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KOREAN VERB

절하다

to bow (the deep New Year's bow)

  • 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 bow
NegativeI don’t bow

Past

과거 · finished actions: 갔어요, 갔습니다, 갔어

Form Polite Formal Casual
AffirmativeI bowed
NegativeI didn’t bow

Future

미래 · plans and guesses: -(으)ㄹ 거예요

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

Honorific

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

Form Polite Formal
PresentI bow (respectfully)
PastI bowed (respectfully)
FutureI will bow (respectfully)

Connectives

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

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

Requests and commands

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

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

How to use 절하다

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

  1. Present

    설날 아침에 아이들이 할머니께 절해요.

    On New Year's morning the children bow to Grandma.

  2. Past

    저도 올해 처음으로 어머님께 절했어요.

    This year I too bowed to Mrs. Park for the first time.

  3. Future

    내일 아침에 온 가족이 할머니께 절할 거예요.

    Tomorrow morning the whole family will bow to Grandma.

  4. Honorific

    어머님께서도 설날 아침에 할머니께 절하셨어요.

    Mrs. Park also bowed to Grandma on New Year's morning.

  5. Connectives

    할머니께 절하고 세뱃돈을 만 원 받았어요.

    I bowed to Grandma and got ten thousand won of New Year's money.

  6. Requests and commands

    민준아, 먹기 전에 할머니께 먼저 절해.

    Min-jun, bow to Grandma first, before you eat.

Good to know

  • 절 is the deep bow to the floor and 세배 the New Year's one; the everyday nod of the head is 인사하다.

Where you hear 절하다

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

Korean · Beginner Level 2

  • 설날에 할머니께 절해. At New Year we bow to Grandma.
  • 아침에 어른들께 절했어요. In the morning I bowed to the elders.
  • 내일 아침에 절할 거예요. Tomorrow morning we'll bow.

Korean · Intermediate Level 3

  • 설날에 할머니께 절해. At New Year we bow to Grandma.
  • 아침에 어른들께 절했어요. In the morning I bowed to the elders.
  • 내일 아침에 절할 거예요. Tomorrow morning we'll bow.
25
New Year's morning

Beginner Level 2 · 형, 이렇게 절해. 무릎, 그리고 손.

Needs a subscription 14
Chuseok morning

Intermediate Level 3 · 어머니도 같이 절하실 거예요.

Needs a subscription 2
The wedding hall

Advanced Level 1 · 폐백은요? 부모님께 절하는 거요.

Free 6
The ceremonial dress

Advanced Level 1 · 사. 설날에 입고 나한테 절해.

Needs a subscription 26
Shoes on the wrong feet

Fluency Level 2 · 갓을 거꾸로 쓴 채로 절을 했다.

Needs a subscription 27
The school dog

Fluency Level 2 · 교감 선생님하고는 종 칠 때까지 절했어요. · 근데 개는? 개도 절했어? · 개는 절했어요. 개만요.

Needs a subscription 5
Writing the speech

Fluency Level 3 · 동사가 다 절을 하네.

Needs a subscription

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: 하다 verb.