Basic Korean grammar

   Today, we’re going to learn Korean irregular verb ㅂ, ㅂ irregular conjugation. This is the second part of Korean irregular verb series. We have already learned Korean irregular verb ㄷ. ㅂ irregular conjugation join with adjectives(형용사) and verbs(동사). That’s why today’s topic is Basic Korean Grammar: ‘ㅂ’ Conjugation. After joining with ㅂ both adjectives and verbs will change their form. First, let’s see a Korean conversation.

  Let’s look at how today’s grammar ‘ㅂ irregular conjugation’ is used in a short conversation.

Minjo asks Naun about today’s weather.

“오늘 날씨가 어때요?” “How is today’s weather?”

Naun replies: “추워요.” It’s cold.

Today’s Korean grammar is ‘추워요.’

Cold in English – 추워요/ 춥다

First, let’s find out how the ‘ㅂ’ regular and irregular conjugations are different.

‘ㅂ’ regular conjugation, when the final consonant ‘ㅂ’ meets a vowel such as ‘아요/어요’, ‘ㅂ’ remains. So, ‘좁다 (to be narrow) and 잡다 (to hold)’ become ‘좁아요, 잡아요.’

On the other hand, regarding ‘ㅂ’ irregular conjugation, when the final consonant ‘ㄷ’ meets a vowel such as ‘아요/어요, ‘ㅂ’ changes to ‘오 or 우.’ So ‘춥다 (to be cold) and ‘돕다 (to help)’ become ‘추워요 and 도와요.’

Korean irregular verbㅂsummary

    when the final consonant ‘ㅂ’ in the adjective/verb stem is followed by a vowel, ‘ㅂ’ changes to ‘오/우.’ For Example,

춥다 (to be cold) is an adjective. When ‘ㅂ’ in the stem is followed by a vowel such ‘아요/어요.’

‘ㅂ’ changes to ‘우’, and add ‘어요’ after that. It becomes ‘추워요.’

Let’s look at another example.

When the verb ‘돕다 (to help) meets ‘아요/어요.’

‘ㅂ’ changes to ‘오.’ Add ‘아요’ after that, it becomes ‘도와요.’

Add ‘아요’ after that, it becomes ‘도

Korean irregular verb
Grammar rules

Korean irregular verb conjugation

When do we use ‘오’ or ‘우’? Let’s find out together.

‘ㅂ’ in ‘곱다 (to be fine) and 돕다 (to help)’ is changed to ‘오.’

Except ‘곱다, 돕다,’ ‘ㅂ’ in irregular adjective/verbs are changed to ‘오.’

The irregular adjectives are ‘덥다 (to be hot), 춥다 (to be cold), 쉽다 (to be easy), 어렵다 (to be difficult),

가볍다 (to be light), 무겁다 (to be heavy), 즐겁다 (to be joyful), 가깝다 (to be close), 맵다 (to be spicy), (to be beautiful) and etc.

The irregular verbs are ‘돕다 (to help), 굽다 (to bake), 눕다 (to lay), 줍다 (to pick up).

Korean verb conjugation Practice

First, let’s practice when ‘ㅂ’ changes to ‘우’

This is the adjective 맵다 (to be spicy).’

How does it conjugate when ‘맵다’ is followed by the vowel ‘아요/어요’?

‘매’ remains, and ‘ㅂ’ changes to ‘우’ and add ‘어요’ after that. It becomes ‘매워요.’

This time, it is the adjective 쉽다 (to be easy).’

How does it conjugate when ‘쉽다’ is followed by the past ending ‘았어요/었어요’?

‘쉬’ remains, and ‘ㅂ’ changes to ‘우.’ And add ‘어요’ after that. It becomes ‘쉬웠어요.’

In this time, let’s practice when ‘ㅂ’ changes to ‘오.’

How does it conjugate when ‘돕다’ is followed by the past ending ‘았어요/었어요’?

‘도’ remains and ‘ㅂ’ changes to ‘오’ and add ‘았어요’ after that. It becomes ‘도왔어요.’

Let’s practice by looking at some examples.

Korean sentences

This is the first sentence.

‘어제는 날씨가 춥다’ ‘Yesterday the weather, to be cold.’

How would you say it?

어제는 날씨가 Yesterday the weather

추웠어요 was cold.

김치가 맵다 ‘Kimchi, to be spicy.’

How would you say it?

김치가 Kimchi

매워요 is spicy.

Or you could say ‘김치가 매웠어요 (Kimchi was spicy.)’

‘시험이 너무 어렵다’ ‘The exam too, to be difficult’

How would you say it?

시험이 너무 The exam is too

어려워요 difficult.

Or you could say ‘시험이 너무 어려웠어요. (The exam was too difficult.)

Korean conversation

Now let’s look at short conversations.

Minjo asks Naun:

“비빔밥 맛있어요?” Is Bibimbab delicious?

Naun replies:

“네, 맛있어요.” Yes, it’s delicious.

‘그런데 조금 맵다” But, a bit, to be spicy.

How would you say it?

“그런데 조금 매워요.” But, it is a bit spicy.

Minjo again asks Naun:

“한국어 시험 쉬웠어요?” Was the Korean exam easy?

Naun replies:

“아니요, 어렵다.” No, to be difficult.

How would you say it?

“아니요, No,

어려웠어요.” It was difficult.

Korean irregular verb ㅂconclusion

Let’s summarise what we’ve learned.

Today we’ve learned ‘ㅂ irregular conjugation.’

‘ㅂ irregular conjugations is when ‘ㅂ’ in the adjective/verb stem is followed by the vowel,

‘ㅂ’ changes to ‘오/우.’ So, ‘ㅂ’ in ‘곱다 (to be fine) and 돕다 (to help) changes to ‘오.’

ㅂ in other irregular adjectives/verb stems changes to ‘우.’

Examples,

‘춥다’ becomes ‘추워요, 추웠어요.’

‘돕다’ becomes ‘도와요, 도왔어요.’

‘ㅂ’ changes either ‘오’ or ‘우’

That’s all for today. We have already learned about ㄹ  irregular conjugation. Next time, we’re going to learn ㄷ irregular conjugation. If you want to learn Korean more you can learn from Wikipedia also.