hamnida-che) of announcements, and an ear for the casual 반말 (banmal) friends use.
You link clauses. A2 Korean is short sentences joined with 그리고 (geurigo, and) and 그래서 (geuraeseo, so). At B1 you build longer sentences with connecting endings: -아서/어서 for causes, -(으)니까 for reasons, -는데 for background, -(으)면서 for doing two things at once.
You describe with whole clauses. 어제 본 영화 (eoje bon yeonghwa) is the film I saw yesterday.
Typical B1 sentences:
| Korean | Romanization | English |
|---|---|---|
| 한국 드라마를 보면서 한국어를 공부하게 됐어요. | Hanguk deuramareul bomyeonseo hangugeoreul gongbuhage dwaesseoyo. | Watching Korean dramas got me into studying Korean. |
| 비가 와서 약속을 다음 주로 미뤘어요. | Biga waseo yaksogeul daeum juro mirwosseoyo. | It rained, so we moved our plans to next week. |
| 제 생각에는 지하철이 버스보다 더 편한 것 같아요. | Je saenggageneun jihacheori beoseuboda deo pyeonhan geot gatayo. | In my view, the subway is more convenient than the bus. |
| 주말에 시간 있으면 같이 영화 보러 갈래요? | Jumare sigan isseumyeon gachi yeonghwa boreo gallaeyo? | If you're free at the weekend, do you want to go and see a film? |
| 친구가 내일 못 온다고 했어요. | Chinguga naeil mot ondago haesseoyo. | My friend said they can't come tomorrow. |
Which exam proves Korean B1?
TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean), run by Korea's National Institute for International Education (NIIED), is the exam for Korean. For B1 you take TOPIK II and aim for level 3. Any link between TOPIK levels and the CEFR is an approximation, because TOPIK does not publish an official one.
| Exam | Who runs it | Levels it covers | CEFR link |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOPIK I, paper or internet-based | NIIED, under the Ministry of Education | Levels 1 and 2 | No official link; level 2 is often compared to A2 |
| TOPIK II, paper or internet-based | NIIED | Levels 3 to 6 | No official link; level 3 is often compared to B1 |
| TOPIK Speaking | NIIED | Levels 1 to 6 | No official link |
TOPIK II tests listening, reading and writing. The paper test is scored out of 300 and level 3 starts at 120 points; the internet-based test uses a 600-point scale, with level 3 from 191 (NIIED's TOPIK overview). Results are valid for two years from the announcement date. In 2026 the paper test runs six times in Korea, plus six internet-based sessions; abroad, fewer sessions are offered and registration goes through the local organiser. NIIED lists university admission, jobs and residence visas among the main uses.
Korean A2 vs B1: what changes?
The step from A2 to B1 is mostly grammar that lets you say more in one breath.
| Area | A2 | B1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sentences | Short, joined with 그리고 and 그래서 | Linked with -아서/어서, -(으)니까, -는데, -(으)면서 |
| Speech levels | Mostly 해요체 | 해요체 and 합니다체 by choice, 반말 understood |
| Reporting speech | Rare | Basic quotes with -다고 하다 |
| Plans and change | -고 싶다 (want to) | -게 되다 (end up), -기로 하다 (decide to) |
| Vocabulary | Native Korean words for daily life | Sino-Korean words: 경험 (gyeongheom, experience), 의견 (uigyeon, opinion) |
Honorifics settle in too: -(으)시- for people you respect, and humble verbs such as 드리다 (deurida, to give) used without stopping to think.
