크다 Korean adjective conjugation
to be big, large
Every form of 크다 across the four speech levels. It is 으 irregular — The stem 으 drops before a vowel ending: 쓰다 → 써요.
기본형Principal parts
The four forms the dictionary prints. Every other form on this page is derived from them.
- 관형사형Modifier
- 큰
- 아/어Infinitive
- 커
- -으니Since
- 크니
- 합니다Formal
- 큽니다
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 | 커요 | 큽니다 | 커 | 크다 |
과거Past
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 서술Statement | 컸어요 | 컸습니다 | 컸어 | 컸다 |
미래·추측Future & presumptive
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -겠-Will / must be | 크겠어요 | 크겠습니다 | 크겠어 | 크겠다 |
| -을 것이다Going to | 클 거예요 | 클 것입니다 | 클 거야 | 클 것이다 |
의문Questions
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 커요? | 큽니까? | 커? | 크니? |
| 과거Past | 컸어요? | 컸습니까? | 컸어? | 컸니? |
부정Negation
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 안Not (short) | 안 커요 | 안 큽니다 | 안 커 | 안 크다 |
| -지 않다Not (long) | 크지 않아요 | 크지 않습니다 | 크지 않아 | 크지 않다 |
높임Honorific
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 크세요 | 크십니다 | 크셔 | 크시다 |
| 과거Past | 크셨어요 | 크셨습니다 | 크셨어 | 크셨다 |
관형사형Modifying a noun
- 현재Present
- 큰
- 과거Past
- 큰
- 미래Future
- 클
- 회상Used to
- 크던
연결Joining clauses
- -고and
- 크고
- -게-ly / so that
- 크게
- -어서so / and then
- 커서
- -으니까since
- 크니까
- -으면if / when
- 크면
- -지만but
- 크지만
- -는데and / but (setting up)
- 큰데
- -어도even if
- 커도
문형Sentence patterns
How the dictionary says this verb is used. The numbers are slots: 1 is the subject, 2 the object.
- 1이 크다
예문In real sentences
From the dictionary, each with its translation.
큰 일을 할 때이고
It's time to do something big.
큰 사람
a great person
큰 거인 것 같다
It must be one hairy dump.
아니다, 크면 알게 될 거다
Nothing. You'll find out when you grow up.
자주 묻는 질문Common questions
How do you conjugate 크다 in Korean?
크다 (to be big, large) is 커요 in the polite 해요체, 큽니다 in formal 합니다체, 커 in casual 반말 and 크다 in the plain written style. The past is 컸어요.
What is the past tense of 크다?
컸어요 in everyday polite speech, 컸습니다 formally. It is built from the 아/어 form 커 plus ㅆ, which is why an irregular stem shows its irregularity here.
Is 크다 irregular?
Yes — it is 으 irregular (으 불규칙). The stem 으 drops before a vowel ending: 쓰다 → 써요. That is why the stem looks different in 커 and 크니 but unchanged in 큽니다.
What TOPIK level is 크다?
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.