How to Conjugate 다르다 (to be different): 르-irregular Pattern

르 irregular same pattern as 모르다: 다르 + 아요 → 달라요.

The Rule

르 irregular same pattern as 모르다: 다르 + 아요 → 달라요. 다르다 follows the 르-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 르-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 르-irregular rule, you can predict how all 르-irregular verbs behave.

How It Works

Stem: 다르 Polite present (해요체): 달라요 Polite past: 달랐어요 Polite future: 다를 거예요 Formal (합쇼체): 다릅니다 Negative: 안 달라요 Notice how the stem "다르" changes in some forms. This is the 르-irregular pattern in action.

Real Examples

• 달라요 (darrayo) — "be different (polite present)" • 달랐어요 (darrateoyo) — "be different (past)" • 다를 거예요 (dareur geoyeyo) — "will be different (future)" • 다릅니다 (dareupnida) — "be different (formal)" • 안 달라요 (an darrayo) — "don't be different"

Common Mistakes

❌ 다르아요 (dareuayo) ✅ 달라요 (darrayo) → 르 → ㄹ added to 다, making 달 + 라요. ❌ Using the casual form (다르어/아) in formal situations ✅ Use 다릅니다 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: 달라요. This is the form you'll use 90% of the time in daily life. Once it's automatic, add the past (달랐어요) and future (다를 거예요) to your toolkit. For 르-irregular verbs, make a list of 5 common ones and practice all their forms. The pattern will click after repetition.

다르다: 달라요 (present) / 달랐어요 (past) / 다를 거예요 (future)

Examples

달라요 — darrayo — be different (polite)

달랐어요 — darrateoyo — be different (past)

다를 거예요 — dareur geoyeyo — will be different

다릅니다 — dareupnida — be different (formal)

안 달라요 — an darrayo — don't be different