-아/어라

Informal Command

Level 1Sounds Like a eora

-아/어라 is a command form you use with people you are very close to and who are the same age or younger. It's like saying 'Do this!' informally.

How It Works

The -아/어라 ending is a direct and informal way to give a command. It's crucial to use it only in appropriate situations to avoid sounding rude.

Conjugation Rules:
1. If the verb stem's last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ, you add -아라.

2. If the verb stem's last vowel is anything else (ㅓ, ㅜ, ㅣ, ㅡ, etc.), you add -어라.

3. For verbs ending in 하다, it becomes 해라.

Usage Context:
This form is most commonly used by:

Parents speaking to their children.
Very close friends of the same age.
In certain written contexts like exam instructions or book titles for a general audience.

It is the informal equivalent of the polite command -세요 and the formal command -십시오.

밥 먹어라.
Eat your meal.
Word by Word: Meal eat (command).
A common phrase a parent might say to a child.
저기 앉아라.
Sit over there.
Word by Word: Over there sit (command).
The verb stem of 앉다 (to sit) contains the vowel ㅏ, so -아라 is added.
조용히 해라!
Be quiet!
Word by Word: Quietly do (command).
하다 verbs change to 해라. This is a strong, informal command.
창문 좀 열어라.
Open the window.
Word by Word: Window a little open (command).
열다 (to open) ends with the vowel ㅕ, so -어라 is added.

Using -아/어라 with someone older or in a formal setting.
Different Meaning선생님, 이것 좀 봐라.
Better선생님, 이것 좀 보세요.
-아/어라 is informal (반말) and is considered rude when speaking to elders or superiors. You must use the polite command form -세요 in these situations.
Incorrectly conjugating the verb.
Not Quite숙제하다라.
Better숙제해라.
You must remove -다 from the verb and apply the vowel harmony rule. For 하다 verbs, the command form is always 해라, not 하다라.

To use this informal command, you need to understand verb conjugation.

-아라-어라