TOPIK I · LEVEL 2
ㅎ(히읗) 불규칙
Adjectives whose stem ends in ㅎ (except 좋다) lose the ㅎ before vowel endings: with -아/어 the vowel becomes ㅐ (그렇다 → 그래요), and with (으) endings both ㅎ and 으 disappear (빨갛다 → 빨간).
문장 끝·말투Endings & speech styleHan: 파랗다 is ㅎ-irregular: ㅎ drops and ㅏ + 아 merge into ㅐ, so 파래요.
Examples
저 빨간 가방이 딜노자 씨 거예요.That red bag is Dilnoza’s.
새 기숙사는 어때요?How is the new dorm?
가을에는 하늘이 정말 파래요.In autumn the sky is really blue.
Don’t mix up
ㅎ(히읗) 불규칙vs좋다좋다 looks the same but is regular: 좋아요, 좋은 (never 조래요, 존).
ㅎ(히읗) 불규칙vs그래요?그래요 from 그렇다 is also the everyday reply 'Really? / I see / OK': 아, 그래요?
How to build it
ㅎ stem+-아/어 → ㅎ drops, vowel → ㅐ (ㅑ → ㅒ): 그렇+어요 → 그래요, 하얗+아요 → 하얘요 ·+-(으) → ㅎ and 으 drop: 그렇+은 → 그런, 빨갛+으면 → 빨가면
그렇다 → 그래요, 그런, 그러면; 어떻다 → 어때요, 어떤; 빨갛다 → 빨개요, 빨간; 하얗다 → 하얘요, 하얀
- With -아/어: 그렇다 → 그래요, 어떻다 → 어때요, 이렇다 → 이래요, 빨갛다 → 빨개요, 파랗다 → 파래요, 노랗다 → 노래요, 까맣다 → 까매요; 하얗다 → 하얘요. Past: 그랬어요, 빨갰어요.
- With (으) endings, ㅎ and 으 both drop: 그런 사람, 어떤 음식, 빨간 가방, 하얀 눈; 그러면, 빨가면.
- Before consonant endings ㅎ stays: 그렇고, 빨갛지만, 어떻습니까?
- Regular: the adjective 좋다 (좋아요, 좋은) and verbs with ㅎ such as 놓다 → 놓아요, 넣다 → 넣어요, 낳다 → 낳아요.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 오늘 하늘이 정말 파랗아요.
Right: 오늘 하늘이 정말 파래요.
파랗다 is ㅎ-irregular: ㅎ drops and ㅏ + 아 merge into ㅐ, so 파래요.
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㄹ 것Ends a written instruction or rule with a noun-like command: 'do X; X is to be done'. Impersonal and firm; used in notices, exam instructions, memos and rule lists.
- -(으)ㄴ/는데요A soft sentence ending: it gives background and leaves room for the other person to reply, softens a refusal or disagreement, or shows mild surprise.
- -(으)ㄹ게요-(으)ㄹ게요 is how you tell someone 'I'll do it': a promise or decision you make with the listener in mind.
- -(으)십시오-(으)십시오 is the formal, polite way to tell or ask someone to do something: 'please do …'.
- -(으)ㄹ래요?Use it to ask what the listener wants to do ("Do you want to…?") or to say what you yourself want to do ("I'll… / I want to…") in a friendly, polite way.
- -(으)ㄴ가요?/-나요?-(으)ㄴ가요?/-나요? make a soft, gentle polite question.
- -자-자 is the casual way to say "let's (do something)" to close friends or people younger than you.
- -지Casual (반말) sentence ending that, depending on intonation, seeks agreement ('…, right?'), states something as obvious, asks oneself a question, or makes a soft suggestion ('why don't you…'). Its polite form is -지요/죠.
- -지 말다-지 말다 is the negative used in commands, suggestions and wishes: 'don't', 'let's not', 'not A but B', 'told me not to'. Plain 안/-지 않다 cannot be used there.