In Korean, verbs in a dictionary are like ingredients waiting to be used. They always end in -다 (da), which is called the dictionary form or infinitive. Think of words like 가다 (gada - to go) or 먹다 (meokda - to eat). You can't just drop these into a sentence. To make them work, you need to conjugate them.

The first step is always the same: remove the -다 (da) ending. What’s left is the verb stem. This is the core part of the verb we'll work with.

Now that you have the stem, you can attach an ending. We'll focus on the most common conversational ending: -요 (-yo). This ending makes your sentence polite but informal, perfect for everyday situations. The rule for adding it depends on the last vowel in the verb stem.

Korean grammar often uses a concept called vowel harmony, where vowels are grouped into 'bright' (or 'positive') and 'dark' (or 'negative') categories. This influences which grammatical endings are attached. For our purposes, it creates a simple two-part rule.

Rule 1: If the verb stem's last vowel is ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o), add -아요 (-ayo).

Let's take 가다 (gada - to go). The stem is 가 (ga-). The last (and only) vowel is ㅏ (a), so we add -아요 (-ayo).

가 (ga) + 아요 (ayo) → 가아요 (gaayo)

However, since 가 and 아 have the same vowel sound, they merge into one syllable for easier pronunciation. So, 가아요 (gaayo) becomes 가요 (gayo).

Rule 2: If the verb stem's last vowel is anything else, add -어요 (-eoyo).

Consider 먹다 (meokda - to eat). The stem is 먹 (meok-). The vowel is ㅓ (eo), which isn't ㅏ (a) or ㅗ (o). So, we add -어요 (-eoyo).

먹 (meok) + 어요 (eoyo) → 먹어요 (meogeoyo).

There's no vowel to merge here, so the two parts just stick together.

The verb 하다 (hada - to do) is one of the most common verbs in Korean. It's also an irregular verb. You'll see it on its own and attached to many nouns to turn them into verbs, like 공부하다 (gongbuhada - to study) or 일하다 (ilhada - to work).

The stem is 하 (ha-). Since the vowel is ㅏ (a), you might expect to add -아요 (-ayo). But 하다 has its own special rule.

The stem 하 (ha) combines with -여요 (-yeoyo), which is a special form of -어요 (-eoyo), and they contract to become 해요 (haeyo). You don't need to worry about the deep grammar, just remember the pattern.

By learning these three simple rules, you can now conjugate a huge number of Korean verbs into the present tense for everyday conversation.

Time to check your understanding.

Practice is key. Try listening for these -요 endings in Korean dramas or music, and soon they'll become second nature.