How to Conjugate 짓다 (to build/make): ㅅ-irregular Pattern

ㅅ irregular: ㅅ simply disappears before a vowel. 짓 + 어요 → 지어요.

The Rule

ㅅ irregular: ㅅ simply disappears before a vowel. 짓 + 어요 → 지어요. 짓다 follows the ㅅ-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 ㅅ-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 ㅅ-irregular rule, you can predict how all ㅅ-irregular verbs behave.

How It Works

Stem: 짓 Polite present (해요체): 지어요 Polite past: 지었어요 Polite future: 지을 거예요 Formal (합쇼체): 짓습니다 Negative: 안 지어요 Notice how the stem "짓" changes in some forms. This is the ㅅ-irregular pattern in action.

Real Examples

• 지어요 (jieoyo) — "build/make (polite present)" • 지었어요 (jieoteoyo) — "build/make (past)" • 지을 거예요 (jieur geoyeyo) — "will build/make (future)" • 짓습니다 (jitseupnida) — "build/make (formal)" • 안 지어요 (an jieoyo) — "don't build/make"

Common Mistakes

❌ 짓어요 (jiteoyo) ✅ 지어요 (jieoyo) → ㅅ drops completely. The stem becomes just 지 before vowels. ❌ Using the casual form (짓어/아) in formal situations ✅ Use 짓습니다 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: 지어요. This is the form you'll use 90% of the time in daily life. Once it's automatic, add the past (지었어요) and future (지을 거예요) to your toolkit. For ㅅ-irregular verbs, make a list of 5 common ones and practice all their forms. The pattern will click after repetition.

짓다: 지어요 (present) / 지었어요 (past) / 지을 거예요 (future)

Examples

지어요 — jieoyo — build/make (polite)

지었어요 — jieoteoyo — build/make (past)

지을 거예요 — jieur geoyeyo — will build/make

짓습니다 — jitseupnida — build/make (formal)

안 지어요 — an jieoyo — don't build/make