This is a growing database of verb and adjective endings in the Korean language. It is not intended to teach anyone how to use the endings, but rather provide a mere list of individual endings and limited explanations to those who already are familiar with the language. Example sentences with English translations are listed in blue. Transliteration is not provided.
Information from this page relates to the Integrated Korean textbook series, published by University of Hawai'i Press. Beginners should approach the language with the first few volumes of this series before consulting this page.
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i. The infinitive ending ~다
All verbs and adjectives in dictionaries are listed with the infinitive ending 다 attached. Unlike in English, verbs can be listed in the infinitive past (See 2-1). In each of the sections below for purposes of grammar, verb endings are usually listed with the ~다 ending.
ii. Qualifying nouns ~이다
In linguistics jargon, ~이다 is called a copula and isn't considered a verb. It's equivalent to the verb to be in English that is used to qualify nouns. For the to be that expresses location and existence, the verb 있다 is used.
The copula is only attached to nouns. When the copula is used with the polite ending, the ending is ~이에요 if the noun ends in a consonant, and ~예요 if it ends in a vowel. When used with the deferential ending, use ~ㅂ니다 for vowel final syllables and ~입니다 for consonant final syllables.
친구가 아주 친절한 사람이에요. / (My) friend is a very kind person.
저는 영어 선생님입니다. / I am an English teacher.
오빠가 의사예요. / (My) older brother is a doctor.
The Speech Levels
1-1 The polite ending ~어요/~아요
The polite ending is widely used in Korean conversation. It is frequently used in informal settings, among adult friends. Alongside the deferential ending, it is even used when speaking to adult superiors and in some formal settings.
If the final vowel in the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, then the 아요 ending is used. If it is ㅓ or ㅜ, then 어요 is used. There are many contractions:
가다: 가 + 아요 = 가아요 -> 가요 (to go)
오다: 오 + 아요 = 오아요 -> 와요 (to come)
하다: 하 + 아요 = 하아요 -> 해요 (to do)
서울에 살아요. / I live in Seoul.
고향이 어디 있어요? / Where is your hometown?
으늘 날씨가 좋아요. / The weather is nice today.
주말에 친구를 보통 만나요. / I usually meet my friend(s) on the weekends.
1-2 The deferential ending ~습니다/ㅂ니다, ~습니까/ㅂ니까?
The deferential ending is used in formal settings, business meetings, news broadcasting, public lectures and the like. The deferential ending is often used when speaking to elders as a show of respect. Individuals who don't know one another might use the ending. It is often used more by male speakers.
When using the deferential ending, the final syllable is different depending on whether or not you are asking a question or making a statement. The final syllable is 다 if you are making a statement, while for questions it is 까?. If the stem ends in a syllable, use the ~습니다 or ~습니까? ending. If it ends in a vowel, use the ~ㅂ니다 or ~ㅂ니까? ending.
이 근처에 약국이 어디 있습니까? / Where is the nearby pharmacy?
시청에 어떻게 갑니까? / How can I get to City Hall?
약국은 슈퍼 옆에 있습니다. / The pharmacy is next to the supermarket.
성함 어떻게 되겠십니까? / What is your name? (to a senior)
1-3 The honorific ending ~(으)세요
The honorific ending is used when talking to or about respected persons, so it can be used in the second or third person. If the verb or adjective involves an honored person, then this ending must be used. (i.e. asking if the speaker has eaten lunch.) But if you are speaking with an honored person and the verb or adjective does not involve the speaker, then the polite ending need only be used. (i.e. Making a comment about the weather or any general statement.)
The honorific ending is also used for commands.
The honorific marker 시 is combined with the polite ending to produce the honorific ending: ~(으)시 + 어요 = (으)세요. The honorific marker 시 appears in combination with many other endings. For example, when combined with the deferential ending: 하다 + 시 + ~ㅂ니다 = 하십니다. (see the last example under 1-2, the Deferential Speech ending) Honorific verbs are also listed with 시 in the infinitive: 드시다 (honorific for to eat.)
