Korean Present Tense: -아요/-어요 Explained
10-Second Answer
-아요/-어요 is the polite present-tense ending you attach to a verb stem. Which one you use depends on the stem's last vowel: bright vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ) take -아요; everything else takes -어요. It's the single most-used verb ending in everyday Korean.
The Vowel Rule
| Stem's last vowel | Ending | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ㅏ or ㅗ ("bright" vowels) | -아요 | 가다 → 가 + 아요 → 가요 (go) |
| Anything else | -어요 | 먹다 → 먹 + 어요 → 먹어요 (eat) |
| 하다 verbs | irregular: 해요 | 공부하다 → 공부해요 (study) |
To find the stem, drop 다 from the dictionary form: 가다 → 가, 먹다 → 먹, 마시다 → 마시.
Quick Examples
가다 → 가요
to go → [I/you/etc.] go
오다 → 와요
to come → come
오 + 아요 contracts to 와요 (vowels merge).
먹다 → 먹어요
to eat → eat
마시다 → 마셔요
to drink → drink
마시 + 어요 contracts to 마셔요.
Why Contractions Happen
When the stem already ends in a vowel, that vowel and the -아/어 often merge into a single syllable for smoother pronunciation — Korean avoids awkward vowel collisions the same way English contracts "do not" into "don't."
| Stem ends in | + 아/어요 becomes |
|---|---|
| ㅗ (오다 → 오+아요) | 와요 |
| ㅣ (마시다 → 마시+어요) | 마셔요 |
| ㅜ (배우다 → 배우+어요) | 배워요 |
One Ending, Three Jobs
-아요/-어요 covers statements, questions, and even light suggestions — intonation and context do the rest, exactly like 학생이에요 could earlier.
가요.
I go. / I'm going. (statement)
가요?
Are you going? (question — rising tone)
같이 가요!
Let's go together! (suggestion, with 같이)
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Guessing 아요/어요 by the meaning instead of the vowel
It's purely about the stem's LAST vowel (ㅏ/ㅗ vs everything else), not the verb's meaning or length.
Mistake #2 — Forgetting 하다 is irregular
하다 doesn't follow the rule — it's always 해요, not 하아요/하어요.
Mini Quiz
1. 받다 (to receive) — its stem 받 has vowel ㅏ. What's the present-tense form?
2. 읽다 (to read) — stem 읽 has vowel ㅣ. What's the form?
3. How do you conjugate 하다 in the polite present?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
Korean Past Tense: -았/-었 Explained
Same vowel logic, one tense later — past tense builds directly on what you just learned.
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Start today's study →Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Written and reviewed by a native Korean speaker.