haru Korean › Grammar › Level 1A › ㅂ 불규칙
ㅂ 불규칙 — ㅂ words — 덥다 becomes 더워요
ㅂ words — 덥다 becomes 더워요. Korean grammar for beginner learners — Level 1A, lesson 11: 덥지만 여름이 좋아요 (It's hot, but I love summer — describing with adjectives).
What it means
Most describing words that end in ㅂ change when the ending starts with a vowel: the ㅂ drops, 우 comes in, and 우 + 어요 becomes 워요 — 덥다 → 더워요 'it's hot', 춥다 → 추워요 'it's cold', 무겁다 → 무거워요 'it's heavy'. It is always 워요, even after ㅏ: 가깝다 → 가까워요. The past works the same way: 더웠어요, 추웠어요. When the ending starts with a consonant, the ㅂ stays: 덥네요, 춥고 — just like 듣다 → 듣고 in Lesson 10. Many opposites are ㅂ words, so learn them in pairs: 가벼워요 ↔ 무거워요, 쉬워요 ↔ 어려워요, 가까워요 ↔ 멀어요. The thank-you word is an ㅂ word too: 고맙다 → 고마워요. Not every ㅂ word changes: 좁다 'narrow' keeps its ㅂ — 좁아요.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ㅂ → 우 | before a vowel: -아요/어요 · -았/었어요 | 덥다 + 아요/어요 → 더워요 |
| ㅂ stays | before a consonant: -고 · -네요 | 덥다 + 네요 → 덥네요 |
Key points
- ㅂ 불규칙 — before a vowel ending, ㅂ → 우 and 우 + 어요 = 워요: 덥다 → 더워요 · 춥다 → 추워요 · 무겁다 → 무거워요
- Before a consonant the ㅂ stays: 덥네요 · 춥고 — and the past is 웠어요: 더웠어요
Examples
- 덥다 → 더워요 · 춥다 → 추워요
- 가볍다 → 가벼워요 · 무겁다 → 무거워요
- 쉽다 → 쉬워요 · 어렵다 → 어려워요 · 가깝다 → 가까워요
- 덥다 → 더웠어요 · 덥네요 · 덥고
- 고맙다 → 고마워요
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 1A, lesson 7; Yonsei University Korean 1-1, lesson 9; Ewha Womans University Korean 1-2, lesson 10; Hongik University Korean 1B, lesson 8.
Also in this lesson
- A-아요/어요 · N이/가 A — describing words — the weather is nice
- A/V-지만 — …, but … — two ideas in one sentence
- -습니다/-습니까 — the formal style — the news, speeches and announcements