불쌍하다 Korean adjective conjugation

pitiful

Every form of 불쌍하다 across the four speech levels. It is 여 irregular — 하다 and every verb built on it: 하다 → 하여 → 해요.

기본형Principal parts

The four forms the dictionary prints. Every other form on this page is derived from them.

관형사형Modifier
불쌍한
아/어Infinitive
불쌍해
-으니Since
불쌍하니
합니다Formal
불쌍합니다

현재Present

The tense that does the most work. 해요체 is the one to learn first — it is polite without being formal, and it is what most conversation is in.

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 불쌍해요불쌍합니다불쌍해불쌍하다

과거Past

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 불쌍했어요불쌍했습니다불쌍했어불쌍했다

미래·추측Future & presumptive

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
-겠-Will / must be 불쌍하겠어요불쌍하겠습니다불쌍하겠어불쌍하겠다
-을 것이다Going to 불쌍할 거예요불쌍할 것입니다불쌍할 거야불쌍할 것이다

의문Questions

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 불쌍해요?불쌍합니까?불쌍해?불쌍하니?
과거Past 불쌍했어요?불쌍했습니까?불쌍했어?불쌍했니?

부정Negation

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
Not (short) 안 불쌍해요안 불쌍합니다안 불쌍해안 불쌍하다
-지 않다Not (long) 불쌍하지 않아요불쌍하지 않습니다불쌍하지 않아불쌍하지 않다

높임Honorific

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 불쌍하세요불쌍하십니다불쌍하셔불쌍하시다
과거Past 불쌍하셨어요불쌍하셨습니다불쌍하셨어불쌍하셨다

관형사형Modifying a noun

현재Present
불쌍한
과거Past
불쌍한
미래Future
불쌍할
회상Used to
불쌍하던

연결Joining clauses

-고and
불쌍하고
-게-ly / so that
불쌍하게
-어서so / and then
불쌍해서
-으니까since
불쌍하니까
-으면if / when
불쌍하면
-지만but
불쌍하지만
-는데and / but (setting up)
불쌍한데
-어도even if
불쌍해도

문형Sentence patterns

How the dictionary says this verb is used. The numbers are slots: 1 is the subject, 2 the object.

예문In real sentences

From the dictionary, each with its translation.

일부러 불쌍하게 서서 쳐다보는 거 다 알아요

Yes, you do! That's why you stand there looking pathetic!

그 사람이 혼자서 밥을 먹는 걸 보니 불쌍해요.

Seeing him eat alone makes me feel bad for him.

난 너무 불쌍한데?

God, no. Poor guy. Ow!

이 불쌍한 사람이다

Look at this poor man.

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

How do you conjugate 불쌍하다 in Korean?

불쌍하다 (pitiful) is 불쌍해요 in the polite 해요체, 불쌍합니다 in formal 합니다체, 불쌍해 in casual 반말 and 불쌍하다 in the plain written style. The past is 불쌍했어요.

What is the past tense of 불쌍하다?

불쌍했어요 in everyday polite speech, 불쌍했습니다 formally. It is built from the 아/어 form 불쌍하여 plus ㅆ, which is why an irregular stem shows its irregularity here.

Is 불쌍하다 irregular?

Yes — it is 여 irregular (여 불규칙). 하다 and every verb built on it: 하다 → 하여 → 해요. That is why the stem looks different in 불쌍하여 and 불쌍하니 but unchanged in 불쌍합니다.

What TOPIK level is 불쌍하다?

2급 — TOPIK 2, elementary.

Dictionary form, meaning, sentence patterns, examples and audio from the 국립국어원 한국어기초사전, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.

Conjugations are generated by this site's own engine and checked against the 9,380 forms the dictionary publishes on every build.