곱다 Korean adjective conjugation
beautiful, pretty
Every form of 곱다 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
- 고운
- 아/어Infinitive
- 고와
- -으니Since
- 고우니
- 합니다Formal
- 곱습니다
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.
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 서술Statement | 고와요 | 곱습니다 | 고와 | 곱다 |
과거Past
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 서술Statement | 고왔어요 | 고왔습니다 | 고왔어 | 고왔다 |
미래·추측Future & presumptive
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -겠-Will / must be | 곱겠어요 | 곱겠습니다 | 곱겠어 | 곱겠다 |
| -을 것이다Going to | 고울 거예요 | 고울 것입니다 | 고울 거야 | 고울 것이다 |
의문Questions
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 고와요? | 곱습니까? | 고와? | 고우니? |
| 과거Past | 고왔어요? | 고왔습니까? | 고왔어? | 고왔니? |
부정Negation
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 안Not (short) | 안 고와요 | 안 곱습니다 | 안 고와 | 안 곱다 |
| -지 않다Not (long) | 곱지 않아요 | 곱지 않습니다 | 곱지 않아 | 곱지 않다 |
높임Honorific
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 고우세요 | 고우십니다 | 고우셔 | 고우시다 |
| 과거Past | 고우셨어요 | 고우셨습니다 | 고우셨어 | 고우셨다 |
관형사형Modifying a noun
- 현재Present
- 고운
- 과거Past
- 고운
- 미래Future
- 고울
- 회상Used to
- 곱던
연결Joining clauses
- -고and
- 곱고
- -게-ly / so that
- 곱게
- -어서so / and then
- 고와서
- -으니까since
- 고우니까
- -으면if / when
- 고우면
- -지만but
- 곱지만
- -는데and / but (setting up)
- 고운데
- -어도even if
- 고와도
문형Sentence patterns
How the dictionary says this verb is used. The numbers are slots: 1 is the subject, 2 the object.
- 1이 곱다
예문In real sentences
From the dictionary, each with its translation.
난 곱게 자란 놈이라고!
I come from a different kind of lifestyle, brah.
놈을 곱게 죽일 필요는 없어
You don't have to kill him with kindness.
잠도 못 잤을 텐데 피부가 이렇게도 곱다니
You're so young. How can you look so lovely and fresh without sleep?
너무 곱게 자라서 요리도 못해.
He grew up too sheltered, so he can't even cook.
자주 묻는 질문Common questions
How do you conjugate 곱다 in Korean?
곱다 (beautiful, pretty) is 고와요 in the polite 해요체, 곱습니다 in formal 합니다체, 고와 in casual 반말 and 곱다 in the plain written style. The past is 고왔어요.
What is the past tense of 곱다?
고왔어요 in everyday polite speech, 고왔습니다 formally. It is built from the 아/어 form 고와 plus ㅆ, which is why an irregular stem shows its irregularity here.
Is 곱다 irregular?
Yes — it is ㅂ irregular (ㅂ 불규칙). ㅂ becomes 우 before a vowel: 춥다 → 추워요. That is why the stem looks different in 고와 and 고우니 but unchanged in 곱습니다.
What TOPIK level is 곱다?
3급 — TOPIK 3, lower intermediate.
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.