ㄷ irregular verbs: ㄷ → ㄹ pattern

Korean grammar loves harmony. Sometimes, certain sounds just don't play well together. When a ㄷ meets a vowel, it feels a bit clunky to say. To make things smoother, the ㄷ slides into a ㄹ sound. This only happens when the next part of the sentence starts with a vowel. If the next part starts with a consonant, the ㄷ stays exactly where it is. It is like a grammar traffic light. Green light for vowels means change to ㄹ. Red light for consonants means stay as ㄷ. It is a simple switch once you see the pattern. You will see this most often with polite endings like -아요/어요. It also pops up with connectors like -으면 or -으니까.

1. 1Changing these verbs is a three-step process. Follow these steps to get it right every time:
2. 2Take the dictionary form of the verb, like 듣다 (to listen).
3. 3Drop the 다 to find the stem: 듣.
4. 4Look at what comes next. If it is a vowel (like -어요), change ㄷ to ㄹ: 들 + 어요 = 들어요.
5. 5Let's try another one together. Take 걷다 (to walk). Drop 다 to get 걷. Add the ending -으면 (if). Since -으면 starts with a vowel, change ㄷ to ㄹ. Now you have 걸으면. If you were adding a consonant ending like -고 (and), you would just say 걷고. No change needed there! It is all about that following vowel.

You will use this rule in almost every conversation. Imagine you are at a cafe listening to K-pop. You want to say "I listen to music." You take 듣다, see the vowel in 어요, and say 들어요. Or maybe you are lost in Seoul. You need to ask someone for directions. The verb "to ask" is 묻다. When you say "I ask," it becomes 물어요.

Here are some common scenarios:

• Ordering food: "I'll try asking the waiter" (물어볼게요).
• Job interviews: "I realized my mistake" (깨달았어요).
• Daily life: "I walk to school" (학교에 걸어가요).
• Travel: "Load the bags in the car" (짐을 실어요).

Here is the tricky part. Not every verb ending in ㄷ is a rebel. Some verbs are "regular" and follow the standard rules. These verbs keep their ㄷ even when a vowel follows. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes! The most common regular verbs are 받다 (to receive), 닫다 (to close), and 믿다 (to believe).

If you say 받아요 (I receive), it stays 받아요. It never becomes 발아요. That would sound very strange to a Korean ear! Think of these regular verbs as the "loyal" ones. They stay true to their ㄷ no matter what. You just have to memorize these few exceptions. Don't worry, there aren't many of them!

The biggest mistake is over-applying the rule. You might feel so proud of your new ㄹ skill that you use it everywhere. Remember: 받다 is always 받아요. Another mistake is changing the ㄷ when a consonant follows. If you want to say "I listened and...", it is 듣고, not 들고. 들고 actually means "holding"!

One more thing to watch out for is spelling. Sometimes people forget to change the letter but change the sound. Always make sure your writing matches your speaking. If you say a "r/l" sound, write ㄹ. If you say a "d" sound, write ㄷ. It is like matching your socks before you leave the house.

You might confuse this with the ㄹ irregular. In that rule, ㄹ actually disappears! For ㄷ irregulars, the ㄷ turns into ㄹ. It is the opposite of disappearing. Also, don't confuse 묻다 (to ask) with 묻다 (to bury). Interestingly, "to bury" is a regular verb! So 물어요 means "I ask," but 묻어요 means "I bury." Unless you are a gardener or a pirate, you probably want 물어요.