Korean Verb Conjugation Made Simple: Regular and Irregular Patterns

The 가다→가요→갑니다 pattern and the 6 irregular types that break it — a systematic guide to Korean verb forms.

How Korean Verbs Work

Every Korean verb ends in -다 in its dictionary form (먹다, 가다, 하다). To conjugate, you remove -다 to get the stem and add endings. The type of ending you add depends on: the politeness level, the tense, and sometimes the last vowel/consonant of the stem. Most verbs follow regular patterns. About 20% have irregular stems that change when conjugated.

Korean verbs don't change for person — 먹어요 means 'I eat', 'you eat', 'he/she eats', 'they eat'. Context tells you who.

Regular Conjugation: The 아/어 Rule

The most fundamental rule: if the stem's last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ (bright vowels), add -아. Otherwise, add -어. 가다→가 (stem ends in ㅏ) →가+아→가(contracted). 먹다→먹 (stem ends in ㅓ) →먹+어→먹어. 오다→오 (stem ends in ㅗ) →오+아→와(contracted). 하다→하+여→해(special contraction). Then add 요 for polite: 가요, 먹어요, 와요, 해요.

The 하다 verbs (공부하다, 운동하다, 요리하다) ALL conjugate the same way: just change 하다→해요. There are hundreds of them.

13 Essential Endings

Beyond present tense, Korean uses endings to express different meanings. Present polite: -아요/어요 (먹어요). Past polite: -았어요/었어요 (먹었어요). Future polite: -ㄹ 거예요 (먹을 거예요). Formal present: -ㅂ니다/습니다 (먹습니다). Negative: 안 + verb (안 먹어요). Want: -고 싶어요 (먹고 싶어요). Can: -ㄹ 수 있어요 (먹을 수 있어요). Progressive: -고 있어요 (먹고 있어요).

The 6 Irregular Types

Six consonants at the end of verb stems can change when followed by a vowel ending. ㅂ irregular: 춥다→추워요 (the ㅂ becomes 우/오). ㄷ irregular: 듣다→들어요 (ㄷ becomes ㄹ). ㅎ irregular: 그렇다→그래요 (ㅎ drops, vowel changes). ㄹ irregular: 살다→사는 (ㄹ drops before ㄴ,ㅂ,ㅅ). ㅅ irregular: 짓다→지어요 (ㅅ drops). 르 irregular: 모르다→몰라요 (르 becomes ㄹ라/ㄹ러).

The ㅂ irregular is the most common — 춥다(cold), 덥다(hot), 가깝다(close), 무겁다(heavy), 아름답다(beautiful) all follow it.

Exceptions to the Irregulars

Not every verb with these endings is irregular. Some ㅂ-ending verbs are regular: 입다(wear)→입어요 (NOT 이워요), 잡다(catch)→잡아요 (NOT 자와요). Some ㄷ-ending verbs are regular: 받다(receive)→받아요 (NOT 발아요), 닫다(close)→닫아요. The only way to know is to learn which verbs are exceptions — but the irregulars are more common in everyday speech.

Examples

가다 → 가요 → 갔어요 → 갈 거예요 — ga-da → ga-yo → ga-sseo-yo → gal geo-ye-yo — Go → go (polite) → went → will go

춥다 → 추워요 — chup-da → chu-wo-yo — Cold → It's cold

듣다 → 들어요 — deut-da → deu-reo-yo — Listen → I listen

모르다 → 몰라요 — mo-reu-da → mol-la-yo — Don't know → I don't know

먹고 싶어요 — meok-go si-peo-yo — I want to eat

입다 → 입어요 — ip-da → i-beo-yo — Wear → I wear