3 · Irregular verbs
Adjectives in 히읗 (h): 그렇다 → 그래요, 빨갛다 → 빨개요
the h that melts away
Colour words and the words for “like this, like that, how” drop their h and merge their vowels: 그래요, 빨개요, 어때요.
The adjectives of colour and the adjectives meaning “like this” and “how” end in 히읗, the letter for h: 빨갛다 (to be red), 노랗다 (yellow), 파랗다 (blue), 까맣다 (black), 하얗다 (white), and 이렇다, 그렇다, 저렇다 (to be like this, like that) and 어떻다 (to be how). Before 아 or 어 the h drops and the vowels merge into 애: 그렇다 → 그래요, 빨갛다 → 빨개요, 어떻다 → 어때요. 하얗다, with ya, becomes 하얘요.
Before an ending with (으), the h and the 으 both disappear, so the modifier simply adds n to the vowel: 빨간 사과 (a red apple), 그런 사람 (that kind of person), 어떤 영화 (what kind of film), 하얀 눈 (white snow). 그러면 (if so) and 어떠세요? (how is it for you?) are built the same way. Before a consonant the h stays and makes the next consonant aspirated: 그렇지만 is said geureochiman, 빨갛고 ppalgako.
These words are everywhere in conversation. 그래요? is “really?”, 그래요 is “all right”, 어때요? is “how is it?”, and the linking words 그래서, 그러면 and 그런데 are all forms of 그렇다. A learner who knows the rule recognises half the small talk.
Two things are regular and catch English speakers out. 좋다 (to be good), although it is an adjective in 히읗, keeps the h: 좋아요, 좋은. And verbs in 히읗 are all regular: 놓다 (to put) → 놓아요, 넣다 (to put in) → 넣어요, 낳다 (to give birth) → 낳아요. Adjectives with two final letters, such as 많다, 싫다 and 괜찮다, are regular too.
The form
| before 아/어: h drops, 애 | 그렇다 → 그래요, 빨갛다 → 빨개요 |
| 하얗다: 얘 | 하얗다 → 하얘요 |
| before (으): h and 으 drop | 빨간 사과, 그런 사람, 어떤 영화 |
| before a consonant: no change | 그렇지만, 빨갛고, 그렇습니다 |
| regular: 좋다 and every verb | 좋아요, 넣어요, 놓아요 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
Before 아 or 어, the h drops and the vowels merge into 애.
하늘이 정말 파래요.The sky is really blue.
Before an ending with (으), the h and the 으 both drop.
저는 빨간 가방을 샀어요.I bought a red bag.
Before an ending that starts with a consonant, nothing changes.
그렇지만 시간이 없어요.That is true, but I have no time.
좋다 and all verbs in 히읗 are regular.
가방에 책을 넣었어요.I put the book in my bag.
A closer look
The words that hold a conversation together
Many of the small words that keep a Korean conversation moving are forms of 그렇다: 그래요? (really?), 그렇죠 (that is right, is it not?), 그러니까 (so, that is why), 그래도 (still, even so). Seen as forms of one adjective, they stop being a list to memorise.
왜 그래요? is a useful one to recognise: literally “why are you like that?”, it means “what is the matter?”. 어때요? in the same way asks for an opinion on almost anything: a dish, a plan, a colour.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the adjective is 좋다
it is regular: 좋아요, 좋은, 좋으면
날씨가 좋으면 산책해요.If the weather is nice, I go for a walk.
좋다 is the one common adjective in 히읗 that keeps the letter; the irregular ones are the colour words and the words built on “this, that, how”.
How to spot it
- 그래요
- 어때요
- 빨개요
- 그런
- 어떤
Example sentences
이 옷 어때요?How does this outfit look?
아, 그래요? 몰랐어요.Oh, really? I did not know.
가을에는 산이 빨개요.In autumn the mountains are red.
어떤 음식을 좋아하세요?What kind of food do you like?
그런 말은 처음 들었어요.I have never heard anything like that before.
눈이 와서 온 세상이 하얘요.It has snowed, so the whole world is white.
8 more example sentences
얼굴이 왜 그렇게 빨개요?Why is your face so red?
저는 까만색 옷을 자주 입어요.I often wear black clothes.
그러면 내일 다시 올게요.In that case, I will come back tomorrow.
요즘 어떻게 지내요?How are you getting on these days?
이런 날에는 집에 있고 싶어요.On a day like this I want to stay at home.
노란 꽃이 많이 피었어요.Lots of yellow flowers have come out.
그 영화 어땠어요?How was that film?
여기에 짐을 놓으세요.Put your luggage here, please.
Worth knowing (1)
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Colour words as nouns
The modifier forms make the usual names of the colours: 빨간색, 노란색, 파란색, 까만색, 하얀색 — “red colour” and so on, each written as one word. For black and white you will also hear 검은색 and 흰색, made from two other adjectives, 검다 and 희다.
파란색 우산 있어요?Do you have a blue umbrella?
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
어떻다 drops its h before 어요, and the vowels merge: 어때요. Because 좋다 gives 좋아요, a regular-looking 어떻어요 feels natural to a learner — but it does not exist.
Geureota, geuraeyo: drop the h and let the vowels melt into ae — but joayo stays.
Your turn
10 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.