Essential Korean Grammar. Laura Kingdon
어떻다 eotteota. Other verbs ending in ㅎ are conjugated normally.
놓다 nota > 놓 > 놓아요 noayo
넣다 neota > 넣 > 넣어요 neoeoyo
Color words typically drop their ㅎ and have 이요 added instead of 아요.
빨갛다 ppalgata > 빨갛 > 빨가 ppalga > 빨간, 빨개요 ppalgan, ppalgaeyo
까맣다 kkamata > 까맣 > 까마 kkama > 까만, 까매요 kkaman, kkamaeyo
하얗다 hayata > 하얗 > 하야 haya > 하얀, 하얘요 hayan, hayaeyo
이렇다 ireota/그렇다 geureota/저렇다 jeoreota and 어떻다 eotteota also function like these words.
이렇다 > 이렇 > 이러 ireo > 이런 ireon, 이래요 iraeyo
그렇다 > 그렇 > 그러 geureo > 그런 geureon, 그래요 geuraeyo
저렇다 > 저렇 > 저러 jeoreo > 저런 jeoreon, 저래요 jeoraeyo
어떻다 > 어떻 > 어떠 eotteo > 어떤 eotteon, 어때요 eottaeyo
They’re strange enough that, particularly in the case of 그렇다, which is used all over the place, you’re better off simply memorizing their permutations. See page 377 for a detailed list of the various ways in which 그렇다 can be conjugated.
Irregular Verbs: Stems Ending with ㅂ, ㅅ or ㄷ
Basically, each of these irregular verbs has two forms: in any instance in which an expression that begins (or can begin) with a vowel is added, the verb will change, while in any instance in which an expression that can begin with only a consonant is added, the verb will be conjugated the regular way. The table below shows how each one changes:
Kind of irregular verb (example) | Verb stem before vowels | Verb stem before consonants |
ㅂ (돕다) dopda | 도우 dou (ㅂ changes to 우) | 돕 dob |
ㅅ (짓다) jitda | 지 ji (ㅅ disappears) | 짓 jit |
ㄷ (걷다) geotda | 걸 geol (ㄷ changes to ㄹ) | 걷 geot |
And here are some examples of the verbs in action:
Kind of verb | Example | + consonant (지만) | + consonant (는) | + consonant (고) | + vowel (아/어/여서) | + vowel ([으]ㄹ) | + vowel ([으]면) |
ㅂ irregular | 돕다 dopda | 돕지만 dopjiman | 돕는 dopneun | 돕고 dopgo | 도와서 dowaseo | 도울 doul | 도우면 doumeyon |
밉다 mipda | 밉지만 mipjiman | 밉는 mipneun | 밉고 mipgo | 미워서 miwoseo | 미울 miul | 미우면 miumyeon | |
굽다 gupda | 굽지만 gupjiman | 굽는 gupneun | 굽고 gupgo | 구워서 guwoseo | 구울 guul | 구우면 gu-u-myeon | |
눕다 nupda | 눕지만 nupjiman | 눕는 nupneun | 눕고 nupgo | 누워서 nuwoseo | 누울 nuul | 누우면 nu-u-myeon | |
ㅅ irregular | 짓다 jitda | 짓지만 jitjiman | 짓는 jitneun | 짓고 jitgo | 지어서 jieoseo | 지을 jieul | 지으면 jieumyeon |
잇다 itda | 잇지만 itjiman | 잇는 itneun | 잇고 itgo | 이어서 ieoseo | 이을 ieul | 이으면 ieumyeon | |
붓다 butda | 붓지만 butjiman | 붓는 butneun | 붓고 butgo | 부어서 bueoseo | 부을 bueul | 부으면 bueumyeon | |
낫다 natda | 낫지만 natjiman | 낫는 nanneun | 낫고 natgo | 나아서 na-a-seo | 나을 naeul | 나으면 naeumyeon | |
ㄷ irregular | 걷다 geotda | 걷지만 geotjiman | 걷는 geotneun | 걷고 geotgo | 걸어서 georeoseo | 걸을 georeul | 걸으면 georeumyeon |
싣다 sitda | 싣지만 sitjiman | 싣는 sitneun | 싣고 sitgo | 실어서 sireoseo | 실을 sireul | 실으면 sireumyeon | |
묻다 mutda | mutjiman | 묻는 mutneun | 묻고 mutgo | 물어서 mureoseo | 물을 mureul | 물으면 mureumyeon | |
듣다 deutda | 듣지만 deutjiman | 듣는 deutneun | 듣고 deutgo | 들어서 deureoseo | 들을 deureul | 들으면 deureumyeon |
It’s important to remember that unlike ㄹ, 르, ㅎ, or vowel-based irregularities, which apply to all verbs with that particular spelling pattern, verb stems ending in ㅅ, ㄷ, and ㅂ can be regular or irregular. You just have to