Lesson 20 - How to Conjugate Irregular Verbs to the Past Tense

Hello everyone!  

Welcome back to another grammar post, and today we’re going to talk about the Irregular Verbs again (if you can’t remember about the first time, check here). Today, we’re going to see them conjugated into the past tense! So buckle up, it’s going to be a long journey! 

If you remember how we did the past tense conjugation, you will definitely think of this post as a very simple one. In fact, the rules are basically the same. Let's look at the different groups together: 

The ㅡ Irregular group 

The first group we talked about last time is the irregular group with verb stems ending in the vowel ㅡ. Like we said in the present tense post, the key to the conjugation of the verbs is in the verb stem. This group of verbs ends with this vowel which, when followed by the past tense form (었어/았어), changes into 어 or 아 depending on by which vowel the verb has got in the first syllable block (if there's any). 

If you want to review the rules, just check it out here. 

Let's look at the list of verbs that belong to this group, and the several steps we need to make them conjugated into past tense:

으 Irregular verbs
Dictionary Form	1st step	2nd step	Polite informal form
예쁘다  [to be pretty]	예쁘	예뻤어	예뻤어요
바쁘다  [to be busy]	바쁘	바빴어	바빴어요
아프다  [to hurt, to be sick]	아프	아팠어	아팠어요
고프다  [to be hungry]	고프	고팠어	고팠어요
크다  [to be big]	크	컸어	컸어요
나쁘다  [to be bad]	나쁘	나빴어	나빠요
쓰다  [to use, to write]	쓰	썼어	썼어요
기쁘다  [to be glad]	기쁘	기뻤어	기뻤어요
슬프다  [to be sad]	슬프	슬펐어	슬펐어요
잠그다  [to fasten]	잠그	잠갔어	잠갔어요
끄다  [to turn off]	끄	껐어	껐어요
모으다  [to gather]	모으	모았어	모았어요
뜨다  [to float, to open one’s eyes]	뜨	떴어	떴어요

The ㄹ Irregular group 

Here we are with the second group of irregular verbs. Do you remember the rule behind it? It has got two, and they see either the ㄹ that ends the verb stem omitted, or kept. Let's review them together.

There are two rules, as I was mentioning:

One relates to when the verb stem is followed by a pattern that begins with three specific consonants (ㅅ,ㅂ,ㄴ); in this case, the verb stem won't keep the ㄹ when conjugated, and the verb will act as if, instead of the consonant, there was a vowel. 

The second one relates to the chances of having the verb stem followed by a pattern that begins with the syllable block 으; in that case, this syllable block will not be used and the pattern will keep the consonant as if nothing happened.

Note that we won't see these kinds of rules applied until we talk about the formal form and the future forms.

Let's look at the list of examples and steps:

ㄹ Irregular verbs
Dictionary Form	1st step	2nd step	Polite informal form
길다  [to be long]	길	길었어	길었어요
놀다  [to play, hang out]	놀	놀았어	놀았아요
들다  [to lift]	들	들었어	들었어요
만들다  [to make]	만들	만들었어	만들었어요
멀다  [to be far]	멀	멀었어	멀었어요
살다  [to live]	살	살았어	살았아요
알다  [to know]	알	알았어	알았아요
열다  [to open]	열	열었어	열었어요
울다  [to cry]	울	울었어	울었어요
팔다  [to sell]	팔	팔았어	팔아요

  

The ㅂ Irregular group 

The third group of irregular verbs is characterized by having the consonant ㅂ as the last letter of the verb stem. Its rule was pretty simple if you remember. It involved the transformation of the consonant into 우 if followed by a vowel.

Let's check out some verbs belonging to this group conjugated into the past tense:

ㅂ Irregular verbs
Dictionary form	1st step	2nd step	3rd step	Polite informal form
가볍다  [to be light]	가볍	가벼우	가벼웠어	가벼웠어요
고맙다  [to be thankful]	고맙	고마우	고마웠어	고마웠어요
곱다  [to be nice, to warm-hearted]	곱	고우	고왔어	고왔어요
눕다  [to lie]	놉	누우	누웠어	누웠어요
귀엽다  [to be cute]	귀엽	귀여우	귀여웠어	귀여웠어요
깁다  [to sew up, to mend]	깁	기우	기웠어	기웠어요
까다롭다  [to be complicated, to be particular about something]	까다롭	까다로우	까다로웠어	까다로웠어요
더럽다  [to be dirty]	더럽	더러우	더러웠어	더러웠어요
덥다  [to be hot]	덥	더우	더웠어	더웠어요

The ㄷ Irregular group

Here we are at the fourth group of irregular verbs and, even though it's got a pretty simple rule, it can get confusing. What is confusing? The conjugation is. Because, most of the time, you can come across regular verbs ending with this consonant. 

