The "으" Cushion
Many Korean endings change their shape based on whether the verb stem ends in a final consonant (batchim).
When an ending starts with a consonant, attaching it directly to a stem that also ends in a consonant can make it hard to pronounce. To fix this, Korean adds an extra vowel, 으 , as a "cushion" between the two consonants.
Stems without a Batchim
If a verb stem ends in a vowel (no batchim), there is no pronunciation clash. You simply attach the basic ending directly to the stem.
Example: -(으)면 (if)
가다 → 가 + 면 = 가면
Example: -(으)세요
사다 → 사 + 세요 = 사세요
Stems with a Batchim
If the stem ends in a consonant (batchim), you typically must insert 으 before the ending. This means -면 becomes -으면 , and -세요 becomes -으세요 .
Example: -(으)면 (if)
먹다 → 먹 + 으면 = 먹으면
Example: -(으)세요
읽다 → 읽 + 으세요 = 읽으세요
Comparing Forms
Let's compare verbs without a batchim to verbs with a batchim.
Dictionary Form · If... -(으)면 · Please... -(으)세요
가다 · 가면 · 가세요
먹다 · 먹으면 · 먹으세요
읽다 · 읽으면 · 읽으세요
Note on ㄹ Batchim: Stems ending in the consonant ㄹ (like 살다) have a special rule and do not take the 으 cushion. We will cover those in a future lesson!