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The verb 쓰다 (to write) is conjugated as 써요 in the polite present tense instead of 쓰어요 due to a phonetic rule in Korean called vowel contraction.
Here’s the breakdown:
Verb = 쓰다
Verb Stem = 쓰
Last Vowel of Stem = ㅡ
Polite Present Tense Ending = 아요 or 어요 depending on the last vowel.
Since the last vowel in the verb stem 쓰 is ㅡ , the general rule is to use the 어요 ending instead of 아요. However, there’s a special exception when the stem ends in ㅡ, instead of saying 쓰어요, it becomes 써요. This change is made for ease of pronunciation, because 쓰어요 is harder to say smoothly.
So, the conjugated form of 쓰다 in the polite present tense is 써요. This phonetic simplification helps make the language flow more naturally in conversation.
