Tools · Irregular verbs
Korean Irregular Verbs and Adjectives
The 7 conjugation rules, a list of the common irregular verbs, and the look-alikes that stay regular.
Most Korean verbs are easy to conjugate: take the stem, add 아요 or 어요 (ayo or eoyo), and you're done. Irregular verbs are the ones where the last sound of the stem changes when you do that, so 춥다 (chupda, to be cold) turns into 추워요 (chuwoyo) instead of 춥어요 (chubeoyo). Seven patterns cover almost every irregular verb you'll run into, so once you know them you'll recognize most of them on sight. (하다 (hada) → 해요 (haeyo) is irregular too, but it's one verb you'll learn on day one.)
The 7 irregular rules
The ㅂ (B) Transformation
Rule: Drop ㅂ (b), add 우 (u) or 오 (o)
- 춥다 (chupda)→ 추워요 (chuwoyo)Cold
- 덥다 (deopda)→ 더워요 (deowoyo)Hot
- 귀엽다 (gwiyeopda)→ 귀여워요 (gwiyeowoyo)Cute
When ㅂ (b) is at the bottom of the stem, it usually disappears and becomes 우 (u). Only 돕다 (dopda, to help) and 곱다 (gopda, to be fine) take 오 (o) instead.
The ㄷ (D) Walker
Rule: Change ㄷ (d) to ㄹ (l)
- 걷다 (geotda)→ 걸어요 (georeoyo)Walk
- 듣다 (deutda)→ 들어요 (deureoyo)Listen/Hear
- 묻다 (mutda)→ 물어요 (mureoyo)Ask
When followed by a vowel, the bottom ㄷ (d) changes to ㄹ (l). Note that 닫다 (datda, to close) is regular!
The 르 (Reu) Doubler
Rule: Add an extra ㄹ (l)
- 부르다 (bureuda)→ 불러요 (bulleoyo)Call/Sing
- 빠르다 (ppareuda)→ 빨라요 (ppallayo)Fast
- 모르다 (moreuda)→ 몰라요 (mollayo)Don't Know
When you add 아/어 (a/eo), the 으 (eu) drops and an extra ㄹ (l) goes on the bottom of the block before it.
The ㅎ (H) Ghost
Rule: Drop ㅎ (h) completely
- 빨갛다 (ppalgata)→ 빨개요 (ppalgaeyo)Red
- 그렇다 (geureota)→ 그래요 (geuraeyo)To be so
- 어떻다 (eotteota)→ 어때요 (eottaeyo)How is it?
The ㅎ (h) disappears entirely, and the vowel usually changes to 애 (ae) or 에 (e).
The 으 (Eu) Dropout
Rule: Drop the 으 (eu) vowel
- 쓰다 (sseuda)→ 써요 (sseoyo)Write/Use/Bitter
- 예쁘다 (yeppeuda)→ 예뻐요 (yeppeoyo)Pretty
- 바쁘다 (bappeuda)→ 바빠요 (bappayo)Busy
If the stem ends in 으 (eu), that vowel drops when it meets 아/어 (a/eo).
The ㅅ (S) Builder
Rule: Drop ㅅ (s) before a vowel
- 짓다 (jitda)→ 지어요 (jieoyo)Build/Make
- 낫다 (natda)→ 나아요 (naayo)Better/Heal
- 잇다 (itda)→ 이어요 (ieoyo)Connect
The bottom ㅅ (s) disappears when followed by a vowel. Note that 웃다 (utda, to laugh) is regular!
The 러 (Reo) Arrival
Rule: Change 어 (eo) to 러 (reo)
- 이르다 (ireuda)→ 이르러요 (ireureoyo)Arrive/Reach
- 푸르다 (pureuda)→ 푸르러요 (pureureoyo)Blue/Green
Rare! Instead of adding 어 (eo), you add 러 (reo).
Korean irregular verbs list
The irregular verbs and adjectives you'll meet most, grouped by rule. Each one is shown in its dictionary form and then in the polite present form, the one you'd use in everyday conversation.
