haru Korean › Grammar › Level 2B › ㅅ 불규칙
ㅅ 불규칙 — ㅅ verbs — in some verbs the ㅅ drops before a vowel
ㅅ verbs — in some verbs the ㅅ drops before a vowel. Korean grammar for upper beginner learners — Level 2B, lesson 2: 운동을 좀 해 보는 게 어때요? (How about some exercise? — health and advice).
What it means
A few verbs that end in ㅅ lose the ㅅ when the next part begins with a vowel — -아요/어요, -았/었어요, -(으)세요, -(으)면, -(으)니까. 낫다 'to get better, to heal' becomes 나아요 and 나았어요: 감기가 다 나았어요 'my cold is completely better'. The ㅅ disappears, but the stem still counts as having a 받침, so 으 stays: 나으세요 (빨리 나으세요 is how you say 'get well soon'), 나으면, 나으니까. The other common ones work the same way: 붓다 'to swell' (눈이 부었어요), 짓다 'to build, to make' (집을 지어요; 약을 지어요 = to get your prescription made up at the pharmacy) and 긋다 'to draw a line' (줄을 그으세요). Before a consonant nothing changes: 낫고, 낫지만, 낫기 전에. Many ㅅ verbs are regular, and some of them are very common: 웃다 → 웃어요, 씻다 → 씻어요, 벗다 → 벗어요. The dictionary form does not show which group a verb belongs to, so learn the changing ones as a short list: 낫다, 붓다, 짓다, 긋다.
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ㅅ 불규칙 | 모음 앞에서 ㅅ이 빠져요 | 낫다 + 아요/어요 → 나아요 · 나았어요 |
| 규칙 | ㅅ이 안 빠져요 | 웃다 + 아요/어요 → 웃어요 |
Key points
- Some verbs ending in ㅅ lose the ㅅ before a vowel: 낫다 → 나아요 · 나았어요 · 나으세요 · 붓다 → 부어요 · 짓다 → 지어요 · 긋다 → 그어요
- Other ㅅ verbs never change — learn which group a verb is in: 웃다 → 웃어요 · 씻다 → 씻어요 · 벗다 → 벗어요. Before a consonant nothing changes: 낫고 · 낫지만
Examples
- 낫다 → 나아요 · 나았어요 · 나으세요 · 나으면.
- 붓다 → 부어요. 짓다 → 지어요. 긋다 → 그어요.
- 웃다 → 웃어요. 씻다 → 씻어요. 벗다 → 벗어요.
- 감기가 다 나았어요. 빨리 나으세요!
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Seoul National University Korean 2B, lesson 11; Yonsei University Korean 2-2, lesson 16; Ewha Womans University Korean 2-1, lesson 3; Hongik University Korean 2B, lesson 9.
Also in this lesson
- N마다 — every … · each … — 날마다 · 주말마다 · 두 시간마다 · 사람마다
- V-는 게 어때요? — how about …ing? · why don't you …? — soft advice and suggestions
- V-기로 하다 — decide to · agree to — plans you have made, often with someone