To make the polite present tense (the 해요 form): (1) drop 다 from the dictionary form to get the stem; (2) look at the stem’s last vowel - add 아요 if it’s ㅏ or ㅗ, otherwise add 어요; (3) if the verb ends in 하다, it becomes 해요; (4) merge doubled vowels (가 + 아요 → 가요). That’s the whole engine of everyday Korean.
Practise this pattern in real sentences. Hanguljo explains 150 grammar points and 15 particles from TOPIK 1 to 6 with example sentences and audio. Download Hanguljo free on the App Store
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Take the free Korean level testKorean verb conjugation looks terrifying at first - endless endings, vowel harmony, contractions, irregulars. But the polite present tense, the 해요 form you’ll use in almost every sentence, runs on one three-step rule. Learn it properly once and you can conjugate thousands of verbs on sight. Let’s build it step by step.
Step 1: Find the stem
Every Korean verb in the dictionary ends in 다. Chop it off and you have the stem - the part you conjugate.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | Stem |
|---|---|---|
| 먹다 | to eat | 먹 |
| 가다 | to go | 가 |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽 |
| 좋다 | to be good | 좋 |
Step 2: Choose 아요 or 어요 by the last vowel
This is vowel harmony, and it’s simpler than it sounds. Look at the last vowel in the stem:
The vowel rule
- Last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ → add 아요 (the “bright” vowels).
- Any other vowel → add 어요.
- Verb ends in 하다 → it becomes 해요 (special).
| Stem | Last vowel | Ending | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 먹 | ㅓ | 어요 | 먹어요 (eat) |
| 읽 | ㅣ | 어요 | 읽어요 (read) |
| 좋 | ㅗ | 아요 | 좋아요 (good) |
| 살 | ㅏ | 아요 | 살아요 (live) |
Step 3: The 하다 shortcut
Any verb ending in 하다 (to do) conjugates to 해요. Because Korean builds a huge number of verbs by attaching 하다 to a noun, this one rule unlocks thousands of words:
| Dictionary | 해요 form | English |
|---|---|---|
| 공부하다 | 공부해요 | study |
| 사랑하다 | 사랑해요 | love |
| 운동하다 | 운동해요 | exercise |
| 일하다 | 일해요 | work |
Step 4: Vowel contractions (when the stem ends in a vowel)
When the stem already ends in a vowel, adding 아요/어요 would create two vowels in a row - so they merge. The rule underneath is unchanged; the sounds just fuse.
| Verb | Build | Contracts to |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 (go) | 가 + 아요 | 가요 |
| 오다 (come) | 오 + 아요 | 와요 |
| 마시다 (drink) | 마시 + 어요 | 마셔요 |
| 배우다 (learn) | 배우 + 어요 | 배워요 |
| 주다 (give) | 주 + 어요 | 줘요 |
| 되다 (become) | 되 + 어요 | 돼요 |
These feel fiddly at first, but there are only a handful of contraction shapes, and they become automatic fast because the most common verbs use them.
A few irregular verbs to expect
Some stems change before the ending. You don’t need them all now, but recognise the big ones:
| Type | Verb | 해요 form |
|---|---|---|
| ㅂ irregular | 덥다 (hot) | 더워요 |
| ㄷ irregular | 듣다 (listen) | 들어요 |
| 르 irregular | 모르다 (not know) | 몰라요 |
| ㅡ drop | 바쁘다 (busy) | 바빠요 |
Treat irregulars as vocabulary - learn each with its conjugated form from audio, rather than memorising rule tables you’ll forget.
The best part: this form does four jobs
The 해요 form isn’t only “present tense.” The same shape covers present, near future, and - with intonation - questions and gentle suggestions:
| Korean | Depending on context |
|---|---|
| 가요 | I go / I’m going / Shall we go? / Go, please |
| 먹어요? | Are you eating? / Will you eat? |
One form, enormous mileage - which is exactly why it’s the first conjugation every learner should nail.
Practise this pattern in real sentences
Hanguljo explains 150 grammar points and 15 particles from TOPIK 1 to 6, each with example sentences, audio and the mistakes to avoid. See TOPIK grammar by level.
Get Hanguljo on the App StoreFrequently asked questions
How do you conjugate Korean verbs in the present tense?
Drop 다 to get the stem, then add 아요 if the stem’s last vowel is ㅏ/ㅗ (좋다 → 좋아요) or 어요 otherwise (먹다 → 먹어요). 하다 verbs become 해요. Then merge doubled vowels (가 + 아요 → 가요).
What is the difference between 아요 and 어요?
Same ending, chosen by vowel harmony: 아요 after stems whose last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, 어요 after all others. 하다 verbs use 해요.
How does 하다 conjugate?
하다 becomes 해요. Since thousands of verbs are built on 하다 (공부하다 → 공부해요), this single rule unlocks a huge amount of Korean.
Why does 가다 become 가요 and not 가아요?
A vowel contraction: the stem-final ㅏ and the 아 of 아요 merge into one. The rule is still “add 아요/어요”; the vowels just fuse (also 오다 → 와요, 마시다 → 마셔요).
Keep reading
ㅐ vs ㅔ: The Korean Vowels That Sound the Same
Why ㅐ and ㅔ sound the same, and the 되/돼 test.
안 vs 못 vs -지 않아요: How to Say “Not” in Korean
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Korean future tense: 거예요, 겠어요, 게요
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How to Say What You Want in Korean
주세요, -고 싶어요, 좋아해요 - six beginner patterns.
The 100 Most Common Korean Words
Grouped by function, with romanisation and the sound changes that matter.
Korean Pronunciation Rules
Why 좋아요 sounds like 조아요, and six more sound-change rules.
Korean Sentence Structure: The 5 Rules
Verb last, particles tag the nouns, modifiers in front - and why obvious words vanish.
존댓말 vs 반말: Korean Speech Levels
Once you have 해요, drop the 요 for casual 반말 - here’s when.
Korean Particles Explained
은/는 vs 이/가 and the tags that mark each word’s job.
Korean Batchim (받침)
The final-consonant rules that change how verbs sound.