Korean grammar · Level 1 · 1급
V/A-아요/어요
The everyday polite ending
Take the dictionary form, drop 다, and look at the last vowel of what's left (the stem). If it is ㅏ or ㅗ, add -아요. Anything else, add -어요. When the stem ends in a vowel, the two vowels often merge into one syllable. The same form is used for statements and questions — only the intonation changes.
| When | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| last vowel ㅏ or ㅗ | -아요 | 앉다 → 앉아요 · 좋다 → 좋아요 |
| any other vowel | -어요 | 먹다 → 먹어요 · 읽다 → 읽어요 |
| vowels merge | short form | 가다 → 가요 · 오다 → 와요 · 마시다 → 마셔요 · 배우다 → 배워요 |
Examples
친구를 만나요.
I meet a friend.
밥을 먹어요.
I eat (a meal).
텔레비전을 봐요.
I watch TV.
Practise it in context · Level 1, Unit 4
I study Korean every day
A dialogue with audio, practice that checks itself, Hoya’s mistakes, a reading and a writing task.
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