세다 Korean adjective conjugation

to be strong

TOPIK 2 2급adjective 형용사regular 규칙Dictionary entry 단어

Every form of 세다 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
아/어Infinitive
-으니Since
세니
합니다Formal
셉니다

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 세요셉니다세다

과거Past

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 셌어요셌습니다셌어셌다

미래·추측Future & presumptive

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
-겠-Will / must be 세겠어요세겠습니다세겠어세겠다
-을 것이다Going to 셀 거예요셀 것입니다셀 거야셀 것이다

의문Questions

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 세요?셉니까?세?세니?
과거Past 셌어요?셌습니까?셌어?셌니?

부정Negation

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
Not (short) 안 세요안 셉니다안 세안 세다
-지 않다Not (long) 세지 않아요세지 않습니다세지 않아세지 않다

높임Honorific

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 세세요세십니다세셔세시다
과거Past 세셨어요세셨습니다세셨어세셨다

관형사형Modifying a noun

현재Present
과거Past
미래Future
회상Used to
세던

연결Joining clauses

-고and
세고
-게-ly / so that
세게
-어서so / and then
세서
-으니까since
세니까
-으면if / when
세면
-지만but
세지만
-는데and / but (setting up)
센데
-어도even if
세도

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.

그는 근육이 많고 힘이 세다.

He is muscular and strong.

글세요. 우리 모두죠.

Well, it's all of us.

저는 머리를 세게 맞았어요.

I was hit hard on my head.

너무 세게 나가지 마.

Don't do things too harshly.

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

How do you conjugate 세다 in Korean?

세다 (to be strong) is 세요 in the polite 해요체, 셉니다 in formal 합니다체, 세 in casual 반말 and 세다 in the plain written style. The past is 셌어요.

What is the past tense of 세다?

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

Is 세다 a regular verb?

Yes. Its stem never changes shape: 셉니다, 세, 세니 all keep 세 intact. Only the ending moves.

What TOPIK level is 세다?

2급 — TOPIK 2, elementary.

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.