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.
Category: Verb Conjugation
The Rule
먹다 (meokda) means "to eat" and is one of the most frequently used Korean verbs. It is a regular verb whose stem 먹 (meok) ends in the consonant ㄱ. Because the stem's last vowel is ㅓ (a dark vowel), it pairs with 어-type endings. To conjugate, remove 다 to get 먹, then add the appropriate ending. Since the stem ends in a consonant, endings attach directly without contraction. This makes 먹다 an excellent model for learning consonant-ending regular verbs. The conjugation pattern for 먹다 applies to dozens of other common verbs like 읽다 (to read), 찾다 (to find), and 잡다 (to catch). Once you internalize how 먹다 works, you have a reliable template for any regular verb whose stem ends in a consonant with a dark vowel. Remember the two-step process: identify the stem's last vowel to determine the ending type, then check if the stem ends in a vowel or consonant to know whether contraction occurs.
Why This Verb Matters
Food is central to Korean culture, and 먹다 appears in countless daily expressions. Koreans greet each other with 밥 먹었어요? (Have you eaten rice?) as a way of saying "How are you?" Understanding how to conjugate 먹다 in all tenses and politeness levels is not just grammar practice — it is essential for participating in Korean social life. English speakers sometimes struggle with 먹다 because they expect eating-related expressions to work the same way as in English. In Korean, you "eat medicine" (약을 먹다) rather than "take medicine," and you "eat your mind" (마음을 먹다) meaning to make a decision. These idiomatic uses make mastering 먹다 conjugation even more valuable. Another reason this verb is important for learners: it demonstrates the consonant-ending stem pattern clearly. Unlike 가다 where vowel contraction happens, 먹다 keeps its stem intact before endings. This contrast helps you understand the two main conjugation categories.
Present Tense Conjugation
For the polite present (해요체), take the stem 먹 and add 어요 (since ㅓ is a dark vowel): 먹어요 (meogeoyo). Unlike 가다 where contraction occurs, here the ending simply attaches to the consonant-ending stem. No merging or contraction happens. For the formal present (합쇼체), add 습니다 to consonant-ending stems: 먹습니다 (meokseumnida). Note the difference from vowel-ending stems which use ㅂ니다. This distinction — 습니다 after consonants, ㅂ니다 after vowels — is a fundamental rule. The casual present is 먹어 (meogeo). In daily conversation, you might hear 뭐 먹어요? (What are you eating?), 점심 먹어요 (I eat lunch), or 잘 먹어요 (I eat well). The present tense covers both current actions and habitual ones, so 매일 아침을 먹어요 means both "I am eating breakfast" and "I eat breakfast every day," depending on context.
Past Tense Conjugation
The past tense uses the marker 었 for dark-vowel stems. Stem 먹 plus 었 gives us 먹었 (meogeot). Add 어요 for polite speech: 먹었어요 (meogeosseoyo), meaning "ate." The formal past is 먹었습니다 (meogeosseumnida). Notice how 었 simply attaches after the stem's final consonant ㄱ. There is no merging or vowel change because the stem ends in a consonant. Compare this to 가다 where 가 + 았 merged into 갔. With consonant-ending stems like 먹, the syllable boundaries remain clear. Common past tense expressions include: 벌써 먹었어요 (I already ate), 아까 뭐 먹었어요? (What did you eat earlier?), 맛있게 먹었어요 (I ate deliciously / I enjoyed the meal — this is the standard way to compliment a meal). The phrase 잘 먹었습니다 (I ate well) is the customary way to thank someone after a meal and is one of the most important phrases in Korean etiquette.
Future Tense and Intention
For the future tense with consonant-ending stems, use 을 거예요 (not ㄹ 거예요, which is for vowel-ending stems). Stem 먹 + 을 거예요 = 먹을 거예요 (meogeul geoyeyo), meaning "will eat." The formal version is 먹을 것입니다 (meogeul geosimnida). The promise or decision form uses 을게요: 먹을게요 (meogeuigeyo) means "I will eat" with the nuance of deciding or promising in the moment. For example, if someone offers you food, responding 먹을게요 signals acceptance. The conjecture or strong will form is 먹겠어요 (meokgesseoyo), often used in formal announcements like 잘 먹겠습니다 (I will eat well), which is the standard phrase said before eating a meal someone prepared for you. Note the consonant-ending rule: 을 instead of ㄹ. This applies to all future-related endings. If the stem ends in a consonant, you need the buffer vowel 으. This is a general principle that appears throughout Korean grammar.
