Learning how to conjugate the Korean present tense is essential for beginners. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the easy rules for using the -아요, -어요, and -해요 endings. With clear examples and simple explanations, you’ll master present tense conjugation in no time. Whether you’re just starting out or need a refresher, this post will help you confidently use the present tense in everyday Korean conversations.
Contents
- Helpful Articles on Informal Polite Korean
- Irregular Verb and Adjective Conjugation Rules
- 1. ㅂ Irregular Verbs and Adjectives
- 2. ㅅ Irregular Verbs
- 3. ㄷ Irregular Verbs
- 4. ㅡ Irregular Verbs and Adjectives
- 5. 르 Irregular Verbs and Adjectives
- 6. ㄹ Irregular Verbs and Adjectives
- 7. ㅎ Irregular Adjectives
- Related Posts
Helpful Articles on Informal Polite Korean
To fully grasp the present tense conjugation rules, it’s a great idea to revisit some of our previous posts. These will help strengthen your understanding, especially if you’re still getting familiar with irregular conjugations.
📍 Here are two articles that will provide a solid foundation and make this guide even clearer:
- 👉 Korean Present Tense Conjugation Chart: -아요/-어요/해요 & Irregular Verbs Guide
- 👉 How to Use -아요/-어요/해요 in Informal Polite Speech
- 👉 Korean Informal Polite Speech Explained: Present, Past, Future, and Questions
By going through these posts, you’ll have a better grasp of the conjugation process, which will make this guide easier to follow.
Irregular Verb and Adjective Conjugation Rules
Irregular verbs and adjectives in Korean do not follow standard conjugation patterns. Here’s a detailed explanation of each type, along with examples that beginners and intermediate learners should know
1. ㅂ Irregular Verbs and Adjectives
Rule: The ‘ㅂ’ at the end of the stem changes to ‘우’ before ‘어’ endings and ‘오’ before ‘아’ endings.
Examples:
- Ⓐ 춥다 (to be cold) → 추워요 (It’s cold)
- Ⓥ 돕다 (to help) → 도와요 (I help)
- Ⓐ 맵다 (to be spicy) → 매워요 (It’s spicy)
- Ⓐ 쉽다 (to be easy) → 쉬워요 (It’s easy)
- Ⓐ 귀엽다 (to be cute) → 귀여워요 (It’s cute)
Explanation: This change helps to smooth out the pronunciation. The choice between ‘우’ and ‘오’ depends on the vowel harmony of the verb or adjective stem.
2. ㅅ Irregular Verbs
Rule: The ‘ㅅ’ at the end of the stem disappears before vowel endings.
Examples:
- Ⓥ 낫다 (to get better) → 나아요 (It’s getting better)
- Ⓥ 붓다 (to swell) → 부어요 (It swells)
- Ⓥ 짓다 (to build) → 지어요 (I build)
- Ⓥ 잇다 (to connect) → 이어요 (I connect)
- Ⓥ 벗다 (to take off) → 벗어요 (I take off) (Exception: This verb is regular because its pronunciation remains smooth without dropping ‘ㅅ’.)
Explanation: The disappearance of ‘ㅅ’ simplifies pronunciation. However, some verbs like ‘벗다 (to take off)’ and ‘빗다 (to comb)’ retain their ‘ㅅ’ since removing it would not improve pronunciation.
3. ㄷ Irregular Verbs
Rule: The ‘ㄷ’ at the end of the stem changes to ‘ㄹ’ before vowel endings.
Examples:
- Ⓥ 듣다 (to listen) → 들어요 (I listen)
- Ⓥ 걷다 (to walk) → 걸어요 (I walk)
- Ⓥ 묻다 (to ask) → 물어요 (I ask)
Note: Not all verbs ending in ‘ㄷ’ follow this rule. Some verbs are regular and the ‘ㄷ’ remains unchanged
For example:
- Ⓥ 닫다 (to close) → 닫아요 (I close)
- Ⓥ 받다 (to receive) → 받아요 (I receive) (Regular verbs where ‘ㄷ’ remains unchanged.)
