Key facts
- Format: PDF, 3 practice pages plus a 1-page answer key, in A4 and US Letter versions.
- Contents: stems and vowel harmony, the polite present of 20 verbs, the past tense of 12 verbs and six irregular words.
What you will be able to do
- Find the stem of a Korean verb by removing 다.
- Choose 아요 or 어요 by looking at the last vowel of the stem.
- Merge the stem and ending correctly, as in 보다 to 봐요.
- Form the past tense and recognise six common irregular patterns.
Download the Korean Conjugation Worksheet
The download has one file for A4 and one for US Letter, with the same layout. Pick the file that matches your paper. No sign-up is needed.
Korean Conjugation Worksheet
Download PDF (A4) PDF (US Letter)
Preview
Stems, Vowel Harmony and the Polite Present
The next section describes the recipe the sheet is built on.
The Three-Step Recipe
Every verb on the sheet follows the same three steps. A dictionary form is the form listed in a dictionary, and it always ends in 다.
- Remove 다 to find the stem. 먹다 becomes 먹, and 마시다 becomes 마시.
- Look at the last vowel of the stem. If it is ㅏ or ㅗ, add 아요. For any other vowel, add 어요. For verbs that end in 하다, the form is 해요.
- Merge the stem and ending if the stem ends in a vowel. 보 plus 아요 becomes 봐요, and 마시 plus 어요 becomes 마셔요.
This pattern is called vowel harmony: bright vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ) take a bright ending, and the rest take 어요. The page on vowel harmony explains the idea, and the page on the polite present lists every case.
What Is on Each Page?
Page 1: Stems, Vowel Harmony and the Polite Present
Page 1 has a table of 20 dictionary forms. For each one you write the stem, name the last vowel and write the polite present. The 20 verbs are 가다, 오다, 보다, 사다, 자다, 앉다, 먹다, 읽다, 입다, 배우다, 주다, 마시다, 기다리다, 가르치다, 만나다, 열다, 알다, 하다, 공부하다 and 좋아하다.
| Dictionary form | Stem | Last vowel | Polite present |
|---|---|---|---|
| 먹다 (to eat) | 먹 | ㅓ | 먹어요 |
| 앉다 (to sit) | 앉 | ㅏ | 앉아요 |
| 보다 (to see) | 보 | ㅗ | 봐요 |
| 마시다 (to drink) | 마시 | ㅣ | 마셔요 |
| 주다 (to give) | 주 | ㅜ | 줘요 |
Page 2: past Tense
Page 2 takes 12 of the same verbs and asks for the past tense. Add 았 after ㅏ or ㅗ and 었 after other vowels, then 어요. The same merge rules apply: 가 plus 았어요 becomes 갔어요, and 보 plus 았어요 becomes 봤어요.
| Dictionary form | Polite past | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 가다 | 갔어요 | went |
| 먹다 | 먹었어요 | ate |
| 마시다 | 마셨어요 | drank |
| 하다 | 했어요 | did |
Page 3: Six Irregular Words
Page 3 shows six words that change in a predictable way. The top row is a warning: 입다 (to wear) ends in ㅂ, but it is regular, so its polite present is 입어요. Then come the six changing items. School grammar counts the ㅡ drop in 쓰다 and 바쁘다 as regular; learner materials, like this site, teach it with the irregulars because the stem visibly changes.
| Word | Pattern | Polite present | Polite past |
|---|---|---|---|
| 돕다 (to help) | ㅂ becomes 오, so 와 | 도와요 | 도왔어요 |
| 덥다 (to be hot) | ㅂ becomes 우, so 워 | 더워요 | 더웠어요 |
| 듣다 (to listen, hear) | ㄷ becomes ㄹ | 들어요 | 들었어요 |
| 쓰다 (to write, use) | ㅡ drops | 써요 | 썼어요 |
| 모르다 (not to know) | 르 doubles ㄹ | 몰라요 | 몰랐어요 |
| 바쁘다 (to be busy) | ㅡ drops | 바빠요 | 바빴어요 |
The lessons on ㅂ irregular verbs and ㄷ irregular verbs explain the patterns in detail.
