TOPIK I Reading 34–39 ④: 7 Adverbs to Fill the Blank (아주 · 자주 · 같이)

📌 한국말로 공부하고 싶어요? 👉 [한국어]

Do adverbs like 아주, 자주, and 가끔 look confusing in TOPIK I reading? 😊

The trick is simple: each adverb has one clear meaning. Learn 7 of them, and these questions become easy!

In questions 34–39, an adverb blank asks how much, how often, or how. Each TOPIK I reading question is worth 2 points.

Try each one first, then open the answer to check.

① Remember just one thing

Choose an adverb by its meaning, and read the other sentence for the clue.
e.g. 날씨가 ( ) 춥습니다 → How cold? → 아주 (very)
e.g. 좋아해서 ( ) 마십니다 → How often? → 자주 (often)

② Adverb card

Meaning	Adverb
very much (degree)	아주 (very)
many times (often)	자주 (often)
sometimes, a little	가끔 (sometimes)
together (with someone)	같이 (together)
for the first time	처음 (first time)
before something else	먼저 (first / before)
quickly	빨리 (quickly)

📌 Pair to remember: 자주 (often) ↔ 가끔 (sometimes).
📌 아주 often comes before an adjective. (아주 춥다 · 아주 맛있다)

Practice: TOPIK I reading adverb blanks

Try each TOPIK I reading question first.

Read the two sentences, choose the adverb, then open the box to check.

Question 1

오늘은 날씨가 ( ) 춥습니다. 그래서 옷을 많이 입습니다.

① 아주② 자주③ 가끔④ 먼저

🔽 See the answer (Question 1)

Q: 오늘은 날씨가 ( ) 춥습니다.
(Today the weather is ( ) cold.) 👉 How cold? (degree)

A: ✅① 아주 (very) → It is very cold, so I wear many clothes!

② 자주 = often (many times).

③ 가끔 = sometimes.

④ 먼저 = first / before.

💡 Tip: before an adjective (춥다 · 덥다 · 맛있다), for “how much” → 아주 (very)!

Question 2

저는 커피를 좋아합니다. 그래서 ( ) 마십니다.

① 자주② 가끔③ 먼저④ 아까

🔽 See the answer (Question 2)

Q: 저는 커피를 좋아합니다. 그래서 ( ) 마십니다.
(I like coffee. So I drink it ( ).) 👉 I like it — how often?

A: ✅① 자주 (often) → If you like it, you drink it often!

② 가끔 = sometimes (a little).

③ 먼저 = first / before.

④ 아까 = a while ago.

💡 Tip: like it, so many times → 자주 (often)! (opposite: 가끔)

Question 3

저는 보통 걸어서 갑니다. ( ) 버스를 탑니다.

① 가끔② 아주③ 같이④ 빨리

🔽 See the answer (Question 3)

Q: 저는 보통 걸어서 갑니다. ( ) 버스를 탑니다.
(I usually walk. ( ) I take the bus.) 👉 Usually walk — the bus is how often?

A: ✅① 가끔 (sometimes) → I usually walk, but sometimes I take the bus!

② 아주 = very (much).

③ 같이 = together.

④ 빨리 = quickly.

💡 Tip: usually A, and ( ) B → “B sometimes” → 가끔!

Question 4

친구를 만났습니다. 우리는 ( ) 밥을 먹었습니다.

① 가장② 아직③ 같이④ 별로

🔽 See the answer (Question 4)

Q: 친구를 만났습니다. 우리는 ( ) 밥을 먹었습니다.
(I met my friend. We ate ( ).) 👉 “We” — did it together?

A: ✅③ 같이 (together) → We ate together with the friend!

① 가장 = most.

② 아직 = still / not yet.

④ 별로 = not really.

💡 Tip: “우리는 (we)” + ( ) → 같이 (together)!

Question 5

저는 그 사람을 모릅니다. 내일 ( ) 만납니다.

① 처음② 보통③ 제일④ 항상

🔽 See the answer (Question 5)

Q: 저는 그 사람을 모릅니다. 내일 ( ) 만납니다.
(I don’t know that person. Tomorrow I meet them ( ).) 👉 Don’t know them — which meeting is it?

