A comprehensive reference chart of Korean verb endings organized by grammatical function. Use this as a quick lookup guide for verb conjugations and patterns.
Basic Tense Endings
Present Tense
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -아/어요 | Polite present | Standard polite present | 가요, 먹어요 |
| -(스)ㅂ니다 | Formal present | Formal/official present | 갑니다, 먹습니다 |
| -아/어 | Casual present | Informal present | 가, 먹어 |
| -는다 | Plain present | Written/descriptive present | 간다, 먹는다 |
Past Tense
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -았/었어요 | Polite past | Standard polite past | 갔어요, 먹었어요 |
| -았/었습니다 | Formal past | Formal/official past | 갔습니다, 먹었습니다 |
| -았/었어 | Casual past | Informal past | 갔어, 먹었어 |
| -았/었다 | Plain past | Written/descriptive past | 갔다, 먹었다 |
Future Tense
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ 거예요 | Polite future | Standard future intention | 갈 거예요, 먹을 거예요 |
| -(으)ㄹ 겁니다 | Formal future | Formal future intention | 갈 겁니다, 먹을 겁니다 |
| -(으)ㄹ게요 | Promise/intention | "I will" (promise) | 갈게요, 먹을게요 |
| -겠어요 | Polite conjecture | Assumption/intention | 가겠어요, 먹겠어요 |
Progressive and Continuous
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -고 있다 | Progressive | Currently doing | 가고 있어요, 먹고 있어요 |
| -아/어 있다 | Resultative state | State resulting from action | 앉아 있어요, 입어 있어요 |
| -아/어 가다 | Gradual progress forward | Gradually going | 좋아져 가요, 커져 가요 |
| -아/어 오다 | Progress to present | Has been ~ing | 살아왔어요, 배워 왔어요 |
| -게 되다 | Come to/Get to | Natural progression | 알게 됐어요, 살게 됐어요 |
Connective Endings
Sequential Actions
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -고 | And then | Sequential actions | 먹고 자요 |
| -아/어서 | After/Because | Sequence or reason | 먹어서 배불러요 |
| -(으)ㄴ 후에 | After | After doing | 먹은 후에 |
| -기 전에 | Before | Before doing | 먹기 전에 |
| -자마자 | As soon as | Immediately after | 먹자마자 |
Simultaneous Actions
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)면서 | While | Simultaneous actions | 먹으면서 봐요 |
| -다가 | While/then | Action interrupted | 먹다가 나갔어요 |
Contrast
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -지만 | But | Contrast | 먹지만 배고파요 |
| -는데 | But/Context | Background/contrast | 먹는데 맛없어요 |
| -(으)ㄴ/는데 | Background | Background info | 가는데 같이 갈래요? |
Conditional and Hypothetical
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)면 | If | Conditional | 가면 좋아요 |
| -아/어도 | Even if | Concession | 가도 괜찮아요 |
| -거든 | If/When | If it's the case | 시간 있거든 와요 |
| -(으)ㄹ 때 | When | When doing | 갈 때 |
| -(으)려면 | If you intend to | Conditional intention | 가려면 빨리 가세요 |
Purpose and Intention
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)려고 | In order to | Purpose | 먹으려고 왔어요 |
| -러 가다/오다 | Go/come to | Go/come for purpose | 먹으러 가요 |
| -게 | So that | Result/manner | 보이게 써요 |
| -도록 | So that/Until | Extent or result | 알도록 설명해요 |
Ability and Possibility
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 | Can | Ability/possibility | 갈 수 있어요 |
| -(으)ㄹ 수 없다 | Cannot | Inability/impossibility | 갈 수 없어요 |
| -지 못하다 | Cannot | Inability (circumstantial) | 가지 못해요 |
Obligation and Necessity
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -아/어야 하다 | Must | Strong obligation | 가야 해요 |
| -아/어야 되다 | Should | Obligation | 가야 돼요 |
| -(으)ㄹ 필요가 있다 | Need to | Necessity | 갈 필요가 있어요 |
| -아/어야지 | Should/Must | Resolution | 가야지 |
Permission and Prohibition
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -아/어도 되다 | May | Permission | 가도 돼요 |
| -(으)면 안 되다 | Must not | Prohibition | 가면 안 돼요 |
| -지 마세요 | Don't | Negative command | 가지 마세요 |
| -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 | Can/May | Permission/ability | 갈 수 있어요 |
Desire and Preference
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -고 싶다 | Want to | Desire | 가고 싶어요 |
| -(으)ㄹ래요 | Will you/I will | Intention/offer | 갈래요? |
| -았/었으면 좋겠다 | Hope/Wish | Wish | 갔으면 좋겠어요 |
Requests and Suggestions
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -아/어 주세요 | Please | Polite request | 가 주세요 |
| -(으)세요 | Please (honorific) | Honorific request | 가세요 |
| -(으)ㄹ까요? | Shall we? | Suggestion | 갈까요? |
| -자 | Let's | Casual suggestion | 가자 |
| -지 않을래요? | Won't you? | Negative suggestion | 가지 않을래요? |
Giving and Receiving
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -아/어 주다 | Do for someone | Favor/benefit | 가 줘요 |
| -아/어 드리다 | Do for (honorific) | Humble giving | 가 드려요 |
| -아/어 받다 | Receive action | Receive favor | 가 받아요 |
Experience and Trial
