Irregular Verbs

 
3 Sentence Summary of This Lesson:
  • Korean has several irregular verb conjugation patterns (ㄷ, ㅂ, ㅅ, 르, 으, ㄹ, ㅎ) where the stem changes when followed by certain vowels.
  • The most common irregulars involve consonant changes (ㄷ→ㄹ, ㅂ→오/우), vowel drops (ㅡ disappears), or complete stem transformations.
  • Some verbs have unique honorific forms (계시다, 드시다, 주무시다) that completely replace their regular counterparts.
 
 
Now this is a list of irregular verbs. Irregular verbs are spelled or conjugated differently. You don’t have to memorize them, but it’s good to keep this list in case you come across one. Please refer to the simple explanation of each rule under the titles.
 
For practice, you can use the exercises and flash cards available in the Practice Hub (only accessible with the ‘Champion’ subscription) and use the digital worksheet to make your own sentences.
 

ㄷ (D) Irregular

 
The batchim ㄷ changes to ㄹ when followed by a vowel.
 
  1. 걷다 - To walk
      • 공원을 걸어요. (I walk in the park.)
  1. 듣다 - To listen
      • 음악을 들어요. (I listen to music.)
  1. 묻다 - To ask
      • 선생님께 물어요. (I ask the teacher.)
  1. 싣다 - To load
      • 짐을 차에 실어요. (I load luggage into the car.)
  1. 깨닫다 - To realize
      • 사실을 깨달아요. (I realize the truth.)
 

ㅂ (B) Irregular

 
The batchim ㅂ changes to 오 or 우 when followed by a vowel.
 
  1. 돕다 - To help
      • 친구를 도와요. (I help a friend.) → [도 + 오 + 아요 = 도와요]
  1. 굽다 - To bake / To roast
      • 고기를 구워요. (I roast meat.) → [구 + 우+ 어요 = 구워요]
  1. 눕다 - To lie down
      • 침대에 누워요. (I lie down on the bed.)
  1. 줍다 - To pick up
      • 쓰레기를 주워요. (I pick up trash.)
  1. 춥다 - To be cold
      • 날씨가 추워요. (The weather is cold.)
  1. 덥다 - To be hot
      • 여름은 더워요. (Summer is hot.)
  1. 맵다 - To be spicy
      • 김치가 매워요. (Kimchi is spicy.)
  1. 쉽다 - To be easy
      • 한국어가 쉬워요. (Korean is easy.)
  1. 어렵다 - To be difficult
      • 시험이 어려워요. (The test is difficult.)
  1. 무겁다 - To be heavy
      • 가방이 무거워요. (The bag is heavy.)
  1. 가볍다 - To be light
      • 이 짐은 가벼워요. (This luggage is light.)
  1. 귀엽다 - To be cute
      • 강아지가 귀여워요. (The puppy is cute.)
  1. 더럽다 - To be dirty
      • 방이 더러워요. (The room is dirty.)
  1. 싱겁다 - To be bland
      • 국이 싱거워요. (The soup is bland.)
  1. 어둡다 - To be dark
      • 밖이 어두워요. (It is dark outside.)
  1. 무섭다 - To be scary / scared
      • 귀신이 무서워요. (Ghosts are scary.)
  1. 즐겁다 - To be joyful / pleasant
      • 여행이 즐거워요. (The trip is pleasant.)
  1. 반갑다 - To be glad (to meet)
      • 만나서 반가워요. (Glad to meet you.)
  1. 고맙다 - To be thankful
      • 정말 고마워요. (I am truly thankful.)
  1. 밉다 - To be detestable / To hate
      • 그 사람이 미워요. (I hate that person.)
  1. 부럽다 - To be envious
      • 네가 부러워요. (I am envious of you.)
  1. 아름답다 - To be beautiful
      • 경치가 아름다워요. (The scenery is beautiful.)
  1. 새롭다 - To be new
      • 기분이 새로워요. (The feeling is new.)
  1. 시끄럽다 - To be noisy
      • 교실이 시끄러워요. (The classroom is noisy.)
  1. 뜨겁다 - To be hot (to the touch)
      • 커피가 뜨거워요. (The coffee is hot.)
 

ㅅ (S) Irregular

 
The batchim disappears when followed by a vowel.
 
  1. 짓다 - To build / To make (rice/name)
      • 집을 지어요. (I build a house.)
  1. 잇다 - To connect
      • 선을 이어요. (I connect the line.)
  1. 젓다 - To stir
      • 커피를 저어요. (I stir the coffee.)
  1. 낫다 - To recover / To be better
      • 감기가 나아요. (The cold is getting better.)
  1. 붓다 - To pour / To swell
      • 물을 부어요. (I pour water.)
  1. 긋다 - To draw a line
      • 줄을 그어요. (I draw a line.)
 

르 Irregular

 
The ㅡ vowel disappears and an extra ㄹ is added.
 
