OpenHangul
Lesson 6 1-Year Course, Week 12

The Polite Present Tense: -아요/어요

Conjugate any Korean verb into the polite present tense with -아요/어요, including contractions like 가요, 와요, 마셔요 and 돼요.

Mr. Gaon · Grammar, vocabulary & TOPIK

What you will learn in this lesson

  • Find the verb stem by removing -다
  • Choose -아요 or -어요 by the last vowel of the stem
  • Use contracted forms like 가요, 봐요, 마셔요, 돼요
  • Ask and answer simple yes/no questions
Mr. Gaon

Today is a key lesson. The -아요/어요 ending is the heart of everyday polite Korean, called 해요체. Once you know it, the past tense and many other forms will be easy, because they are built on the same rule.

Step 1: Find the stem

Every Korean verb in the dictionary ends in -다. Remove 다, and what is left is the stem.

먹다 (to eat) → stem 먹

가다 (to go) → stem 가

마시다 (to drink) → stem 마시

Korean adjectives, like 좋다 (to be good) and 작다 (to be small), work exactly the same way. In Korean they behave like verbs, so the rules in this lesson apply to them too.

Step 2: Look at the last vowel

Look at the vowel in the last syllable of the stem.

If it is ㅏ or ㅗ, add -아요.

If it is any other vowel (ㅓ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, ㅐ and so on), add -어요.

If the verb ends in 하다, it becomes 해요 (you learned this last lesson).

Why ㅏ and ㅗ? In traditional Korean grammar, these are called “bright” vowels, and they like to stay together with the bright vowel 아. This is just a memory aid. The real thing to remember is the rule.

V/A stem + 아요 / 어요 / 해요

polite present (해요체)

  • Last vowel ㅏ or ㅗ → -아요: 살다 → 살아요, 좋다 → 좋아요.
  • Any other vowel → -어요: 먹다 → 먹어요, 읽다 → 읽어요.
  • 하다 → 해요: 공부하다 → 공부해요.
  • The same form is used for statements and questions. Questions go up at the end.
  • 서울에 살아요. [서우레 사라요] seoure sarayo.
    I live in Seoul.
  • 이 김치는 맛있어요. [이 김치는 마시써요] i gimchineun masisseoyo.
    This kimchi is delicious.
  • 책을 읽어요. [채글 일거요] chaegeul ilgeoyo.
    I read a book.
  • 방이 작아요. [방이 자가요] bangi jagayo.
    The room is small.
  • 손을 씻어요. [소늘 씨서요] soneul ssiseoyo.
    I wash my hands.

Step 3: When the stem ends in a vowel, sounds join

When the stem has no final consonant, the vowels meet and usually contract (join into one syllable). This is where most learners need practice. The contractions are not optional in normal Korean. For example, people say 가요, never 가아요.

ㅏ + 아요 → ㅏ요: 가다 → 가요, 자다 → 자요

ㅓ + 어요 → ㅓ요: 서다 → 서요

ㅗ + 아요 → ㅘ요: 오다 → 와요, 보다 → 봐요

ㅜ + 어요 → ㅝ요: 배우다 → 배워요, 주다 → 줘요

ㅣ + 어요 → ㅕ요: 마시다 → 마셔요, 기다리다 → 기다려요

ㅐ + 어요 → ㅐ요: 보내다 → 보내요

ㅚ + 어요 → ㅙ요: 되다 → 돼요

ㅡ + 어요 → ㅓ요 (ㅡ drops): 쓰다 → 써요, 크다 → 커요

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Conjugation table

Dictionary formStemPolite presentMeaning
가다가가요to go
사다사사요to buy
오다오와요to come
보다보봐요to see, watch
먹다먹먹어요to eat
배우다배우배워요to learn
마시다마시마셔요to drink
보내다보내보내요to send
되다되돼요to become, be okay
쓰다쓰써요to write, use
좋다좋좋아요to be good
일하다일하일해요to work

Stems ending in a consonant never contract: 먹어요, 좋아요, 읽어요.

Mr. Gaon

A very common spelling mistake, even among Koreans, is 되요. The correct spelling is 돼요, because 되 + 어요 = 돼요. If you remember this, you will write better than many native speakers!

