How to Conjugate 묻다 (to ask): ㄷ-irregular Pattern

ㄷ irregular: same rule as 듣다. 묻 + 어요 → 물어요. Don't confuse with 묻다 (to bury) which is REGULAR.

The Rule

ㄷ irregular: same rule as 듣다. 묻 + 어요 → 물어요. Don't confuse with 묻다 (to bury) which is REGULAR. 묻다 follows the ㄷ-irregular irregular pattern. This means the verb stem changes when certain endings are added. Don't worry — once you learn this pattern, it applies to many other verbs too.

Why English Speakers Get It Wrong

English verb conjugation is relatively simple — "I eat, he eats, I ate." Korean is more complex because the verb ending changes based on politeness level, tense, AND the verb stem's final vowel or consonant. The ㄷ-irregular pattern is especially tricky because the stem itself changes. English irregular verbs (go→went) change unpredictably, but Korean irregular verbs follow learnable PATTERNS. Once you know the ㄷ-irregular rule, you can predict how all ㄷ-irregular verbs behave.

How It Works

Stem: 묻 Polite present (해요체): 물어요 Polite past: 물었어요 Polite future: 물을 거예요 Formal (합쇼체): 묻습니다 Negative: 안 물어요 Notice how the stem "묻" changes in some forms. This is the ㄷ-irregular pattern in action.

Real Examples

• 물어요 (mureoyo) — "ask (polite present)" • 물었어요 (mureoteoyo) — "ask (past)" • 물을 거예요 (mureur geoyeyo) — "will ask (future)" • 묻습니다 (mutseupnida) — "ask (formal)" • 안 물어요 (an mureoyo) — "don't ask"

Common Mistakes

❌ 묻어요 (asking) (muteoyo (asking)) ✅ 물어요 (mureoyo) → 묻다 (ask) is irregular: ㄷ→ㄹ. 묻다 (bury) is regular: 묻어요! ❌ Using the casual form (묻어/아) in formal situations ✅ Use 묻습니다 when speaking to elders, at work, or in official settings → Mixing up politeness levels is one of the most noticeable mistakes foreigners make in Korean.

Quick Tip

Start by mastering the 해요체 (polite) form: 물어요. This is the form you'll use 90% of the time in daily life. Once it's automatic, add the past (물었어요) and future (물을 거예요) to your toolkit. For ㄷ-irregular verbs, make a list of 5 common ones and practice all their forms. The pattern will click after repetition.

묻다: 물어요 (present) / 물었어요 (past) / 물을 거예요 (future)

Examples

물어요 — mureoyo — ask (polite)

물었어요 — mureoteoyo — ask (past)

물을 거예요 — mureur geoyeyo — will ask

묻습니다 — mutseupnida — ask (formal)

안 물어요 — an mureoyo — don't ask