ㅂ irregular (b)
- 춥다chupda추워요chuwoyoto be cold
- 덥다deopda더워요deowoyoto be hot
- 쉽다swipda쉬워요swiwoyoto be easy
- 어렵다eoryeopda어려워요eoryeowoyoto be difficult
- 맵다maepda매워요maewoyoto be spicy
- 가깝다gakkapda가까워요gakkawoyoto be close
- 무겁다mugeopda무거워요mugeowoyoto be heavy
- 고맙다gomapda고마워요gomawoyoto be thankful
- 돕다dopda도와요dowayoto help
ㄷ irregular (d)
- 걷다geotda걸어요georeoyoto walk
- 듣다deutda들어요deureoyoto listen, to hear
- 묻다mutda물어요mureoyoto ask
- 깨닫다kkaedatda깨달아요kkaedarayoto realize
- 싣다sitda실어요sireoyoto load
르 irregular (reu)
- 모르다moreuda몰라요mollayoto not know
- 부르다bureuda불러요bulleoyoto call, to sing
- 빠르다ppareuda빨라요ppallayoto be fast
- 다르다dareuda달라요dallayoto be different
- 고르다goreuda골라요gollayoto choose
- 기르다gireuda길러요gilleoyoto raise, to grow
- 누르다nureuda눌러요nulleoyoto press
ㅎ irregular (h)
- 빨갛다ppalgata빨개요ppalgaeyoto be red
- 노랗다norata노래요noraeyoto be yellow
- 파랗다parata파래요paraeyoto be blue
- 하얗다hayata하얘요hayaeyoto be white
- 그렇다geureota그래요geuraeyoto be so
- 어떻다eotteota어때요eottaeyoto be how
으 irregular (eu)
- 쓰다sseuda써요sseoyoto write, to use
- 크다keuda커요keoyoto be big
- 바쁘다bappeuda바빠요bappayoto be busy
- 예쁘다yeppeuda예뻐요yeppeoyoto be pretty
- 아프다apeuda아파요apayoto hurt, to be sick
- 슬프다seulpeuda슬퍼요seulpeoyoto be sad
- 기쁘다gippeuda기뻐요gippeoyoto be glad
- 끄다kkeuda꺼요kkeoyoto turn off
ㅅ irregular (s)
- 짓다jitda지어요jieoyoto build, to make
- 낫다natda나아요naayoto get better
- 잇다itda이어요ieoyoto connect
- 붓다butda부어요bueoyoto pour, to swell
- 긋다geutda그어요geueoyoto draw (a line)
러 irregular (reo)
- 이르다ireuda이르러요ireureoyoto arrive, to reach
- 푸르다pureuda푸르러요pureureoyoto be blue-green
Endings where you'll see the change
An irregular verb only changes before an ending that starts with a vowel. These are the ones you'll use most, and each has its own lesson.
- 아/어서 a/eoseobecause, and then추워서 chuwoseo, it's cold, so
- (으)니까 (eu)nikkabecause, since추우니까 chuunikka, since it's cold
- (으)면 (eu)myeonif, when추우면 chuumyeon, if it's cold
- (으)세요 (eu)seyoplease (polite request)걸으세요 georeuseyo, please walk
- (으)ㄹ게요 (eu)lgeyoI'll (promise)들을게요 deureulgeyo, I'll listen
- 아/어 주다 a/eo judado for someone도와 주세요 dowa juseyo, please help me
- 아/어 보다 a/eo bodatry doing들어 보세요 deureo boseyo, have a listen
- 아/어도 되다 a/eodo doedamay, it's okay to들어도 돼요 deureodo dwaeyo, it's okay to listen
- 아/어야 하다 a/eoya hadahave to, must걸어야 해요 georeoya haeyo, I have to walk
Look-alikes that stay regular
These end in the same letter as an irregular group, but they conjugate the normal way, so the last letter just carries over. 따르다 (ttareuda) and 들르다 (deulleuda) look like 르 (reu) verbs, but they only drop the 으 (eu) and don't add an extra ㄹ (l).
- 입다ipda입어요ibeoyoto wear
- 좁다jopda좁아요jobayoto be narrow
- 잡다japda잡아요jabayoto catch, to hold
- 닫다datda닫아요dadayoto close
- 받다batda받아요badayoto receive
- 믿다mitda믿어요mideoyoto believe
- 웃다utda웃어요useoyoto laugh, to smile
- 씻다ssitda씻어요ssiseoyoto wash
- 벗다beotda벗어요beoseoyoto take off
- 좋다jota좋아요joayoto be good
- 놓다nota놓아요noayoto put down
- 따르다ttareuda따라요ttarayoto follow, to pour
- 들르다deulleuda들러요deulleoyoto drop by
Common questions
How many irregular verbs are there in Korean?
There's no single number. Hundreds of verbs and adjectives follow the irregular patterns, and grammars don't all agree on which patterns to count (some treat 으 dropping as regular). What you actually need is the 7 patterns on this page: once you know them, you can conjugate any irregular verb or adjective, including adjectives like 춥다 (chupda, cold) and 빨갛다 (ppalgata, red).
What makes a Korean verb irregular?
Most Korean verbs conjugate the same way: you take the stem and add the ending. An irregular verb is one where the last sound of the stem changes when the ending starts with a vowel, like 아요/어요 (ayo/eoyo) or 았/었 (at/eot) for the past. That's why 춥다 (chupda) becomes 추워요 (chuwoyo) and not 춥어요 (chubeoyo).
How can I tell if a verb is irregular?
Sadly, you can't always tell from the spelling. 춥다 (chupda) and 입다 (ipda) both end in ㅂ (b), but only the first one is irregular. The good news is that the common irregulars are the same handful of verbs you'll meet over and over, so the list above covers most of what you'll need. Korean dictionaries also mark them, for example as ㅂ 불규칙 (b bulgyuchik, ㅂ irregular).
Do irregular verbs change before every ending?
No, and that's what makes them easier than they look. Before an ending that starts with a consonant, the stem stays as it is: 춥고 (chupgo, cold and), 걷지만 (geotjiman, walks but). The change only happens before vowels, so you'll see it in 추워요 (chuwoyo), 추웠어요 (chuwosseoyo) and 추우면 (chuumyeon).
Which irregular verbs should I learn first?
Start with the ones you'll say every day: 덥다 (deopda) and 춥다 (chupda) for the weather, 모르다 (moreuda) for "I don't know", 듣다 (deutda) for listening, and 바쁘다 (bappeuda) and 아프다 (apeuda) for how you're doing. Once those feel natural, the rest of each group follows the same pattern.
Where the rules come from
The official spelling rules set out every irregular pattern, and the learners' dictionary shows each verb's changed forms.