A: ✅① 처음 (first time) → You don’t know them, so tomorrow is the first time!

② 보통 = usually.

③ 제일 = most.

④ 항상 = always.

💡 Tip: meet a person you don’t know → 처음 (first time)!

Question 6

이 케이크가 ( ) 맛있습니다. 그래서 매일 먹습니다.

① 아주② 가끔③ 먼저④ 아까

🔽 See the answer (Question 6)

Q: 이 케이크가 ( ) 맛있습니다.
(This cake is ( ) delicious.) 👉 How delicious? (degree)

A: ✅① 아주 (very) → It is very delicious, so I eat it every day!

② 가끔 = sometimes.

③ 먼저 = first / before.

④ 아까 = a while ago.

💡 Tip: before an adjective (맛있다), for “how much” → 아주 (very)!

Question 7

저는 아침에 ( ) 세수를 합니다. 그리고 밥을 먹습니다.

① 먼저② 가끔③ 아주④ 같이

🔽 See the answer (Question 7)

Q: 저는 아침에 ( ) 세수를 합니다. 그리고 밥을 먹습니다.
(In the morning I wash my face ( ). Then I eat.) 👉 Wash → eat: which order?

A: ✅① 먼저 (first) → I wash my face first, then I eat!

② 가끔 = sometimes.

③ 아주 = very.

④ 같이 = together.

💡 Tip: do A ( ), then B → “A first” → 먼저!

Question 8

시간이 없습니다. 그래서 ( ) 갑니다.

① 빨리② 같이③ 처음④ 가끔

🔽 See the answer (Question 8)

Q: 시간이 없습니다. 그래서 ( ) 갑니다.
(I have no time. So I go ( ).) 👉 No time — how do you go?

A: ✅① 빨리 (quickly) → If you have no time, you go quickly!

② 같이 = together.

③ 처음 = first time.

④ 가끔 = sometimes.

💡 Tip: no time → 빨리 (quickly)!

③ How to memorize the adverbs easily

Now you have practiced, here is the fastest way to grow your TOPIK I reading vocabulary.

Group by meaning. degree (아주), how often (자주 · 가끔), together (같이).
Learn the pair. 자주 (often) ↔ 가끔 (sometimes). They are opposites.
Read the OTHER sentence and ask: how much? how often? how?
Quiz yourself. See a meaning, and say the adverb. (many times → ?)

🤖Practice with AI: a Korean adverb speed game

You can practice TOPIK I reading alone with AI — and grow your Korean speaking too!

First, turn on the AI’s voice (read-aloud).

Then answer out loud in Korean. The game is played only in Korean.

🗣️”Let’s play a Korean adverb speed game. Please speak only in Korean during the game — no English. You say a short situation in Korean (for example: 좋아해서 여러 번 마셔요), and I say the adverb in Korean out loud (for example: 자주). Give me 10 quickly, then tell me my score in Korean. Use only beginner words.”

⚠️ AI can make mistakes.

Always check with real past exams at the end. AI is for practice; the past exams are the answer key.

Summary

Choose an adverb by its meaning, and read the other sentence for the clue.
아주 (degree) · 자주 / 가끔 (how often) · 같이 (together) · 처음 / 먼저 (order) · 빨리 (quickly).
Learn 자주 ↔ 가끔 as a pair to erase wrong choices fast.

Good Job! Keep practicing, and you can all pass TOPIK Level 2. 🎉

Have a question? Please leave a comment.

See you in the next lesson!

📢 want to practice TOPIKⅠ Listening next? 👉 [ TOPIKⅠ Listening ]

FAQ

Q: What are TOPIK I reading questions 34–39?

A: They ask you to fill a blank with the right word — a particle, noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. Each question is worth 2 points.

Q: How do I choose the right adverb for the blank?

A: Choose by meaning and read the other sentence. Ask: how much (아주), how often (자주 · 가끔), or how (같이 · 빨리)?

Q: Where does 아주 usually go?

A: 아주 (very) usually comes before an adjective, like 아주 춥다 (very cold) or 아주 맛있다 (very delicious).