Korean grammar · Level 2 · 2급
ㅂ 불규칙
ㅂ becomes 우
Many adjectives whose stem ends in ㅂ change it to 우 before a vowel, and the 우 merges with -어요: 덥다 → 더워요. Before a consonant nothing changes: 덥네요, 덥지요?. A few ㅂ words stay regular, like 입다 → 입어요 — learn those as you meet them.
| When | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| before -아/어요 | ㅂ → 워요 | 덥다 → 더워요 · 춥다 → 추워요 · 맵다 → 매워요 |
| before -(으)ㄴ | ㅂ → 운 | 덥다 → 더운 · 가깝다 → 가까운 |
| before a consonant | no change | 덥네요 · 춥지요? · 덥겠어요 |
| regular ㅂ words | no change | 입다 → 입어요 · 좁다 → 좁아요 |
Examples
오늘은 너무 더워요.
It's far too hot today.
어제는 정말 추웠어요.
It was really cold yesterday.
학교가 가까워요.
The school is close.
Practise it in context · Level 2, Unit 1
The weather is nice today
A dialogue with audio, practice that checks itself, Hoya’s mistakes, a reading and a writing task.
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