Polite Present Tense · -아요/어요

3. Examples

Example 1 — A daily routine

저는 아침에 커피를 마셔요.
jeo-neun a-chi-me keo-pi-reul ma-syeo-yo.
→ I drink coffee in the morning.

학교에 가요.
hak-gyo-e ga-yo.
→ I go to school.

한국어를 공부해요.
han-gu-geo-reul gong-bu-hae-yo.
→ I study Korean.

친구를 만나요.
chin-gu-reul man-na-yo.
→ I meet my friend.

Each sentence ends with a verb in the polite present form. 마시다 becomes 마셔요, 가다 becomes 가요, and 공부하다 becomes 공부해요. These are three different patterns in one short text.

Example 2 — Describing things

날씨가 좋아요.
nal-ssi-ga jo-a-yo.
→ The weather is nice.

방이 작아요.
bang-i ja-ga-yo.
→ The room is small.

사람이 많아요.
sa-ra-mi ma-na-yo.
→ There are many people.

한국어는 재미있어요.
han-gu-geo-neun jae-mi-i-sseo-yo.
→ Korean is fun.

Adjectives use the same ending as verbs. In Korean they are really "descriptive verbs", so 좋다 and 작다 act just like 가다 and 먹다. You do not need a separate word for "is".

Example 3 — Saying who or what you are

저는 학생이에요.
jeo-neun hak-saeng-i-e-yo.
→ I am a student.

이분은 의사예요.
i-bu-neun ui-sa-ye-yo.
→ This person is a doctor.

이것은 책이에요.
i-geo-seun chae-gi-e-yo.
→ This is a book.

제 친구는 선생님이에요.
je chin-gu-neun seon-saeng-ni-mi-e-yo.
→ My friend is a teacher.

The choice depends only on the last sound of the noun. 학생, 책 and 선생님 end in a consonant, so they take 이에요. 의사 ends in a vowel, so it takes 예요.

The consonant of the noun moves onto the ending when you say it. For example, 책이에요 sounds like chae-gi-e-yo, and the final ㄱ links to the 이.

Example 4 — Asking and answering

커피를 마셔요?
keo-pi-reul ma-syeo-yo?
→ Do you drink coffee?

네, 마셔요.
ne, ma-syeo-yo.
→ Yes, I drink it.

지금 뭐 해요?
ji-geum mwo hae-yo?
→ What are you doing now?

내일 학교에 가요?
nae-il hak-gyo-e ga-yo?
→ Do you go to school tomorrow?

The question and the answer use the same verb form. The only difference in speech is the tone, which goes up at the end of a question. A question word such as 뭐 does not change the verb.