Ready for Action: Conjugation and Korean Verb Stems
In Korean, various meanings are added by attaching different endings to verbs – action verbs and descriptive verbs (adjectives). Conjugation always starts from the verb stem. We can consider it the root from which we grow any usage.
Searching for verbs in a Korean dictionary, you’ll first see the dictionary form—for example, 먹다 [meokda], as below.
How to get verb stems
1. Search for a verb in the dictionary.
e.g. eat
2. Find the dictionary form ending in 다 [da].
e.g. 먹다 [meokda]
3. Drop the 다 [da] and get the verb stem.
e.g. 먹 [meok]
I recommend building up verbs from here by attaching various endings. You shouldn’t memorize a bunch of verb forms with tenses, negatives, or voices. That’s inefficient and frustrating.
How to grow verb stems
The ways Korean verbs behave depend on whether the stem ends in a vowel or a consonant. And like all languages, Korean also has some irregularities when it comes to conjugation.
In this post, I don’t want you to look at all the conjugation rules one by one. When studying Korean, you can master all conjugations more naturally. I hope this post will guide you to understanding verb stems and being prepared for conjugation all on your own.
I’ve listed common regular and irregular verbs below so that you can observe how they conjugate in general and start getting the hang of it.
1. One-shape verb endings
It has only one form and is attached to the verb stem.
e.g. -고 [go]: and
-지만 [jiman]: but
2. Two-shape verb endings
It has two forms and is attached to the verb stem depending on whether stems end in a consonant or a vowel. If a consonant, then the ending with ㅡ [eu] is attached; if a vowel, then the ending without ㅡ [eu] is added.
e.g. -(으)니까 [eunigga]: because
-(으)면 [eumyeon]: if
The following tables demonstrate –고 [go], a one-shape ending, and -(으)니까 [eunigga], a two-shape ending.
Korean Regular Verbs (한국어 규칙 동사)
| Type of Regular Verbs | Verbs | Meaning | Verb Stems | -고 ‘and’ | -(으)니까 ‘because’ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consonant stem (ㅏ/ㅗ) | 받다 [batda] | to receive | 받 | 받고 | 받으니까 |
| Consonant stem (other) | 먹다 [meokda] | to eat | 먹 | 먹고 | 먹으니까 |
| Vowel stem ending in ㅏ | 가다 [gada] | to go | 가 | 가고 | 가니까 |
| Vowel stem ending in ㅐ | 보내다 [boneda] | to send | 보내 | 보내고 | 보내니까 |
| Vowel stem ending in ㅗ | 오다 [oda] | to come | 오 | 오고 | 오니까 |
| Vowel stem ending in ㅜ | 주다 [juda] | to give | 주 | 주고 | 주니까 |
| Vowel stem ending in l | 마시다 [masida] | to drink | 마시 | 마시고 | 마시니까 |
| Vowel stem ending in ㅡ | 쓰다 [sseuda] | to write | 쓰 | 쓰고 | 쓰니까 |
Korean Irregular Verbs (한국어 불규칙 동사)
1. ㄷ Irregular Verbs
| Verbs | Meanings | Verb Stems | -고 ‘and’ | -(으)니까 ‘because’ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 걷다 [geotda] | to walk | 걷 | 걷고 | 걸으니까 |
| 듣다 [deutda] | to listen | 듣 | 듣고 | 들으니까 |
