낯설다 Korean adjective conjugation

strange, unfamiliar

Every form of 낯설다 across the four speech levels. It is ㄹ dropping — ㄹ drops before ㄴ, ㅂ and ㅅ: 살다 → 삽니다. Regular, but universal.

기본형Principal parts

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

관형사형Modifier
낯선
아/어Infinitive
낯설어
-으니Since
낯서니
합니다Formal
낯섭니다

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 낯설어요낯섭니다낯설어낯설다

과거Past

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 낯설었어요낯설었습니다낯설었어낯설었다

미래·추측Future & presumptive

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
-겠-Will / must be 낯설겠어요낯설겠습니다낯설겠어낯설겠다
-을 것이다Going to 낯설 거예요낯설 것입니다낯설 거야낯설 것이다

의문Questions

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 낯설어요?낯섭니까?낯설어?낯서니?
과거Past 낯설었어요?낯설었습니까?낯설었어?낯설었니?

부정Negation

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
Not (short) 안 낯설어요안 낯섭니다안 낯설어안 낯설다
-지 않다Not (long) 낯설지 않아요낯설지 않습니다낯설지 않아낯설지 않다

높임Honorific

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 낯서세요낯서십니다낯서셔낯서시다
과거Past 낯서셨어요낯서셨습니다낯서셨어낯서셨다

관형사형Modifying a noun

현재Present
낯선
과거Past
낯선
미래Future
낯설
회상Used to
낯설던

연결Joining clauses

-고and
낯설고
-게-ly / so that
낯설게
-어서so / and then
낯설어서
-으니까since
낯서니까
-으면if / when
낯설면
-지만but
낯설지만
-는데and / but (setting up)
낯선데
-어도even if
낯설어도

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.

낯선 사람들이 없었기 때문이죠.

There were no strangers. Right?

저는 낯선 문들을 열기 시작했습니다.

I started opening strange doors.

혹시 낯선 사람이 말을 걸지 않았니?

Have you ever been approached by strangers?

우리는 지금 낯선 시대에 살고 있습니다

We live in very strange times.

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

How do you conjugate 낯설다 in Korean?

낯설다 (strange, unfamiliar) is 낯설어요 in the polite 해요체, 낯섭니다 in formal 합니다체, 낯설어 in casual 반말 and 낯설다 in the plain written style. The past is 낯설었어요.

What is the past tense of 낯설다?

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

Is 낯설다 irregular?

Yes — it is ㄹ dropping (ㄹ 탈락). ㄹ drops before ㄴ, ㅂ and ㅅ: 살다 → 삽니다. Regular, but universal. That is why the stem looks different in 낯설어 and 낯서니 but unchanged in 낯섭니다.

What TOPIK level is 낯설다?

3급 — TOPIK 3, lower 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.