To conjugate verbs into their past tense form:
- Get the verb stem.
- Attach 을 if it ends in a consonant, else attach ㄹ.
- Attach “것이다” and conjugate 이다.
것이다 is a combination of 것 (thing) and 이다 (to be).
Since 것 is commonly shortened to just 거, as we learned in our lesson on “this and that,” either of the below work:
*Remember how 이다 becomes 예요 after a vowel.
Examples:
Verb stem is 가
Attach ㄹ
Attach 거예요
Verb stem is 먹
Attach 을
Attach 거예요
Sentence examples:
I will (I’m going to) eat pizza.
I will meet Sana tomorrow.
I will be a bit late today.
If the verb stem ends with ㅂ:
- Remove ㅂ and add 우.
- Attach ㄹ.
- Attach 거예요.
If the verb stem ends with ㄹ, simply add 거예요:
놀다 is often also used to refer to “hanging out” with others!
We’ll cover other exceptions as they come up in the future.
Note that there are other ways to speak in the future tense, that are used in certain situations.
Also, note that the future tense of 이다 (일 거예요) cannot be used to talk about what you will become. For example, you cannot use it to say “I will become an engineer when I grow up.”
We’ll cover these topics in later lessons.