Irregular Verbs

Korean Grammar 2

Course 2 · Chapter 3 · Irregular Verbs and Adjectives

🔀 Irregular Verbs and Adjectives — 불규칙 용언

So far every stem has simply taken its ending. Some stems change a sound when they meet certain endings. These are the irregular verbs and adjectives (불규칙 용언), and they are common: 춥다, 듣다, 쓰다, 모르다 and 살다 are all irregular. The changes follow patterns, so each type can be learned as a rule plus a short list. This chapter gives each rule, a full conjugation table, and the regular look-alikes that do not change. It is placed before the clause chapters, because the clause endings in Chapters 5 to 9 need these forms.

1. Quick map of the classes

2. The ㅂ-irregular

When a stem ends in ㅂ and the ending begins with a vowel, ㅂ becomes 우, and the 우 merges with 어 to 워: 춥다 → 추워요. Before a consonant-initial ending the ㅂ stays: 춥고, 춥습니다. Most ㅂ-irregulars are adjectives: 덥다 (hot), 쉽다 (easy), 어렵다 (difficult), 맵다 (spicy), 가깝다 (near), 무겁다 (heavy), 귀엽다 (cute), 그립다 (miss), and the verb 눕다 (lie down).

Special case: 돕다 and 곱다. The two stems 돕다 (help) and 곱다 (pretty) change ㅂ to 와 before 아/어: 도와요, 고와요; before other vowels it is the normal 우: 도우면.

Regular look-alikes (no change): 입다 (wear), 잡다 (catch), 좁다 (narrow), 씹다 (chew), 뽑다 (pick), 넓다 (wide): 입어요, 좁아요, 넓어요. You must learn which -ㅂ words are regular.

3. The ㄷ-irregular

A verb stem ending in ㄷ changes to ㄹ before a vowel: 듣다 → 들어요 (listen), 걷다 → 걸어요 (walk), 묻다 → 물어요 (ask). It is verbs only. Regular look-alikes: 받다 (receive), 닫다 (close), 믿다 (believe), 얻다 (get). 묻다 "to bury" and 걷다 "to roll up" are regular, so check the meaning: 질문을 물어요 (ask) but 땅에 묻어요 (bury).

4. The ㅅ-irregular

A stem ending in ㅅ drops the ㅅ before a vowel: 짓다 → 지어요 (build; make), 낫다 → 나아요 (get better), 붓다 → 부어요 (pour; swell), 잇다 → 이어요 (connect). The two vowels stay separate: 지어요, not 져요. Regular look-alikes: 웃다 (laugh), 씻다 (wash), 벗다 (take off): 웃어요, 씻어요, 벗어요.

5. The ㅎ-irregular

This class is made of colour adjectives and a few "how/like that" adjectives: 빨갛다 (red), 노랗다 (yellow), 파랗다 (blue), 하얗다 (white), 까맣다 (black), 그렇다 (be so), 이렇다, 어떻다 (be how). The ㅎ drops before a vowel and the vowel of the ending merges with the stem, so 아/어 becomes 애 (or 얘 after ㅑ): 빨갛다 → 빨개요, 하얗다 → 하얘요, 그렇다 → 그래요, 어떻다 → 어때요. Before -(으)ㄴ the ㅎ simply drops: 빨간, 노란, 하얀. Before -ㅂ니다 and consonant endings it stays: 빨갛습니다, 빨갛고. 좋다 is regular (좋아요, 좋은), and so are 많다, 괜찮다, 싫다 and the verbs 낳다, 놓다, 쌓다.

6. The ㅡ-irregular

A stem whose last vowel is ㅡ loses it before 아/어. To choose between 아 and 어, look at the vowel in the syllable before the ㅡ: ㅏ or ㅗ gives 아, anything else gives 어, and a one-syllable stem (쓰, 크, 끄) takes 어:

• 바쁘다 → 바빠요 (preceding vowel ㅏ → 아), 아프다 → 아파요, 나쁘다 → 나빠요, 고프다 → 고파요
• 예쁘다 → 예뻐요 (ㅖ → 어), 슬프다 → 슬퍼요, 기쁘다 → 기뻐요
• 쓰다 → 써요, 크다 → 커요, 끄다 → 꺼요, 뜨다 → 떠요 (one syllable → 어)
• 잠그다 → 잠가요, 담그다 → 담가요 (preceding vowel ㅏ → 아)

Before consonant endings or -(으)면, -(으)니까, -(으)ㄴ nothing changes: 쓰면, 바쁘고, 예쁜, 바쁩니다. A few stems ending in 르 follow this class and not the 르-class: 따르다 → 따라요 (follow), 치르다 → 치러요 (pay), 들르다 → 들러요 (drop in). Learn them as exceptions.

7. The 르-irregular

Most stems ending in 르 double the ㄹ before 아/어: the 르 splits, the ㅡ drops and the ㄹ joins the previous syllable. 모르다 → 몰라요 (모ㄹ + 라요), 다르다 → 달라요, 고르다 → 골라요, 빠르다 → 빨라요, 자르다 → 잘라요, 오르다 → 올라요, 부르다 → 불러요, 흐르다 → 흘러요. The choice of 라 or 러 follows the same vowel rule as 아/어: ㅏ and ㅗ give 라, all others give 러. Before other endings, nothing changes: 모르면, 모릅니다, 모른.

8. The ㄹ-irregular ("ㄹ-drop")

A stem ending in ㄹ loses the ㄹ before ㄴ, ㅂ and ㅅ: 살다 → 삽니다 (ㅂ), 사니까 (ㄴ), 사세요 (ㅅ of -(으)시-), 산 (modifier -ㄴ), 사는 (-는). Before every other ending the ㄹ stays, and endings that normally add 으 (-(으)면) do not add it after ㄹ: 살면 (not 살으면), 살아요, 살고. Common ㄹ-stems: 살다 (live), 알다 (know), 만들다 (make), 팔다 (sell), 열다 (open), 놀다 (play), 길다 (long), 멀다 (far).

9. The 러-irregular and 이다 / 아니다

Three adjectives take 러 instead of 어: 푸르다 → 푸르러요 (be blue-green), 이르다 → 이르러요 (reach), 누르다 → 누르러요 (be yellow). They are rare; the verb 누르다 "press" is the 르-class (눌러요). A related oddity is 푸다 (scoop): 퍼요 (the 우 drops).

이다 and 아니다 are special in a different way: 이다 attaches to the noun and changes with the final sound: 학생이에요 / 의사예요, 학생이었어요 / 의사였어요, 학생이고, 학생이면, 학생인, 학생입니다; 아니다: 아니에요, 아니었어요, 아니고, 아니면, 아닌, 아닙니다.

10. Full conjugation tables

One example for each class, with a regular look-alike for comparison. The columns: 해요체 present, past, -(으)면 (if), -고 (and), -(으)ㄴ (modifier, for adjectives; for verbs the past modifier), and 합쇼체.

🗣️ In Use — 실제 예문

📋 Quick Reference — 요약표

✏️ Try It Yourself — 연습

Work out the answer first, then click to check.