KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean grammar › -아/어도 되다
Korean Grammar “-아/어도 되다”: Meaning and Usage (TOPIK 2)
How to attach it
Attach the pattern to the verb stem, which is the dictionary form without 다. Compare how each verb below changes depending on its last sound.
| Dictionary form | Meaning | With this pattern | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|
| 보다 | to see, to watch | 봐도 되다 | bwado doeda |
| 읽다 | to read | 읽어도 되다 | ilgeodo doeda |
| 하다 | to do | 해도 되다 | haedo doeda |
| 열다 | to open | 열어도 되다 | yeoreodo doeda |
What changes
- -아/어 follows the last vowel of the stem: 아 after ㅏ or ㅗ, 어 after other vowels (읽 → 읽어, 열 → 열어). When the stem ends in a vowel, the two vowels merge (보 + 아 → 봐), and 하다 becomes 해.
Explanation
여기에서 사진을 찍어도 돼요?
“-아/어도 되다” asks for or gives permission, “may ~ / is it okay to ~.” The sentence means “May I take a picture here?” A positive answer is “네, 찍어도 돼요,” and a prohibition is “찍으면 안 돼요.”
Pronouncing the example sentence
Example sentence: 여기에서 사진을 찍어도 돼요?
Said aloud, it sounds like [여기에서 사지늘 찌거도 돼요].
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 여기에서 | ||
| 여 | ㅇ+ㅕ | yeo |
| 기 | ㄱ+ㅣ | gi |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | e |
| 서 | ㅅ+ㅓ | seo |
| 사진을 | ||
| 사 | ㅅ+ㅏ | sa |
| 진 | ㅈ+ㅣ+ㄴ | [지] ji |
| 을 | ㅇ+ㅡ+ㄹ | [늘] neul |
| 찍어도 | ||
| 찍 | ㅉ+ㅣ+ㄱ | [찌] jji |
| 어 | ㅇ+ㅓ | [거] geo |
| 도 | ㄷ+ㅗ | do |
| 돼요 | ||
| 돼 | ㄷ+ㅙ | dwae |
| 요 | ㅇ+ㅛ | yo |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 진을 → [지늘]
Politeness level of the example
Ends in -요. The everyday polite style, and a safe choice with shop staff, colleagues, strangers and anyone older than you.
Words in the example sentence
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 사진 | noun | photo | TOPIK level 1 |
Practice
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 Choose the word that fits the blank: 여기에서 사진을 찍어____ 돼요?
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Answer: 여기에서 사진을 찍어도 돼요?
Question 2 Which is the correct form of 읽다 + -아/어도 되다?
Show the answer
Answer: 읽어도 되다
Question 3 Which is the correct form of 하다 + -아/어도 되다?
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Answer: 해도 되다
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