안녕하세요
Ever been at a party where someone just randomly disappears and then makes a grand re-entrance with a funky hat? Well, that’s the “ㅎ” irregular verb for you! 🎩✨ Always the life of the linguistic party, this cheeky character has a habit of vanishing in certain verb conjugations, leaving us mere mortals wondering, “Where on Earth did it go?”
But don’t you worry, by the end of today’s lesson, you’ll be an expert at tracking down our elusive friend “ㅎ” and understanding its mysterious ways. So grab your detective glasses, perhaps a cup of soothing green tea (or make it soju if the day has been particularly long 🍶), and let’s dive deep into the world of “ㅎ” irregulars!
Ready to have some fun and learn? Let’s go and tame this unpredictable verb! 🕵️♂️📚💃🕺
Conjugation
Welcome to the world of “ㅎ” irregular verbs, where things can get a little… hot and hazy. (Pun intended, of course! 😄) Let’s unravel the mysteries of this intriguing character and its role in Korean verb conjugations.
“ㅎ” irregular verbs are those adjectives that end with the letter “ㅎ” in their verb stem. The tricky part? This “ㅎ” tends to disappear when conjugated under certain conditions, especially when certain vowels are involved. Sounds mysterious, right? But bear with me!
Like any good rule, there are exceptions. Sometimes the “ㅎ” doesn’t just vanish; it influences the sound of the next vowel. But no worries! We’ll delve deeper into those conjugation nuances in the next section.
In essence, while the “ㅎ” irregular verbs might initially come across as the trickster gods of the Korean verb pantheon, with a bit of patience and practice, their patterns will become clear. It’s all about understanding the rhythm and flow of the language. So, ready to dive deeper and master these “hot” verbs? Let’s go! 🔥📚🇰🇷
NOT ALL “ㅎ” descriptive verbs/adjectives are irregular. These are similar to the “ㄷ” and “ㅅ” irregulars and so only few are irregulars.
I will introduce the most common ones but first, let’s have a look at the conjugation rules.
- Take a descriptive verb/adjective
- Drop
- Follow the below rules
- If the verb stem is followed by an ending starting with a vowel, drop “ㅎ”
- If the last vowel before “ㅎ” is ㅏ or ㅓ change it to ㅐ
- If the last vowel before “ㅎ” is ㅑ, change it to 얘
- If the last vowel before “ㅎ” is ㅕ, change it to 예
- If the verb stem is followed by an ending starting with (으), drop (으) AND “ㅎ”
Irregular “ㅎ” verbs
- 어떻다 – To be such
- 이렇다 – To be like this
- 그렇다 – To be like that
- 저렇다 – To be like that
- 뿌옇다 – To be hazy
- 까맣다 – To be black
- 하얗다 – To be white
- 빨갛다 – To be red
- 노랗다 – To be yellow
- 파랗다 – To be blue
Let’s have a look how to conjugate “그렇다” with different verb endings.
| Verb ending | Conjugation 그렇다 |
| -아/어/여요 | 그래요 |
| -았/었/였요 | 그랬어요 |
| -ㄹ/을 거예요 | 그럴 거예요 |
| -ㄹ/을게요 | 그럴게요 |
| -ㄹ/을래요 | 그럴래요 |
| -게 | 그렇게 |
| -아/어/여서 | 그래서 |
| -지 않다 | 그렇지 않아요 |
| -ㄹ/을 수 있다 | 그럴 수 있다 |
| -으면 | 그러면 |
| -으니까 | 그러니까 |
| -으세요 | 그러세요 |
| -으려고 | 그러려고 |
| -잖아요 | 그렇잖아요 |
Now let’s look at the conjugation of other verbs.
| Korean | English | 아/어/여요 | (으)면 | (으)니까 |
| 어떻다 | To be such | 어때요 | 어떠 | 어떠니까 |
| 이렇다 | To be like this | 이래요 | 이러면 | 이러니까 |
| 그렇다 | To be like that | 그래요 | 그러면 | 그러니까 |
| 저렇다 | To be like that | 저래요 | 저러면 | 저러니까 |
| 뿌옇다 | To be hazy | 뿌예요 | 뿌여면 | 뿌여니까 |
| 까맣다 | To be black | 까매요 | 까마면 | 까마니까 |
| 하얗다 | To be white | 하얘요 | 하야면 | 하야니까 |
| 빨갛다 | To be red | 빨개요 | 빨가면 | 빨가니까 |
| 노랗다 | To be yellow | 노래요 | 노라면 | 노라니까 |
| 파랗다 | To be blue | 파래요 | 파라면 | 파라니까 |
Regular ㅎ verbs
Most of the ㅎ verbs are regular and therefore will follow the regular conjugation rules.
| Korean | English | 아/어/여요 | (으)면 | (으)니까 |
| 좋다 | To be good | 좋아요 | 좋으면 | 좋으니까 |
| 놓다 | To put | 놓아요 | 놓으면 | 놓으니까 |
| 많다 | To be a lot | 많아요 | 많으면 | 많으니까 |
| 싫다 | To dislike | 싫어요 | 싫으면 | 싫으니 |
Activity 1
Conjugate the below into 아/어/여요 form.
- 많다
- 그렇다
- 빨갛다
- 좋다
- 어떻다
Activity 2
Translate these into Korean.
- It’s not like that.
- It could be like that.
- If this is good take it.
- How is this?
- I put it here.
Activity 1 Answers
- 많다 –> 많아요
- 그렇다 –> 그래요
- 빨갛다 –> 빨개요
- 좋다 –> 좋아요
- 어떻다 –> 어때요
Activity 2 Answers
- It’s not like that. – 그렇지 않아요.
- It could be like that. – 그럴 수 있어요.
- If this is good take it. – 이거 좋으면 가져가요.
- How is this? – 이거 어때요?
- I put it here. – 여기 놓았어요.
Wrap up
Congratulations! We’ve journeyed through the vibrant valleys and tackled the towering peaks of “ㅎ” irregular verbs in Korean. No longer shall this cheeky character leave you scratching your head in puzzlement! 🤔❌
Let’s recap our triumphs:
- We uncovered the secret life of “ㅎ” and its notorious disappearing act.
- We dipped our toes into conjugation waters, making sure we’re well-equipped to face any “ㅎ” verb that dares to cross our path.
- And, of course, we put our newfound knowledge to the test with some challenging exercises. 📚✏️
Remember, while the road to mastering irregular verbs may sometimes feel like navigating through a dense K-drama plot, it’s always filled with learning, laughter, and a few “Aha!” moments. Every twist and turn makes the story (and the language) all the more captivating.
Keep practicing, stay curious, and always embrace the beautiful irregularities of the Korean language. After all, it’s the unexpected moments that make our learning journey so unforgettable. 🌟
Until our next linguistic adventure, 화이팅! Stay fabulous, and remember: With every lesson, you’re one step closer to becoming the ultimate Korean language maestro! 🎶🇰🇷🎉