Korean follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) order, meaning the verb always comes at the end of the sentence. For example, "I eat rice" would be structured as "I rice eat," with the verb finishing the sentence. To conjugate a verb into the informal polite 해요체, you remove the dictionary ending -다 and add -아요 or -어요, depending on the vowel harmony of the stem. If the final vowel of the stem is bright (ㅏ or ㅗ), use -아요; if it is dark or neutral (other vowels), use -어요. Some verbs with ㅗ or ㅜ stems contract slightly, and 하다 (to do) becomes 해요. This system lets you express the same verb in many tones of formality simply by changing the ending.
Common everyday verbs illustrate this pattern clearly: 가다 (gada, "to go") becomes 가요 (gayo); 먹다 (meokda, "to eat") becomes 먹어요 (meogeoyo); 마시다 (masida, "to drink") becomes 마셔요 (masyeoyo); 오다 (oda, "to come") becomes 와요 (wayo); and 보다 (boda, "to see/watch") becomes 봐요 (bwayo). Other useful verbs include 사다 (sada, "to buy") → 사요, 주다 (juda, "to give") → 줘요, 알다 (alda, "to know") → 알아요, 모르다 (moreuda, "to not know") → 몰라요, 원하다 (wonhada, "to want") → 원해요, 자다 (jada, "to sleep") → 자요, 읽다 (ikda, "to read") → 읽어요, 쓰다 (sseuda, "to write") → 써요, and the compound 공부하다 (gongbuhada, "to study") → 공부해요. Each verb stem is its own small lesson in Korean phonology, and recognizing these patterns is the key to building fluency.