Polite Present Tense Verb Endings: 아요/어요/여요

Polite Present Tense Verb Endings: 아요/어요/여요

To conjugate a verb into the polite present tense:

  1. Start with the verb stem.
  2. Add one of these endings based on the last vowel in the verb stem:
  • 아요 (a-yo): If the last vowel is (a) or (o).

  • 어요 (eo-yo): If the last vowel is anything other than ㅏ or ㅗ.

  • 여요 (yeo-yo): Used only for 하다 verbs.

Examples:

Polite Present Tense Verb Endings: 아요/어요/여요

가다 (to go) → 가 + 아요 = 가요 (ga-yo)
Last vowel is ㅏ, so we add 아요.
가요 (ga-yo) = I go. You go. He/She goes. They go.

To conjugate the verb 가다 (to go) into the polite present tense, you start by taking the verb stem 가 and adding the ending 아요. This gives you 가 + 아요 = 가아요. However, for ease of pronunciation, the two vowels (ㅏ from 가 and ㅏ from 아요) blend together, resulting in the more natural form 가요 (ga-yo). This process of combining vowels is common in Korean, making it easier to pronounce verbs in their conjugated forms.

Polite Present Tense Verb Endings: 아요/어요/여요

먹다 (to eat) → 먹 + 어요 = 먹어요 (meo-geo-yo)
Last vowel is not ㅏ or ㅗ, so we add 어요.
먹어요 (meo-geo-yo) = I eat. You eat. He/She eats. They eat.

To conjugate the verb 먹다 (to eat), you start with the stem 먹 and add 어요 to make it polite present tense. Instead of saying 먹 + 어 (meok + eo) separately, the final sound of 먹 (meok) blends with the vowel sound 어 (eo), resulting in 머거 (meo-geo). This merging of sounds makes the pronunciation smoother and more natural. This kind of blending is common in Korean, helping the language flow better when you speak.

Polite Present Tense Verb Endings: 아요/어요/여요

하다 (to do) → 하 + 여요 = 해요 (hae-yo)
하다 verbs use 여요, but it changes to 해요.
해요 (hae-yo) = I do. You do. He/She does. They do.

When conjugating 하다 (to do) into the polite present tense, it becomes 해요 (hae-yo). Although the stem 하 takes the ending 여요, it changes to 해요 for easier pronunciation.

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