πŸ“˜ Grammar 3: Korean Verb Conjugation – Polite Ending Forms

πŸ“˜ Korean Verb Conjugation – Polite Ending Forms

Politeness is very important in Korean, and that’s why verb endings matter a lot! If you’ve ever heard someone say "ν•΄μš”", "κ°€μš”", or "λ¨Ήμ–΄μš”", you’ve already experienced polite verb forms in Korean.

This guide will help you understand how to conjugate Korean verbs into polite form, so you can start speaking naturally and respectfully.


πŸ‘‹ What Is the Polite Ending in Korean?

In Korean, the polite ending used in everyday conversations is:

μš” (yo) form – also known as the **ν•΄μš”μ²΄ (hae-yo style)**.

You attach this polite ending to the verb stem to make your sentence friendly and respectful.


🧠 Korean Verb Structure Basics

Korean verbs are made up of two parts:

  • Verb Stem (the root meaning)
  • Ending (shows tense, politeness, etc.)

Example:

Infinitive VerbVerb StemPolite FormRomanization
κ°€λ‹€ (to go)κ°€κ°€μš”ga-yo
λ¨Ήλ‹€ (to eat)λ¨Ήλ¨Ήμ–΄μš”meok-eo-yo
ν•˜λ‹€ (to do)ν•˜ν•΄μš”hae-yo

πŸ”€ Conjugation Rule #1 – Verbs Ending in Vowels

When the verb stem ends in a vowel (ㅏ or γ…—), you use the ending μ•„μš”.

Examples:

  • κ°€λ‹€ → κ°€μš” (to go)
  • 보닀 → λ΄μš” (to see)

πŸ’‘ If the stem ends in other vowels, use μ–΄μš”.

  • λ¨Ήλ‹€ → λ¨Ήμ–΄μš” (to eat)
  • λ§ˆμ‹œλ‹€ → λ§ˆμ…”μš” (to drink)

πŸ§ͺ Conjugation Rule #2 – ν•˜λ‹€ Verbs

Verbs ending in ν•˜λ‹€ are very common in Korean (like κ³΅λΆ€ν•˜λ‹€, μš΄λ™ν•˜λ‹€).

These verbs always become:

ν•˜λ‹€ → ν•΄μš”

InfinitivePolite FormMeaning
κ³΅λΆ€ν•˜λ‹€κ³΅λΆ€ν•΄μš”I study
μš΄λ™ν•˜λ‹€μš΄λ™ν•΄μš”I exercise
μ²­μ†Œν•˜λ‹€μ²­μ†Œν•΄μš”I clean

πŸ“˜ Example Sentences in Polite Form

Korean SentenceEnglishRomanization
μ €λŠ” λ°₯을 λ¨Ήμ–΄μš”.I eat a meal.jeo-neun bap-eul meok-eo-yo
친ꡬλ₯Ό λ§Œλ‚˜μš”.I meet a friend.chin-gu-reul man-na-yo
μš΄λ™ν•΄μš”.I exercise.un-dong-hae-yo

πŸ“ Mini Quiz – Test Your Conjugation

  1. What is the polite form of “보닀” (to see)?
    a) λ΄μš”
    b) λ³΄μ•„μš”
    c) λ³΄ν•΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ a) λ΄μš”

  2. Conjugate “λ§ˆμ‹œλ‹€” (to drink) into polite form:
    a) λ§ˆμ‹œμ–΄μš”
    b) λ§ˆμ…”μš”
    c) λ§ˆν•΄μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ b) λ§ˆμ…”μš”

  3. Which of these is correct?
    a) κ³΅λΆ€ν•˜μš”
    b) κ³΅λΆ€ν•΄μš”
    c) κ³΅λΆ€μ•„μš”
    Click to Show Answer

    ✅ b) κ³΅λΆ€ν•΄μš”


✅ Conclusion

Awesome! Now you know how to turn Korean verbs into polite endings like a native speaker. Here’s what you learned:

  • μš”-form is the polite form used in daily Korean
  • Different endings (μ•„μš”, μ–΄μš”, ν•΄μš”) depend on verb stems
  • ν•˜λ‹€ verbs always become ν•΄μš”

Start using polite verbs in your everyday speaking and writing. It’s the most natural and respectful way to communicate in Korean!


πŸ“˜ Coming Next

Next lesson: Particles 에 vs μ—μ„œ – Learn the difference between time and place markers!

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