Learn Korean for Free | Beginner Korean Grammar #39
Why does 살다 become 사세요 and 삽니다, while 살아요 keeps ㄹ? This is the regular ㄹ elision pattern.
What Does Regular conjugation 1. ㄹ elision Mean?
When a verb or descriptive-verb stem ends in ㄹ, that ㄹ drops before an ending that begins with ㄴ, ㅂ, or ㅅ. Before many other endings, it remains.
The Rule
살다 → 사세요 (ㄹ + ㅅ), 삽니다 (ㄹ + ㅂ), 사는 집 (ㄹ + ㄴ). 만들다 → 만드세요, 만듭니다, 만드는 음식. But the ㄹ remains in 살아요, 살고, 살면, 만들어요, 만들고, 만들면.
Useful Korean Words
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 살다 | to live |
| 알다 | to know |
| 만들다 | to make |
| 열다 | to open |
| 놀다 | to play |
| 팔다 | to sell |
| 멀다 | to be far |
| 길다 | to be long |
Korean Grammar Examples
선생님은 서울에 사세요.
The teacher lives in Seoul.
저는 그 사람을 압니다.
I know that person.
어머니가 김밥을 만드세요.
My mother makes gimbap.
직원이 아침에 문을 엽니다.
The employee opens the door in the morning.
여기에서 학교까지 멉니다.
It is far from here to the school.
A Short Dialogue
A: 어디에 사세요? — Where do you live?
B: 서울에 살아요. — I live in Seoul.
A: 서울에서 무엇을 만드세요? — What do you make in Seoul?
B: 한국 전통 음식을 만들어요. — I make traditional Korean food.
A Common Mistake to Avoid
Do not delete ㄹ before every ending. Compare 사세요 but 살아요, 삽니다 but 살고, and 만드는 but 만들면. First look at the initial sound of the following ending. This lesson calls it “regular conjugation” because the ㄹ-ending stems follow a predictable environment.
Quick Quiz 🎯
Choose whether ㄹ remains: ① 살다 + -세요 ② 만들다 + -어요 ③ 열다 + -ㅂ니다 ④ 놀다 + -고.
Answers and Explanation
① 사세요 ② 만들어요 ③ 엽니다 ④ 놀고. ㄹ drops before ㅅ and ㅂ, but remains before the vowel ending -어요 and before -고.
Try It in Your Own Life
Write two original sentences using Regular conjugation 1. ㄹ elision about your experience, schedule, ability, plan, or Korean study. Read them aloud, change one detail, and say them again. Check both the grammar form and the spacing before comparing your work with the model sentences.
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