# Dictionary forms of verbs / Pronunciation



## AccioJo

I am sorry for breaking the rules ,but I don't think I should post 3 different topics about these 3 silly questions.So I'm sorry if i keep asking simple questions about the smallest things that i am not sure for .. For instance:

1. I have heard and seen the usage of dictionary forms of verbs often ,but I thought that i should conjugate them always  ... Is that just slang or what?Or maybe I am wrong?
2. Could you give me the pronouncation of the following verbs:
있습니다
없습이다
써요(This means write ,right?)
And tell me the verbs (+pronunciation) : To stand & To poop , 주세요 ^^'
Because if I heard right all three (To write ,To stand , To poop) are "sah" ...
3.Why is 괜잖아요 written with a ㄶ ? Is it wrong to write it like 괜잔하요?


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## ilydork

1. I have heard and seen the usage of dictionary forms of verbs often ,but I thought that i should conjugate them always ... Is that just slang or what?Or maybe I am wrong?
- sorry I'm quite lost here.. I'll just answer what I can 

2. Could you give me the pronouncation of the following verbs:
있습니다 - it-sseum-ni-da
없습이다 - ub-sseum-ni-da
써요(This means write ,right? - yes) - ssuh-yo (hard 's' sound as in "slang")

And tell me the verbs (+pronunciation) : To stand & To poop , 주세요 ^^'
Because if I heard right all three (To write ,To stand , To poop) are "sah" 
To stand: 서다 (suh-da)
To poop: (똥을) 싸다 - (ddong-eul) ssada
* 똥: poo

3.Why is 괜잖아요 written with a ㄶ ? Is it wrong to write it like 괜잔하요?
It's spelt as "괜찮아요" - gwen-cha-na-yo
괜잔하요 = gwen-jan-ha-yo -> yes it's wrong


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## AccioJo

Thank you for the answers. So when ㅅ is at the bottom it is always pronounced as "t" ,even if the next consonant is again ㅅ?
Also ,about the first question here is an example: This girl on a variety show is saying : I take everything a bit too seriously ,and at the end she says "잔자해요" but at the bottom of the screen something pops out and it says "매사가진지하다" , and also , I have heard them say "예쁘다" instead of "예뻐요" ,and I was wondering if using the dictionary forms of verbs was just a slang ..


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## Warp3

Variety show subtitle popups will sometimes use the dictionary form even when the speaker didn't.  In fact, dictionary form is much more common in written form than spoken form (though I have heard it in spoken form plenty of times as well).  One of the times I came across it in spoken form, the speaker was talking to herself, which may be why she used a dictionary form (as speech-levels wouldn't really apply there).

Also, a few of the more rarely used speech levels can look similar to dictionary form, but aren't.  For example, 한다 is a conjugation of 하다 in a speech level that can be used for reported speech (as in "She said...").  This page has a pretty good rundown of the 7 speech levels in Korean: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_honorifics

Are you sure about that pronunciation for 있습니다, ilydork?  In every example I've heard like that (as in words like 먹었습니다), the "ㅆ" sound essentially merges with the "ㅅ" sound resulting in it being pronounced as if it were spelled [이씀니다] instead.

As for 써요, quite a few verbs are spelled 쓰다 (which, as an "ㅡ" irregular, conjugates to that form) with a variety of possible definitions, like: to use, to write, to wear (for certain items like a hat), to be bitter, etc.  I don't recall offhand if any 써다 verbs exist, but if so, they would conjugate to that form as well.


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## AccioJo

Thank you for the detailed answer Warp3 , and also for that link - its very helpful )


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## wildsunflower

Ilydork is right about the pronunciation of "있습니다". But, a lot of people don't pronounce it properly. Because it is easier to pronounce it as [이씀니다].


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## Warp3

Wildsunflower:

You seem to have posted quite a few helpful replies here today...thanks.   Do you have any input on the #1 question he posted?  I'm rather curious myself why the dictionary form is sometimes used in speech in places I wouldn't expect it.


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## wildsunflower

Thank you for the compliment.  If I can have an example of the #1 question, it will be easier to explain. Did you mean "infinitive" by "the dictionary form"? I hardly use it when I speak or write to someone. But, I see and hear it sometimes in slogans, book/movie titles, or announcements. Or, even in speaking, I hear some people saying "나 밥 먹는다. (I am eating.)", for example. I may use it to my sister or to a friend, but not to my mother. It will be rude. But, I don't use it in general, not even to my juniors. But, for some dialects, I heard it as in "나 밥 묵는다." I don't speak that dialect, so my spelling can be wrong.

Korean, in general, has very complicated conjugations, as you may know.  That has a lot to do with the relationship between you and the person you speak to, more than the tense. Also, it indicates the mood/status of the speaker. For the example of "나 밥 먹는데요", "데요" creates a subtle indication of being young or trying to be cute. I would say "나 밥 먹는데.", "나 밥 먹고있어." or "나 밥 먹어." to my younger sister or a friend (at my age),  and "저 밥 먹고있어요." to my mother. You kind have to feel the way it is used. Sorry, if I am vague.


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## wildsunflower

One more occasion of using the infinitive form: when I write a letter to someone. I guess it is because it is a bit similar to writing in a diary.


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