the Korean Tutor

Learn Korean – Upper Beginner Level, Unit 3.1: Directly Modifying with Descriptive Verbs

Download a free PDF lesson for this episode here: UNIT 3.1

Directly Modifying with ᄇ Irregular Descriptive Verbs

ᄇ irregular are converted a bit differently than other descriptive verbs. Instead of converting ᄇ into 워, it’s converted into 운 to make the direct modifier.

춥다 (to be cold [weather]), 차갑다 (to be cold [touch])

CONJUGATION:
춥다 – 추 – 추운 (a cold [weather])
차갑다 – 차가 – 차가운 (a cold [touch])

Example sentences

많은 사람들은 추운 날씨를 좋아하지 않아요. Many people don’t like cold weather.

Directly Modifying with Descriptive Verbs – Special Case I

Anytime the stem of a descriptive verb ends with a ᄅ final consonant, the ᄅ is just changed to a ᄂ.

달다 (to be sweet), 길다 (to be long)

CONJUGATION:
달다 – 달 – 단 (a sweet)
길다 – 길 – 긴 (a long)

Example sentences

저는 초콜릿, 과자 등 단 것을 좋아해요. I like sweets like chocolate, cookies, and so on.

Directly Modifying with Descriptive Verbs – Special Case II

Another special case is when the descriptive verb ends with 있다 or 없다. With these types you can simply add 는 to the stem.

맛있다 (to be tasty), 맛없다 (to be tasteless)

CONJUGATION:
맛있다 – 맛있 – 맛있는 (tasty)
맛없다 – 맛없 – 맛없는 (tasteless)

Example sentences

저는 가족과 함께 맛있는 음식을 많이 먹었어요. I ate a lot of delicious food with my family.

저는 맛없는 것부터 먹어요. I eat the bad-tasting ones first.