Part 6 - Present Tense Verbs

Part 6.1 - 아요 / 어요 / 해요 — Present Tense Polite Informal Verb Ending

Basic Information

The endings 아요, 어요, and 해요 are used to express **present tense actions** in a **polite informal** way.
This is the most commonly used verb ending in **everyday conversations** in Korean.
You will hear it all the time when Koreans are talking to friends, colleagues, or in shops and cafés.
It is less formal than ㅂ니다 / 습니다 but still polite.

This is an essential pattern for beginners, because it lets you talk about things you **do now**, or things that are **true in the present**.

Grammar Rule

Here is how to use these endings:

• Verb stem ending with ㅏ or ㅗ → 아요
• Verb stem ending with other vowels → 어요
• 하다 verbs → 해요 (하다 changes to 해요)

Example Sentences

Korean	English
가요.	I go / I am going.
와요.	I come / I am coming.
먹어요.	I eat / I am eating.
마셔요.	I drink / I am drinking.
읽어요.	I read / I am reading.
공부해요.	I study / I am studying.
일해요.	I work / I am working.
자요.	I sleep / I am sleeping.
봐요.	I see / I watch / I am watching.
말해요.	I speak / I talk / I am speaking.

Important Notes

• This is the **most common tense** used in daily conversation.
• Polite informal → use it with friends, colleagues, in stores, and with people your age or younger.
• Verb meaning depends on context:
  • **가요** → can mean "I go" or "I am going."
  • **먹어요** → can mean "I eat" or "I am eating."
• **하다** verbs always change to **해요**.

Summary

Use 아요 with verb stems ending in ㅏ or ㅗ.
Use 어요 with other verb stems.
Use 해요 with 하다 verbs.
This is the **essential polite informal tense** for talking about the present in Korean.

Common TOPIK I Patterns

• 저는 Verb stem + 아요/어요/해요. → I do (Verb).
• 지금 Verb stem + 아요/어요/해요. → I am doing (Verb) now.
• 매일 Verb stem + 아요/어요/해요. → I do (Verb) every day.
• 어제 Verb stem + 았어요/었어요/했어요. → I did (Verb) yesterday. *(past tense, but related to this pattern!)*
• 내일 Verb stem + 아요/어요/해요. → I will do (Verb) tomorrow. *(present/future use)*

End of Lesson

Now you know how to use **아요 / 어요 / 해요** to express polite informal actions in the present tense!
This is the core verb pattern you will hear and use the most in Korean conversations.
Practice making your own sentences with it — it's your first big step into real Korean communication! 🌟

Happy studying! 화이팅! ✨

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