Words where ㄷ changes to ㄹ

Some Korean verbs ending in the consonant ㄷ change their shape when they meet certain endings.

When a ㄷ irregular verb is followed by an ending that starts with a vowel (like -아요/-어요 or -(으)면 ), the ㄷ changes to ㄹ .

Examples

듣다 + 어요 → 들어요

걷다 + 어요 → 걸어요

Core takeaway: ㄷ changes to ㄹ before a vowel

The stem does not change if the ending starts with a consonant (like -고 or -지만 ). The ㄷ remains exactly as it is.

Examples

듣다 + 고 → 듣고

걷다 + 고 → 걷고

싣다 + 고 → 싣고

Let's see how the same verb behaves differently depending on what attaches to it.

듣다

Ending Type · Rule · Result

+ 고 · Starts with consonant (No change) · 듣고

+ 어요 · Starts with vowel (ㄷ → ㄹ) · 들어요

+ 으면 · Starts with vowel (ㄷ → ㄹ) · 들으면

Not all verbs ending in ㄷ are irregular. Some common verbs are regular and never change their ㄷ, even before a vowel.

Common Regular Verbs

받다 + 아요 → 받아요

닫다 + 아요 → 닫아요

믿다 + 어요 → 믿어요

Note: You cannot tell if a word is irregular just by looking at its dictionary form. You must memorize these common regular verbs as you learn them.

Because the ㄷ irregular is so common, learners sometimes apply it to regular verbs by mistake.

❌ Wrong

받다 + 아요 → 발아요 (Incorrect)