How to Conjugate Irregular Verbs in Korean

This lesson will teach you how to conjugate irregular verbs in Korean. Irregulars are annoying but a part of life. Luckily, Korean irregulars follow a pattern.

All Korean verbs end in 다. Verbs usually are not used in this form and need to be conjugated. The 다 ending is dropped before conjugation.

You need to conjugate verbs based on Korean honorifics. Korean honorifics is a system in which speech changes based on the relationships between people speaking and who they are speaking about. People older than you or in a more senior position get the more honorific forms.

 

The 7 Irregular Verbs in Korean
Table of Contents

Click a link below to learn.
ㅂ     ㅅ     ㄷ     ㅡ    르     ㄹ     ㅎ

 

ㅂ Irregular in Korean

If
1. The last letter in a verb stem is ㅂ
2. You are adding a verb ending, suffix, that starts with a vowel.
Ex. (~어요, ~아요)

Then
1. Remove ㅂ
2. Add 우 or 오, almost always 우
3. Add your verb ending

Example verb 춥다 = cold
1. 춥 – ㅂ = 추
2. 추 + 우 = 추우
3. 추우 + 어요 = 추워요(present tense polite)

When adding a suffix that starts with a consonant, such as ~습니다,  conjugate as normal.
Example:
춥다 = cold
춥 + 습니다 = 춥습니다

 

ㅂ Irregular Verbs in Korean

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
고맙다	고마워	고마워요	고맙습니다	thank you
덥다	더워	더워요	덥습니다	hot
맵다	매워	매워요	맵습니다	spicy
쉽다	쉬워	쉬워요	쉽습니다	easy
어렵다	어려워	어려워요	어렵습니다	difficult

These two verb get 오 added instead of 우.

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
돕다	도와	도와요	돕습니다	help
곱다	고와	고와요	곱습니다	pretty

Here is a list of verbs that do not follow the ㅂ irregular rule.

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
잡다	잡아	잡아요	잡습니다	catch
입다	입어	입어요	입습니다	wear
넓다	넓어	넓어요	넓습니다	wide
좁다	좁아	좁아요	좁습니다	narrow
씹다	씹어	씹어요	씹습니다	chew
접다	접어	접어요	접습니다	fold
집다	집어	집어요	집습니다	pick up
업다	업어	업어요	업습니다	carry on back
뽑다	뽑아	뽑아요	뽑습니다	extract

 

ㅅ Irregular in Korean

If
1. The last letter in a verb stem is ㅅ
2. You are adding a verb ending, suffix, that starts with a vowel.
Ex. (~어요, ~아요)

Then
1. Remove ㅅ
2. Add your verb ending, but do not combine it with the verb stem.

Example verb 붓다 = swell
1. 붓 – ㅅ = 부
2. 부 + 어요 = 부어요(present tense polite)

When adding a suffix that starts with a consonant, such as ~습니다,  conjugate as normal.
Example:
붓다 = swell
붓 + 습니다 = 붓습니다

 

ㅅ Irregular Verbs in Korean

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
젓다	저어	저어요	젓습니다	stir
낫다	나아	나아요	낫습니다	recover (from)
짓다	지어	지어요	짓습니다	build
잇다	이어	이어요	잇습니다	connect
긋다	그어	그어요	긋습니다	draw

Here is a list of verbs that do not follow the ㅅ irregular rule.

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
씻다	씻어	씻어요	씻습니다	wash
웃다	웃어	웃어요	웃습니다	laugh
벗다	벗어	벗어요	벗습니다	take off
빗다	빗어	빗어요	빗습니다	comb
빼앗다	빼앗아	빼앗아요	빼앗습니다	take, steal

 

ㄷ Irregular in Korean

If
1. The last letter in a verb stem is ㄷ
2. You are adding a verb ending, suffix, that starts with a vowel.
Ex. (~어요, ~아요)

Then
1. Remove ㄷ
2. Add ㄹ to the verb stem
3. Add your verb ending

Example verb 걷다 = walk
1. 걷 – ㄷ = 거
2. 거 + ㄹ = 걸
3. 걸 + 어요 = 걸어요(present tense polite)

When adding a suffix that starts with a consonant, such as ~습니다,  conjugate as normal.
Example:
걷다 = cold
걷 + 습니다 = 걷습니다

 

ㄷ Irregular Verbs in Korean

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
듣다	들어	들어요	듣습니다	listen
묻다	물어	물어요	묻습니다	ask
깨닫다	깨달아	깨달아요	깨닫습니다	realize
싣다	실어	실어요	싣습니다	load

Here is a list of verbs that do not follow the ㄷ irregular rule.

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
닫다	닫아	닫아요	닫습니다	close
받다	받아	받아요	받습니다	receive
믿다	믿아	믿아요	믿습니다	believe
묻다	묻어	묻어요	묻습니다	bury
얻다	얻어	얻어요	얻습니다	gain

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ㅡ Irregular in Korean

If
1. The last letter in a verb stem is ㅡ
2. You are adding a verb ending, suffix, that starts with a vowel.
Ex. (~어요, ~아요)

Then
1. Remove ㅡ
2. Add your verb ending

Here are three examples. Pay special attention to how they are conjugated differently.

♦   아프다 = sick, hurts

1. 아프  –  ㅡ  =  아ㅍ
2. 아ㅍ + 아요 = 아파요(present tense polite)
The last vowel in 아ㅍ is ㅏ so the ~아요 ending is added.

