How to Conjugate 덥다 (to be hot): ㅂ-irregular Pattern

Same ㅂ irregular pattern as 춥다. 덥 → 더우 + 어요 → 더워요.

The Rule

Same ㅂ irregular pattern as 춥다. 덥 → 더우 + 어요 → 더워요. 덥다 follows the ㅂ-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 ㅂ-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 ㅂ-irregular rule, you can predict how all ㅂ-irregular verbs behave.

How It Works

Stem: 덥 Polite present (해요체): 더워요 Polite past: 더웠어요 Polite future: 더울 거예요 Formal (합쇼체): 덥습니다 Negative: 안 더워요 Notice how the stem "덥" changes in some forms. This is the ㅂ-irregular pattern in action.

Real Examples

• 더워요 (deowoyo) — "be hot (polite present)" • 더웠어요 (deowoteoyo) — "be hot (past)" • 더울 거예요 (deour geoyeyo) — "will be hot (future)" • 덥습니다 (deopseupnida) — "be hot (formal)" • 안 더워요 (an deowoyo) — "don't be hot"

Common Mistakes

❌ 덥어요 (deopeoyo) ✅ 더워요 (deowoyo) → ㅂ → 우 before vowel endings. 더우 + 어 contracts to 더워. ❌ Using the casual form (덥어/아) in formal situations ✅ Use 덥습니다 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: 더워요. This is the form you'll use 90% of the time in daily life. Once it's automatic, add the past (더웠어요) and future (더울 거예요) to your toolkit. For ㅂ-irregular verbs, make a list of 5 common ones and practice all their forms. The pattern will click after repetition.

덥다: 더워요 (present) / 더웠어요 (past) / 더울 거예요 (future)

Examples

더워요 — deowoyo — be hot (polite)

더웠어요 — deowoteoyo — be hot (past)

더울 거예요 — deour geoyeyo — will be hot

덥습니다 — deopseupnida — be hot (formal)

안 더워요 — an deowoyo — don't be hot