Level 1 Lesson 16 / Basic Present Tense / -아요, -어요, -여요Level 1 Lesson 16 / Basic Present Tense / -아요, -어요, -여요
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In this TTMIK lesson, we are looking at how to change a verb in its dictionary form into the basic present tense. In Korean, when you look up a verb in a dictionary, everything ends in the letter 다 [da], and you have to get rid of that in order to conjugate the verb. And after that, you add 아요, 어요, or 여요. Listen in to find out how to determine which one of these should follow the verb stem when you say something in the present tense. Be sure to pick up the FREE PDF, and also try making some sample sentences of your own. Video responses are welcome as well!
Click here to check out the page on 아/어/여 + 요 in Korean Wiki Project.
Lesson PDF in other languages (Participate in the translation!)
Discussion( leave a comment )
so would if you want to tell somebody “come here!” would you say 오아요? Or is like it the verb 보다 and becomes something like 와요?
고맙습니다!
Yes, you can say “와요” or “이리 와요”. I used “이리” to mean “here”.
Thanks for your comment. :)
자 는 한 국 해 요.
Hello, I have a question.
can you use hata and hayo interchangeably if you were saying something like -> to clean?
Hi Ginger,
Let me make an example using a verb “청소하다”.
청소하다 is a dictionary form but 청소해요 is a present tense verb.
The meaning is same but it is hard to say that it is interchangable.
When you actually say in daily dialogue, you rather use the present tense but the dictionary form.
나하고 TTMIK 한국말을 공부하고 싶어요! 사랑해요!!!
It’s is correct to say 와요 verb 오다 + 아요??
Perfect!
I’ve decided to practice conjugating and using vocabulary. (Yay for the internet!) Will you please correct and explain my sentences/questions that I used for practice?
1) I eat candy. 먹어요 사탕.
2) Why do you eat that? 뭐 먹어요 이거?
3) I sleept at 5. 자요 에 오예요.
I have a feeling that my grammar is very /very/ odd!
1) I eat candy. 먹어요 사탕. > 저는 사탕을 먹어요.
2) Why do you eat that? 뭐 먹어요 이거? > 왜 저것을 먹어요?
3) I sleept at 5. 자요 에 오예요. > 5 시에 자요.
Good try! Keep practicing!
thank you!
안녕하세요! 저는 TTMIK 으로 좋아해요. I like TTMIK.
Is it right? thanks!
Oh it was close. You can write “저는 TTMIK을 좋아해요”.
뭐 해요 = What are you doing?
처 먹이요 = I’m eating.
Is this right?
처 먹이요 = I’m eating.
> 저 먹어요.
I was wondering what the present tense normally gets called in colloquial speech?
Which is the most popular between 현재시제 and 현재? Or is there another word?
Amazing site! I would know nothing without you. :-)
Annyeong haseyo,
I just learned this lesson, and I’m getting kinda confused here and sorry for not using hangul instead roman.
So if you say “I go to school” it becomes “Hak-gyo-e ga-yo” is that right ?
So what if I say “I want to go to school” is it becomes like this ?
“Hak-gyo-e ga-go-si-peo yo”
Gam-sa hap-ni-da
안녕하세요!
Just a little practice with the verbs from lesson 14 and 16:
1) to do: 하다 > 해요
2) to see: 보다 > 봐요
3) to eat: 먹다 > 먹어요
4) to buy: 사다 > 사요
5) to drink: 마시다 > 마시어요/마셔요
6) to play: 놀다 > 놀어요
7) to rest: 쉬다 > 쉬어요 (I’ve got no idea with this one so I’m just guessing)
8) to work: 일하다 > 일해요
9) to sleep: 자다 > 자요
10) to hit: 때리다 > 때리어요/때려요
11) to laugh: 웃다 > 웃어요
Any corrections will be greatly appreciated.
감사합니다!
Today i came back from Korean Class with fear that when i can possibly achieve the Korean level i want to do UG in Korean University…
after lunch i slept and now i got the hope that i can achieve the TOPIK level 3 soon if i study with you ….
Do you think so?
by the way Thank you very much for talktomeinkorean website and both of the lively lecturers …. its relaxing to hear both of you specially her …. coz i am a boy
Hear you soon!!!