Negative and Question Forms
Short negation: 안 먹어요 (an meogeoyo) means "don't eat" or "am not eating." Long negation: 먹지 않아요 (meokji anayo). For inability: 못 먹어요 (mot meogeoyo) means "cannot eat." The question form in Korean is identical to the statement form — only intonation changes. 먹어요 with rising intonation becomes "Do you eat?" or "Are you eating?" In writing, a question mark distinguishes them. The expression 못 먹어요 is particularly useful. It can mean physical inability (allergies, sickness) or circumstantial inability (no time, no money). To be more specific about the reason, add context: 매운 것을 못 먹어요 (I cannot eat spicy things), 시간이 없어서 못 먹어요 (I cannot eat because I have no time). The interrogative forms are essential for dining situations: 뭐 먹을 거예요? (What will you eat?), 같이 먹을까요? (Shall we eat together?), 다 먹었어요? (Did you finish eating?).
Connecting and Compound Forms
먹다 frequently appears in compound structures. The sequential connector 고: 먹고 (meokgo) means "eat and," as in 밥을 먹고 커피를 마셨어요 (I ate a meal and drank coffee). The reason or sequential connector 어서: 먹어서 (meogeoseo) means "because of eating" or "after eating." The conditional: 먹으면 (meogeumyeon) means "if (one) eats." Note the buffer vowel 으 before 면 because the stem ends in a consonant. The modifier forms are: 먹는 (meongneun, present modifier: "eating"), 먹은 (meogeun, past modifier: "ate/eaten"), 먹을 (meogeul, future modifier: "will eat"). These are used constantly: 먹는 것 (something one eats / eating), 먹은 음식 (the food that was eaten), 먹을 것 (something to eat). The ability form 먹을 수 있다 (meogeul su itda) means "can eat" and is more formal than 먹을 수 있어요. All these compound forms follow regular patterns once you know the basic stem.
Idiomatic Expressions with 먹다
먹다 appears in many Korean idioms that do not translate literally to English. 마음을 먹다 (ma-eumeul meokda) literally "eat one's heart" means to make a determination or decision. 나이를 먹다 (naireul meokda) literally "eat age" means to grow older. 겁을 먹다 (geobeul meokda) literally "eat fear" means to become frightened. 골을 먹다 (goreul meokda) means to concede a goal in sports. 약을 먹다 (yageul meokda) means to take medicine. These expressions all conjugate exactly like regular 먹다 because they use the same verb. So "I made a decision" is 마음을 먹었어요 and "She grew older" is 나이를 먹었어요. Learning these idioms alongside conjugation patterns helps you build natural-sounding Korean. Native speakers use these expressions daily, and understanding them will significantly improve your listening comprehension and conversational ability.
Practice Strategy
Begin with the three essential polite forms: 먹어요 (present), 먹었어요 (past), 먹을 거예요 (future). Practice by describing your meals: 아침에 빵을 먹어요 (I eat bread for breakfast), 어제 삼겹살을 먹었어요 (I ate samgyeopsal yesterday), 내일 비빔밥을 먹을 거예요 (I will eat bibimbap tomorrow). Once comfortable, add the formal register: 먹습니다, 먹었습니다, 먹겠습니다. Practice the meal etiquette phrases until they become second nature: 잘 먹겠습니다 (before eating), 잘 먹었습니다 (after eating). Then work on negation: 아직 안 먹었어요 (I haven't eaten yet), 고기를 못 먹어요 (I cannot eat meat). Compare 먹다 with 가다 to solidify your understanding of the two main patterns: vowel-ending stems (가) versus consonant-ending stems (먹). This comparison is the foundation for conjugating any regular Korean verb you encounter.
먹다 summary: 먹어요 (present) → 먹었어요 (past) → 먹을 거예요 (future) → 안 먹어요 (negative)
Examples
먹어요 — meogeoyo — eat (polite present)
먹었어요 — meogeosseoyo — ate (polite past)
먹을 거예요 — meogeul geoyeyo — will eat
먹습니다 — meokseumnida — eat (formal)
안 먹어요 — an meogeoyo — don't eat
못 먹어요 — mot meogeoyo — cannot eat
잘 먹겠습니다 — jal meokgesseumnida — I will eat well (before meal)
먹으면 — meogeumyeon — if (one) eats
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: 먹요 → Correct: 먹어요. Consonant-ending stems need the connecting vowel 어. You cannot skip it.
Incorrect: 먹ㅂ니다 → Correct: 먹습니다. After consonant-ending stems, use 습니다 (not ㅂ니다 which is for vowel stems).
Incorrect: 먹을게요 (to others) → Correct: 먹을 거예요. 을게요 is first-person only (promise). For general future statements about others, use 을 거예요.
Incorrect: 먹면 → Correct: 먹으면. Consonant-ending stems need the buffer vowel 으 before 면.
Incorrect: 안 먹을 수 있어요 → Correct: 먹을 수 없어요. For 'cannot' with the ability form, use 없어요 (not 안 ... 있어요).
Quiz
What ending type does 먹다 use (어 or 아)?
The stem vowel ㅓ is a dark vowel, so 어-type endings are used.
What is the formal present of 먹다?
Consonant-ending stems use 습니다 for formal present.
How do you say 'I ate' in polite Korean?
Past tense: 먹 + 었어요 = 먹었어요.