Using our “Conjugation Tables,” you can see the many ways a verb or adjective can change depending on the grammatical “addition” that is added to it.
There are many grammatical additions in Korean, and each has its own way of changing verbs and adjectives. Each time a new format/style of addition is introduced, I explain how irregular words adapt to it. This is only done once for each format, because each successive addition with the same format will illicit the same change. Below is a list of grammatical additions – each with a different format – that are introduced in HowtoStudyKorean . If you click on one of the grammatical additions in the list below, you can see:
- The lesson in which that grammatical addition is first introduce, and
- The other grammatical principles that follow the same format
- Any other pertinent information
Have a look:
~아/어This addition is first introduced in Lesson 5.
It’s application to irregular verbs and adjectives is introduced in Lesson 7.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
~았/었 (Lesson 6)
~아/어지다 (Lesson 18)
~아/어서 (Lesson 37)
~아/어야 (Lesson 46)
~아/어도 (Lesson 48)
~ㄴ/은
When attached to adjectives, this addition is first introduced in Lesson 4.
When attached to verbs, this addition is first introduced in Lesson 26.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
~ㄴ/는다
This addition is first introduced in Lesson 5.
It’s application to irregular verbs and adjectives is introduced in Lesson 7.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
~ㄴ/는다면 (Lesson 43)
~ㄴ/는다고 (Lesson 52)
~ㄴ/는대 (Lesson 102)
~ㄴ/는다니까 (Lesson 125)
~ㄴ/는다 cannot be added to adjectives – only to verbs.
~ㅂ/습니다
This addition is first introduced in Lesson 6.
It’s application to irregular verbs and adjectives is introduced in Lesson 7.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
~ㄹ/을
This addition is first introduced in Lesson 9.
This addition is also discussed at length in Lessons 26 and 28.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
~ㄹ/을래 (Lesson 44)
~ㄹ/을까 (Lesson 63)
~ㄹ/을게 (Lesson 63)
~ㄹ/을걸 (Lesson 115)
~ㄹ/을수록 (Lesson 132)
~니
This addition is first introduced in Lesson 21.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
~나 (Lesson 21)
~는 (Lesson 26)
~는데 (Lesson 76)
~네 (Lesson 83)
~나 (Lesson 109)
The only words that any of these additions affect are words where the final letter in the stem is ㄹ.
~ㅁ/음
This addition is first introduced in Lesson 29.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
ㅁ/음에도 (Lesson 74)
~(으)려고
This addition is first introduced in Lesson 32.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
~(으)라고 (Lesson 54)
~(으)려면 (Lesson 96)
~(으)려고 is typically not added to adjectives, and neither is ~(으)라고 or ~(으)려면. In order to show how attaching ~(으)ㄹ… affects the stem of adjectives, the addition ~(으)려니 is used instead. ~(으)려니 has not been introduced in our lessons yet. Don’t worry about it’s meaning – worry about its effect on irregulars.
~(으)시
This addition is first introduced in Lesson 39.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
~(으)세요 (Lesson 40)
~(으)십시오 (Lesson 40)
All of the entries in our Conjugation Tables below could be used in sentences as-is (where appropriate) except for the entries beside the addition for ~(으)시. When you add ~(으)시, you are still left with an unconjugated word. In order to make these usable, you would need to add some other addition. For example, 운동하시 could not be used by itself. However, 운동하셔, 운동하신다, 운동하십니다, 운동하실, 운동하시니, 운동하시려고 or 운동하시면 would all be acceptable.
~(으)면
This addition is first introduced in Lesson 43.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
~(으)면서 (Lesson 62)
~(으)며 (Lesson 62)
~(으)므로 (Lesson 103)
~(으)니
This addition is first introduced in Lesson 81.
Notice that this is different than the addition ~니.
Other grammatical additions that follow the same format are:
~(으)니까 (Lesson 81)
Although not all additions are provided in the conjugations tables, you can use them to infer what would happen if similar additions were added. For example, the tables show what happens to verbs when ~(으)시 (Lesson 39) is added. The change in the word would be identical to the change when ~(으)세요 (Lesson 40) is added.