친절하다 Korean adjective conjugation

to be kind

Every form of 친절하다 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
친절한
아/어Infinitive
친절해
-으니Since
친절하니
합니다Formal
친절합니다

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 친절해요친절합니다친절해친절하다

과거Past

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 친절했어요친절했습니다친절했어친절했다

미래·추측Future & presumptive

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
-겠-Will / must be 친절하겠어요친절하겠습니다친절하겠어친절하겠다
-을 것이다Going to 친절할 거예요친절할 것입니다친절할 거야친절할 것이다

의문Questions

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 친절해요?친절합니까?친절해?친절하니?
과거Past 친절했어요?친절했습니까?친절했어?친절했니?

부정Negation

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
Not (short) 안 친절해요안 친절합니다안 친절해안 친절하다
-지 않다Not (long) 친절하지 않아요친절하지 않습니다친절하지 않아친절하지 않다

높임Honorific

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 친절하세요친절하십니다친절하셔친절하시다
과거Past 친절하셨어요친절하셨습니다친절하셨어친절하셨다

관형사형Modifying a noun

현재Present
친절한
과거Past
친절한
미래Future
친절할
회상Used to
친절하던

연결Joining clauses

-고and
친절하고
-게-ly / so that
친절하게
-어서so / and then
친절해서
-으니까since
친절하니까
-으면if / when
친절하면
-지만but
친절하지만
-는데and / but (setting up)
친절한데
-어도even if
친절해도

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.

걔는 참 친절하다.

She's a total sweetheart.

정말 친절하게 대해줘서 고마워.

Thank you very much for your kindness.

좋은 일은, 그 경찰관이 친절했다는 겁니다.

The good news is, our officer was friendly.

할아버지는 너무 친절했고, 저를 구한 걸 좋아하셨어요.

He was so warm, and he was so happy that he'd saved me.

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

How do you conjugate 친절하다 in Korean?

친절하다 (to be kind) is 친절해요 in the polite 해요체, 친절합니다 in formal 합니다체, 친절해 in casual 반말 and 친절하다 in the plain written style. The past is 친절했어요.

What is the past tense of 친절하다?

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

Is 친절하다 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 친절하여 and 친절하니 but unchanged in 친절합니다.

What TOPIK level is 친절하다?

1급 — TOPIK 1, beginner.

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.