2 · Irregular verbs
Stems in 르: 모르다 → 몰라요, 부르다 → 불러요
the doubled l
A stem in 르 drops its vowel before -아요/어요 and adds a second l: 모르다 becomes 몰라요.
Almost every verb whose stem ends in the syllable 르 changes the same way before 아 or 어: the 으 drops, and an extra l appears at the end of the syllable before it. 모르다 (not to know) becomes 몰라요, 부르다 (to sing, to call) 불러요, 다르다 (to be different) 달라요, 빠르다 (to be fast) 빨라요. The l is heard twice: 몰라요 is said mollayo.
The vowel follows the same rule as for stems in 으: a or o in the syllable before 르 gives 라 (모르다 → 몰라요, 고르다 → 골라요), anything else gives 러 (부르다 → 불러요, 기르다 → 길러요, 흐르다 → 흘러요). The past is built on the same form: 몰랐어요, 불렀어요.
Before every other ending, nothing changes: 모르면, 모르는 사람, 다른 사람, 빠릅니다, 모르겠어요. Only the endings with 아 or 어 — the polite present, the past, -아서, -아도, -아야 — show the doubled l.
English speakers usually drop the 으 correctly and forget the extra l, writing 모라요 or 부러요. Say the form slowly, holding the l across both syllables: 몰-라요, 불-러요. Neither 모라요 nor 부러요 is a word.
The form
| a or o before 르: 라 | 모르다 → 몰라요, 다르다 → 달라요 |
| another vowel before 르: 러 | 부르다 → 불러요, 기르다 → 길러요 |
| past | 몰랐어요, 불렀어요 |
| with -아서/어서 | 빨라서, 불러서 |
| every other ending: no change | 모르면, 다른, 빠릅니다 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
Before 아 or 어, 르 loses its 으, and an extra l joins the syllable before.
죄송해요. 잘 몰라요.Sorry, I do not really know.
The vowel is chosen by the syllable before 르.
동생은 노래를 잘 불러요.My younger sister sings well.
The past uses the same form.
그때는 그 사람 이름을 몰랐어요.At the time I did not know that person's name.
All other endings leave 르 alone.
모르면 물어 보세요.If you do not know, ask.
A closer look
Two groups that look alike
A polite form with a doubled l — 골라요, 길러요, 눌러요 — almost always hides a stem in 르. Take off the second l, put back 르, and you have the dictionary form: 골라요 → 고르다, 눌러요 → 누르다.
Do not confuse these with stems in 리을, which keep their single l before a vowel: 놀다 → 놀아요, 살다 → 살아요. One l in the polite form points to a stem in 리을; two point to a stem in 르.
Exceptions and special cases (2)
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the verb is 따르다 (to follow, to pour), 들르다 (to drop in) or 치르다 (to pay; to sit an exam)
only the 으 drops, with no extra l: 따라요, 들러요, 치러요
집에 가는 길에 편의점에 들렀어요.On my way home I stopped at a convenience store.
These three behave like 쓰다 and 바쁘다, although they end in the same syllable as the 르 verbs. The past of 들르다 is 들렀어요; 들렸어요is the past of a different verb들리다(to be heard)
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the adjective is 푸르다 (to be deep blue or green)
it keeps 르 and adds 러: 푸르러요
오늘은 하늘이 정말 푸르러요.The sky is a wonderful deep blue today.
A tiny group of its own, met mostly in writing and in songs. In everyday speech the sky is more often 파래요, from 파랗다.
How to spot it
- 몰라요
- 불러요
- 달라요
- 빨라요
- -라요/러요
Example sentences
기차가 생각보다 빨라요.The train is faster than I thought.
제 생각은 좀 달라요.I see it a little differently.
마음에 드는 걸로 하나 골라 보세요.Pick one that you like.
밥을 많이 먹어서 배불러요.I have eaten a lot, so I am full.
여기 이 버튼을 눌러 주세요.Please press this button here.
머리를 짧게 잘랐어요.I had my hair cut short.
8 more example sentences
저는 강아지를 두 마리 길러요.I keep two dogs.
시간이 없어요. 좀 서둘러 주세요.There is no time. Please hurry.
비가 안 와서 땅이 많이 말랐어요.It has not rained, so the ground has dried out a lot.
친구 이름을 크게 불렀어요.I called out my friend's name loudly.
물가가 많이 올랐어요.Prices have gone up a lot.
저는 그 사람을 잘 몰라서 할 말이 없어요.I do not know that person well, so I have nothing to say.
다른 색깔도 있어요?Do you have it in another colour too?
이 강은 서쪽으로 흘러요.This river flows west.
Worth knowing (1)
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몰라요 or 모르겠어요?
Both mean “I do not know”. 몰라요 states it flatly and can sound abrupt to a stranger; 모르겠어요, with -겠-, sounds more like “I am not sure” and is the polite choice when somebody asks you the way.
죄송합니다. 잘 모르겠어요.I am sorry, I am not really sure.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Dropping the 으 is only half the change: a stem in 르 also adds a second l to the syllable before. 모라요 sounds close, but only 몰라요, with l twice, is Korean.
Moreuda, mollayo: lose the eu, and say the l twice.
Your turn
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