ㅎ irregular verbs: ㅎ drop/change pattern

The ㅎ irregular rule is all about the final consonant. If a word stem ends in ㅎ, it might be irregular. But wait, there is a catch! This only happens when the next part of the word starts with a vowel. If the next part starts with a consonant, the ㅎ stays put. It is like a grammar traffic light. Vowel means "Go away, ㅎ!" Consonant means "Stay right there." There are two main changes to watch for. First, the ㅎ drops out entirely. Second, the vowel in the stem often changes its shape. It usually turns into an ㅐ or ㅒ sound. This makes the word easier to say quickly. Even native speakers find the regular way too mouthful! Think of it as a phonetic shortcut for your brain.

1. 1Identify the stem by removing 다 from the verb. For example, 노랗다 becomes 노랗.
2. 2Check the suffix you want to add. Does it start with a vowel?
3. 3If adding -(으)ㄴ (to describe a noun), drop the ㅎ. 노랗 + ㄴ becomes 노란.
4. 4If adding -(으)면 (if/when), drop the ㅎ. 노랗 + 면 becomes 노라면.
5. 5If adding -아/어 (polite present tense), drop ㅎ and change the vowel.
6. 6For most stems, the vowel ㅏ or ㅓ changes to ㅐ. 노랗다 becomes 노래요.
7. 7For stems ending in ㅑ like 하얗다, it changes to ㅒ. 하얗다 becomes 하얘요.
8. 8If the suffix starts with a consonant like -고 or -습니다, do nothing! 노랗고 stays 노랗고.

You will use this pattern constantly when describing things. Are you at a clothing store? You will need to say 까만 색 (black color) or 빨간 색 (red color). Are you talking about the weather? You might say the sky is 파래요 (blue). It is also used for demonstratives like 이렇다 (to be like this), 그렇다 (to be like that), and 저렇다 (to be like that over there). When you agree with someone, you say 그래요 (That’s right). This is actually the ㅎ irregular rule in action! It is also used when asking "how" something is with 어떻다. When you ask 어때요? (How is it?), you are using this rule. It is the bread and butter of descriptive Korean.

Not every word ending in ㅎ is a rebel. Some words are perfectly well-behaved and follow the regular rules. You must memorize these exceptions. The most common regular words are 좋다 (to be good), 많다 (to be many), 넣다 (to put in), and 낳다 (to give birth). These words keep their ㅎ no matter what. If you say 좋아요, the ㅎ is still there in the spelling! It doesn't turn into 조애요. Also, remember the rule only triggers with vowels. If you are using the formal -습니다 ending, the ㅎ stays. 노랗습니다 is correct, not 노랩니다. Don't let the ㅎ run away too early!

The biggest mistake is forgetting the vowel change. Many people try to say 노랗아요 or 노라요. Remember, it must be 노래요. It feels weird at first, but it’s the rule! Another slip-up is applying this to 좋다. Since 좋다 is so common, people want to make it irregular. Resist the urge! 좋다 is the king of regular ㅎ verbs. Also, watch out for 하얗다 (white). Because it has a ㅑ, it becomes 하얘요, not 하애요. It’s a tiny spelling difference, but it matters. Think of it like spelling "definitely" correctly in English. It shows you really know your stuff!

You might confuse this with the ㅂ irregular or ㄷ irregular. In ㅂ irregulars, the ㅂ turns into 우. In ㅎ irregulars, the ㅎ just leaves and changes the vowel. They both happen before vowels, though! Also, compare it to regular verbs like 먹다. With 먹다, nothing disappears. The ㄱ just slides over. With ㅎ irregulars, the consonant is deleted from the team. It is a more drastic change than most other patterns. Just remember: ㅎ is the only one that changes the stem vowel to ㅐ or ㅒ. That is your secret weapon for identifying it.