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To conjugate a verb into the polite present tense:
- Start with the verb stem.
- Add one of these endings based on the last vowel in the verb stem:
- 아요 (a-yo): If the last vowel is ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o).
- 어요 (eo-yo): If the last vowel is anything other than ㅏ or ㅗ.
- 여요 (yeo-yo): Used only for 하다 verbs.
Examples:
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.
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.
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.
