-아요/어요 - Present Tense Basics
-아요/어요 is one of the most important polite endings in Korean.
It attaches to verbs and adjectives and is commonly used in everyday conversation.
- 먹어요.
I eat.
I am eating. - 공부해요.
I study.
I am studying. - 날씨가 좋아요.
The weather is nice.
The exact English translation depends on the context.
Verbs and Adjectives in Korean
Korean dictionary forms usually end in -다.
- 먹다
to eat - 공부하다
to study - 좋다
to be good - 작다
to be small
To conjugate a verb or adjective, first remove -다.
The remaining part is called the stem.
- 먹다 → 먹
- 공부하다 → 공부하
- 좋다 → 좋
- 작다 → 작
Then add -아요, -어요, or -해요.
When to Use -아요
Use -아요 when the final vowel in the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ.
Stems with ㅏ
- 작다 → 작 + 아요 → 작아요
to be small - 살다 → 살 + 아요 → 살아요
to live - 많다 → 많 + 아요 → 많아요
to be many
Stems with ㅗ
- 좋다 → 좋 + 아요 → 좋아요
to be good - 놀다 → 놀 + 아요 → 놀아요
to play
The final consonant does not determine whether you use -아요 or -어요.
Look at the final vowel in the stem.
When to Use -어요
Use -어요 when the final vowel in the stem is not ㅏ or ㅗ.
- 먹다 → 먹 + 어요 → 먹어요
to eat - 읽다 → 읽 + 어요 → 읽어요
to read - 웃다 → 웃 + 어요 → 웃어요
to laugh - 입다 → 입 + 어요 → 입어요
to wear - 열다 → 열 + 어요 → 열어요
to open
When to Use -해요
Verbs and adjectives ending in 하다 change to 해요.
- 공부하다 → 공부해요
to study - 운동하다 → 운동해요
to exercise - 일하다 → 일해요
to work - 좋아하다 → 좋아해요
to like - 친절하다 → 친절해요
to be kind
Do not say 하아요 or 하여요 in ordinary conversation.
해요 is the standard everyday form.
Common Vowel Contractions
When a verb stem ends in a vowel, the stem and ending often combine.
ㅏ + 아요
- 가다 → 가 + 아요 → 가요
to go - Do not say 가아요.
ㅗ + 아요
- 오다 → 오 + 아요 → 와요
to come - 보다 → 보 + 아요 → 봐요
to see or watch
ㅓ + 어요
- 서다 → 서 + 어요 → 서요
to stand - Do not say 서어요.
ㅜ + 어요
- 배우다 → 배우 + 어요 → 배워요
to learn - 주다 → 주 + 어요 → 줘요
to give
ㅣ + 어요
- 마시다 → 마시 + 어요 → 마셔요
to drink - 기다리다 → 기다리 + 어요 → 기다려요
to wait
These contractions make Korean pronunciation more natural.
Basic Sentence Structure
A common Korean action sentence follows this structure:
Subject or Topic + Object + Verb
- 저는 커피를 마셔요.
Literal: As for me, coffee drink.
Natural: I drink coffee.
- 민수 씨가 한국어를 공부해요.
Literal: Minsu Korean studies.
Natural: Minsu studies Korean.
The verb usually comes at the end of a Korean sentence.
A descriptive sentence commonly follows this structure:
Subject or Topic + Adjective
- 날씨가 좋아요.
The weather is nice. - 방이 작아요.
The room is small. - 한국 음식이 맛있어요.
Korean food is delicious.
Korean adjectives conjugate like verbs and also use -아요/어요.
Talking About Actions
Use -아요/어요 to talk about actions in the present.
- 저는 아침을 먹어요.
I eat breakfast. - 친구가 책을 읽어요.
My friend reads a book. - 저는 한국어를 공부해요.
I study Korean. - 민수 씨가 운동해요.
Minsu exercises. - 물을 마셔요.
I drink water.
The subject or topic is often omitted when it is already clear.
- 한국어를 공부해요.
I study Korean. - 커피를 마셔요.
I drink coffee.
Describing People and Things
Use -아요/어요 with adjectives to describe people, objects, places, and situations.
- 날씨가 추워요.
The weather is cold. - 이 가방이 비싸요.
This bag is expensive. - 제 방이 작아요.
