If you've understood the basic concepts of Korean grammar through Korean at a Glance , it's time to start practicing Korean verb conjugation!
After teaching many students, I've seen how much they struggle with conjugation. So I created these lessons in a quiz format to make the process as easy and intuitive as possible.
I've put a lot of thought and effort into creating these materials, and I'm making all of them available for free on this page. So be sure to read through everything!
Also, if you'd like to practice on your own, don't forget to check out the practice worksheets available in the store.
0. Before We Begin
There are three main patterns in Korean verb and adjective conjugation.
Conjugation depends on:
- Whether the final vowel of the predicate stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, or any other vowel.
- Whether the predicate stem ends with a final consonant(batchim) or no final consonant.
- Whether the predicate is a verb or an adjective.
If that doesn't make much sense yet, don't worry! We'll go through each concept step by step with fun quizzes, so everything will become clear as you go.
1. Vowel Rule
The explanation below covers the same content as the quizzes above. It's provided in paragraph form for learners who prefer to read the rules all at once. These conjugation patterns apply to many Korean grammar points, but for simplicity, we'll use -아/-어 as our example throughout this explanation.
1. Basic Rule
Check the vowel in the root’s last letter,
If it’s ㅏ or ㅗ | put -아 | 살다→살아, 높다 →높아 |
If it’s the rest of the vowels | put -어 | 먹다→먹어, 없다 → 없어,
재미있다→ 재미있어 |
If it’s -하다 form | change the ‘하’ into ‘해’
(Actually, -하다 combines with -여, it becomes 하여, but it’s mostly just shortened to 해.) | 운동하다 → 운동해요
건강하다 → 건강해요
행복하다 → 행복해요 |
2. Contraction Rules (Sound Shortening Rule)
When a shorter pronunciation is possible, shorten the form. (For now, focus more on the form than the meaning.)
1. Drop out ‘아’ or ‘어’ | 가다 → 가아 → 가
서다 → 서어 → 서
지내다 → 지내어 → 지내
(Think of the ㅐ sound as already containing ㅓ and omit the ㅓ.) |
2. Combine ㅗ +ㅏ into ㅘ
ㅜ +ㅓ into ㅝ | 보다 → 보아 → 봐
주다 → 주어 → 줘 |
3. Change ‘l’ into ‘ㅕ’ | 느리다 → 느리어 → 느려
마시다 → 마시어 → 마셔
(Read ‘마시어요’ three times quickly. "-시어" will sound like "-셔") |
4. Drop out ‘으’ | 나쁘다 → 나쁘아 → 나빠
예쁘다 → 예쁘어→ 예뻐
(We consider ‘으’ is a weak sound and drop out when we conjugate. Since '으' drops out, look at the previous letter to choose between -아요 or -어요. For example, 나 contains ㅏ, you use -ㅏ요 (나빠요). 예 doesn't contain ㅏ or ㅗ, you use -ㅓ요 (예뻐요).)
크다 → 크어 → 커
쓰다 → 쓰어 → 써
(For one-letter verb roots with no previous letter to check, just add -어요 and omit the '으') |
3. Exceptions Rule
Whether a word follows exception rules or regular rules is random and requires memorization. Fortunately, there aren't many of these words, so you'll learn them naturally as you practice!
Words that follow exception rules. | Words that follow just regular rules. | |
1. Change ‘ㄷ’ 받침
into ‘ㄹ’ 받침 | 듣다 → 들 → 들어
걷다 → 걸 → 걸어 | 믿다 → 믿어
받다 → 받아 |
2. Change ‘ㅂ’ 받침 into ‘ㅜ’ | 덥다 → 더ㅜ → 더우어 → 더워
춥다 → 추ㅜ → 추우어 → 추워 | (these are pretty much all)
잡다 → 잡 → 잡아
입다 → 입 → 입어 |
3. Change ‘르’
into ‘ㄹ,ㄹ’ | 모르다 → 몰ㄹ → 몰라
누르다 → 눌ㄹ → 눌러 | (this is pretty much all)
다다르다 → 다다르아 → 다다라 |
The rules below are uncommon. So, I recommend simply memorizing the few words that follow these rules later. I've included them here just in case, so don't feel pressured—just read through them.
4. Eliminate ‘ㅅ’ | 짓다 → 짓 → 지 → 지어
붓다 → 붓 → 부 → 부어 | 솟다 → 솟아
벗다 → 벗어 |
5. Eliminate ‘ㅎ’ | 어떻다 → 어떠 → 어때
하얗다 → 하야 → 하얘 | 좋다 → 좋아 |
6. Eliminate ‘우’ | 푸다 → 푸 → ㅍ → 퍼 | 두다 → 두어 → 둬
주다 → 주어 → 줘 |
4. Once You Master These Conjugation Patterns…
You'll be able to use the following Korean grammar points ↓
2. Final Consonant Rule
The explanation below covers the same content as the quizzes above. It's provided in paragraph form for learners who prefer to read the rules all at once. These conjugation patterns apply to many Korean grammar points, but for simplicity, we'll use -(으)면 as our example throughout this explanation.
1. Basic Rule
Check the 받침(second consonant, last consonant) in the root’s last letter,
If the root ends with 받침 | put -으면 | 먹다 → 먹으면, 작다 → 작으면 |
If the root doesn't end with 받침
or If the root ends with ㄹ 받침 | put -면 | 가다 → 가면, 하다 → 하면,
울다 → 울면 |
2. Exception Rule
Words that follow exception rules. | Words that follow just regular rules. | |
1. Change ‘ㄷ’ 받침
into ‘ㄹ’ 받침 | 듣다 → 들 → 들으면
걷다 → 걸 → 걸으면 | 믿다 → 믿으면
받다 → 받으면 |
2. Change ‘ㅂ’ 받침 into ‘ㅜ’ | 덥다 → 더ㅜ → 더우면
춥다 → 추ㅜ → 추우면 | (these are pretty much all)
잡다 → 잡 → 잡으면
입다 → 입 → 입으면 |
3. Once You Master These Conjugation Patterns…
You'll be able to use the following Korean grammar points ↓
3. Verb/Adjective Rule
The explanation below covers the same content as the quizzes above. It's provided in paragraph form for learners who prefer to read the rules all at once. These conjugation patterns apply to many Korean grammar points, but for simplicity, we'll use -는/ㄴ/은 as our example throughout this explanation.
1. Basic Rule
Check if the predicate is a verb or an adjective.
If it's a verb | put -는 | 가다→가는, 먹다→먹는, 하다→하는 |
If it's an adjective and ends with 받침 | put -은 | 작다→작은, 좋다→좋은 |
If it's an adjective and ends without 받침 | put -ㄴ | 크다→큰, 예쁘다→예쁜 |
If it’s -있다/-없다 word | put 는
(even though it’s an adjective.) | 재미있다 → 재미있는
맛없다 → 맛없는 |
2. Exception Rule
Change adjective’s ‘ㅂ’ 받침 into ‘ㅜ’ | 덥다 → 더ㅜ → 더운
춥다 → 추ㅜ → 추운 |
3. Once You Master These Conjugation Patterns…
You'll be able to use the following Korean grammar points ↓
-ㄴ/은/는데 (but~)
-ㄴ/은/는 편이다 (to tend to~)
-ㄴ/은/는지 (whether~)
-ㄴ/은/는 (Present Transformative Ending)
…
and more!