Could you do me a favour, please?
when we use the structure 아/어요, the adjective 발갛다 becomes 발개요 and 벌겋다 becomes 벌게요. are they correct?
If we use the structure ㅂ/습니다, 발갛다 becomes 발갛습니다 or 발갑니다? And벌겋다 becomes 벌겋습니다 or 벌겁니다?
By the way, what is the difference between 발갛다 and 빨갛다?
안녕하세요!
I’ve just learnt this lesson and i have a question about it.
the adjective 얕다 will become 얕아요 or 얕어요?
Hello TTMIK
I have a question abou the lesson.
The verb 보이다 can be contracted to 뵈다. so 보여요 = 뵈어요 = 봬요. is it correct?
보이다 is can be seen
산이 보이다. I can see mountain.
뵈다 s the honorific form of 만나다. And we say 처음 뵙겠습니다 .
I recently downloaded the podcast version of the mp3. But it is not playing. Can you check the file?
감사합니다.
if i want to say “i eat bulgogi”, is this true:
저는 불고기 먹어요
감사합니다 ^^
아녕하세요
As per your lesson,
ㅏ ㅗ = 아요
other than that = 어요
but, how about words ending with “ㅡ” such as : 쓰다, 모르다, etc
and words ending with ‘ㅂ’ such as : 쉽다, 가볍다, 좁다, etc
감사합니다
Theㅡ will be disappear and we have to determine the use of 아요 어요 by seeing the previous vowel.
예쁘다>예ㅃ>since ㅖs not ㅏㅗ so ㅓ요 is added and becomes 예뻐요
If there is no vowel in front of it, then ㅓ요s used like 쓰다>써요
Hey! I also have a problem with ”ㅡ” words, but on the video on YT to this lesson, Kyoung-eun says that it turns into ”ㅣ”in a word ”바쁘다” ->” 바빠요” , so I guess it turns like that..
At the beginning, is Hyun-woo saying o-a-o-a or is he saying eo-a-eo-a? The title says it’s eo but it sounds like o
If i want to say “I see” which one should i say, (bwa-yo) or (bo-yeo-yo)?
Please help me, kamsahamida^.^
thanks teacher…..
봐요 [bwa-yo] is correct. Sometimes, according to the situation, it is translated as 보여요[bo-yeo-yo] but it literally means “to be seen”.
안녕하세요!
I have a doubt about how to conjugate 쉬다
I add 어요 isn’t it? but what does it become?
감사합니다
It becomes “쉬어요”.
Hello!
Great lesson. Thank you!
What is a fair quantity of verbs a beginner like me can learn as I practice these conjugations? A couple of hundreds, perhaps?
Would you happen to have a recommendation for the 500 (or so) most commonly used verbs in Korean? I would use it to practice this and upcoming verb conjugations.
Best regards.
I see that “hada” is similar to Japanese “suru”
like tennis-hada = to play tennis
ryouri hada = to cook
kantan ida^^
Okay, I’ve got a question. Maybe it’s obvious but…anyway, here it is:
여요 is the ending for a 하 verb stem. But, is it possible to have a verb stem with ‘하 + consonant’ like 한 for example ? And in this case, how does the verb is conjugating ? With 여요 or 아요 ?
Kyeong-eun, I was like “Yay ! She said 2PM !”. To tell the truth, they are one of the reasons why I started wanting to learn korean (I kind of feel now that this reason isn’t really “decent” for learning a language ^^’).
And also, this website is fabulous ! It’s like korean is easy with you. Thank you so much : )
Hi! I really loved the podcasts which included sample conversations. Could you please make one using present tense? It would really help elementary learners like me. Thank you! :D
Hi. I just want to ask if the basic present tense for the word “to laugh” 웃다 is 웃어요? and in forming the present tense for words ending in “이” do we always drop the “이” like in the case of “보이다” instead of becoming bo-i-eo-yo it automatically becomes bo-yeo-yo? thanks :)
Can someone tell me if I conjugated the following words correctly?
1. 가져오다 = 가져와요
2. 거두다 = 거두어요 (or should it be 거더요?)
3.걷다 = 거더요
4. 겪다 = 겪어요
5. 웃다 = 웃아요
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