 

♦   예쁘다 = pretty

1. 예쁘  –  ㅡ  = 예ㅃ
2. 예ㅃ + 어요 = 예뻐요(present tense polite)
The last vowel in 예ㅃ is ㅖ so the ~어요 ending is added.

 

♦   크다 = big

1. 크  –  ㅡ  = ㅋ
2. ㅋ + 어요 = 커요(present tense polite)
There is no last vowel in ㅋ so the ~어요 ending is added.

When adding a suffix that starts with a consonant, such as ~ㅂ니다,  conjugate as normal.

Example:
아프다 = sick, hurts
아프 + ㅂ니다 = 아픕니다

 

ㅡ Irregular Verbs in Korean

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
끄다	꺼	꺼요	끕니다	turn off
쓰다	써	써요	씁니다	use, write
기쁘다	기뻐	기뻐요	기쁩니다	glad
나쁘다	나빠	나빠요	나쁩니다	bad
슬프다	슬퍼	슬퍼요	슬픕니다	sad

 

르 Irregular in Korean

If
1. The last syllable in a verb stem is 르
2. You are adding a verb ending, suffix, that starts with ~어 or ~아

Then
1. Add a ㄹ to the syllable before 르
2. Remove ㅡ
3. Add your verb ending

Example verb 다르다 = different
1. 다르 + ㄹ = 달르
2. 달르  –  ㅡ  =  달ㄹ
3. 달ㄹ + 아요 = 달라요(present tense polite)

The honorific level of the 르 irregular is  conjugated as normal.
Example:
다르다 = different
다르 + ㅂ니다 = 다릅니다

 

르 Irregular Verbs in Korean

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
자르다	잘라	잘라요	자릅니다	cut
빠르다	빨라	빨라요	빠릅니다	fast
부르다	불러	불러요	부릅니다	sing, call out
고르다	골라	골라요	고릅니다	choose
모르다	몰라	몰라요	모릅니다	not know

The following verbs follow the ㅡ irregular rule, not the 르 irregular rule.

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
따르다	따라	따라요	따릅니다	follow
다다르다	다다라	다다라요	다다릅니다	arrive at
치르다	치러	치러요	치릅니다	pay off

 

ㄹ Irregular in Korean

If
1. The last letter in a verb stem is ㄹ
2. You are adding a verb ending, suffix, that starts with ㅂ, ㄴ, or ㅅ

Then
1. Remove ㄹ
2. Add your verb ending

Example verb 열다 = open

1. 열 – ㄹ = 여
2. 여 + ㅂ니다  =  엽니다(present tense honorific)

1. 여 – ㄹ = 여
2. 여 + 는 = 여는(present tense adjective)

1. 여 – ㄹ = 여
2. 여 + ㄴ = 연(past tense adjective)

1. 여 – ㄹ = 여
2. 여 + 세요 = 여세요(imperative)

 

ㄹ Irregular Action Verbs in Korean

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	ㄴ	는	세요	English
걸다	걸어	걸어요	겁니다	건	거는	거세요	hang
만들다	만들어	만들어요	만듭니다	만든	만드는	만드세요	make
놀다	놀아	놀아요	놉니다	논	노는	노세요	play

ㄹ Irregular Descriptive Verbs in Korean

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	ㄴ	는	세요	English
달다	달아	달아요	답니다	단	—	—	sweet
질다	질어	질어요	집니다	진	—	—	watery
멀다	멀어	멀어요	멉니다	먼	—	—	far

Learn Korean Language Tips

Descriptive verbs do not use the 는 ending.
The 는 ending changes action verbs to present tense adjectives.
This is why descriptive verbs do not use 는.

The imperative ~세요 ending usually isn’t added to descriptive verbs because it is added to words like 만들다 “Make” or 하다 “Do.”
For example:
“Please make it sweet.” O
Not, “Please sweet it.”   X

 

ㅎ Irregular in Korean

If
1. The last letter in a verb stem is ㅎ
2. You are adding a verb ending, suffix, that starts with a vowel.
Ex. (~어요, ~아요)

Then
1. Remove ㅎ
2. Remove the final vowel
3. Add ㅐ
*The verb 하얗다 gets ㅒ added in step 3.

Example verb 파랗다 = blue
1. 파랗 – ㅎ = 파라
2. 파라 – ㅏ = 파ㄹ
3. 파ㄹ + ㅐ = 파래(present tense informal)

When adding a suffix that starts with a consonant, such as ~습니다,  conjugate as normal.
Example:
파랗다 = blue
파랗 + 습니다 = 파랗습니다

The ㅎ irregular rule applies to a few colors and demonstratives. The tables below show the most common ones.

ㅎ Irregular Verbs in Korean

Colors

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
파랗다	파래	파래요	파랗습니다	blue
빨갛다	빨개	빨개요	빨갛습니다	red
노랗다	노래	노래요	노랗습니다	yellow
꺼맣다	까매	까매요	까맣습니다	black
하얗다	하얘	하얘요	하얗습니다	white

Demonstratives

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
그렇다	그래	그래요	그렇습니다	like that
이렇다	이래	이래요	이렇습니다	like this
저렇다	저래	저래요	저렇습니다	like that
어떻다	어때	어때요	어떻습니다	be how

Here is a list of verbs that do not follow the ㅎ irregular rule.

Korean	Informal	Polite	Honorific	English
좋다	좋아	좋아요	좋습니다	good
넣다	넣어	넣어요	넣습니다	insert
놓다	놓아	놓아요	놓습니다	place
많다	많아	많아요	많습니다	many

 

 

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