Verb stems ending in a syllable require the ending ~으세요. For, those ending in a vowel ~세요 is used. For stems ending in ㄹ, the final ㄹ is dropped and the ~세요 ending added.
살다 -> 사세요 (live)
알다 -> 아세요 (know)
돌다 -> 도세요 (turn)
주말에 잘 보내세요. / Have a good weekend.
뭐 하세요? / What are you doing?
영어를 공부하세요? / Are you studying English?
김 교수님 어디 계세요? / Where is Professor Kim? (honorific)
앉으세요. / Sit down, please.
읽으세요. / Please read.
문을 닫으세요. / Close the door, please.
드세요. / Help yourself (lit. please eat)
1-4 The intimate speech level
The intimate speech level is used among siblings, close friends of the same age and by adults speaking to students. Preschool aged children will also use the style before they acquire to the more complicated endings. Adults of the same age will first use the polite ending when first meeting one another. When one party feels comfortable and close to the other, then both parties will eventually switch to the intimate style.
To use the intimate speech level ending just attach ~어/아 to the stem. The copula 이다, which is ~이에요/예요 in the polite form, is ~(이)야 in the intimate speech style. With the exception of the copula 이다, the intimate speech style is simply the polite ending without the 요.
밥 먹었어? / Did you eat? (lit. Did you eat your meal?)
내일 등산 걸 거야? / Are you going hiking tomorrow?
오후에 시험 봐. / I'm taking a test this afternoon.
Tenses
2-1 Past ~었어요 / 았어요
This ending is used in general for past events. In many sentences where English uses the present perfect, for equivalence the regular past tense in Korean is used.
As with the polite ending, if the last vowel in the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ, then use 았어요. If it is ㅓ or ㅜ, then use ~었어요. ~ㅆ is used with vowel contractions. Here is the verb to go in the past tense combined with the polite ending: 가다 + 았어요 = 갔어요. When using the honorific marker 시, it combines with the past ending to become 셨. See examples below.
Korean verbs can be expressed in the infinitive past, if such a term exists. 가다 + ㅆ -> 갔다, 먹다 + 었 -> 먹었다, 살다 + 았 -> 살았다.
아침을 먹었어요? / Did you eat breakfast?
점심을 드셨어요? / Did you eat lunch? (honorific)
어디서 오셨어요? / Where are you from? (lit. Where did you come from?)
작년에 대학생이었어요. / I was a university student last year.
미국에서 왔습니다. / I'm from the USA.
지난 주말에 뭐 했어요? / What did you do last weekend?
어제는 날씨가 좋았어요. / The weather was good yesterday.
2-2 Future: probability ~(으)ㄹ 거예요
To express probability ~(으)ㄹ 거예요 is used. It is often used for future plans that are not certain, and is a common future tense used in Korean. There are a variety of other future tenses for more certain events in the future.
For the polite ending, verb stems ending in a syllable take the ~을 거예요 ending, while those ending in a vowel take ~ㄹ 거예요. The deferential ending is rarely used with this ending, but the intimate speech style is frequently used: ~(으)ㄹ 거야.
저는 서울에 갈 거예요. / I will go to Seoul.
다음 금요일에 시험이 있을 거예요. / Next Friday there will be a test.
이번 주말에 뭐 할 거야? / What will you do next weekend? (intimate)
이번 주말에 뭐 하실 거예요? / What will you do next weekend? (honorific)
2-3 Present continuous ~고 있다
The present continuous or gerund is used in Korean far less frequently than in English. For many English sentences that use the gerund, the equivalent in Korean is expressed with the present tense.
Only verbs can have this ending and the stems are not conjugated. For the honorific form, ~고 계시다 is used instead. For past continuous, use ~고 있었다.
지금 뭐 하고 있어요? / What are you doing now?
아머니는 책을 읽고 계세요. / My mother is reading a book. (honorific)
여동생은 음악을 듣고 있었어요. / My younger sisters was listening to music.
2-4 Past experience: 'Have you ever...' ~ㄴ 본 적 있다/없다
This ending can be compared to the present perfect in English, and when using it in questions, it can be translated best as Have you ever? For statements, this ending can only be used for past experiences somewhat distant in the past.
