작다 conjugation
to be small, to be littlejakdaDescriptive verb (adjective)Regular verb
| Form | Korean | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 작다 | |
| Polite present | 작아요 | |
| Polite past | 작았어요 | |
| Polite future | 작을 거예요 | |
| Formal | 작습니다 |
The polite forms end in 요 and suit most conversations; the formal form is for announcements, presentations and first meetings. The same form works for I, you, she or they.
How 작다 conjugates
- Find the stem. Take 다 off 작다 and you are left with 작.
- Check the last vowel. It is ㅏ, and a stem ending in ㅏ or ㅗ takes 아요.
- Join them. 작 + 아요 gives 작아요.
- Build the rest on it. The past tense adds ㅆ to the same base, giving 작았어요, and the table above has the future and the formal form.
Using 작다
Gives you 작아요. Don't confuse it with 적다 (to be few), where ㅏ versus ㅓ is the only difference.
방이 작아요.
The room is small.
글씨가 너무 작아요.
The writing is too small.
More regular verbs
Conjugate any other verb with the Korean verb conjugator, or read the guide to Korean verb conjugation for the rules behind the table.