Korean Present Tense Worksheet for Beginners (-아요/어요 Verb Conjugation)

To say almost anything in Korean, you need to change the verb. The dictionary gives you 먹다 (to eat), but people actually say 먹어요 (I eat). The everyday polite ending -아요/어요 is the first verb form most learners study, and the one you'll hear most in dramas, shops and conversation. This free two-page worksheet walks through the three-step rule, the vowel contractions that make 가요, 봐요 and 마셔요, then gives you plenty of everyday verbs to practice on their own and in real sentences.

What's inside

• The three-step rule: drop 다, check the last vowel, add 아요, 어요 or 해요.
• Conjugate the verb: ten common verbs to break into stem, vowel and polite form.
• When the vowels join: a chart of the contractions (가요, 봐요, 줘요, 마셔요) plus eight verbs to shorten.
• Use it in a sentence: six sentences that combine the verb with 은/는 and 이/가.
• Mini quiz mixing every rule, and three sentences to write about your own day.

Answers are printed upside down below each exercise. Every verb on the sheet is regular, so the rules always work.

The three-step rule

1. Drop 다 to get the stem: 먹다 → 먹, 가다 → 가.
2. Look at the last vowel of the stem: 먹 has ㅓ, 가 has ㅏ.
3. Add the ending that matches the vowel.

One form covers every person: 먹어요 can mean I eat, you eat, she eats or they eat, and context tells you which. To make it a question, raise your voice at the end: 먹어요? (Do you eat?)

When the vowels join

If the stem ends in a vowel (no 받침), the stem vowel and the ending vowel usually merge into one syllable. Koreans almost always use the short form in speech and writing.

Common mistakes

• Checking the wrong vowel. Only the last vowel of the stem counts. 일어나다 starts with ㅣ but ends in ㅏ, so it's 일어나요. 배우다 starts with ㅐ but ends in ㅜ, so it's 배워요.
• Forgetting 하다 is special. 공부하다 is not 공부하아요: every verb ending in 하다 takes 해요.
• Skipping the contraction. 가아요 is never used, and 보아요 sounds bookish. Say and write 가요 and 봐요.
• Irregular verbs. A few common verbs bend the rules: 듣다 → 들어요 (listen), 쓰다 → 써요 (write), 돕다 → 도와요 (help). Learn them one at a time once the regular pattern feels easy.

What's next

The -아/어요 grammar page has more example sentences. To build full sentences, pair this sheet with the 은/는 and 이/가 particles worksheet. Then spot the polite present form in our beginner reading lessons, and review new verbs with flashcards.