Look closely

  • 봐요 bwayo
    watch / see (보다) ㅗ + 아 → ㅘ.
  • 봬요 bwaeyo
    see (someone respected) (뵈다) A humble verb: 내일 봬요 “See you tomorrow” to a teacher. ㅚ + 어 → ㅙ.
  • 돼요 dwaeyo
    it’s okay / it becomes Correct. 되 + 어요.
  • 되요 doeyo
    (spelling mistake) Wrong. Always write 돼요 at the end of a sentence.

Irregular verbs: just a preview

A few groups of verbs change their stem. You will meet them often, so here is a short preview. Don’t try to master them today.

ㅂ irregular: 덥다 (to be hot) → 더워요, 춥다 (to be cold) → 추워요, 맵다 (to be spicy) → 매워요.

ㄷ irregular: 듣다 (to listen) → 들어요, 걷다 (to walk) → 걸어요.

르 irregular: 모르다 (to not know) → 몰라요, 빠르다 (to be fast) → 빨라요.

ㄹ stems are regular here: 알다 → 알아요, 살다 → 살아요, 만들다 → 만들어요.

Everyday sentences

  • 학교에 가요. hakgyoe gayo.
    I go to school.
  • 친구가 와요. chinguga wayo.
    My friend is coming.
  • 물을 마셔요. [무를 마셔요] mureul masyeoyo.
    I drink water.
  • 한국어를 배워요. [한구거를 배워요] hangugeoreul baewoyo.
    I’m learning Korean.
  • 열한 시에 자요. [여란 시에 자요] yeolhan sie jayo.
    I go to bed at eleven.
  • 오늘 날씨가 추워요. oneul nalssiga chuwoyo.
    It’s cold today.
  • 이 볼펜 써요? i bolpen sseoyo?
    Do you use this pen?
  • 사진을 찍어도 돼요? [사지늘 찌거도 돼요] sajineul jjigeodo dwaeyo?
    May I take a photo? -아도/어도 돼요 = “May I…?” You will study it later.
  • 잘 모르겠어요. [잘 모르게써요] jal moreugesseoyo.
    I’m not sure. / I don’t really know.

After class

A
지금 집에 가요? jigeum jibe gayo?Are you going home now?
B
아니요, 도서관에 가요. 거기서 책을 읽어요. aniyo, doseogwane gayo. geogiseo chaegeul ilgeoyo.No, I’m going to the library. I read books there.
A
저는 카페에 가요. 친구를 만나요. jeoneun kapee gayo. chingureul mannayo.I’m going to a café. I’m meeting a friend.
B
좋아요. 내일 봐요! joayo. naeil bwayo!Sounds good. See you tomorrow!

Verbs and adjectives

  • 살다 salda
    to live
  • 자다 jada
    to sleep
  • 만나다 mannada
    to meet
  • 읽다 [익따] ikda
    to read
  • 씻다 [씯따] ssitda
    to wash
  • 기다리다 gidarida
    to wait
  • 작다 [작따] jakda
    to be small
  • 크다 keuda
    to be big
  • 맛있다 [마싣따] masitda
    to be delicious

Check quiz

  1. Q1. What is the polite present of 먹다?

  2. Q2. What is the polite present of 오다?

  3. Q3. What is the polite present of 마시다?

  4. Q4. Which spelling is correct?

  5. Q5. What is the polite present of 쓰다?

  6. Q6. Which verb takes -아요?

  7. Q7. What is the polite present of 덥다 (to be hot)?

Mr. Gaon

That was a big lesson, and you did it! Practice by taking ten verbs and conjugating them every day for a week. The contractions will soon come out of your mouth without thinking.

Key points

  • Stem = dictionary form minus -다.
  • Last vowel ㅏ/ㅗ → -아요; other vowels → -어요; 하다 → 해요.
  • Vowel stems contract: 가요, 와요, 봐요, 배워요, 마셔요, 써요.
  • 되다 → 돼요 (never 되요).
  • The same form is used for statements and questions.
  • Some verbs are irregular: 더워요, 들어요, 몰라요.

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