4. ㅡ Irregular Verbs and Adjectives
Rule: The ‘ㅡ’ at the end of the stem drops out before 아/어 endings. Use ‘아요’ if the preceding vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ; otherwise, use ‘어요’.
Examples:
- Ⓐ 예쁘다 (to be pretty) → 예뻐요 (It’s pretty)
- Ⓐ 바쁘다 (to be busy) → 바빠요 (I’m busy)
- Ⓐ 크다 (to be big) → 커요 (It’s big)
- Ⓥ 쓰다 (to write) → 써요 (I write) (Regular verb)
- Ⓐ 쓰다 (to be bitter) → 써요 (It’s bitter) (Irregular adjective)
- Ⓐ 아프다 (to be sick/hurt) → 아파요 (I’m sick/It hurts)
Explanation: This simplifies pronunciation by removing unnecessary sounds.
5. 르 Irregular Verbs and Adjectives
Rule: The ‘르’ at the end of the stem changes to ‘ㄹ’ and then the vowel is doubled before 아/어 endings.
Examples:
- Ⓥ 모르다 (to not know) → 몰라요 (I don’t know)
- Ⓥ 부르다 (to call/sing) → 불러요 (I call/sing)
- Ⓥ 자르다 (to cut) → 잘라요 (I cut)
- Ⓥ 고르다 (to choose) → 골라요 (I choose)
- Ⓐ 빠르다 (to be fast) → 빨라요 (It’s fast)
Explanation: The ‘르’ changes to ‘ㄹ’, and then the vowel (아 or 어) is added and doubled. This change helps maintain a smooth flow in pronunciation.
6. ㄹ Irregular Verbs and Adjectives
Rule: The ‘ㄹ’ at the end of the stem drops out before certain consonant endings (ㄴ, ㅂ, ㅅ).
Examples:
- Ⓥ 알다 (to know) → 아는 (knowing), 압니다 (I know), 아세요 (Do you know?)
- Ⓥ 살다 (to live) → 사는 (living), 삽니다 (I live), 사세요 (Please live)
- Ⓐ 멀다 (to be far) → 먼 (being far), 멉니다 (It’s far), 머세요 (Is it far?)
- Ⓐ 길다 (to be long) → 긴 (being long), 깁니다 (It’s long), 기세요 (Is it long?)
- Ⓥ 놀다 (to play) → 노는 (playing), 놉니다 (I play), 노세요 (Please play)
Explanation: The ‘ㄹ’ is dropped before certain consonant endings to simplify pronunciation. This occurs specifically before the future/prospective ending -(으)ㄹ, the noun-modifying ending -(으)ㄴ, the formal polite ending -(스)ㅂ니다, and the honorific ending -(으)시-.
📌 Note: For each verb, the first form (e.g., 아는, 사는) is the present participle form used as an adjective, the second form (e.g., 압니다, 삽니다) is the formal polite present tense, and the third form (e.g., 아세요, 사세요) is the informal polite present tense often used as a question or polite command.
7. ㅎ Irregular Adjectives
Rule: The ‘ㅎ’ at the end of the stem is dropped and contracted with vowel endings.
Examples:
- Ⓐ 파랗다 (to be blue) → 파래요 (It’s blue)
- Ⓐ 하얗다 (to be white) → 하얘요 (It’s white)
- Ⓐ 그렇다 (to be so) → 그래요 (It’s so)
- Ⓐ 빨갛다 (to be red) → 빨개요 (It’s red)
- Ⓐ 노랗다 (to be yellow) → 노래요 (It’s yellow)
- Ⓐ 까맣다 (to be black) → 까매요 (It’s black)
Explanation: The ‘ㅎ’ is dropped, and the remaining vowels are contracted with the ending. This mainly applies to color adjectives and some descriptive adjectives.
These irregular conjugations may seem complex at first, but understanding the patterns and practicing them will help you master them. Each type has its own set of common verbs and adjectives that you’ll encounter frequently in Korean language studies and everyday conversations.