◼ Irregular verbs
Korean predicates (verbs and adjectives) are either regular or irregular. The regularity of a predicate
depends on whether the stem of the predicate is subject to variation. The predicates whose stem do
not change, regardless of the sound of the following suffix, are called regular predicates. On the
other hand, those predicates whose stems are subject to variation depending on the sound of the
following suffix are called irregular predicates.
ㄷ- irregular
Some verbs whose stem end with ㄷ are irregular. For instance, verb 묻다. ㄷ of the stem 묻
changes to ㄹ when followed by a suffix that begins with a vowel
-습니다 -어/아요
묻다[mutdda] ask 묻습니다[mutsseumnida] 물어요[mureoyo]
걷다[geotdda] walk 걷습니다[geotsseumnida 걸어요[georeoyo]
듣다[deutdda] listen 듣습니다[deutsseumnida] 들어요[deureoyo]
싣다[sitdda] load 싣습니다[sitsseumnida] 실어요[sireoyo]
ㅂ- irregular
ㅂ-irregluar predicates are subject to the following variation: ㅂ changes to either 우 or 오, when
ensuing suffix begins with a vowel. For instance, 춥다 “cold” is conjugated: 춥 + 어요 = 추우 + 어요
= 추워요
-습니다 -어/아요
굽다[gupdda] roast 굽습니다[gupsseumnida] 구워요[guwoyo]
눕다[nupdda] lie down 눕습니다[nupsseumnida] 누워요[nuwoyo]
돕다[dopdda] help 돕습니다[dopsseumnida] 도와요[dowayo]
덥다[deopdda] hot 덥습니다[deopsseumnida] 더워요[deowoyo]
맵다[mepdda] spicy 맵습니다[mepsseumnida] 매워요[mewoyo]
쉽다[shipdda] easy 쉽습니다[shipsseumnida] 쉬워요[shiwoyo]
어둡다[eodupdda] dark 어둡습니다[eodupsseumnida] 어두워요[eoduwoyo]
ㅅ- irregular
Some verbs that end with ㅅ are subject to the following irregular conjugation: ㅅ of the stem gets
deleted when followed by a suffix that begins with a vowel.
-습니다 -어/아요
붓다[butdda] swell 붓습니다[butsseumnida] 부어요[bueoyo]
젓다[jeotdda] stir 젓습니다[jeotsseumnida] 저어요[jeoeoyo]
짓다[jitdda] build 짓습니다[jitsseumnida] 지어요[jieoyo]
Not all predicates that end with ㅅ are irregular. The following are regular ㅅ-ending predicates:
벗다[beotdda] take off 벗습니다[beotsseumnida] 벗어요[beoseoyo]
웃다[utdda] laugh 웃습니다[utsseumnida] 웃어요[useoyo]
씻다[ssitdda] wash 씻습니다[ssitseumnida] 씻어요[ssiseoyo]
ㅎ-irregular
Some predicates that end with ㅎ are subject to the following irregular conjugation: ㅎ of stem drops
out when followed by a suffix that begins with a vowel. A number of color-related adjectives as well
as demonstratives fall into this group of irregular predicates
-습니다 -어/아요
까맣다[ggamata] black 까맣습니다[ggamasseumnida] 까매요[ggameyo]
노랗다[norata] yellow 노랗습니다[norasseumnida] 노래요[noreyo]
빨갛다[ppalgata] red 빨갛습니다[ppalgasseumnida] 빨개요[ppalgeyo]
파랗다[parata] blue 파랗습니다[parasseumnida] 파래요[pareyo]
하얗다[hayata] white 하얗습니다[hayasseumnida] 하얘요[hayeyo]
르-irregular
Most Korean predicates that end with 르 conjugate irregularly: 르 of the stem drops out and a
consonant ㄹ is added, when followed by a suffix that begins either 어 or 아. For instance, consider
the verb 가르다 “divide”. Notice that 르 of the stem is deleted but a consonant ㄹ is inserted, when
followed by polite speech level ending -아요
-ㅂ니다 -어/아요
가르다[gareuda] divide 가릅니다[gareumnida] 갈라요[gallayo]
기르다[gireuda] foster 기릅다[gireumnida] 길러요[gilleoyo]
모르다[moreuda] do not know 모릅니다[moreumnida] 몰라요[mollayo]
다르다[dareuda] different 다릅니다[dareumnida] 달라요[dallayo]
흐르다[heureuda] flow 흐릅니다[heurumnida] 흘러요[heulleoyo]
빠르다[bbareuda] fast 빠릅니다[bbareumnida] 빨라요[bballayo]
ㄹ-irregular
All Korean predicates that end in ㄹ are subject to the following irregular conjugation: ㄹ drops out
when the following suffix begins with one of ㄴ, ㅂ, ㅅ
-ㅂ 니다 -어/아요
날다[nalda] fly 납니다[namnida] 날아요[narayo]
만들다[mandeulda] make 만듭니다[mandeupnida] 만들어요[mandeoreoyo]
살다[salda] live 삽니다[samnida] 살아요[sarayo]
멀다[meolda] far 멉니다[meomnida] 멀어요[meoreoyo]
으-irregular
All Korean predicates that ends with the vowel 으 are subject to the following irregular conjugation:
the vowel 으 of the stem drops out when the following suffix begins with a vowel.
