How to Conjugate 먹다 (to eat): regular Pattern

먹다 is a regular consonant-ending verb. The last vowel of the stem is ㅓ, so we add 어요.

The Rule

먹다 is a regular consonant-ending verb. The last vowel of the stem is ㅓ, so we add 어요. 먹다 is a regular verb, which means it follows predictable conjugation rules. Master this pattern and you can conjugate hundreds of other regular verbs the same way.

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 good news: 먹다 follows regular rules. The main challenge is remembering which ending to use for which situation.

How It Works

Stem: 먹 Polite present (해요체): 먹어요 Polite past: 먹었어요 Polite future: 먹을 거예요 Formal (합쇼체): 먹습니다 Negative: 안 먹어요 Notice the predictable endings attached to "먹". These same endings work with any regular verb.

Real Examples

• 먹어요 (meokeoyo) — "eat (polite present)" • 먹었어요 (meokeoteoyo) — "eat (past)" • 먹을 거예요 (meokeur geoyeyo) — "will eat (future)" • 먹습니다 (meokseupnida) — "eat (formal)" • 안 먹어요 (an meokeoyo) — "don't eat"

Common Mistakes

❌ 먹아요 (meokayo) ✅ 먹어요 (meokeoyo) → The stem vowel ㅓ pairs with 어요, not 아요. ❌ Using the casual form (먹어/아) in formal situations ✅ Use 먹습니다 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: 먹어요. This is the form you'll use 90% of the time in daily life. Once it's automatic, add the past (먹었어요) and future (먹을 거예요) to your toolkit. Since 먹다 is regular, use it as your "template" for conjugating new regular verbs.

먹다: 먹어요 (present) / 먹었어요 (past) / 먹을 거예요 (future)

Examples

먹어요 — meokeoyo — eat (polite)

먹었어요 — meokeoteoyo — eat (past)

먹을 거예요 — meokeur geoyeyo — will eat

먹습니다 — meokseupnida — eat (formal)

안 먹어요 — an meokeoyo — don't eat