  1. 부르다 - To call / To sing
      • 노래를 불러요. (I sing a song.)
  1. 모르다 - To not know
      • 정답을 몰라요. (I don't know the answer.)
  1. 빠르다 - To be fast
      • 기차가 빨라요. (The train is fast.)
  1. 다르다 - To be different
      • 우리는 달라요. (We are different.)
  1. 고르다 - To choose
      • 옷을 골라요. (I choose clothes.)
  1. 자르다 - To cut
      • 머리를 잘라요. (I cut my hair.)
  1. 기르다 - To raise (pet/plant)
      • 고양이를 길러요. (I raise a cat.)
  1. 오르다 - To climb / To rise
      • 산에 올라요. (I climb the mountain.)
  1. 흐르다 - To flow
      • 강물이 흘러요. (The river water flows.)
  1. 마르다 - To dry / To be thirsty
      • 목이 말라요. (My throat is dry/I am thirsty.)
  1. 게으르다 - To be lazy
      • 그는 게을러요. (He is lazy.)
  1. 서두르다 - To hurry
      • 학교에 서둘러요. (I hurry to school.)
  1. 누르다 - To press
      • 버튼을 눌러요. (I press the button.)
  1. 바르다 - To apply (lotion/cream)
      • 연고를 발라요. (I apply ointment.)
 

으 Irregular

 
The vowel ㅡ is dropped when meeting another vowel.
 
  1. 쓰다 - To write / To use / To be bitter
      • 편지를 써요. (I write a letter.) → [쓰 → ㅆ + 어요 = 써요]
  1. 크다 - To be big
      • 키가 커요. (He is tall / Height is big.)
  1. 끄다 - To turn off
      • 불을 꺼요. (I turn off the light.)
  1. 예쁘다 - To be pretty
      • 꽃이 예뻐요. (The flower is pretty.)
  1. 아프다 - To be sick / To hurt
      • 머리가 아파요. (My head hurts.)
  1. 바쁘다 - To be busy
      • 오늘 바빠요. (I am busy today.)
  1. 나쁘다 - To be bad
      • 기분이 나빠요. (I feel bad.)
  1. 배고프다 - To be hungry
      • 배가 고파요. (I am hungry.)
  1. 슬프다 - To be sad
      • 영화가 슬퍼요. (The movie is sad.)
      • Note: 기쁘다 (Happy) -> 기뻐요
  1. 잠그다 - To lock
      • 문을 잠가요. (I lock the door.)
  1. 담그다 - To soak / To make (kimchi)
      • 김치를 담가요. (I make kimchi.)
  1. 뜨다 - To float / To open (eyes)
      • 눈을 떠요. (Open your eyes.)
 

ㄹ Irregular

 
The ㄹ stays, but drops if followed by ㄴ, ㅂ, ㅅ. (Common in formal speech or specific grammar forms).
 
  1. 살다 - To live
      • 여기에 살아요. (I live here.) / 삽니다 (I live - formal)
  1. 알다 - To know
      • 그 사람을 알아요. (I know that person.)
  1. 팔다 - To sell
      • 물건을 팔아요. (I sell items.)
  1. 만들다 - To make
      • 음식을 만들어요. (I make food.)
  1. 열다 - To open
      • 문을 열어요. (I open the door.)
  1. 놀다 - To play / To hang out
      • 친구와 놀아요. (I hang out with a friend.)
  1. 멀다 - To be far
      • 집이 멀어요. (My house is far.)
  1. 길다 - To be long
      • 머리가 길어요. (Her hair is long.)
  1. 달다 - To be sweet
      • 사탕이 달아요. (Candy is sweet.)
  1. 힘들다 - To be hard / strenuous
      • 일이 힘들어요. (Work is hard.)
  1. 울다 - To cry
      • 아기가 울어요. (The baby cries.)
  1. 불다 - To blow
      • 바람이 불어요. (The wind blows.)
  1. 벌다 - To earn (money)
      • 돈을 벌어요. (I earn money.)
  1. 돌다 - To turn / To spin
      • 지구가 돌아요. (The earth spins.)
  1. 들다 - To enter / To lift
      • 가방을 들어요. (I lift the bag.)
  1. 밀다 - To push
      • 차를 밀어요. (I push the car.)
  1. 썰다 - To chop / slice
      • 파를 썰어요. (I chop green onions.)
  1. 풀다 - To untie / To solve
      • 문제를 풀어요. (I solve the problem.)
 

ㅎ Irregular

 
The ㅎ drops and vowels often change to 애 or 얘. (Mostly Colors/Status).
 
  1. 파랗다 - To be blue
      • 하늘이 파래요. (The sky is blue.)
  1. 빨갛다 - To be red
      • 사과가 빨개요. (The apple is red.)
  1. 하얗다 - To be white
      • 눈이 하얘요. (The snow is white.)
  1. 까맣다 - To be black
      • 밤이 까매요. (The night is black.)
  1. 노랗다 - To be yellow
      • 바나나가 노래요. (The banana is yellow.)
  1. 어떻다 - To be how
      • 날씨가 어때요? (How is the weather?)
  1. 그렇다 - To be so / like that
      • 네, 그래요. (Yes, that's right.)
  1. 이렇다 - To be like this
      • 상황이 이래요. (The situation is like this.)
  1. 저렇다 - To be like that (over there)
      • 성격이 저래요. (His personality is like that.)
 

Honorific Irregulars

 
Verbs that have completely unique forms or honorific changes.
 
  1. 계시다 - To be (Honorific of 있다)
      • 아버지가 집에 계세요. (My father is at home.)
  1. 드시다 - To eat (Honorific of 먹다)
      • 점심을 드세요. (Please eat lunch.)
  1. 주무시다 - To sleep (Honorific of 자다)
      • 할머니가 주무세요. (Grandmother is sleeping.)
  1. 편찮으시다 - To be sick (Honorific of 아프다)
      • 어머니가 편찮으세요. (Mother is sick.)
  1. 돌아가시다 - To pass away (Honorific of 죽다)
      • 작년에 돌아가셨어요. (He passed away last year.)