LESSON 46

The Structure of Verb Forms

A complete description of Korean verbs is too involved for a textbook of this size. However, a general notion of the structure of the forms may be of help to you. Look at the following table which shows, in a rough way, how the verb forms are put together.

1	2	3	4	5	6	(7)
BASE	HONORIFIC	PAST	PAST	FUTURE	MOOD	(PARTICLE)
	-(eu)s(i)-	-ass-	-ass-	-gess-	-eo, -a, -e	(yo)
		-ass-			-hal-
		etc.
					-go
					-gi
					-chi
					-(eu)myeon
					etc.
Now look at the forms below:
1	2	3	4	5	6	(7)
dad-					-eo	(yo)
dat-				-gess-	-eo	(yo)
dad-		-ass-			-eo	(yo)
dad-	-eus-				-eo	(yo)
dad-		-ass-			-eo	(yo)
dad-		-ad-	eul	-geo-	-eo	(yo)
dad-		-ass-	-eul-	-geo-	-eo	(yo)
dad-	-eus	-i		-gess-	-eo	(yo)
dad-	-eus-	-yeoss-			-eo	(yo)
dad-	-eus-	-yeoss-	-eoss-		-eo	(yo)
dad-	-eus-	-eot-		-gess-	-eo	(yo)
dad-	-eus-	-yeot-	-eot-	-ge-	-ji	(yo)

These forms have the following meanings:

Dadayo.

닫아요.

Closes.

Dakkesseoyo.

닫겠어요.

Will close. Probably closes.

Dadasseoyo.

닫았어요.

Closed.

Dadeuseyo.

닫으세요.

Someone honored closes.

Dadaseoseoyo.

닫았었어요.

Had closed. Closed.

Dadeul geoeyo.

닫을 거예요.

Will close. Probably closes.

Dadasseul geoeyo.

닫았을 거에요.

Will have closed. Probably had closed.

Dadeusigesseoyo.

닫으시겠어요.

Someone honored will close. Someone honored probably closes.

Dadeusyeosseoyo.

닫으셨어요.

Someone honored closed.

Dadeu syoesseosseoyo.

닫으셨었어요.

Someone honored had closed.

Dadeu syeosseul geoeyo.

닫으셨을 거에요.

Someone honored will have closed. Someone honored probably closed.

Dadeusyeokket jiyo.

닫으셨겠지요.

Someone honored will have closed. Someone honored probably had closed.

The past-past (had done, did) and the past-future (will have done, probably did) are not often used.

There are quite a lot of moods (the final suffix in the verb form) and you have only learned a few of the most useful ones in this book.