~어/아 보다 in the past tense, ~어/아 봤어요, expresses having experienced something. ~(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 means there has been an occasion of. Combine these two functions to get the ending ~ㄴ번적 있다/없다, there has been an/no occation in which one has an/no experience of.
A: 서울에 가 봤어요? / Have you been to Seoul?
B: 네, 어렸을 때 가 본 적이 있어요. / Yes, I was there when I was a child.
일본 노래 들어 본 적 있어요? / Have you ever heard a Japanese song.
A: 혹시 미크 아세요? / Do you know Mike by any chance?
B: 네, 전에 한 번 만나 본 적이 있어요. / Yes, I met him once some time ago.
Additional Future Tenses
3-1 Asking for input: 'Shall...?' 'Do you think...?' ~(으)ㄹ까요?
The ~(으)ㄹ까요? ending is used to ask for the speakers input or opinion. It can only be used in the form of a question for a future event. To ask for an opinion of a present or past event, use the verb 생각하다.
Stems ending in a consonant take ~을까요?, while those ending in a vowel take ~ㄹ까요?
갈까요? / Shall (I/we) go?
시헙이 쉬울까요? / Do you think the test will be easy?
뭘 먹을까요? / What shall we eat?
3-2 Asserting intention ~(으)ㄹ래요 (informal)
To express one's own intention or to ask the intention of someone else, the ~(으)ㄹ래요 ending is used. It is a little less formal than ~겠다 (3-4).
Verb stems ending in a consonant are followed by ~을래요. Those ending in a vowel end in ~ㄹ래요.
무엇을 드실래요? / What will you eat?
셔츠를 입을래요. / I will put on my t-shirt.
버스말고 택시를 탈래요. / Instead of the bus, I will take a taxi.
3-3 Asserting intention, expressing supposition ~겠 (polite)
This ending has several functions. It's often used for supposition, based on some given evidence. In English it's most nearly I guess/think..., It must be..., etc. It can be used for supposition of past events as in It must have been..., I guess it was..., etc.
겠 is also used to express intention in formal settings, and used less frequently than the more informal ~ㄹ래요. For that reason, it is frequently combined with the deferential speech ending (1-2). Unlike the ~ㄹ게요 ending (3-2), ~겠 can be used in questions. It is used frequently in addressing large groups of people in formal announcements, news reports, weather forecasts, etc.
The ending is also used frequently with the verbs 알다 and 모르다, to know and to not know, respectively, to add politeness.
To use 겠 in present tense, just add ~겠어요 when using the polite ending. When used with past tense, add ~(었/았)겠어요.
A: 어젯밤에 두 시간밖에 못 잤어요. / I only slept for two hours last night.
B: 정말? 아주 피곤하겠어요. / Really? You must be really tired.
A: 어제는 민호가 미국에 비행기 탔어요. / Min-ho flew to the United States yesterday.
B: 그럼, 지금 도착하겠어요. / Then, he must have arrived by now.
뭐 두시겠어요? / What would you like to eat? (polite)
잘 먹겠습니다. / I will eat well (polite expression before beginning a meal.)
내일은 눈이 오겠습니가. / It will snow tomorrow. (weather forecast)
무슨 말을 알겠어요? / Did you understand what I said? (lit. do you know my words?)
3-4 Willingness ~(으)ㄹ게요
~(으)ㄹ게요, is used to express willingness to do something for the listener. The equivalent in English is a more polite I will... than that which corresponds with the ~ㄹ래요 ending (3-2). This ending can only be used in statements in the first person. The spelling of this ending changed in 1988, and was previously written ~(으)ㄹ께요.
Stems ending in a consonant take ~을게요, those ending in a vowel take ~ㄹ게요.
내일 전화 드릴게요. / I'll give you a call tomorrow. (honorific)
도화 줄게요. / I'll help you. (lit. I'll give you help)
A: 칠판에 누가 대답을 쓸래요? / Who will write the answer on the board?
