안녕하세요, Korean language enthusiasts! 🌟
Today, we’re diving deep into the world of… drum roll, please… 🥁 the ‘ㄷ’ irregular verbs! But wait, before you run for the hills or decide to hide under your blanket, let me assure you: it’s not as daunting as it sounds!
Think of ‘ㄷ’ irregular verbs as that one friend who always brings unexpected snacks to a party. Just when you think you’ve figured them out, BAM! They surprise you with some extra crunch. But hey, who doesn’t love a good snack? Especially if it’s Korean BBQ flavored! 🍖
Join me as we decode these mischievous ‘ㄷ’ irregulars, which are basically the Korean language’s version of popping candy. Unpredictable? Yes. Fun? Absolutely! Let’s roll up our sleeves, grab our Korean dictionaries, and prepare for some linguistic laughs. Remember, every quirky verb rule is just another story waiting to be told. 📖😂
Ready to dive into the delightful (and sometimes dizzying) domain of the ‘ㄷ’ irregulars? Let’s get started! 🚀📘
Definition of a “ㄷ” irregular
A ‘ㄷ’ irregular verb, sometimes referred to as a “ㄷ 불규칙 동사”, is a verb that has the consonant ‘ㄷ’ (known as “디귿” in Korean) as the final consonant of its stem. When you conjugate these verbs, under specific conditions, this ‘ㄷ’ undergoes a metamorphosis, transforming into a ‘ㄹ’.
Not Always a Rebel
While the ‘ㄷ’ is known for its rebellious transformation, it doesn’t always change.
So while before, there were some rules you could follow, there are not any in this case. BUT before you panic, there are only few verbs you need to remember and they are pretty commonly used so you will be able to grasp them soon enough.
“ㄷ” Irregular Verbs
- 듣다 – To hear
- 묻다 – To ask
- 걷다 – To walk
- 깨닫다 – To realize
- 붇다 – To swell up (with water)
- 긷다 – To draw water
- 싣다 – To load
See? There is not that many. I personally use the first four quite often as you can imagine, and the last three rarely or never.
PLEASE NOTE that the batchim ㄷ only changes to ㄹ if it is followed by a vowel i.e. 아/어/여요.
Different conjugations of “ㄷ”
| Korean | English | Highest honorifics | Present tense | Past tense | Future tense |
| 듣다 | To hear | 듣습니다 | 들어요 | 들었어요 | 들을 거예요 |
| 묻다 | To ask | 묻습니다 | 물어요 | 물었어요 | 물을 거예요 |
| 걷다 | To walk | 걷습니다 | 걸어요 | 걸었어요 | 걸을 거예요 |
| 깨닫다 | To realize | 깨닫습니다 | 깨달아요 | 깨달았어요 | 깨달을 거예요 |
| 붇다 | To swell up | 붇습니다 | 불어요 | 불었어요 | 불을 거예요 |
| 긷다 | To draw water | 긷습니다 | 길어요 | 길었어요 | 길을 거예요 |
| 싣다 | To load | 싣습니다 | 실어요 | 실었어요 | 실을 거예요 |
Let’s look at some other types of conjugations.
| Korean | 고 있어요 | 고 싶다 | 는 중이에요 | ㄹ/을 수 있다 |
| 듣다 | 듣고 있어요 | 듣고 싶어요 | 듣는 중이에요 | 들을 수 있어요 |
| 묻다 | 묻고 있어요 | 묻고 싶어요 | 묻는 중이에요 | 물을 수 있어요 |
| 걷다 | 걷고 있어요 | 걷고 싶어요 | 걷는 중이에요 | 걸을 수 있어요 |
| 깨닫다 | 깨닫고 있어요 | 깨닫고 싶어요 | 깨닫는 중이에요 | 깨달을 수 있어요 |
| 붇다 | 붇고 있어요 | 붇고 싶어요 | 붇는 중이에요 | 불을 수 있어요 |
| 긷다 | 긷고 있어요 | 긷고 싶어요 | 긷는 중이에요 | 길을 수 있어요 |
| 싣다 | 싣고 있어요 | 싣고 싶어요 | 싣는 중이에요 | 실을 수 있어요 |
The Future tense and ㄹ/을 수 있어요 structure – in both examples, the verb HAS to be followed by 을 instead of just ㄹ as per the normal rules and that is why the batchim “ㄷ” changes to “ㄹ”. In the other examples, the verb stem is followed by a consonant and therefore the “ㄷ” does not change to “ㄹ”.
Negative sentences
VERB STEM + 지 않다
- Take a verb i.e. 듣다
- Drop 다 i.e. 다
- Add -지 않다 i.e. 듣지 않다
- 묻다 –> 묻 + 지 않다 –> 묻지 않다
- 걷다 –> 걷 + 지 않다 –> 걷지 않다
- 깨닫다 –> 깨닫 + 지 않다 –> 깨닫지 않다
안 + CONJUGATED VERB
- Take a verb i.e. 듣다
- Conjugate it i.e. 들어요
- Add 안 before the verb i.e. 안 들어요
- 묻다 –> 물어요 –> 안 물어요
- 걷다 –> 걸어요 –> 안 걸어요
- 깨닫다 –> 깨달아요 –> 안 깨달아요
Example sentences
- 저는 노래 들어요. – I listen to music.
- 매일 공원에서 걸어요. – I walk in the park every day.
- 아무것도 안 물었어요. – I didn’t ask anything.
Activity 1
Conjugate the below into present tense.
- 듣다
- 받다
- 걷다
- 묻다
- 닫다
Activity 2
Fill in the gaps.
- 어제 친구한테 선물 __________. – I received a gift from a friend yesterday.
- 하루종일 노래 __________. – I am listening to music every day.
- 문을 __________. – I can close the door.
- 조금 __________. – I want to walk a little.
- 궁금하면 __________. – Ask if you are curious.
Activity 1 Answers
- 듣다 – 들어요
- 받다 – 받아요
- 걷다 – 걸어요
- 묻다 – 물어요
- 닫다 – 닫아요
Activity 2 Answers
- 어제 친구한테 선물 받았어요. – I received a gift from a friend yesterday.
- 하루종일 노래 듣고 있어요. – I am listening to music every day.
- 문을 닫을 수 있어요. – I can close the door.
- 조금 걷고 싶어요. – I want to walk a little.
- 궁금하면 물어요. – Ask if you are curious.
Wrap up
Well, well, well! Here we are at the end of another enchanting journey through the wacky and whimsical world of Korean ‘ㄷ’ irregular verbs. Wasn’t it a roller coaster of “ah-has” and “ooh-lalas”?
Let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane:
- We spotted the ‘ㄷ’ irregular verbs in a line-up (they couldn’t hide from us for long! 😎).
- We unveiled the magical transformation spell where ‘ㄷ’ becomes a chic ‘ㄹ’ whenever it feels like jazzing things up.
- And, we realized that, just like in any great story, there are always exceptions to the rule.
Hopefully, you’re walking away from this lesson with a wizard’s understanding of the topic. And remember, if ever you stumble upon a ‘ㄷ’ verb in the wild streets of the Korean language, don’t panic! Simply whisper the magic words: “Transform, dear ‘ㄷ’, if you must!” And if it doesn’t? Well, maybe it’s just having an off day. 😉
Thanks for joining this linguistic carnival. Keep practicing, stay curious, and always remember to find joy in the journey. Because as we all know, every ‘ㄷ’ has its day!
Until next time, wizards and witches! Keep those wands (or in our case, pens) waving and those books flipping! 🎩✨📚😂