마지못하다 Korean adjective conjugation

to be compelled, forced to

Every form of 마지못하다 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
마지못한
아/어Infinitive
마지못해
-으니Since
마지못하니
합니다Formal
마지못합니다

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 마지못해요마지못합니다마지못해마지못하다

과거Past

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 마지못했어요마지못했습니다마지못했어마지못했다

미래·추측Future & presumptive

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
-겠-Will / must be 마지못하겠어요마지못하겠습니다마지못하겠어마지못하겠다
-을 것이다Going to 마지못할 거예요마지못할 것입니다마지못할 거야마지못할 것이다

의문Questions

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 마지못해요?마지못합니까?마지못해?마지못하니?
과거Past 마지못했어요?마지못했습니까?마지못했어?마지못했니?

부정Negation

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
Not (short) 안 마지못해요안 마지못합니다안 마지못해안 마지못하다
-지 않다Not (long) 마지못하지 않아요마지못하지 않습니다마지못하지 않아마지못하지 않다

높임Honorific

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 마지못하세요마지못하십니다마지못하셔마지못하시다
과거Past 마지못하셨어요마지못하셨습니다마지못하셨어마지못하셨다

관형사형Modifying a noun

현재Present
마지못한
과거Past
마지못한
미래Future
마지못할
회상Used to
마지못하던

연결Joining clauses

-고and
마지못하고
-게-ly / so that
마지못하게
-어서so / and then
마지못해서
-으니까since
마지못하니까
-으면if / when
마지못하면
-지만but
마지못하지만
-는데and / but (setting up)
마지못한데
-어도even if
마지못해도

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.

저는 마지못해 갔습니다.

I reluctantly went.

그러자 그녀는 마지못해 제게 말했습니다

And she was reluctant to tell me.

모두들 마지못해 그 사실을 인정했지만 브로크는 지혜를 발휘했어요.

All begrudgingly admitted the truth in that, but Brokk would have the last laugh.

맹렬한 논쟁 끝에, 히틀러는 마지못해 전쟁을 기다리기에 동의했다.

After furious arguments, Hitler reluctantly agreed to wait.

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

How do you conjugate 마지못하다 in Korean?

마지못하다 (to be compelled, forced to) is 마지못해요 in the polite 해요체, 마지못합니다 in formal 합니다체, 마지못해 in casual 반말 and 마지못하다 in the plain written style. The past is 마지못했어요.

What is the past tense of 마지못하다?

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

Is 마지못하다 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 마지못하여 and 마지못하니 but unchanged in 마지못합니다.

What TOPIK level is 마지못하다?

6급 — TOPIK 6, mastery.

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.