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Korean verbs and their main conjugation patterns: 아/아요, 어/어요, 하다, and common irregular groups.
Every Korean verb ends in 다. To conjugate, drop 다 to get the stem, then attach an ending. The stem's last vowel and last consonant decide which group the verb belongs to. Knowing the group is enough to predict every form — you do not need to memorize verbs one by one.
These "bright" vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ) attract 아. Same-vowel stems contract: 가다 → 가요 (not 가아요). ㅗ stems often merge: 보다 → 봐요 (ㅗ + ㅏ = ㅘ).
Use 아/아요 when the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ: 가다 (go), 자다 (sleep), 사다 (buy), 보다 (look), 만나다 (meet).
drop 다, attach 아 / 아요
Common verbs that usually take 아/아요.
Use 어/어요 when the last vowel of the stem is not ㅏ or ㅗ: 먹다 (eat), 읽다 (read), 열다 (open), 배우다 (learn), 기다리다 (wait).
drop 다, add 어 / 어요
Common verbs that usually take 어/어요.
Noun + 하다 is one of the most productive action-verb patterns: 공부하다 (study), 일하다 (work), 운동하다 (exercise), 전화하다 (call), 주문하다 (order).
하다 → 해요 (irregular: 하 + 여 = 해)
Noun + 하다 verbs, a very productive and common Korean group.
The ㅂ in the stem drops and turns into 우 (or 오 for 돕다/곱다) before a vowel: 돕다 → 도와요, 줍다 → 주워요, 춥다 → 추워요.
drop ㅂ, add 워요
A small verb group where ㅂ changes before a vowel.
Some ㄷ-final stems change to ㄹ before a vowel: 듣다 → 들어요, 걷다 → 걸어요, 묻다 → 물어요. Note: 받다, 닫다, 믿다 are regular.
change ㄷ to ㄹ, then add 어요
Action verbs where ㄷ changes to ㄹ before a vowel. Regular ㄷ verbs like 받다 and 닫다 stay elsewhere.
ㄹ-final verbs (살다, 만들다, 알다, 놀다, 팔다) keep ㄹ in 아/어요 forms, but ㄹ disappears before ㄴ, ㅂ, and ㅅ endings.
ㄹ stays in 아/어요
ㄹ-final verbs keep ㄹ in 아/어요, but drop it before ㄴ, ㅂ, ㅅ endings: 살다 -> 사는, 삽니다, 사세요.
Some ㅅ-final stems drop ㅅ before vowel endings: 짓다 → 지어요, 낫다 → 나아요, 붓다 → 부어요. Note: 씻다, 벗다, 웃다 stay regular.
ㅅ drops before a vowel — nothing replaces it, syllables stay separate
Some ㅅ stems drop ㅅ before a vowel: 짓다 -> 지어요, 낫다 -> 나아요. Verbs like 씻다 and 벗다 are regular.
르 verbs add an extra ㄹ before 아/어: 부르다 → 불러요, 고르다 → 골라요, 모르다 → 몰라요, 다르다 → 달라요.
the syllable before 르 gains a ㄹ final, and 르 becomes 라 or 러
Verbs where 르 often adds an extra ㄹ in present conjugation.
있다 (there is / have) and 없다 (there is not / don't have) often replace English "have" and "be" depending on context.
regular 어요 pattern on consonant stems
Never use 안 with 없다 — it's already negative
The subject takes 이/가: 시간이 있어요, 돈이 없어요
있다 covers both "there is" and "to have"; 없다 is its negative twin. They follow the regular 어/어요 pattern.
이다 (be) attaches directly to a noun to mean "is/am/are X". 아니다 is the negative copula and takes 이/가 before it.
attach 이에요/예요 directly to the noun (no space)
이다 attaches to a noun to mean "is/am/are X". 아니다 is its negative counterpart and takes 이/가 on the noun before it.