ㅂ(비읍) 불규칙

In most stems ending in ㅂ (mainly adjectives), the ㅂ turns into 우 before an ending that starts with a vowel, so 덥다 'hot' becomes 더워요, not 덥어요.

문장 끝·말투Endings & speech style

Han: 덥다 is ㅂ-irregular: before -어요 the ㅂ becomes 우, and 우 + 어 = 워.

Examples

아르툠 씨, 이 상자가 무거워요. 좀 도와주세요.Artyom, this box is heavy. Please help me.

서울의 겨울은 정말 추워요.Winter in Seoul is really cold.

날씨가 더우면 아이스커피를 마셔요.When it’s hot, I drink iced coffee.

떡볶이가 좀 매워요.The tteokbokki is a bit spicy.

ㅂ(비읍) 불규칙vs입다 (regular)입다 keeps its ㅂ: 코트를 입어요 'I put on a coat' vs 날씨가 추워요 'It’s cold'.

stem in ㅂ+-아/어 → 워 (덥 + 어요 → 더워요)

-(으) → 우 (더운, 더우면)

돕다, 곱다 → 와 (도와요, 고와요)

춥다 → 추워요, 추웠어요, 추운, 추우면; 맵다 → 매워요; 돕다 → 도와요, 도와주세요

Before -아/어 the result is always 워, even after ㅏ or ㅗ: 쉽다 → 쉬워요, 어렵다 → 어려워요, 가깝다 → 가까워요, 무겁다 → 무거워요. Only 돕다 and 곱다 give 와: 도와요, 고와요.
Before endings with 으, ㅂ + 으 becomes 우: 더운 날씨 'hot weather', 매운 음식 'spicy food', 추우면 'if it’s cold'.
Before endings starting with a consonant nothing changes: 덥고, 덥지만, 덥습니다.
Some ㅂ stems are regular and must be learned: 입다 → 입어요, 좁다 → 좁아요, 잡다 → 잡아요, 씹다 → 씹어요.

Wrong: ~~오늘 너무 덥어요.~~

Right: 오늘 너무 더워요.

덥다 is ㅂ-irregular: before -어요 the ㅂ becomes 우, and 우 + 어 = 워.

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