Let's look at the list of verbs:

ㄷ Irregular Verbs
Dictionary forms	1st step	2nd step	3rd step	Polite informal style
듣다  [to listen]	듣	들	들었어	들었어요
묻다  [to ask]	묻	물	물었어	물었어요
걷다  [to walk]	걷	걸	걸었어	걸었어요
깨닫다  [to perceive, to realize]	깨닫	깨달	깨달았아	깨달았아요
싣다  [to load]	싣	실	실었어	실었어요

  

The ㅎ Irregular group 

This group of irregular verbs is one of my favourite. It's got most verbs referring to colours and the rule is pretty simple, too. 

Let's look at the conjugated verbs:

ㅎ Irregular Verbs
Dictionary form	1st step	2nd step	3rd step	Polite informal style
노랗다  [to be yellow]	노랗	노랗+ㅣ+ 았어	노랬어	노랬어요
빨갛다  [to be red]	빨갛	빨랗+ㅣ+ 았어	빨갰어	빨갰어요
하얗다  [to be white]	하얗	하랗+ㅣ+ 었어	하얬어	하얬어요
까맣다  [to be black]	까맣	까맣+ㅣ+ 았어	까맸어	까맸어요
파랗다  [to be blue]	파랗	파랗+ㅣ+ 았어	파랬어	파랬어요
이렇다  [to be like this]	이렇	이랗+ㅣ+ 었어	이랬어	이랬어요
그렇다  [to be be like that]	그렇	그랗+ㅣ+ 었어	그랬어	그랬어요
저렇다  [to be be like that]	저렇	저랗+ㅣ+ 었어	저랬어	저랬어요

The ㅅ Irregular group 

We're at the second to last group of irregulars, and as we've stated in the past tense-related post (here), the rule is a bit confusing. It sees the omission of the consonant ㅅ when followed by a vowel, but, instead of acting like a vowel verb stem, the verb will be conjugated as if the consonant is kept. 

Let's look at the list:

ㅅ Irregular Verbs
Dictionary form	1st step	2nd step	3rd step	Polite informal style
낫다  [to be better]	낫	낫+아	나았어	나았어요
짓다  [to name, to build, to write]	짓	짓+어	지었어	지었어요
긋다  [to draw a line]	긋	긋+어	그었어	그었어요
잇다  [to connect, to link]	잇	잇+어	이었어	이었어요
붓다  [to swell, to pour]	붓	붓+어	부었어	부었어요
젓다  [to stir, to whip]	젓	젓+어	저었어	저었어요

The 르 Irregular group 

Here we are with the last group of irregular verbs and this time it doesn't just include one letter but a whole syllable block. In fact, the group of verbs with the verb stem 르 is special, and it sees what some people call the L-extending process. What is this? It's simply the addition of a ㄹ to the syllable block before the verb stem and the substitution of the vowel ㅡ with 어 or 아, depending on the vowel preceding it.

Let's look at the list together:

으 Irregular Verbs
Dictionary form	1st step	2nd step	3rd step	Polite informal style
모르다  [to not know]	모르	모르 + 았어	몰랐어	몰랐어요
가르다  [to divide]	가르	가르 + 았어	갈랐어	갈랐어요
고르다  [to choose]	고르	고르 + 았어	골랐어	골랐어요
구르다  [to roll]	구르	구르 + 았어	굴렀어	굴렀어요
기르다  [to raise]	기르	기르 + 았어	길렀어	길렀어요
나르다  [to carry]	나르	나르 + 았어	날랐어	날랐어요

VOCABS SET ON QUIZLET: 1 

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I will see you next time with another grammar post!

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