From Reference
Declarative doesn't necessarily mean that you're shouting from the rooftops. A declarative sentence simply relates a fact or opinion. A sentence like "My name is Frank" is declarative. So is "He can't swim". So is "Your latte is ready".
The declarative ending is ㅂ니다. If your verb root (or verb stem - see previous grammar lessons) ends with a vowel, simply attach ㅂ니다 to it. However, if the verb root ends with a consonant, insert 스 in between the verb root and ㅂ니다. Here are some examples:
- 나는 집에 갑니다.
- I'm going home.
- (I home-to go)
- 신문을 읽습니다.
- I'm reading a newspaper.
- (newspaper read)
- 제 이름은 랜디입니다.
- My name is Randy.
- (my name Randy is)
Here we go: if you look at the first sentence, "go" in Korean is 가다. We drop the 다 to get the verb root 가. Since 가 ends with a vowel, we connect 가 and ㅂ니다 to make 갑니다.
Sentence two has a twist to it. "read" is 읽다. Drop the 다 for the verb root 읽. Because 읽 ends with a consonant, we have to put 스 in there when we connect everything. So it connects like this: 읽 스 ㅂ니다 to make 읽습니다.
Sentence three runs along the same lines as one. The equality verb "is" is 이다. Drop the 다 for the verb root 이. Because 이 ends with a vowel, we connect it like this: 이 ㅂ니다 to make 입니다. But what's all that writing before it? It's the name "Randy". When we use 이다, we connect the word right before it to the verb. Why? Dunno. It just flows better that way.
Note: The other sentence endings below use the same vowel-consonant rules as above. So relax and keep them in mind as you continue. The examples won't be analyzed as above.
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