알다 conjugation
to knowaldaVerbㄹ stem verb
| Form | Korean | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 알다 | |
| Polite present | 알아요 | |
| Polite past | 알았어요 | |
| Polite future | 알 거예요 | |
| Formal | 압니다 |
The polite forms end in 요 and suit most conversations; the formal form is for announcements, presentations and first meetings. The same form works for I, you, she or they.
How 알다 conjugates
- Find the stem. Take 다 off 알다 and you are left with 알.
- Check the last vowel. It is ㅏ, and a stem ending in ㅏ or ㅗ takes 아요.
- Join them. 알 + 아요 gives 알아요. The ㄹ drops before ㅂ니다, giving the formal form.
- Build the rest on it. The past tense adds ㅆ to the same base, giving 알았어요, and the table above has the future and the formal form.
Using 알다
A ㄹ-irregular verb: the ㄹ drops before ㅂ, ㅅ, or ㄴ, giving you 알아요 but 압니다. 알겠어요 means understood.
네, 알아요.
Yes, I know.
알겠어요.
Got it. / Understood.
More ㄹ stem verbs
Conjugate any other verb with the Korean verb conjugator, or read the guide to Korean verb conjugation for the rules behind the table.