막연하다 Korean adjective conjugation

faint, obscure, a far-off voice

Every form of 막연하다 across the four speech levels. It is 여 irregular — 하다 and every verb built on it: 하다 → 하여 → 해요.

기본형Principal parts

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

관형사형Modifier
막연한
아/어Infinitive
막연해
-으니Since
막연하니
합니다Formal
막연합니다

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 막연해요막연합니다막연해막연하다

과거Past

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 막연했어요막연했습니다막연했어막연했다

미래·추측Future & presumptive

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
-겠-Will / must be 막연하겠어요막연하겠습니다막연하겠어막연하겠다
-을 것이다Going to 막연할 거예요막연할 것입니다막연할 거야막연할 것이다

의문Questions

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 막연해요?막연합니까?막연해?막연하니?
과거Past 막연했어요?막연했습니까?막연했어?막연했니?

부정Negation

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
Not (short) 안 막연해요안 막연합니다안 막연해안 막연하다
-지 않다Not (long) 막연하지 않아요막연하지 않습니다막연하지 않아막연하지 않다

높임Honorific

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 막연하세요막연하십니다막연하셔막연하시다
과거Past 막연하셨어요막연하셨습니다막연하셨어막연하셨다

관형사형Modifying a noun

현재Present
막연한
과거Past
막연한
미래Future
막연할
회상Used to
막연하던

연결Joining clauses

-고and
막연하고
-게-ly / so that
막연하게
-어서so / and then
막연해서
-으니까since
막연하니까
-으면if / when
막연하면
-지만but
막연하지만
-는데and / but (setting up)
막연한데
-어도even if
막연해도

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.

둘째, 왜 우리를 막연하고 딴생각을 하게 두어 실패하게 하는가?

Second, why does it fail us, often leaving us feeling foggy and distracted?

목표의 구체성: 막연한 목표보다는 구체적인 목표가 성과를 높을 수 있는 행동을 불러일으킨다.

Potential team: a group where a significant performance need exists and attempts are being made to improve performance.

저는 막연하게 이것이 마지막 달 탐사일 것이라고 생각했으나 제가 살아있는 동안 화성 식민지가 생길 것이라고 확신했습니다.

I vaguely knew this was to be the last of the moon missions, but I was absolutely certain there would be Mars colonies in my lifetime.

행진 내내 이같은 경계심과 막연한 불안감이 가시지 않았다.

So this sense of caution, along with a vague feeling of apprehension, accompanied us on the march.

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

How do you conjugate 막연하다 in Korean?

막연하다 (faint, obscure, a far-off voice) is 막연해요 in the polite 해요체, 막연합니다 in formal 합니다체, 막연해 in casual 반말 and 막연하다 in the plain written style. The past is 막연했어요.

What is the past tense of 막연하다?

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

Is 막연하다 irregular?

Yes — it is 여 irregular (여 불규칙). 하다 and every verb built on it: 하다 → 하여 → 해요. That is why the stem looks different in 막연하여 and 막연하니 but unchanged in 막연합니다.

What TOPIK level is 막연하다?

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.