-ㅂ 니다 -어/아요
끄다[ggeuda] put off 끕니다[ggeumnida] 꺼요[ggeoyo]
뜨다[ddeuda] float 뜹니다[ddeumnida] 떠요[ddeoyo]
기쁘다[gibbeuda] happy 기쁩니다[gibbeumnida] 기뻐요[gibbeoyo]
바쁘다[babbeuda] busy 바쁩니다[babbeumnida] 바빠요[babbayo]
슬프다[seulpeuda] sad 슬픕니다[seulpeumnida] 슬퍼요[seulpeoyo]
예쁘다[yeppeuda] pretty 예쁩니다[yeppeumnida] 예뻐요[yeppeoyo]
Vocabulary
가방[gabang] bag 강아지[gangaji] puppy
건물[gunmul] building 기분[gibun] feeling/mood
고기[gogi] meat 공[gong] ball
길[gil] road 돈[don] money
노래[nore] song 선생님[sunsengnim] teacher
모자[moja] hat/cap 목[mok] throat/neck
물[mul] water 바람[baram] wind
배[bae] stomach/ship 산[san] mountain
색[seg] color 얼굴[eolgul] face
자동차[jadongcha] car 친구[chingu] friend
하늘[haneul] sky 책[chek] book
Exercises
Exercise 1. Change the dictionary form into deferential speech level. Then translate the sentence.
Example: 학교에 (가다) = 학교에 갑니다 (I) go to school
(1) 선생님한테 (묻다)
(2) 고기를 (굽다)
(3) 책이 (무겁다)
(4) 하늘이 (파랗다)
(5) 강아지를 (기르다)
Exercise 2. Change the dictionary form into the polite speech level. Then translate the sentence.
Example: 학교에 (가다) = 학교에 가요 (I) go to school
(1) 그녀의 머리카락이 (까맣다)
(2) 고양이와 (놀다)
(3) 집에서 코트를 (벗다)
(4) 후라이팬에 고기를 (굽다)
(5) 자기전에 노래를 (듣다)
Exercise 3. Write the dictionary form of the following irregular verbs.
Example: 날씨가 더워요 The weather is hot = 덥다
(1) 브르노는 아름다워요 Brno is beutiful
(2) 친구와 카페에 가요 (I) go to cafe with friend
(3) 커피가 차가워요 The coffee is cold
(4) 바람이 붑니다 The wind blows
(5) 신발이 예뻐요 The shoes are pretty
Answers
Exercise 1.
(1) 선생님한테 묻습니다 (I) ask the teacher
(2) 고기를 굽습니다 (I) roast the meat
(3) 책이 무겁습니다 The book is heavy
(4) 하늘이 파랗습니다 The sky is blue
(5) 강아지를 기릅니다 (I) raise a puppy
Exercise 2.
(1) 그녀의 머리카락이 까매요. Her hair is black.
(2) 고양이와 놀아요. (I) play with the cat.
(3) 집에서 코트를 벗어요. (I) take off the coat at home.
(4) 후라이팬에 고기를 구워요. (I) roast the meat on a frying pan.
(5) 자기 전에 노래를 들어요. (I) listen to music before I go to sleep.
Exercise 3.
(1) 아름답다
(2) 가다
(3) 차갑다
(4) 불다
(5) 예쁘다