Skip to content
fluentbyear

KOREAN VERB

고르다

to pick, to choose

  • #172 most used
  • Irregular verb

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

현재 · now and habits: polite, formal and casual speech

Form Polite Formal Casual
AffirmativeI pick
NegativeI don’t pick

Past

과거 · finished actions: 갔어요, 갔습니다, 갔어

Form Polite Formal Casual
AffirmativeI picked
NegativeI didn’t pick

Future

미래 · plans and guesses: -(으)ㄹ 거예요

Form Polite Formal Casual
AffirmativeI will pick
NegativeI won’t pick

Honorific

높임말 · to or about an elder: the -시- forms

Form Polite Formal
PresentI pick (respectfully)
PastI picked (respectfully)
FutureI will pick (respectfully)

Connectives

연결 어미 · and, so, if, because, but: joining two sentences

  1. And (-고) picking, and…, and…
  2. So, and then (-아/어서) picking, and…, so…
  3. If, when (-(으)면) if I pick
  4. Because (-(으)니까) because I pick
  5. But (-지만) I pick, but…

Requests and commands

명령형 · -(으)세요, -(으)십시오, the casual form, -지 마세요

  1. Please (-(으)세요) please pick
  2. Formal request (-(으)십시오) please pick (formal)
  3. Plain command pick! (casual)
  4. Please don’t please don’t pick

How to use 고르다

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    저는 옷을 아주 천천히 골라요.

    I pick my clothes very slowly.

  2. Past

    할머니 선물로 따뜻한 목도리를 골랐어요.

    I picked a warm scarf as a gift for Grandma.

  3. Future

    메뉴는 수아 씨가 고를 거예요.

    Su-a will pick the menu.

  4. Honorific

    할아버지가 시장에서 직접 수박을 고르셨어요.

    Grandpa picked the watermelon himself at the market.

  5. Connectives

    마음에 드는 걸 고르면 제가 사 줄게요.

    If you pick one you like, I'll buy it for you.

  6. Requests and commands

    둘 중에 하나만 빨리 고르세요.

    Quickly pick just one of the two.

Good to know

  • 고르다 is a 르 verb (골라요, 골랐어요); 선택하다 is the same choice in formal words.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular verb.