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -아/어 보다 | Try | Try doing | 가 봐요 |
| -(으)ㄴ 적이 있다 | Have done | Experience | 간 적이 있어요 |
| -(으)ㄴ 적이 없다 | Have never | No experience | 간 적이 없어요 |
Completion and Incompletion
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -아/어 버리다 | Completely do | Completion (regret) | 가 버렸어요 |
| -고 말다 | End up doing | Unintended completion | 가고 말았어요 |
| -아/어 놓다/두다 | Do in advance | Preparation | 가 놨어요 |
Negative Forms
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 안 + Verb | Not | Basic negation | 안 가요 |
| -지 않다 | Not | Formal negation | 가지 않아요 |
| 못 + Verb | Cannot | Inability | 못 가요 |
| -지 못하다 | Cannot | Inability (formal) | 가지 못해요 |
| -지 마세요 | Don't | Negative command | 가지 마세요 |
Question Forms
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -아/어요? | Simple question | Basic question | 가요? |
| -(으)ㄹ까요? | Shall we? | Suggestion question | 갈까요? |
| -(으)ㄹ래요? | Will you? | Intention question | 갈래요? |
| -지요?/죠? | Right?/Isn't it? | Confirmation | 가죠? |
| -(으)니까? | Because? | Reason question | 가니까? |
Listing and Alternatives
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -거나 | Or | Alternative actions | 먹거나 자요 |
| -든지 | Whether/or | Emphatic choice | 먹든지 말든지 |
Quotation and Reporting
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -다고 하다 | Said that | Direct quote (statement) | 간다고 했어요 |
| -(으)냐고 하다 | Asked if | Quote (question) | 가냐고 했어요 |
| -(으)라고 하다 | Told to | Quote (command) | 가라고 했어요 |
Nominal Forms
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -기 | Noun form | Gerund/nominalization | 가기 좋아요 |
| -(으)ㄴ/는 것 | Noun form | "The thing that" | 가는 것 |
| -음/ㅁ | Noun form | Formal nominalization | 감 |
Modifiers (Making Relative Clauses)
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -는 | Present modifier | Present action | 가는 사람 |
| -(으)ㄴ | Past modifier | Past/completed action | 간 사람 |
| -(으)ㄹ | Future modifier | Future/prospective action | 갈 사람 |
Emphasis and Intensification
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -기도 하다 | Also/Even | Emphasis | 가기도 해요 |
| -기는 하다 | Do, but | Concession with emphasis | 가기는 가요 |
| -(으)ㄴ/는데도 | Even though | Strong contrast | 가는데도 |
Supposition and Appearance
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -(으)ㄴ/는 것 같다 | Seems like | Supposition | 가는 것 같아요 |
| -(으)ㄹ 것 같다 | Will probably | Future supposition | 갈 것 같아요 |
| -(으)ㄴ가 보다 | Seems/appears | Inference from observation | 간가 봐요 |
Reason and Cause
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -아/어서 | Because | Reason | 가서 못 봤어요 |
| -(으)니까 | Because/Since | Strong reason | 가니까 조심하세요 |
| -느라고 | Because of | Reason (excuse) | 가느라고 늦었어요 |
Degree and Extent
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -게 | In a manner | Adverbial | 빨리 가게 |
| -도록 | To the extent that | Degree/until | 알도록 |
| -(으)ㄹ 만큼 | Enough to | Degree | 갈 만큼 |
Background and Context
| Ending | Form | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| -는데 | But/And | Background context | 가는데 같이 갈래요? |
| -거든 | You see/If | Explanation | 바쁘거든요 |
Summary Table by Frequency
Most Common Endings (Essential)
| Ending | Function | Usage Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| -아/어요 | Polite present | ★★★★★ |
| -았/었어요 | Polite past | ★★★★★ |
| -(으)ㄹ 거예요 | Future | ★★★★★ |
| -고 싶다 | Want to | ★★★★★ |
| -아/어서 | Because/After | ★★★★★ |
| -(으)면 | If | ★★★★★ |
| -지만 | But | ★★★★★ |
| -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 | Can | ★★★★★ |
| -아/어야 하다 | Must | ★★★★★ |
Quick Reference by Situation
Making Requests
- -아/어 주세요 (Please do)
- -(으)세요 (Please - honorific)
- -지 마세요 (Please don't)
Expressing Opinions
- -는 것 같다 (I think/seems)
- -(으)ㄴ 것 같다 (Seems like)
- -다고 생각하다 (I think that)
Giving Reasons
- -아/어서 (Because)
- -(으)니까 (Since/Because)
- -느라고 (Because of doing)
Making Plans
- -(으)ㄹ 거예요 (Will/Going to)
- -(으)ㄹ게요 (I will - promise)
- -(으)려고 하다 (Intend to)
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Master basics first: Present, past, future tenses
- ✅ Learn by function: Group related endings together
- ✅ Practice combinations: Many endings can combine
- ✅ Context matters: Same ending can have different meanings
- ✅ Politeness levels: Most endings have formal/polite/casual forms
- ✅ Progressive learning: Start with common, add advanced gradually
This chart covers the main verb endings in Korean grammar. Use it as a reference guide while studying and combine it with practice to internalize the patterns.