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The verb 쓰다 (to write) becomes 써요 in the polite present tense due to a process called vowel contraction in Korean.
Here’s a breakdown of how it works:
- Verb Stem: The stem of 쓰다 is “쓰” (sseu).
- Last Vowel: The last vowel of the verb stem is ㅡ (eu).
- Present Tense Ending: In the polite present tense conjugation, the typical ending is “어요” (eoyo), but when the last vowel of the stem is ㅡ (eu), there’s a vowel contraction.
Vowel Contraction Rule:
When a verb stem ends in ㅡ, it contracts with the “어요” ending to become “ㅓ” (eo). So, “쓰어요” becomes “써요”.
Thus, 쓰다 → 쓰 + 어요 = 써요 instead of 쓰어요. This contraction makes the verb sound smoother and easier to pronounce.
