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fluentbyear

KOREAN VERB

잘하다

to do well, to be good at

  • #469 most used
  • 하다 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 do well
NegativeI don’t do well

Past

과거 · finished actions: 갔어요, 갔습니다, 갔어

Form Polite Formal Casual
AffirmativeI did well
NegativeI didn’t do well

Future

미래 · plans and guesses: -(으)ㄹ 거예요

Form Polite Formal Casual
AffirmativeI will do well
NegativeI won’t do well

Honorific

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

Form Polite Formal
PresentI do well (respectfully)
PastI did well (respectfully)
FutureI will do well (respectfully)

Connectives

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

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

Requests and commands

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

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

How to use 잘하다

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

  1. Present

    민준 씨는 수영을 정말 잘해요.

    Min-jun is really good at swimming.

  2. Past

    오늘 발표를 아주 잘했어요.

    You did the presentation very well today.

  3. Future

    연습하면 한국어를 더 잘할 거예요.

    If you practice, you'll speak Korean better.

  4. Honorific

    할머니는 요리를 정말 잘하세요.

    Grandma is really good at cooking.

  5. Connectives

    노래는 잘하지만 춤은 못 춰요.

    I sing well, but I can't dance.

  6. Requests and commands

    오늘 발표 잘하세요.

    Do well at the presentation today.

Good to know

  • What you are good at takes 을/를: 한국어를 잘해요; the opposite is 못하다.

Where you hear 잘하다

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Korean · Beginner Level 1

  • 일라이 씨는 한국말을 잘해요. Eli speaks Korean well.
  • 오늘 수업을 잘했어요. I taught the class well today.
  • 내일은 더 잘할 거예요. Tomorrow I'll do even better.

Korean · Beginner Level 2

  • 일라이 씨는 한국말을 잘해요. Eli speaks Korean well.
  • 오늘 수업을 잘했어요. I taught the class well today.
  • 내일은 더 잘할 거예요. Tomorrow I'll do even better.
21
Mr. Kim's taxi

Beginner Level 1 · 오! 한국말 잘해!

Needs a subscription 9
The festival

Beginner Level 2 · 노래 정말 잘했어요. · 잘했습니다, 브룩스 선생님.

Needs a subscription 19
The pharmacy

Beginner Level 2 · 구천 원이에요. 몸조리 잘하세요.

Needs a subscription 2
Telling the Kims

Beginner Level 3 · 일 년 더! 잘했어.

Free 16
As good as the teacher

Intermediate Level 1 · 서윤이는 선생님만큼 잘해요.

Needs a subscription 7
Rehearsing

Intermediate Level 2 · 잘하려면 매일 연습하세요.

Needs a subscription 9
The class

Intermediate Level 2 · 정확히 사십오 분. 잘했습니다.

Needs a subscription 16
I'll take good care of her

Intermediate Level 2 · 제가 가르칠 테니까 같이 잘해요.

Needs a subscription 21
The wedding

Intermediate Level 2 · 도윤 씨보다 절을 잘했어요.

Needs a subscription 16
The toast

Intermediate Level 3 · 잘했어! 두 가족을 위하여!

Needs a subscription 17
The mothers

Intermediate Level 3 · 엄마가 그러는데, 요리도 잘한다면서?

Needs a subscription 7
Busan speech

Fluency Level 1 · 서울말로는 진짜 잘하네.

Needs a subscription

And 4 more lessons.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: 하다 verb.