Learn Korean for Free | Beginner Korean Grammar #45
빨갛다 becomes 빨개요, 하얗다 becomes 하얘요, and 그렇다 becomes 그래요. These are frequent examples of ㅎ irregular conjugation.
What Does 불규칙 활용 5. ㅎ Mean?
Many descriptive stems ending in ㅎ lose ㅎ before vowel-initial endings. With -아/어요, the vowels often combine into 애 or 얘. Before -(으)ㄴ, forms such as 빨간 and 하얀 appear.
The Rule
빨갛다 → 빨개요 / 빨간, 하얗다 → 하얘요 / 하얀, 그렇다 → 그래요 / 그런, 어떻다 → 어때요 / 어떤. Before consonant-starting endings, ㅎ often remains: 빨갛고, 그렇지만.
Useful Korean Words
| Korean | English |
|---|---|
| 빨갛다 | to be red |
| 하얗다 | to be white |
| 노랗다 | to be yellow |
| 파랗다 | to be blue |
| 그렇다 | to be so |
| 어떻다 | to be how |
| 좋다 | to be good (regular) |
| 색 | color |
Korean Grammar Examples
사과가 빨개요.
The apple is red.
겨울 산이 하얘요.
The winter mountain is white.
하늘이 아주 파래요.
The sky is very blue.
오늘 기분이 어때요?
How do you feel today?
날씨가 좋아요.
The weather is good.
A Short Dialogue
A: 어떤 가방을 사고 싶어요? — What kind of bag do you want to buy?
B: 빨간 가방을 사고 싶어요. — I want to buy a red bag.
A: 파란 가방은 어때요? — How about the blue bag?
B: 그것도 좋아요. — That one is good too.
A Common Mistake to Avoid
좋다 is not a ㅎ-irregular adjective even though its spelling contains ㅎ as a final consonant: 좋아요, 좋은. Do not make 조애요. Also distinguish 빨개요 (is red) from 빨간 N (a red noun).
Quick Quiz 🎯
Make the polite form or noun modifier: ① 빨갛다 + -아요 ② 하얗다 + -(으)ㄴ 눈 ③ 어떻다 + -아요 ④ 좋다 + -아요.
Answers and Explanation
① 빨개요 ② 하얀 눈 ③ 어때요 ④ 좋아요. The first three show ㅎ-irregular changes; 좋다 is regular.
Try It Aloud
Read the examples with 불규칙 활용 5. ㅎ slowly, then repeat them at a natural speed. Make two short sentences of your own and record yourself once. Compare the grammar form, spacing, or pronunciation with the model before trying again.
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