Present
현재 · now and habits: polite, formal and casual speech
| Form | Polite | Formal | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI am | |||
| NegativeI am not |
Conjugation
Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.
Past
과거 · finished actions: 갔어요, 갔습니다, 갔어
| Form | Polite | Formal | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI was | |||
| NegativeI was not |
Future
미래 · plans and guesses: -(으)ㄹ 거예요
| Form | Polite | Formal | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI will be | |||
| NegativeI won’t be |
Honorific
높임말 · to or about an elder: the -시- forms
| Form | Polite | Formal |
|---|---|---|
| PresentI am (respectfully) | ||
| PastI was (respectfully) | ||
| FutureI will be (respectfully) |
Connectives
연결 어미 · and, so, if, because, but: joining two sentences
- And (-고) being, and…, and…
- So, and then (-아/어서) being, and…, so…
- If, when (-(으)면) if I am
- Because (-(으)니까) because I am
- But (-지만) I am, but…
How to use 이다
One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.
-
Present
안녕하세요, 저는 미국에서 온 일라이예요.
Hello, I'm Eli, from the United States.
-
Past
우리 아버지는 젊을 때 선생님이었어요.
My father was a teacher when he was young.
-
Future
내일은 아마 맑은 날일 거예요.
Tomorrow will probably be a clear day.
-
Honorific
이분은 시골에서 오신 저희 할머니세요.
This is my grandmother, who came from the countryside.
-
Connectives
민준 씨는 요리사이고 수아 씨는 간호사예요.
Min-jun is a cook and Su-a is a nurse.
Good to know
- After a consonant it is 이에요, after a vowel 예요: 학생이에요, 의사예요; its negative is a verb of its own, 아니다.