돕다 Korean verb conjugation

to help

Every form of 돕다 across the four speech levels. It is ㅂ irregular — ㅂ becomes 우 before a vowel: 춥다 → 추워요.

기본형Principal parts

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

관형사형Modifier
돕는
아/어Infinitive
도와
-으니Since
도우니
합니다Formal
돕습니다

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 도와요돕습니다도와돕는다

과거Past

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 도왔어요도왔습니다도왔어도왔다

미래·추측Future & presumptive

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
-겠-Will / must be 돕겠어요돕겠습니다돕겠어돕겠다
-을 것이다Going to 도울 거예요도울 것입니다도울 거야도울 것이다

의문Questions

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 도와요?돕습니까?도와?돕니?
과거Past 도왔어요?도왔습니까?도왔어?도왔니?

명령Commands

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
명령Do it 도우세요도우십시오도와도와라
청유Let's 도와요도웁시다도와돕자

부정Negation

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
Not (short) 안 도와요안 돕습니다안 도와안 돕는다
-지 않다Not (long) 돕지 않아요돕지 않습니다돕지 않아돕지 않는다
Cannot 못 도와요못 돕습니다못 도와못 돕는다

높임Honorific

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 도우세요도우십니다도우셔도우신다
과거Past 도우셨어요도우셨습니다도우셨어도우셨다

관형사형Modifying a noun

현재Present
돕는
과거Past
도운
미래Future
도울
회상Used to
돕던

연결Joining clauses

-고and
돕고
-게-ly / so that
돕게
-어서so / and then
도와서
-으니까since
도우니까
-으면if / when
도우면
-지만but
돕지만
-는데and / but (setting up)
돕는데
-어도even if
도와도

진행In progress

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Is doing 돕고 있어요돕고 있습니다돕고 있어돕고 있다
과거Was doing 돕고 있었어요돕고 있었습니다돕고 있었어돕고 있었다

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.

예, 무엇을 도와드릴까요?

Hi. What can I do for you?

우린 널 도우러 왔어.

We’re here to help you.

지금부터 도와주실분이 필요합니다.

Now, I need an assistant.

나눌 수 있는 것은 나누고, 도울 수 있다면 도와 주세요.

Give what you can give, and do what you can do.

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

How do you conjugate 돕다 in Korean?

돕다 (to help) is 도와요 in the polite 해요체, 돕습니다 in formal 합니다체, 도와 in casual 반말 and 돕는다 in the plain written style. The past is 도왔어요.

What is the past tense of 돕다?

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

Is 돕다 irregular?

Yes — it is ㅂ irregular (ㅂ 불규칙). ㅂ becomes 우 before a vowel: 춥다 → 추워요. That is why the stem looks different in 도와 and 도우니 but unchanged in 돕습니다.

What TOPIK level is 돕다?

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.