‘ㅂ’ 불규칙

Irregular ㅂ

Explanation

For a few verb and adjective stems that end in ㅂ, ㅂ changes to 오 or 우 when added to an ending that begins with a vowel. 돕다 (to assist) and 곱다 (lovely/charming) are the only two words that change to 오, while all others change to 우.

Details

For a few verb and adjective stems that end in ㅂ, ㅂ changes to 오 or 우 when added to an ending that begins with a vowel. 돕다 (to assist) and 곱다 (lovely/charming) are the only two words that change to 오, while all others change to 우.

Although the stems of 좁다 (to be narrow), 입다 (to wear), 씹다 (to chew), and 잡다 (to catch) end in ㅂ, they are conjugated regularly.

Kimchi Reader

Details

  • When the verb is 돕다 or 곱다, ㅂ is replaced by 오.

  • Otherwise, ㅂ is replaced by 우.

Examples
커피가 <span class='focus'>뜨거우니까</span> 조심하세요.
The coffee’s hot, so be careful.
날씨가 <span class='focus'>추워서</span> 집에 있었어요.
It's cold outside, so I stayed home.
저는 <span class='focus'>매운</span> 음식을 좋아해요.
I like spicy food.

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