능하다 Korean adjective conjugation
to be good at
Every form of 능하다 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
- 능한
- 아/어Infinitive
- 능해
- -으니Since
- 능하니
- 합니다Formal
- 능합니다
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 | 능해요 | 능합니다 | 능해 | 능하다 |
과거Past
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 서술Statement | 능했어요 | 능했습니다 | 능했어 | 능했다 |
미래·추측Future & presumptive
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -겠-Will / must be | 능하겠어요 | 능하겠습니다 | 능하겠어 | 능하겠다 |
| -을 것이다Going to | 능할 거예요 | 능할 것입니다 | 능할 거야 | 능할 것이다 |
의문Questions
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 능해요? | 능합니까? | 능해? | 능하니? |
| 과거Past | 능했어요? | 능했습니까? | 능했어? | 능했니? |
부정Negation
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 안Not (short) | 안 능해요 | 안 능합니다 | 안 능해 | 안 능하다 |
| -지 않다Not (long) | 능하지 않아요 | 능하지 않습니다 | 능하지 않아 | 능하지 않다 |
높임Honorific
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 능하세요 | 능하십니다 | 능하셔 | 능하시다 |
| 과거Past | 능하셨어요 | 능하셨습니다 | 능하셨어 | 능하셨다 |
관형사형Modifying a noun
- 현재Present
- 능한
- 과거Past
- 능한
- 미래Future
- 능할
- 회상Used to
- 능하던
연결Joining clauses
- -고and
- 능하고
- -게-ly / so that
- 능하게
- -어서so / and then
- 능해서
- -으니까since
- 능하니까
- -으면if / when
- 능하면
- -지만but
- 능하지만
- -는데and / but (setting up)
- 능한데
- -어도even if
- 능해도
문형Sentence patterns
How the dictionary says this verb is used. The numbers are slots: 1 is the subject, 2 the object.
- 1이 2에 능하다
예문In real sentences
From the dictionary, each with its translation.
그는 언어에 능해요.
He's good at languages.
전투 훈련을 개발하는 데도 능하죠.
And we are good at training our warriors to fight.
우리가 실제로 인류로서 문제 해결에 협력하는데 매우 능합니다.
We are actually, as a people, very capable of coming together to solve problems.
몸으로 하는 모든 것에 능하다.
We do everything with this body.
자주 묻는 질문Common questions
How do you conjugate 능하다 in Korean?
능하다 (to be good at) is 능해요 in the polite 해요체, 능합니다 in formal 합니다체, 능해 in casual 반말 and 능하다 in the plain written style. The past is 능했어요.
What is the past tense of 능하다?
능했어요 in everyday polite speech, 능했습니다 formally. It is built from the 아/어 form 능하여 plus ㅆ, which is why an irregular stem shows its irregularity here.
Is 능하다 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 능하여 and 능하니 but unchanged in 능합니다.
What TOPIK level is 능하다?
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.