KoreanSum

Verbs · 르 irregular

바르다 conjugation

to apply; to spread (cream, butter) · bareuda · sounds like [바르다]

Short answer: “To apply” in Korean is 바르다 (bareuda), which also means to spread (cream, butter). Polite present: 발라요 (ballayo); past: 발랐어요 (ballasseoyo); future: 바를 거예요. It is a 르 irregular verb.

바르다 in sentences

All forms of 바르다

Present
Polite (해요) is the everyday safe choice; formal (합니다) is for news, announcements and work; casual (반말) is for close friends and younger people.
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
polite-아/어요발라요[발라요]ballayo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다바릅니다[바름니다]bareumnida
casual-아/어발라[발라]balla
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다바른다[바른다]bareunda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?바릅니까?[바름니까]bareumnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요바르고 있어요[바르고 이써요]bareugo isseoyo
Past
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
polite-았/었어요발랐어요[발라써요]ballasseoyo
formal-았/었습니다발랐습니다[발랃씀니다]ballatseumnida
casual-았/었어발랐어[발라써]ballasseo
plain (written)-았/었다발랐다[발랃따]ballatda
Future
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요바를 거예요[바를 꺼예요]bareul geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다바를 겁니다[바를 껌니다]bareul geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야바를 거야[바를 꺼야]bareul geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다바르겠습니다[바르겓씀니다]bareugetseumnida
Negative
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
not (short)안 …안 발라요[안 발라요]an ballayo
did not안 …았/었어요안 발랐어요[안 발라써요]an ballasseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요바르지 않아요[바르지 아나요]bareuji anayo
cannot못 …못 발라요[몯 빨라요]mot ballayo
Honorific
Add -(으)시- when the subject is someone you respect (a teacher, a customer, an older person) — not yourself.
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
honorific — present-(으)세요바르세요[바르세요]bareuseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요바르셨어요[바르셔써요]bareusyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다바르십니다[바르심니다]bareusimnida
Requests
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
please …-(으)세요바르세요[바르세요]bareuseyo
please … (for me)-아/어 주세요발라 주세요[발라 주세요]balla juseyo
please don’t …-지 마세요바르지 마세요[바르지 마세요]bareuji maseyo
let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다바릅시다[바릅씨다]bareupsida
let’s … (casual)-자바르자[바르자]bareuja
do … ! (casual command)-아/어라발라라[발라라]ballara
Connecting
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
… and-고바르고[바르고]bareugo
… so / and then-아/어서발라서[발라서]ballaseo
if …-(으)면바르면[바르면]bareumyeon
… but-지만바르지만[바르지만]bareujiman
because …-(으)니까바르니까[바르니까]bareunikka
… and / but (background)-는데바르는데[바르는데]bareuneunde
even if …-아/어도발라도[발라도]ballado
while …-(으)면서바르면서[바르면서]bareumyeonseo
in order to …-(으)려고바르려고[바르려고]bareuryeogo
(go) to …-(으)러바르러[바르러]bareureo
before …-기 전에바르기 전에[바르기 저네]bareugi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에바른 후에[바른 후에]bareun hue
Describing a noun
These go before a noun: “the food (that) I ate”, “a cold day”.
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
(that) … now-는바르는[바르는]bareuneun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ바른[바른]bareun
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ바를[바를]bareul
Useful patterns
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
I want to …-고 싶어요바르고 싶어요[바르고 시퍼요]bareugo sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요바를 수 있어요[바를 쑤 이써요]bareul su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요바를 수 없어요[바를 쑤 업써요]bareul su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요발라야 해요[발라야 해요]ballaya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요발라도 돼요[발라도 돼요]ballado dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요바르면 안 돼요[바르면 안 돼요]bareumyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기바르기[바르기]bareugi

How 바르다 changes

르 irregular: before 아/어, 르 loses its vowel and an extra ㄹ appears → 발라요, 발랐어요. Other endings are regular: 바르면, 바릅니다.

How every verb type works → · Why it sounds like that →

Questions

How do you say “apply” in Korean?

“To apply” is 바르다 (bareuda), pronounced [바르다]. In a sentence: 선크림을 발라요. — I put on sunscreen.

What is the past tense of 바르다?

발랐어요 (ballasseoyo) is the polite past tense of 바르다 (“to apply”). Formal: 발랐습니다; casual: 발랐어.

How do you say 바르다 politely?

Everyday polite: 발라요 (ballayo). Formal: 바릅니다. Casual, with close friends: 발라.

How do you say “I want to apply” in Korean?

바르고 싶어요 (bareugo sipeoyo), pronounced [바르고 시퍼요].

Is 바르다 irregular?

Yes — 르 irregular: before 아/어, 르 loses its vowel and an extra ㄹ appears → 발라요, 발랐어요. Other endings are regular: 바르면, 바릅니다.

More 르 irregular words like 바르다

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Forms follow 한글 맞춤법 (Korean spelling rules); pronunciation follows 표준 발음법 and romanization follows 국어의 로마자 표기법 (Revised Romanization). Last updated October 16, 2026. How we check