헛되다 Korean adjective conjugation
vain, fruitless
Every form of 헛되다 across the four speech levels. It is a regular stem, so the endings below attach without changing it.
기본형Principal parts
The four forms the dictionary prints. Every other form on this page is derived from them.
- 관형사형Modifier
- 헛된
- 아/어Infinitive
- 헛돼
- -으니Since
- 헛되니
- 합니다Formal
- 헛됩니다
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 | 헛돼요 | 헛됩니다 | 헛돼 | 헛되다 |
과거Past
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 서술Statement | 헛됐어요 | 헛됐습니다 | 헛됐어 | 헛됐다 |
미래·추측Future & presumptive
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -겠-Will / must be | 헛되겠어요 | 헛되겠습니다 | 헛되겠어 | 헛되겠다 |
| -을 것이다Going to | 헛될 거예요 | 헛될 것입니다 | 헛될 거야 | 헛될 것이다 |
의문Questions
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 헛돼요? | 헛됩니까? | 헛돼? | 헛되니? |
| 과거Past | 헛됐어요? | 헛됐습니까? | 헛됐어? | 헛됐니? |
부정Negation
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 안Not (short) | 안 헛돼요 | 안 헛됩니다 | 안 헛돼 | 안 헛되다 |
| -지 않다Not (long) | 헛되지 않아요 | 헛되지 않습니다 | 헛되지 않아 | 헛되지 않다 |
높임Honorific
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 헛되세요 | 헛되십니다 | 헛되셔 | 헛되시다 |
| 과거Past | 헛되셨어요 | 헛되셨습니다 | 헛되셨어 | 헛되셨다 |
관형사형Modifying a noun
- 현재Present
- 헛된
- 과거Past
- 헛된
- 미래Future
- 헛될
- 회상Used to
- 헛되던
연결Joining clauses
- -고and
- 헛되고
- -게-ly / so that
- 헛되게
- -어서so / and then
- 헛돼서
- -으니까since
- 헛되니까
- -으면if / when
- 헛되면
- -지만but
- 헛되지만
- -는데and / but (setting up)
- 헛된데
- -어도even if
- 헛돼도
문형Sentence patterns
How the dictionary says this verb is used. The numbers are slots: 1 is the subject, 2 the object.
- 1이 헛되다
예문In real sentences
From the dictionary, each with its translation.
네, 해양 청소는 헛된 노력일 수도 있습니다.
And so, OK, maybe cleaning the ocean is futile.
그렇다고 그들의 노력이 헛되고 의미 없는 건가요?
Does that make their contribution futile and meaningless?
그러지 않으면, 당신은 헛된 희망에 기대고, 나아가지 못하게 됩니다.
Otherwise, your mind will feed on your hope and set you back.
여러 달 동안 헛된 노력을 계속했던 이유는 무엇일까요?
But what compelled her to commit to it for so many months?
자주 묻는 질문Common questions
How do you conjugate 헛되다 in Korean?
헛되다 (vain, fruitless) is 헛돼요 in the polite 해요체, 헛됩니다 in formal 합니다체, 헛돼 in casual 반말 and 헛되다 in the plain written style. The past is 헛됐어요.
What is the past tense of 헛되다?
헛됐어요 in everyday polite speech, 헛됐습니다 formally. It is built from the 아/어 form 헛돼 plus ㅆ, which is why an irregular stem shows its irregularity here.
Is 헛되다 a regular verb?
Yes. Its stem never changes shape: 헛됩니다, 헛돼, 헛되니 all keep 헛되 intact. Only the ending moves.
What TOPIK level is 헛되다?
5급 — TOPIK 5, advanced.
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.