Korean Conjuagation

GUIDE TO CONJUGATION 1. What Is Conjugation? All Korean verbs end with – 다, such as 가다 (to go), 적다 (to write), and 살다 (to live). The part that precedes -다—in our examples, 가, 먹, and 살—is called the verb’s stem. The stem is constant in its shape, and various words can be attached to it to indicate different meanings, tenses and levels of formality. These attachments are called endings. Conjugation basically refers to the way a verb is formed using these different endings. 2. Regular Verbs and Irregular Verbs Most verbs follow a regular conjugation pattern. However, there are a number of exceptions or irregular verbs which follow other distinct patterns. Even among the regular verbs, there is one special type you have to pay attention to ─ㄹ Verbs. These are verbs whose stem ends with a ㄹ, for example, 살다 (to live), 밀다 (to push), and 돌다 (to turn). They follow the basic conjugational rules, but they are sometimes different from other regular verbs. 3. Conjugation Patterns of Regular Verbs #1. VS + ending The endings -자, -고, -거나, -지만, -기, -지, and -겠 can be attached to the stems of all verbs (regardless of whether they are ㄹ verbs or not). Examples: (-자) 가 + 자 → 가자 (let’s go) 적 + 자 → 적자 (let’s write) 살 + 자 → 살자 (let’s live) (-고) 가 + 고 → 가고 (I go and) 적 + 고 → 적고 (I write and) 살 + 고 → 살고 (I live and)

#2. ① VS + ending ② VS ㄹ + ㄹ ending The endings -니?, -는데, and -는 can also be attached to the stems of verbs. But here, it’s important to note that the stem of ㄹ verbs loses the final ㄹ. Examples: (-니?) ① 가 + 니? → 가니? (do you go?) 적 + 니? → 적니? (do you write?) ② 살 + ㄹ니? → 사니? (do you live?) (-는데) ① 가 + 는데 → 가는데 (I go but) 적 + 는데 → 적는데 (I write but) ② 살 + ㄹ는데 → 사는데 (I live but) #3. ① VSv + ending1 ② VS ㄹ + ending1 ③ VSc + ending2 (-으-) The verb conjugation for the endings -면/-으면, -려고/-으려고, -며/-으 며, and -ㅁ/-음 basically depends on whether the stem of the verb ends with a vowel or a consonant. If the stem of the verb ends with a consonant, you should add -으- in front of the endings (for convenience of pronunciation). Also note that again, ㄹ verbs are the exception. They don’t need an extra -으- and they also don’t lose their final ㄹ. Examples: (-면/-으면) ① 가 + 면 → 가면 (if I go) ② 살 + 면 → 살면 (if I live ) ③ 적 + 으면 → 적으면 (if I write) (-려고/-으려고) ① 가 + 려고 → 가려고 (in order to go) ② 살 + 려고 → 살려고 (in order to live) ③ 적 + 으려고 → 적으려고 (in order to write) #4. ① VSv + ending1 ② VS ㄹ + ㄹ ending1 ③ VSc + ending2 (-으-/-느-/-스-)

Type #4 is similar to type #3 in some ways. The verb conjugation for the endings of Type #4 also differs according to whether the final sound in the stem is a vowel or a consonant. If the stem of the verb ends with a consonant, you should add -으-, -느-, or -스- in front of the endings for convenience of pronunciation. And just to make things extra complex, in this case ㄹ verbs do lose their final ㄹ in the stem. The endings -세 요/-으세요, -ㄴ다/-는다, -ㄴ/-은, -ㄹ/-을, -니까/-으니까, -ㅂ니 다/-습니다, -ㅂ니까?/-습니까?, and -ㅂ시다/-읍시다 belong to type #4. There is an easy way to tell the type #4 endings from the type #3 endings. The endings of type #4 begin with ㅅ, ㄴ, or ㅂ, while type #3 start with ㅁ or ㄹ. Examples: (-세요/-으세요) ① 가 + 세요 → 가세요 (please go) ② 살 + ㄹ세요 → 사세요 (please live) ③ 적 + 으세요 → 적으세요 (please write) (-ㄴ다/-는다) ① 가 + ㄴ다 → 간다 (I go) ② 살 + ㄹㄴ다 → 산다 (I live) ③ 적 + 는다 → 적는다 (I write) (-ㅂ니다/-습니다) ① 가 + ㅂ니다 → 갑니다 (I go) ② 살 + ㄹㅂ니다 → 삽니다 (I live) ③ 적 + 습니다 → 적습니다 (I write) #5. ① VS ㅏ / ㅗ + ending1(-아 ) ② VSelse + ending2(-어 ) ③ VS 하 + ending3(-여 ) Type #5 endings include -아요/-어요/-여요, -아/-어/-여, -아라/-어 라/-여라, -았어요/-었어요/-였어요, and -아서/-어서/-여서. These types of endings are basically classified according to whether the final vowel in the stem of the verb is ㅏ / ㅗ or not. Here it does not matter whether the stem ends with a consonant or not. If the final vowel in the stem of the verb is a ㅏ / ㅗ , the stem combines with ending -아, and in other cases, -어. Also, remember one important group of verbs: 하다 verbs. In Korean, many verbs end with -하다 such as 공부하다 (to

study), 대답하다 (to answer), and 도착하다 (to arrive) (i.e., their stem ends with -하-). When they are conjugated in this way, they combine with -여. Examples: (-아요 /-어요 /-여요 ) ① 가 + 아요 → 가요 (I go) 오 + 아요 → 와요 (I come) 살 + 아요 → 살아요 (I live) ② 서 + 어요 → 서요 (I stand) ③ 공부하 + 여요 → 공부해요 (I study) (-았어요/-었어요/-였어요) ① 가 + 았어요 → 갔어요 (I went) 오 + 았어요 → 왔어요 (I came) 살 + 았어요 → 살았어요 (I lived) ② 서 + 었어요 → 섰어요 (I stood) ③ 공부하 + 였어요 → 공부했어요 (I studied) Maybe you’ve already noticed something that seems a bit strange. 가 + 아요 becomes 가 요, not 가아요. And 오 + 아요 becomes 와요, not 오 아요; 서 + 어요 becomes 서요, not 서어요. This is because of vowel contraction. In the course of conjugation, when a vowel meets with a vowel directly, they are usually contracted. Rule of Vowel Contraction Types Rule Example A ㅏ + ㅏ → ㅏ 가 + 아 → 가 B ㅓ + ㅓ → ㅓ 서 + 어 → 서 C ㅗ + ㅏ → ㅘ 오 + 아 → 와 D ㅜ + ㅓ → ㅝ 주 + 어 → 줘 E ㅡ + ㅓ → ㅓ 쓰 + 어 → 써 F ㅣ + ㅓ → ㅕ 가지 + 어 → 가져 G ㅐ + ㅓ → ㅐ 꺼내 + 어 → 꺼내 H ㅔ + ㅓ → ㅔ 세 + 어 → 세 I ㅚ + ㅓ → ㅙ 되 + 어 → 돼 J 하 + ㅕ → 해 하 + 여 → 해