My room is small. - 한국어가 재미있어요.
Korean is interesting. - 음식이 맛있어요.
The food is delicious. - In English, these sentences often use a form of “to be.”
Korean does not add 이에요/예요 before an adjective.
- 날씨가 좋아요. ✓
The weather is nice. - 날씨가 좋은이에요. ✗
Present Actions and General Habits
The same -아요/어요 form can express an action happening now or a regular habit.
- 지금 책을 읽어요.
I am reading a book now. - 매일 책을 읽어요.
I read a book every day. - 지금 한국어를 공부해요.
I am studying Korean now. - 매일 한국어를 공부해요.
I study Korean every day.
Time expressions help make the meaning clear.
Using -아요/어요 in Questions
The verb or adjective form does not change in a question.
In conversation, your voice rises at the end. In writing, use a question mark.
- 한국어를 공부해요?
Do you study Korean?
Are you studying Korean? - 커피를 마셔요?
Do you drink coffee? - 음식이 맛있어요?
Is the food delicious? - 날씨가 추워요?
Is the weather cold?
Short Answers
- 네, 공부해요.
Yes, I do. - 네, 맛있어요.
Yes, it is delicious. - 아니요, 안 마셔요.
No, I do not drink it.
The repeated information is often omitted when it is clear from the question.
More Examples
- 저는 학교에 가요.
I go to school. - 친구가 집에 와요.
My friend comes home. - 텔레비전을 봐요.
I watch television. - 물을 마셔요.
I drink water. - 한국어를 배워요.
I learn Korean. - 친구를 기다려요.
I wait for my friend. - 매일 일해요.
I work every day. - 주말에 운동해요.
I exercise on weekends. - 학생이 많아요.
There are many students. - 이 책이 좋아요.
This book is good.
Common Mistakes
Keeping -다
Remove -다 before adding the polite ending.
먹어요. ✓
먹다어요. ✗
공부해요. ✓
공부하다요. ✗
Choosing the ending based on the final consonant
Choose -아요 or -어요 by looking at the final vowel in the stem, not the final consonant.
작다 → 작아요
The final vowel is ㅏ.
먹다 → 먹어요
The final vowel is ㅓ.
Ignoring vowel contractions
Some vowel combinations contract.
가요 ✓
가아요 ✗
와요 ✓
오아요 ✗
봐요 ✓
보아요 △
The longer form 보아요 is grammatically possible, but 봐요 is much more common in everyday conversation.
Adding a space before the ending
The ending attaches directly to the verb or adjective stem.
먹어요. ✓
먹 어요. ✗
좋아요. ✓
좋 아요. ✗
Adding 이에요/예요 after an adjective
Korean adjectives already function as the ending of the sentence.
날씨가 좋아요. ✓
날씨가 좋아요예요. ✗
Quick Practice
Change each dictionary form into the polite -아요/어요 form.
- 먹다
- 가다
- 좋다
- 마시다
- 배우다
- 공부하다
- 작다
- 오다
Answers
- 먹다 → 먹어요
- 가다 → 가요
- 좋다 → 좋아요
- 마시다 → 마셔요
- 배우다 → 배워요
- 공부하다 → 공부해요
- 작다 → 작아요
- 오다 → 와요
Sentence Practice
Complete each sentence using the correct form.
- 저는 아침을 __________.
먹다 - 매일 한국어를 __________.
공부하다 - 친구가 학교에 __________.
가다 - 저는 커피를 __________.
마시다 - 한국 음식이 __________.
맛있다 - 제 방이 __________.
작다
Answers
- 저는 아침을 먹어요.
- 매일 한국어를 공부해요.
- 친구가 학교에 가요.
- 저는 커피를 마셔요.
- 한국 음식이 맛있어요.
- 제 방이 작아요.
Key Points
- Remove -다 from the dictionary form before conjugating.
- Use -아요 when the final vowel in the stem is ㅏ or ㅗ.
- Use -어요 after other vowels.
- Verbs and adjectives ending in 하다 change to 해요.
- Some vowel combinations contract, such as 오다 → 와요 and 보다 → 봐요.
- Korean verbs and adjectives both use -아요/어요.
- The same form can express present actions, regular habits, and current conditions.
- The verb or adjective usually comes at the end of the sentence.
