Verbs · Regular

감다 conjugation

to wash (hair); to close (eyes) · gamda · sounds like [감따]

Short answer: “To wash (hair)” in Korean is 감다 (gamda), which also means to close (eyes). Polite present: 감아요 (gamayo); past: 감았어요 (gamasseoyo); future: 감을 거예요. It is regular.

Present감아요[가마요] · gamayo
Past감았어요[가마써요] · gamasseoyo
Future감을 거예요[가믈 꺼예요] · gameul geoyeyo
Negative안 감아요[안 가마요] · an gamayo

감다 in sentences

매일 아침 머리를 감아요.I wash my hair every morning.
눈을 감으세요.Close your eyes.

All forms of 감다

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.
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-아/어요	감아요	[가마요]	gamayo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	감습니다	[감씀니다]	gamseumnida
casual-아/어	감아	[가마]	gama
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다	감는다	[감는다]	gamneunda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	감습니까?	[감씀니까]	gamseumnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요	감고 있어요	[감꼬 이써요]	gamgo isseoyo

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	감았어요	[가마써요]	gamasseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	감았습니다	[가맏씀니다]	gamatseumnida
casual-았/었어	감았어	[가마써]	gamasseo
plain (written)-았/었다	감았다	[가맏따]	gamatda

Future
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요	감을 거예요	[가믈 꺼예요]	gameul geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다	감을 겁니다	[가믈 껌니다]	gameul geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야	감을 거야	[가믈 꺼야]	gameul geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다	감겠습니다	[감껟씀니다]	gamgetseumnida

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 감아요	[안 가마요]	an gamayo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 감았어요	[안 가마써요]	an gamasseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	감지 않아요	[감찌 아나요]	gamji anayo
cannot못 …	못 감아요	[몯 까마요]	mot gamayo

Honorific
Add -(으)시- when the subject is someone you respect (a teacher, a customer, an older person) — not yourself.
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
honorific — present-(으)세요	감으세요	[가므세요]	gameuseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	감으셨어요	[가므셔써요]	gameusyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	감으십니다	[가므심니다]	gameusimnida

Requests
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
please …-(으)세요	감으세요	[가므세요]	gameuseyo
please … (for me)-아/어 주세요	감아 주세요	[가마 주세요]	gama juseyo
please don’t …-지 마세요	감지 마세요	[감찌 마세요]	gamji maseyo
let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다	감읍시다	[가믑씨다]	gameupsida
let’s … (casual)-자	감자	[감짜]	gamja
do … ! (casual command)-아/어라	감아라	[가마라]	gamara

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	감고	[감꼬]	gamgo
… so / and then-아/어서	감아서	[가마서]	gamaseo
if …-(으)면	감으면	[가므면]	gameumyeon
… but-지만	감지만	[감찌만]	gamjiman
because …-(으)니까	감으니까	[가므니까]	gameunikka
… and / but (background)-는데	감는데	[감는데]	gamneunde
even if …-아/어도	감아도	[가마도]	gamado
while …-(으)면서	감으면서	[가므면서]	gameumyeonseo
in order to …-(으)려고	감으려고	[가므려고]	gameuryeogo
(go) to …-(으)러	감으러	[가므러]	gameureo
before …-기 전에	감기 전에	[감끼 저네]	gamgi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에	감은 후에	[가믄 후에]	gameun hue

Describing a noun
These go before a noun: “the food (that) I ate”, “a cold day”.
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
(that) … now-는	감는	[감는]	gamneun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ	감은	[가믄]	gameun
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	감을	[가믈]	gameul

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
I want to …-고 싶어요	감고 싶어요	[감꼬 시퍼요]	gamgo sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	감을 수 있어요	[가믈 쑤 이써요]	gameul su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	감을 수 없어요	[가믈 쑤 업써요]	gameul su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요	감아야 해요	[가마야 해요]	gamaya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요	감아도 돼요	[가마도 돼요]	gamado dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요	감으면 안 돼요	[가므면 안 돼요]	gameumyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기	감기	[감끼]	gamgi

How 감다 changes

감 ends in a consonant, so 아/어 endings are added as they are → 감아요, and endings written -(으) add 으 → 감으면, 감을. 감다 is regular.

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

Questions

How do you say “wash” in Korean?

“To wash (hair)” is 감다 (gamda), pronounced [감따]. In a sentence: 매일 아침 머리를 감아요. — I wash my hair every morning.

What is the past tense of 감다?

감았어요 (gamasseoyo) is the polite past tense of 감다 (“to wash (hair)”). Formal: 감았습니다; casual: 감았어.

How do you say 감다 politely?

Everyday polite: 감아요 (gamayo). Formal: 감습니다. Casual, with close friends: 감아.

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

감고 싶어요 (gamgo sipeoyo), pronounced [감꼬 시퍼요].

Is 감다 irregular?

No. 감 ends in a consonant, so 아/어 endings are added as they are → 감아요, and endings written -(으) add 으 → 감으면, 감을. 감다 is regular.

More regular words like 감다

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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