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Irregular verbs

  • Today we start of easy by learning the usage of 전 and 전에. After that we'll go deeper and learn about the ㅂ- irregular verbs. You are doing great!

  • Examples:
  • 전 = before, front, earlier
  • 전에 = in front of (preposition)
  • 수업 전에 = before class

  • In this example you can see 전에 is placed after the noun.
If you want to use 전에 with a verb, the verb must become a noun.
Examples:
  • 가다 = to go
  • 가기 = noun version of 가다
  • 가기 전에 = before going
  • 사다 = to buy
  • 사기 = noun version of 사다
  • 사기 전에 = before buying
  • 사기 전에 잘 생각하세요 = think well before buying
Just like every language, Korean has some irregularities too. Today’s irregularity is the ㅂ-irregular verbs. 
  • Verb stems that end in ㅂ are irregular
  • These verbs are only irregular when you add a tense suffix. 
How does it work then?
  1. 돕다 and 곱다: ㅂ becomes 오 
  1. Any other verb: ㅂ becomes 우
Examples:
  • 돕다 = to help
  • Last vowel is 오 so ㅂ becomes 오
  • Present tense: 도 + 오 +아요 = 도와요
  • Past tense: 도 + 오 + 았어요 = 도왔어요
  • Future tense: 도 + 오 + ㄹ 거예요 = 도울 거예요*
  • *돕다 and 곱다 both get 울 instead of 올 in the future tense. 
  • 어렵다 = to be difficult
  • Last vowel is not 오 so ㅂ becomes 우
  • Present tense: 어려 + 우 + 어요 = 어려워요 
  • Past tense: 어려 + 우 + 었어요 = 어려웠어요
  • Future tense: 어려 + 우 + ㄹ 거예요 = 어려울 거예요
And of course, there are also exceptions to the irregularities. These verbs do not have the ㅂ-irregularity despite ending in ㅂ:
  • 입다 = to wear
  • 좁다 = to be narrow
  • 잡다 = to catch
  • 넓다 = to be wide
  • 씹다 = to bite

    • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The most difficult lesson of today is about the 르-irregular verbs. The rule is simple, if the verb ends in 르, another ㄹ is added. BUT only if one of the following is added after:

      • 아/어/여요 (present tense)
      • 았/었/였어요 (past tense)
      • 아/어/여서 (“because”)

      Examples:

      • 고르다 = to pick 
      • 골라요 = I pick
      • 골랐어요 = I picked
      • 골라서 = because I picked
      • 빠르다 = to be fast
      • 빨라요 = it’s fast
      • 빨랐어요 = it was fast
      • 빨라서 = because it’s fast


              • PRACTICE








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