haru Korean › Grammar › Level 1A › V-아요/어요
V-아요/어요 — the polite present -아요/어요 — 'I study', 'do you eat?'
The polite present -아요/어요 — 'I study', 'do you eat?'. Korean grammar for beginner learners — Level 1A, lesson 5: 한국어를 공부해요 (I study Korean — your first verbs).
What it means
-아요/어요 is the polite present ending — the form you will use most in everyday Korean, for 'I study', 'she reads' and 'do you eat?'. Take 다 off the verb and look at the last vowel that is left: ㅏ or ㅗ takes 아요, any other vowel takes 어요, and every 하다 verb becomes 해요. Some forms shrink when you say them: 보 + 아요 → 봐요, 마시 + 어요 → 마셔요, 배우 + 어요 → 배워요, 쓰 + 어요 → 써요, and 자 + 아요 is simply 자요. A statement and a question have the same form — only your voice changes: 먹어요. goes down, 먹어요? goes up. One verb breaks the rule: 모르다 becomes 몰라요 — learn it as one word.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -아요 | last vowel ㅏ or ㅗ | 알다 + 아요 → 알아요 |
| -어요 | any other vowel | 먹다 + 어요 → 먹어요 |
| 해요 | 하다 verbs | 공부하다 → 공부해요 |
Key points
- V-아요/어요 — ㅏ or ㅗ → 아요 · any other vowel → 어요 · 하다 → 해요
- One form for 'I do' and 'do you …?' — only your voice changes: 먹어요. ↘ · 먹어요? ↗
Examples
- 먹다 → 먹어요. 보다 → 봐요. 공부하다 → 공부해요.
- 알아요 · 만나요 · 자요. 읽어요 · 마셔요 · 배워요.
- 뭐 해요? — 공부해요. 숙제해요.
- 선생님은 가르쳐요. 학생은 배워요.
- 먹어요. ↘ 먹어요? ↗
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 1A, lesson 3; Yonsei University Korean 1-1, lesson 8; Sogang University Korean 1A, lesson 2; Ewha Womans University Korean 1-1, lesson 5; Hongik University Korean 1A, lesson 3; Hanyang University Korean 1-1, lesson 3.