Removing -다 Starts the Conjugation

When you look up a Korean verb or adjective in the dictionary, it ends with -다 .

Examples include 가다, 먹다, 하다, and 예쁘다.

However, people typically do not speak using this dictionary form. To use these words in a real sentence, the word must change its shape. This process of changing forms is called conjugation.

The first step to conjugating any Korean verb or adjective is to drop the -다 .

The part of the word that remains is called the stem (어간). The stem holds the core meaning of the word.

Examples of stems

Dictionary Form · Stem

가다 · 가-

먹다 · 먹-

하다 · 하-

예쁘다 · 예쁘-

After dropping -다 , you attach a new ending (어미) to the stem. This ending gives the word its tense, politeness level, or grammatical function.

가다 → 가 + 요 = 가요

먹다 → 먹 + 어요 = 먹어요

The dictionary form is just a starting point. The stem is the anchor, and the ending does the grammatical work. In the next lessons, you will learn exactly how to choose the right endings.

In Korean, descriptive words like 예쁘다 (to be pretty) or 바쁘다 (to be busy) are conjugated using the exact same principles as action verbs like 먹다 (to eat).

You do not need to learn two completely different grammar systems. Just find the dictionary form, drop -다 , and attach the ending.

Tip: Because they act so similarly, many learners simply refer to both as "verbs" (action verbs and descriptive verbs).