Verb Conjugation Basics
Learn how to conjugate Korean verbs into polite present tense (아/어요).
Korean verb conjugation looks intimidating at first, but the polite present tense -아요/어요/여요 follows a small set of patterns once you identify the verb stem. Strip the dictionary form ending -다, and you have the stem. Then apply the vowel-harmony rule: if the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, attach -아요; otherwise attach -어요. The exception is verbs ending in 하다, which conjugate to 해요.
Examples: 먹다 → 먹어요 (eat), 가다 → 가요 (go — the ㅏ at the end fuses with -아요), 보다 → 봐요 (see — the ㅗ fuses with -아요), 공부하다 → 공부해요 (study). Note that some verbs have stem changes when -아요/어요 attaches; we'll handle those in Lesson 5-5 (irregular verbs). For now, focus on the regular pattern and the 하다 → 해요 transformation. Once you can produce -아요/어요 conjugations on reflex, your Korean output will jump significantly because almost every conversational sentence ends this way.
아/어요 Conjugation Rule
Remove 다 from the dictionary form. If the last vowel of the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, add 아요. Otherwise, add 어요. 하다 verbs always become 해요.
Vowel Contraction
When the stem vowel and the 아/어 ending overlap, they merge: ㅏ+아→ㅏ (가+아요→가요), ㅗ+아→ㅘ (오+아요→와요), ㅜ+어→ㅝ (주+어요→줘요), ㅣ+어→ㅕ (마시+어요→마셔요).
Cultural & Language Note
The 아/어요 ending is the workhorse of everyday Korean — polite enough for shops, taxis, and colleagues, but not stiff. Korean has several higher formality levels, yet 해요체 covers the vast majority of adult daily interaction. Learners sometimes assume they need the formal 합니다 style to be respectful, but using it with a friendly shopkeeper is like wearing a suit to a coffee shop.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Vowel contraction is where this breaks down. 가 + 아요 does not become 가아요 but simply 가요; 오 + 아요 becomes 와요; 마시 + 어요 becomes 마셔요. Learners who apply the rule mechanically without contracting produce forms that are grammatically transparent but that no Korean says. 하다 verbs are the most common of all and become 해요, so drill those first.