Contractions You Need to Know
Most mistakes on page 1 come from a missing contraction. When the stem ends in a vowel, the stem vowel and the ending vowel join into one syllable. Here are the cases on the sheet:
| Stem + ending | Result | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 가 + 아요 | 가요 | the two ㅏ merge |
| 사 + 아요 | 사요 | the two ㅏ merge |
| 오 + 아요 | 와요 | ㅗ + ㅏ becomes ㅘ |
| 보 + 아요 | 봐요 | ㅗ + ㅏ becomes ㅘ |
| 주 + 어요 | 줘요 | ㅜ + ㅓ becomes ㅝ |
| 배우 + 어요 | 배워요 | ㅜ + ㅓ becomes ㅝ |
| 마시 + 어요 | 마셔요 | ㅣ + ㅓ becomes ㅕ |
| 가르치 + 어요 | 가르쳐요 | ㅣ + ㅓ becomes ㅕ |
If the stem ends in a consonant, there is nothing to merge, so you just add the ending: 먹 plus 어요 is 먹어요.
How Do I Use This Sheet?
Work one page at a time, and say each answer aloud. Follow these steps:
- Read the recipe box on page 1 before you start.
- Cover the Polite present column and write each answer from the stem.
- Say the finished form aloud, and check that the vowel sounds natural.
- Check the page against the answer key.
- On the next day, cover the answers and redo the items you missed.
For screen practice of the same forms, use the beginner korean grammar flashcards. The main page on korean verb conjugation shows how these forms fit with the rest of the system.
What Is the Answer Key For?
The answer key is the last page, and it is for checking after you finish. For each form it shows the stem and the reason, such as "stem 마시 plus 어요 merges to 마셔요". If you get a form wrong, the reason tells you which of the three steps failed.
Print Settings
The sheet prints well in black and white. Use these settings:
- Paper: A4 (210 by 297 mm) or US Letter (8.5 by 11 inches), using the matching file.
- Scale: 100 percent, with "fit to page" turned off, so the table cells stay the same size.
- Margins: 12 mm on every side, with room for a hole punch.
- Colour: black and white is enough.
Mistakes to Watch For
- Forgetting the contraction. Writing 보아요 or 마시어요 is understandable, but the natural forms are 봐요 and 마셔요. Merge the vowels whenever the stem ends in one.
- Using 아 after ㅓ. The stem 먹 has the vowel ㅓ, so the form is 먹어요, never 먹아요.
- Treating every ㅂ verb as irregular. 입다 and 좁다 stay regular, while 돕다 and 덥다 change. Learn the irregular ones as a list.
- Skipping 해요. Verbs ending in 하다 become 해요, not 하아요.
What Should I Practice Next?
Once you can fill in page 1 without help, practise the particles that go with these verbs on the korean particles worksheet. For more on how the past tense works, read the lesson on the past tense. Every grammar sheet is on the korean grammar worksheets page.
This sheet does not teach future forms, formal endings (-ㅂ니다) or connectors. Used in three short sessions, the korean conjugation worksheet gives you the stem, vowel and merge habits that nearly all later Korean verb forms build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which verbs are on the korean conjugation worksheet?
Page 1 uses 20 common verbs: 가다, 오다, 보다, 사다, 자다, 앉다, 먹다, 읽다, 입다, 배우다, 주다, 마시다, 기다리다, 가르치다, 만나다, 열다, 알다, 하다, 공부하다 and 좋아하다. Page 2 puts 12 of them into the past tense. Page 3 adds six irregular words. All are everyday beginner verbs and adjectives.
Are irregular verbs included?
Yes, a small set on page 3: 돕다, 덥다, 듣다, 쓰다, 모르다 and 바쁘다. They cover the ㅂ, ㄷ and 르 irregulars plus the ㅡ drop, which school grammar counts as regular. The page also includes the regular verb 입다 as a warning, because it ends in ㅂ but does not change. The full irregular groups have their own lessons.
Is the conjugation worksheet level A1?
Yes. It stays in the polite style (-아요/-어요) and the past tense, which are the first two forms a beginner needs. It does not cover formal endings, future forms or connectors. If you can read Hangul and have met the verbs in a lesson, you can complete it.
Can I print it on any paper?
Yes. Use the A4 file or the US Letter file, whichever matches your printer, and print at 100 percent scale so the writing boxes stay full size. The sheet is readable in black and white. If you want to keep the answers hidden, print the answer key page separately.
Is the worksheet free to print?
Free for personal and classroom use. Teachers may print copies for their students. No reselling or republishing online.
May I use these worksheets in class?
Free for personal and classroom use. Teachers may print copies for their students. No reselling or republishing online.
Free for personal and classroom use. Teachers may print copies for their students. No reselling or republishing online.