-하다 Verb

Category
Basic Grammar
Premium
Keyword #
Do
Lesson
30

TL;DR

  • -하다 verbs are super common in Korean and are made by adding 하다 (to do) to a noun 📦
  • They're easy to conjugate because 하다 follows regular verb patterns, and you already know tons of -하다 verbs from English! 🎉
  • Examples: 공부 (study) + 하다 = 공부하다 (to study), 요리 (cooking) + 하다 = 요리하다 (to cook) 🍳

What are -하다 verbs? 🤔

-하다 verbs are verbs created by attaching 하다 (to do) to a noun!
Think of it like this: You take any action noun and slap 하다 on the end → BOOM 💥 You've got yourself a verb!
This pattern is everywhere in Korean, and it makes learning new verbs super easy because you can create tons of verbs from nouns you already know! 🚀

The Formula 📐

Noun + 하다 = Verb
That's it! That's the whole pattern! ✨

Common Examples 🌟

Here are some -하다 verbs you'll use all the time:
→ 공부하다 (to study) = 공부 (study) + 하다
→ 요리하다 (to cook) = 요리 (cooking) + 하다
→ 운동하다 (to exercise) = 운동 (exercise) + 하다
→ 청소하다 (to clean) = 청소 (cleaning) + 하다
→ 전화하다 (to call/phone) = 전화 (phone call) + 하다
→ 노래하다 (to sing) = 노래 (song) + 하다

Why -하다 verbs are amazing 🎁

1. Tons of English loanwords use this pattern! 🇰🇷🇺🇸
Korean borrows SO many words from English, and most of them become -하다 verbs:
→ 쇼핑하다 (to shop)
→ 드라이브하다 (to drive/go for a drive)
→ 다운로드하다 (to download)
→ 카피하다 (to copy)
2. They conjugate just like regular 하다! 😎
Since 하다 is a regular verb, all -하다 verbs follow the exact same conjugation patterns you already know:
→ 공부해요 (study - present polite)
→ 공부했어요 (studied - past polite)
→ 공부할 거예요 (will study - future polite)

How to use them in sentences 💬

Just conjugate 하다 like you normally would!
→ 저는 한국어를 공부해요. (I study Korean.)
→ 어제 운동했어요. (I exercised yesterday.)
→ 친구하고 전화하고 싶어요. (I want to call my friend.)
→ 주말에 요리할 거예요. (I will cook on the weekend.)

Exceptions ⚠️

Some -하다 verbs can drop the 하다 in casual speech! 🗣️
When speaking casually with friends, Koreans sometimes drop 하다 and just use the noun:
→ 공부 해? (You studying?) instead of 공부하다 해?
→ 청소 했어. (I cleaned.) instead of 청소했어.
This is super casual and conversational, so stick with the full -하다 form in formal situations! 👔

Pro Tip 💡

Whenever you learn a new action noun in Korean, there's a good chance you can turn it into a verb by adding 하다! Test it out and you'll be creating verbs like a native speaker in no time! 🔥
 
Try the following exercise.
Fill in the blanks using -하다 verbs. 📝
 
  • 저는 매일 아침 해요. (study)
      • Answer
      공부
 
 
  • 주말에 친구하고 할 거예요. (travel)
      • Answer
      여행
 
 
  • 오늘 회의에서 했어요. (presentation)
      • Answer
      발표
 
 
  • 한국어를 하고 싶어요. (practice)
      • Answer
      연습
 
 
  • 저녁에 운동을 해요. (exercise)
      • Answer
      운동
 
 
  • 내일 친구 생일을 할 거예요. (celebrate)
      • Answer
      축하
 
 
  • 회사에서 새 프로젝트를 하고 있어요. (prepare)
      • Answer
      준비
 
 
  • 점심시간에 친구하고 했어요. (chat)
      • Answer
      수다
 
 
  • 이번 주말에 집을 할 거예요. (clean)
      • Answer
      청소
 
 
  • 어제 도서관에서 했어요. (research)
      • Answer
      조사
 
Vocabulary
공부 - study
여행 - travel
발표 - presentation
연습 - practice
운동 - exercise
축하 - celebration
준비 - preparation
수다 - chat
청소 - cleaning
조사 - research
매일 - every day
아침 - morning
주말 - weekend
회의 - meeting
저녁 - evening
Common mistakes
  • 🚫 Don't forget that -하다 verbs need the noun part before 하다 (e.g., 공부하다, not just 하다)
  • 🚫 Remember that the noun and 하다 can be separated in sentences (e.g., 공부를 해요)
  • 🚫 Many Chinese-origin Korean words become verbs with -하다, so learn them as pairs
  • 🚫 Don't confuse -하다 verbs with native Korean verbs that don't use this pattern