B: 제가 쓸게요. / I'll write it. (willingness)
C: 아니에요, 제가 쓸래요. / No, I will write it. (assertion)
Modifying nouns
4-1 Noun modifying adjectives ~(으)ㄴ [Noun]
This ending is attached to adjectives that describe nouns. For adjective stems that end in vowels, the ~ㄴ ending is used. For adjective stems that end in consonants, ~은 is used. For irregular adjectives whose stems end in ㅂ, the ending ~운 is used.
춥다 -> 추운 (cold)
가깝다 -> 가까운 (nearby)
어렵다 -> 어려운 (difficult)
쉽다 -> 쉬운 (easy)
For irregular adjectives whose stems end in ㄹ, the ending ~(으)ㄴ is used. The final ㄹ is dropped and replaced with ㄴ.
멀다 -> 먼 (far)
길다 -> 긴 (long)
Clausal Connectives
5-1 General clausal connective ~고
This is the general clausal connective used to connect two coexisting clauses like and in English.
~고 can be used to indicate a sequence of events. Tense is also often only marked in the last clause. Whether the past or present tense is used, ~고 should be attached to the infinitive forms of the verb stems.
우리 아파트는 조용하고 깨끗해요. / My apartment is quiet and clean.
경미는 아파트에 살고 진아는 기숙사에 살아요. / Kyeong-mi lives in an apartment, but Jin-a lives in the dorms.
서울은 너무 크고 사람이 많아요. / Seoul is big and there are a lot of people there.
5-2 Background information ~는데 / (으)ㄴ데
5-3 Contrast 'But, although' ~지만
Negatives
Indirect Quotation
Change of state: 'get...' 지
The above ending is used when something changes from one state to another. The equivalent in English is get ~ or become ~.
The above ending is attached to adjective stems to change them into verbs. To use the above construction, the adjective stem is conjugated. 지 is added to the conjugated adjective stem, and also conjugated.
~하다 + 지 = ~해지다 -> ~해져요. (for all ~하다 verbs)
다르다 + 지 =~달라지다 -> 달라져요.
춥다 + 지 =~추워지다 -> 추워져요.
머리가 길어져요. / (My) hair is getting long.
날씨가 주워졌요. / The weather got cold.
Purpose of coming or going ~(으)러 가요 / ~(으)러 와요.
~(으)러 is used with 가다, the verb to go, and 오다 the verb to come (와요 when conjugated in the polite form) to indicate the purpose of going or coming. For stems ending in a syllable ~으러 is used. For those ending in a vowel, ~러 is used.
친구는 도서관에 공부하러 와요. / My friend is coming to the library to study.
점심을 먹으러 식당에 가요. / I'm going to a restaurant to eat lunch.
친구를 만나러 고항에 가요. / I'm going to the airport to meet my friend.
Requesting a change of subject: 'What about...?' ~은요 / 는요?
This ending is attached to nouns, and used when the speaker wants to shift the focus of the conversation to a different subject within a previously established topic. It's equivalent to what about...? or how about...? in English.
Unlike the other endings, ~은요 / 는요 is attached to nouns. For stems ending in a syllable, use ~은요 For those ending in a vowel, use ~는요.
A: 보통 몇 시에 아침에 드셔요? / What time do you usually eat breakfast?
B: 일곱 시쯤 먹어요. / I eat around seven o'clock.
A: 저녁은요? / How about dinner?
B: 저녁은 6시에 먹어요. / I eat dinner at six.
A: 사과가 좋아하세요? / Do you like apples?
B: 네 좋아요. 당신은요? / Yes, I do. How about you?
A: 나도 좋아해요. / I like them too.
Confirming agreement ~지요/ 죠?
The ~지요 ending is used to confirm something the speaker believes to be true. Its English equivalent is right?, or isn't it? The contraction ~죠 is used in speech; ~지요 is standard Korean.
상미 씨, 서울에 왔지요? / Sang-mi, you are from Seoul, aren't you?
주말에 잘 보냈죠? / You really enjoyed the weekend, didn't you?
농담 이시지요? / This is a joke, isn't it?
Spontaneous reaction ~네요
Intention in the past: 'Was going to' ~려고 했다
Purpose: 'In order to' ~기 위해(서) / 워하여
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