적다 Korean adjective conjugation
to be few, little
Every form of 적다 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
- 적은
- 아/어Infinitive
- 적어
- -으니Since
- 적으니
- 합니다Formal
- 적습니다
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 | 적어요 | 적습니다 | 적어 | 적다 |
과거Past
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 서술Statement | 적었어요 | 적었습니다 | 적었어 | 적었다 |
미래·추측Future & presumptive
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -겠-Will / must be | 적겠어요 | 적겠습니다 | 적겠어 | 적겠다 |
| -을 것이다Going to | 적을 거예요 | 적을 것입니다 | 적을 거야 | 적을 것이다 |
의문Questions
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 적어요? | 적습니까? | 적어? | 적으니? |
| 과거Past | 적었어요? | 적었습니까? | 적었어? | 적었니? |
부정Negation
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 안Not (short) | 안 적어요 | 안 적습니다 | 안 적어 | 안 적다 |
| -지 않다Not (long) | 적지 않아요 | 적지 않습니다 | 적지 않아 | 적지 않다 |
높임Honorific
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 적으세요 | 적으십니다 | 적으셔 | 적으시다 |
| 과거Past | 적으셨어요 | 적으셨습니다 | 적으셨어 | 적으셨다 |
관형사형Modifying a noun
- 현재Present
- 적은
- 과거Past
- 적은
- 미래Future
- 적을
- 회상Used to
- 적던
연결Joining clauses
- -고and
- 적고
- -게-ly / so that
- 적게
- -어서so / and then
- 적어서
- -으니까since
- 적으니까
- -으면if / when
- 적으면
- -지만but
- 적지만
- -는데and / but (setting up)
- 적은데
- -어도even if
- 적어도
문형Sentence patterns
How the dictionary says this verb is used. The numbers are slots: 1 is the subject, 2 the object.
- 1이 2에 3을 적다
- 1이 2를 적다
예문In real sentences
From the dictionary, each with its translation.
적어보면 이렇게 되고요.
Written out, it looks like this.
그녀는 이렇게 적고 있다:
Translating the importance of activism
어떤 가족은 자식이 적습니다.
Some families have fewer children.
그래서 그 내용에 대해 적었습니다.
So that's what I wrote about.
자주 묻는 질문Common questions
How do you conjugate 적다 in Korean?
적다 (to be few, little) is 적어요 in the polite 해요체, 적습니다 in formal 합니다체, 적어 in casual 반말 and 적다 in the plain written style. The past is 적었어요.
What is the past tense of 적다?
적었어요 in everyday polite speech, 적었습니다 formally. It is built from the 아/어 form 적어 plus ㅆ, which is why an irregular stem shows its irregularity here.
Is 적다 a regular verb?
Yes. Its stem never changes shape: 적습니다, 적어, 적으니 all keep 적 intact. Only the ending moves.
What TOPIK level is 적다?
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.