| 묻다 [mutda] | to ask | 묻 | 묻고 | 물으니까 |
2. ㅂ Irregular Verbs
| Verbs | Meanings | Verb Stems | -고 ‘and’ | -(으)니까 ‘because’ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 굽다 [gupda] | to grill | 굽 | 굽고 | 구우니까 |
| 가깝다 [gaggapda] | to be near | 가깝 | 가깝고 | 가까우니까 |
| 더럽다 [deoreopda] | to be dirty | 더럽 | 더럽고 | 더러우니까 |
| 가볍다 [gabyeopda] | to be light | 가볍 | 가볍고 | 가벼우니까 |
| 눕다 [nupda] | to lie down | 눕 | 눕고 | 누우니까 |
| 맵다 [mepda] | to be spicy | 맵 | 맵고 | 매우니까 |
| 무겁다 [mugeopda] | to be heavy | 무겁 | 무겁고 | 무거우니까 |
| 쉽다 [shwipda] | to be easy | 쉽 | 쉽고 | 쉬우니까 |
| 어렵다 [eoryeopda] | to be difficult | 어렵 | 어렵고 | 어려우니까 |
| 춥다 [chupda] | to be cold | 춥 | 춥고 | 추우니까 |
| 덥다 [deopda] | to be hot | 덥 | 덥고 | 더우니까 |
| 아름답다 [areumdapda] | to be beautiful | 아름답 | 아름답고 | 아름다우니까 |
3. ㅅ Irregular Verbs
| Verbs | Meanings | Verb Stems | -고 ‘and’ | -(으)니까 ‘because’ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 짓다 [jitda] | to build | 짓 | 짓고 | 지으니까 |
| 낫다 [natda] | to be better | 낫 | 낫고 | 나으니까 |
4. 르 Irregular Verbs
| Verbs | Meanings | Verb Stems | -고 ‘and’ | -(으)니까 ‘because’ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 다르다 [dareuda] | to be different | 다르 | 다르고 | 다르니까 |
| 모르다 [moreuda] | to not know | 모르 | 모르고 | 모르니까 |
| 누르다 [nureuda] | to press | 누르 | 누르고 | 누르니까 |
| 흐르다 [heureuda] | to flow | 흐르 | 흐르고 | 흐르니까 |
| 빠르다 [bbareuda] | to be fast | 빠르 | 빠르고 | 빠르니까 |
5. ㄹ Irregular Verbs
| Verbs | Meanings | Verb Stems | -고 ‘and’ | -(으)니까 ‘because’ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 놀다 [nolda] | to play | 놀 | 놀고 | 노니까 |
| 들다 [deulda] | to lift | 들 | 들고 | 드니까 |
| 멀다 [meolda] | to be far | 멀 | 멀고 | 머니까 |
| 물다 [mulda] | to bite | 물 | 물고 | 무니까 |
| 살다 [salda] | to live | 살 | 살고 | 사니까 |
| 알다 [alda] | to know | 알 | 알고 | 아니까 |
| 열다 [yeolda] | to open | 열 | 열고 | 여니까 |
| 팔다 [palda] | to sell | 팔 | 팔고 | 파니까 |
| 길다 [gilda] | to be long | 길 | 길고 | 기니까 |
| 울다 [ulda] | to cry | 울 | 울고 | 우니까 |
6. ㅎ Irregular Verbs
| Verbs | Meanings | Verb Stems | -고 ‘and’ | -(으)니까 ‘because’ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 이렇다 [ireota] | to be like this | 이렇 | 이렇고 | 이러니까 |
| 그렇다 [geureota] | to be like that | 그렇 | 그렇고 | 그러니까 |
| 하얗다 [hayata] | to be white | 하얗 | 하얗고 | 하야니까 |
Reference:
- Jaehoon Yeon, Lucien Brown. Korean: A Comprehensive Grammar (Routledge Comprehensive Grammars). 1st ed. Routledge; 2011.
- Richard H. Harris. Roadmap to Korean. 2nd ed. Hollym International Corporation; 2005.
- Kim Jung-sup, Cho Hyun-yong, Lee Jung-see. Korean Phrase Book for Travelers. 2nd ed. Hollym International Corporation; 2012.
- Talk to me in Korean. The Korean Verbs Guide. Kong & Park Inc; 2013.
- Dictionary, eat. “Eat Translate English To Korean: Cambridge Dictionary”. Dictionary.Cambridge.Org, 2018, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-korean/eat. Accessed 23 Aug 2018.