KoreanSum

Verbs · Regular

건너다 conjugation

to cross · geonneoda · sounds like [건너다]

Short answer: “To cross” in Korean is 건너다 (geonneoda). Polite present: 건너요 (geonneoyo); past: 건넜어요 (geonneosseoyo); future: 건널 거예요. It is regular.

건너다 in sentences

All forms of 건너다

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/어요건너요[건너요]geonneoyo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다건넙니다[건넘니다]geonneomnida
casual-아/어건너[건너]geonneo
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다건넌다[건넌다]geonneonda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?건넙니까?[건넘니까]geonneomnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요건너고 있어요[건너고 이써요]geonneogo isseoyo
Past
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
polite-았/었어요건넜어요[건너써요]geonneosseoyo
formal-았/었습니다건넜습니다[건넏씀니다]geonneotseumnida
casual-았/었어건넜어[건너써]geonneosseo
plain (written)-았/었다건넜다[건넏따]geonneotda
Future
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요건널 거예요[건널 꺼예요]geonneol geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다건널 겁니다[건널 껌니다]geonneol geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야건널 거야[건널 꺼야]geonneol geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다건너겠습니다[건너겓씀니다]geonneogetseumnida
Negative
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
not (short)안 …안 건너요[안 건너요]an geonneoyo
did not안 …았/었어요안 건넜어요[안 건너써요]an geonneosseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요건너지 않아요[건너지 아나요]geonneoji anayo
cannot못 …못 건너요[몯 껀너요]mot geonneoyo
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)세요건너세요[건너세요]geonneoseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요건너셨어요[건너셔써요]geonneosyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다건너십니다[건너심니다]geonneosimnida
Requests
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
please …-(으)세요건너세요[건너세요]geonneoseyo
please … (for me)-아/어 주세요건너 주세요[건너 주세요]geonneo juseyo
please don’t …-지 마세요건너지 마세요[건너지 마세요]geonneoji maseyo
let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다건넙시다[건넙씨다]geonneopsida
let’s … (casual)-자건너자[건너자]geonneoja
do … ! (casual command)-아/어라건너라[건너라]geonneora
Connecting
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
… and-고건너고[건너고]geonneogo
… so / and then-아/어서건너서[건너서]geonneoseo
if …-(으)면건너면[건너면]geonneomyeon
… but-지만건너지만[건너지만]geonneojiman
because …-(으)니까건너니까[건너니까]geonneonikka
… and / but (background)-는데건너는데[건너는데]geonneoneunde
even if …-아/어도건너도[건너도]geonneodo
while …-(으)면서건너면서[건너면서]geonneomyeonseo
in order to …-(으)려고건너려고[건너려고]geonneoryeogo
(go) to …-(으)러건너러[건너러]geonneoreo
before …-기 전에건너기 전에[건너기 저네]geonneogi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에건넌 후에[건넌 후에]geonneon hue
Describing a noun
These go before a noun: “the food (that) I ate”, “a cold day”.
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
(that) … now-는건너는[건너는]geonneoneun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ건넌[건넌]geonneon
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ건널[건널]geonneol
Useful patterns
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
I want to …-고 싶어요건너고 싶어요[건너고 시퍼요]geonneogo sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요건널 수 있어요[건널 쑤 이써요]geonneol su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요건널 수 없어요[건널 쑤 업써요]geonneol su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요건너야 해요[건너야 해요]geonneoya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요건너도 돼요[건너도 돼요]geonneodo dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요건너면 안 돼요[건너면 안 돼요]geonneomyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기건너기[건너기]geonneogi

How 건너다 changes

건너 ends in a vowel, so 건너 + 아/어 becomes 건너 → 건너요, 건넜어요. Endings written -(으) attach directly → 건너면, 건널. 건너다 is regular.

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

Questions

How do you say “cross” in Korean?

“To cross” is 건너다 (geonneoda), pronounced [건너다]. In a sentence: 길을 건널 때 조심하세요. — Be careful when you cross the road.

What is the past tense of 건너다?

건넜어요 (geonneosseoyo) is the polite past tense of 건너다 (“to cross”). Formal: 건넜습니다; casual: 건넜어.

How do you say 건너다 politely?

Everyday polite: 건너요 (geonneoyo). Formal: 건넙니다. Casual, with close friends: 건너.

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

건너고 싶어요 (geonneogo sipeoyo), pronounced [건너고 시퍼요].

Is 건너다 irregular?

No. 건너 ends in a vowel, so 건너 + 아/어 becomes 건너 → 건너요, 건넜어요. Endings written -(으) attach directly → 건너면, 건널. 건너다 is regular.

More regular words like 건너다

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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