깨닫다 Korean verb conjugation

to realize

Every form of 깨닫다 across the four speech levels. It is ㄷ irregular — ㄷ becomes ㄹ before a vowel: 듣다 → 들어요.

기본형Principal parts

The four forms the dictionary prints. Every other form on this page is derived from them.

관형사형Modifier
깨닫는
아/어Infinitive
깨달아
-으니Since
깨달으니
합니다Formal
깨닫습니다

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 깨달아요깨닫습니다깨달아깨닫는다

과거Past

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 깨달았어요깨달았습니다깨달았어깨달았다

미래·추측Future & presumptive

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
-겠-Will / must be 깨닫겠어요깨닫겠습니다깨닫겠어깨닫겠다
-을 것이다Going to 깨달을 거예요깨달을 것입니다깨달을 거야깨달을 것이다

의문Questions

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 깨달아요?깨닫습니까?깨달아?깨닫니?
과거Past 깨달았어요?깨달았습니까?깨달았어?깨달았니?

명령Commands

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
명령Do it 깨달으세요깨달으십시오깨달아깨달아라
청유Let's 깨달아요깨달읍시다깨달아깨닫자

부정Negation

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
Not (short) 안 깨달아요안 깨닫습니다안 깨달아안 깨닫는다
-지 않다Not (long) 깨닫지 않아요깨닫지 않습니다깨닫지 않아깨닫지 않는다
Cannot 못 깨달아요못 깨닫습니다못 깨달아못 깨닫는다

높임Honorific

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 깨달으세요깨달으십니다깨달으셔깨달으신다
과거Past 깨달으셨어요깨달으셨습니다깨달으셨어깨달으셨다

관형사형Modifying a noun

현재Present
깨닫는
과거Past
깨달은
미래Future
깨달을
회상Used to
깨닫던

연결Joining clauses

-고and
깨닫고
-게-ly / so that
깨닫게
-어서so / and then
깨달아서
-으니까since
깨달으니까
-으면if / when
깨달으면
-지만but
깨닫지만
-는데and / but (setting up)
깨닫는데
-어도even if
깨달아도

진행In progress

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Is doing 깨닫고 있어요깨닫고 있습니다깨닫고 있어깨닫고 있다
과거Was doing 깨닫고 있었어요깨닫고 있었습니다깨닫고 있었어깨닫고 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.

그 때 저는 깨달았어요.

And I realized, this is it.

최근에 깨달은 게 있습니다.

I recently had an epiphany.

저는 이걸 힘들게 깨달았어요.

I learned this the hard way.

하지만 뭔가 깨닫게 되었습니다.

But then I discovered something.

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

How do you conjugate 깨닫다 in Korean?

깨닫다 (to realize) is 깨달아요 in the polite 해요체, 깨닫습니다 in formal 합니다체, 깨달아 in casual 반말 and 깨닫는다 in the plain written style. The past is 깨달았어요.

What is the past tense of 깨닫다?

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

Is 깨닫다 irregular?

Yes — it is ㄷ irregular (ㄷ 불규칙). ㄷ becomes ㄹ before a vowel: 듣다 → 들어요. That is why the stem looks different in 깨달아 and 깨달으니 but unchanged in 깨닫습니다.

What TOPIK level is 깨닫다?

4급 — TOPIK 4, upper 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.