좇다 Korean verb conjugation

to pursue

Every form of 좇다 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
좇는
아/어Infinitive
좇아
-으니Since
좇으니
합니다Formal
좇습니다

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 좇아요좇습니다좇아좇는다

과거Past

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 좇았어요좇았습니다좇았어좇았다

미래·추측Future & presumptive

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
-겠-Will / must be 좇겠어요좇겠습니다좇겠어좇겠다
-을 것이다Going to 좇을 거예요좇을 것입니다좇을 거야좇을 것이다

의문Questions

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 좇아요?좇습니까?좇아?좇니?
과거Past 좇았어요?좇았습니까?좇았어?좇았니?

명령Commands

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
명령Do it 좇으세요좇으십시오좇아좇아라
청유Let's 좇아요좇읍시다좇아좇자

부정Negation

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
Not (short) 안 좇아요안 좇습니다안 좇아안 좇는다
-지 않다Not (long) 좇지 않아요좇지 않습니다좇지 않아좇지 않는다
Cannot 못 좇아요못 좇습니다못 좇아못 좇는다

높임Honorific

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 좇으세요좇으십니다좇으셔좇으신다
과거Past 좇으셨어요좇으셨습니다좇으셨어좇으셨다

관형사형Modifying a noun

현재Present
좇는
과거Past
좇은
미래Future
좇을
회상Used to
좇던

연결Joining clauses

-고and
좇고
-게-ly / so that
좇게
-어서so / and then
좇아서
-으니까since
좇으니까
-으면if / when
좇으면
-지만but
좇지만
-는데and / but (setting up)
좇는데
-어도even if
좇아도

진행In progress

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Is doing 좇고 있어요좇고 있습니다좇고 있어좇고 있다
과거Was doing 좇고 있었어요좇고 있었습니다좇고 있었어좇고 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.

그래서 어부는 가장 큰 물고기를 좇습니다.

So fishers go after the biggest fish.

사람들이 대학교육을 좇고 있는 걸 보실 수 있을 겁니다.

You will find humans chasing higher education.

사랑을 좇아 왔습니다.

We have come in the pursuit of love.

제 아버지는 그 반대를 배우게 됩니다. 그 밝음을 좇기 시작했죠.

My father learned the magic, spent his time following light.

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

How do you conjugate 좇다 in Korean?

좇다 (to pursue) is 좇아요 in the polite 해요체, 좇습니다 in formal 합니다체, 좇아 in casual 반말 and 좇는다 in the plain written style. The past is 좇았어요.

What is the past tense of 좇다?

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

Is 좇다 a regular verb?

Yes. Its stem never changes shape: 좇습니다, 좇아, 좇으니 all keep 좇 intact. Only the ending moves.

What TOPIK level is 좇다?

It carries no TOPIK grade. That is a fact about the published word lists rather than about the word — it conjugates by exactly the same rules as everything else.

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.