높다 Korean adjective conjugation
to be high
Every form of 높다 across the four speech levels. It is a regular stem, so the endings below attach without changing it.
기본형Principal parts
The four forms the dictionary prints. Every other form on this page is derived from them.
- 관형사형Modifier
- 높은
- 아/어Infinitive
- 높아
- -으니Since
- 높으니
- 합니다Formal
- 높습니다
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 | 높아요 | 높습니다 | 높아 | 높다 |
과거Past
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 서술Statement | 높았어요 | 높았습니다 | 높았어 | 높았다 |
미래·추측Future & presumptive
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -겠-Will / must be | 높겠어요 | 높겠습니다 | 높겠어 | 높겠다 |
| -을 것이다Going to | 높을 거예요 | 높을 것입니다 | 높을 거야 | 높을 것이다 |
의문Questions
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 높아요? | 높습니까? | 높아? | 높으니? |
| 과거Past | 높았어요? | 높았습니까? | 높았어? | 높았니? |
부정Negation
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 안Not (short) | 안 높아요 | 안 높습니다 | 안 높아 | 안 높다 |
| -지 않다Not (long) | 높지 않아요 | 높지 않습니다 | 높지 않아 | 높지 않다 |
높임Honorific
| 해요체Polite | 합니다체Formal | 해체Casual | 한다체Plain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 현재Present | 높으세요 | 높으십니다 | 높으셔 | 높으시다 |
| 과거Past | 높으셨어요 | 높으셨습니다 | 높으셨어 | 높으셨다 |
관형사형Modifying a noun
- 현재Present
- 높은
- 과거Past
- 높은
- 미래Future
- 높을
- 회상Used to
- 높던
연결Joining clauses
- -고and
- 높고
- -게-ly / so that
- 높게
- -어서so / and then
- 높아서
- -으니까since
- 높으니까
- -으면if / when
- 높으면
- -지만but
- 높지만
- -는데and / but (setting up)
- 높은데
- -어도even if
- 높아도
문형Sentence patterns
How the dictionary says this verb is used. The numbers are slots: 1 is the subject, 2 the object.
- 1이 높다
예문In real sentences
From the dictionary, each with its translation.
제 자신보다 더 높은 힘이 있었습니다.
But then there was a higher power than I.
제 말은, 세상 가장 높은 곳에 있었으니까요.
I mean, I was on top of the world.
난 높은 게 좋아
I love heights.
좀 더 높을 뿐이죠
Just a bit higher.
자주 묻는 질문Common questions
How do you conjugate 높다 in Korean?
높다 (to be high) is 높아요 in the polite 해요체, 높습니다 in formal 합니다체, 높아 in casual 반말 and 높다 in the plain written style. The past is 높았어요.
What is the past tense of 높다?
높았어요 in everyday polite speech, 높았습니다 formally. It is built from the 아/어 form 높아 plus ㅆ, which is why an irregular stem shows its irregularity here.
Is 높다 a regular verb?
Yes. Its stem never changes shape: 높습니다, 높아, 높으니 all keep 높 intact. Only the ending moves.
What TOPIK level is 높다?
1급 — TOPIK 1, beginner.
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.