A2
Irregular verb stems
The main Korean irregular verb patterns — ㅂ, ㄷ, ㅅ, 르 and ㅎ — what each does before a vowel ending, and the regular verbs that look irregular.
Most Korean verbs conjugate predictably. A few groups change their final consonant when a vowel ending follows — and because they include 덥다, 듣다, 짓다 and 모르다, they cannot be left until later.
ㅂ becomes 우
Almost every adjective ending in ㅂ.
| 덥다 → 더워요 | hot |
| 춥다 → 추워요 | cold |
| 쉽다 → 쉬워요 | easy |
| 맵다 → 매워요 | spicy |
오늘은 너무 더워요.
Oneureun neomu deowoyo.
It’s far too hot today.
돕다 and 곱다 take 와 rather than 워: 도와요. Those two are the exceptions inside the exception.
ㄷ becomes ㄹ
| 듣다 → 들어요 | listen |
| 걷다 → 걸어요 | walk |
| 묻다 → 물어요 | ask |
음악을 들어요.
Eumageul deureoyo.
I listen to music.
ㅅ disappears
The consonant drops and no contraction follows, which leaves two vowels side by side.
| 낫다 → 나아요 | recover, be better |
| 짓다 → 지어요 | build |
르 doubles the ㄹ
| 모르다 → 몰라요 | not know |
| 빠르다 → 빨라요 | fast |
| 부르다 → 불러요 | call, sing |
이름을 몰라요.
Ireumeul mollayo.
I don’t know the name.
ㅎ drops, and the vowel shifts
Colour adjectives, almost exclusively: 그렇다 → 그래요, 빨갛다 → 빨개요, 어떻다 → 어때요.
날씨가 어때요?
Nalssiga eottaeyo?
What’s the weather like?
Some are regular despite appearances
옷을 이워요.
옷을 입어요.
입다 keeps its ㅂ — it is a verb, and the ㅂ change is overwhelmingly an adjective pattern. 좁다 and 씹다 are regular too, and the safest rule is that ㅂ adjectives change while ㅂ verbs usually do not.
받다 and 믿다 are likewise regular despite ending in ㄷ, and 웃다 and 씻다 despite ending in ㅅ.