선명하다 Korean adjective conjugation

to be vivid

Every form of 선명하다 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
선명한
아/어Infinitive
선명해
-으니Since
선명하니
합니다Formal
선명합니다

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 선명해요선명합니다선명해선명하다

과거Past

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
서술Statement 선명했어요선명했습니다선명했어선명했다

미래·추측Future & presumptive

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
-겠-Will / must be 선명하겠어요선명하겠습니다선명하겠어선명하겠다
-을 것이다Going to 선명할 거예요선명할 것입니다선명할 거야선명할 것이다

의문Questions

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 선명해요?선명합니까?선명해?선명하니?
과거Past 선명했어요?선명했습니까?선명했어?선명했니?

부정Negation

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
Not (short) 안 선명해요안 선명합니다안 선명해안 선명하다
-지 않다Not (long) 선명하지 않아요선명하지 않습니다선명하지 않아선명하지 않다

높임Honorific

해요체Polite합니다체Formal해체Casual한다체Plain
현재Present 선명하세요선명하십니다선명하셔선명하시다
과거Past 선명하셨어요선명하셨습니다선명하셨어선명하셨다

관형사형Modifying a noun

현재Present
선명한
과거Past
선명한
미래Future
선명할
회상Used to
선명하던

연결Joining clauses

-고and
선명하고
-게-ly / so that
선명하게
-어서so / and then
선명해서
-으니까since
선명하니까
-으면if / when
선명하면
-지만but
선명하지만
-는데and / but (setting up)
선명한데
-어도even if
선명해도

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.

그 날을 무척 선명하게 기억합니다.

I remember so vividly that day.

굉장히 선명한 글씨를 쓸 수 있습니다.

And it's a very sharp black that you can write with.

더 작게 보이고, 자세하지도 않으며 선명하지도 않습니다.

It's gotten smaller, it's got less detail, less resolve.

좀 더 선명하게 해 보죠.

I tried to make it a little bit clearer.

자주 묻는 질문Common questions

How do you conjugate 선명하다 in Korean?

선명하다 (to be vivid) is 선명해요 in the polite 해요체, 선명합니다 in formal 합니다체, 선명해 in casual 반말 and 선명하다 in the plain written style. The past is 선명했어요.

What is the past tense of 선명하다?

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

Is 선명하다 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 선명하여 and 선명하니 but unchanged in 선명합니다.

What TOPIK level is 선명하다?

5급 — TOPIK 5, advanced.

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.