Lesson 12
This lesson is a review and summary of the various types of present tense structures in the Korean language.
1. -아/어/여 (Level 1 Lesson 16)
Verb stem + -아/어/여 + -요
Ex)
사다 = to buy
→ 사 + -아요 = 사요. = I buy it. / She buys it. / They buy it. / Buy it.
주다 = to give
→ 주 + -어요 = 줘요. = I give it (to someone). / They give it (to someone). / Give it to me.
저는 매일 운동해요.
= I exercise every day.
저는 한국어를 혼자서 공부해요.
= I study Korean by myself.
2. -시- + -어요 (Level 5 Lesson 2)
The suffix -시- is used to make the sentence honorific when you are talking to or about someone for whom you want to show respect.
Verb stem + -시- + -어요
* When you combine -시- and -어요, it is supposed to become -셔요, but that was only used in the old days, so people nowadays say -세요 instead of -셔요.
Ex)
가다 = to go
→ 가 + -시- + -어요 = 가셔요 = 가세요 = He goes. / She goes. / Please go.
모르다 = to not know
→ 모르 + -시- + -어요 = 모르셔요 = 모르세요 = He does not know. / She does not know.
3. -고 있다 (Level 2 Lesson 10)
-고 있다 is used after verb stems to form present progressive sentences. 있다 is then conjugated to match the context or the intended tense of the sentence.
Ex)
공부하다 = to study
→ 공부하 + -고 있다
→ 공부하고 있어요. = I am studying. / They are studying.
지금 뭐 하고 있어요?
= What are you doing now?
서점에 가고 있어요.
= I am going to a bookstore.
4. -고 싶다 (Level 1 Lesson 13)
-고 싶다 is used to express “I want to...”.
Ex)
보다 = to see
→ 보 + 고 싶다
→ 보고 싶어요. = I want to see. / I miss you.
뭐 하고 싶어요?
= What do you want to do?
밖에 나가고 싶어요.
= I want to go outside.
5. -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 (Level 2 Lesson 17)
-(으)ㄹ 수 있다 is used to express “can” or “be able to”.
Ex)
찾다 = to look for; to find
→ 찾 + -(으)ㄹ 수 있다
→ 찾을 수 있어요. = I can look for it. / I can find it.
여기 주차할 수 있어요?
= Can I park here?
여기 주차할 수 있어요.
= You can park here.
이거 읽을 수 있어요?
= Are you able to read this?
이거 읽을 수 있어요.
= I can read this.
6. -아/어/여야 되다 (Level 2 Lesson 20)
You can use the -아/어/여야 되다 ending to express “have to”, “should”, or “must”.
Ex)
가다 = to go
→ 가 + -아야 되다 = 가야 되다
→ 가야 돼요. = I have to go.
이거 먼저 해야 돼요.
= I need to do this first.
조심해야 돼요.
= You have to be careful.
7. -지 않다, 안 (Level 1 Lesson 21)
You can form negative sentences by adding -지 않다 after the verb stem or 안 before the verb.
Ex)
이상하다 = to be strange
→ 이상하 + -지 않다
→ 이상하지 않아요 = It is not strange.
→ 안 + 이상하다
→ 안 이상해요. = It is not strange.
* In spoken Korean, 안 is more common. In written and formal language, -지 않아요 is equally common.
이거 안 비싸요.
= This is not expensive.
그거 별로 안 좋아요.
= It is not that good.
8. -지 마세요 (Level 2 Lesson 30)
-지 마세요 is used after verb stems to tell someone not to do something.
Ex)
먹다 = to eat
→ 먹 + -지 마세요 = 먹지 마세요. = Do not eat it.
걱정하지 마세요.
= Do not worry.
늦지 마세요.
= Do not be late.
9. -아/어/여요 (Level 3 Lesson 16)
-아/어/여요 looks the same as the plain present tense, but it can be used to form “Let us” sentences as well.
Ex)
하다 = to do
→ 하 + -여요 = 해요. = Let us do it.
같이 해요.
= Let us do it together.
지금 가요.
= Let us go now.
10. -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 (Level 4 Lesson 27)
같다 originally means “to be the same” or “to seem like”, but when expressing your opinion about something, you can use -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 to say “I think...”.
Ex)
좋다 = to be good
→ 좋 + -은 것 같다
→ 좋은 것 같아요. = I think it is good.
이상한 것 같아요.
= I think it is strange.
그 사람 착한 것 같아요.
= I think he is a nice person.
그 사람들 착한 것 같아요.
= I think they are nice people.
저 착한 것 같아요.
= I think I am a nice person.
11. -(으)ㄹ 수도 있다 (Level 3 Lesson 22)
When you want to say that something “might” or “could” happen, you can use the structure -(으)ㄹ 수도 있다.
Ex)
늦다 = to be late
→ 늦 + -(으)ㄹ 수도 있다
→ 늦을 수도 있어요. = I might be late. / They might be late.
석진 씨가 알 수도 있어요.
= Seokjin might know.
오늘 집에 있을 수도 있어요.
= I might stay at home today.