ㅜ and ㅓ combine into ㅝ

For the regular ㅜ-final verbs practiced here, the basic -아요/-어요 selection chooses -어요 because ㅜ is not ㅏ or ㅗ.

For example, 주다 has the stem 주-. Combining 주- with -어요 gives the full form 주어요 before contraction.

When the final ㅜ of a stem meets the initial ㅓ of -어요, the two vowels commonly contract to ㅝ in pronunciation and spelling.

This follows the same type of vowel contraction as ㅗ + ㅏ → ㅘ from the previous lesson. For example, 주 + 어요 gives 주어요, which commonly contracts to 줘요.

Let's look at some common verbs that follow this exact pattern.

Dictionary Form · Conjugated Form

배우다 · 배워요

세우다 · 세워요

바꾸다 · 바꿔요

싸우다 · 싸워요

You may also encounter the uncontracted forms 배우어요 and 주어요. These forms are grammatically possible, but the contracted forms 배워요 and 줘요 are much more common in ordinary speech and writing.

In this lesson, practice the common contracted forms while recognizing the full forms as the source of the contraction.