KoreanSum

Verbs · 르 irregular

고르다 conjugation

to choose; to pick · goreuda · sounds like [고르다]

Short answer: “To choose” in Korean is 고르다 (goreuda), which also means to pick. Polite present: 골라요 (gollayo); past: 골랐어요 (gollasseoyo); future: 고를 거예요. It is a 르 irregular verb.

고르다 in sentences

All forms of 고르다

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/어요골라요[골라요]gollayo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다고릅니다[고름니다]goreumnida
casual-아/어골라[골라]golla
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다고른다[고른다]goreunda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?고릅니까?[고름니까]goreumnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요고르고 있어요[고르고 이써요]goreugo isseoyo
Past
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
polite-았/었어요골랐어요[골라써요]gollasseoyo
formal-았/었습니다골랐습니다[골랃씀니다]gollatseumnida
casual-았/었어골랐어[골라써]gollasseo
plain (written)-았/었다골랐다[골랃따]gollatda
Future
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요고를 거예요[고를 꺼예요]goreul geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다고를 겁니다[고를 껌니다]goreul geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야고를 거야[고를 꺼야]goreul geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다고르겠습니다[고르겓씀니다]goreugetseumnida
Negative
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
not (short)안 …안 골라요[안 골라요]an gollayo
did not안 …았/었어요안 골랐어요[안 골라써요]an gollasseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요고르지 않아요[고르지 아나요]goreuji anayo
cannot못 …못 골라요[몯 꼴라요]mot gollayo
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)세요고르세요[고르세요]goreuseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요고르셨어요[고르셔써요]goreusyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다고르십니다[고르심니다]goreusimnida
Requests
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
please …-(으)세요고르세요[고르세요]goreuseyo
please … (for me)-아/어 주세요골라 주세요[골라 주세요]golla juseyo
please don’t …-지 마세요고르지 마세요[고르지 마세요]goreuji maseyo
let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다고릅시다[고릅씨다]goreupsida
let’s … (casual)-자고르자[고르자]goreuja
do … ! (casual command)-아/어라골라라[골라라]gollara
Connecting
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
… and-고고르고[고르고]goreugo
… so / and then-아/어서골라서[골라서]gollaseo
if …-(으)면고르면[고르면]goreumyeon
… but-지만고르지만[고르지만]goreujiman
because …-(으)니까고르니까[고르니까]goreunikka
… and / but (background)-는데고르는데[고르는데]goreuneunde
even if …-아/어도골라도[골라도]gollado
while …-(으)면서고르면서[고르면서]goreumyeonseo
in order to …-(으)려고고르려고[고르려고]goreuryeogo
(go) to …-(으)러고르러[고르러]goreureo
before …-기 전에고르기 전에[고르기 저네]goreugi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에고른 후에[고른 후에]goreun hue
Describing a noun
These go before a noun: “the food (that) I ate”, “a cold day”.
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
(that) … now-는고르는[고르는]goreuneun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ고른[고른]goreun
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ고를[고를]goreul
Useful patterns
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
I want to …-고 싶어요고르고 싶어요[고르고 시퍼요]goreugo sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요고를 수 있어요[고를 쑤 이써요]goreul su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요고를 수 없어요[고를 쑤 업써요]goreul su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요골라야 해요[골라야 해요]gollaya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요골라도 돼요[골라도 돼요]gollado dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요고르면 안 돼요[고르면 안 돼요]goreumyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기고르기[고르기]goreugi

How 고르다 changes

르 irregular: before 아/어, 르 loses its vowel and an extra ㄹ appears → 골라요, 골랐어요. Other endings are regular: 고르면, 고릅니다.

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

Questions

How do you say “choose” in Korean?

“To choose” is 고르다 (goreuda), pronounced [고르다]. In a sentence: 하나만 고르세요. — Pick just one.

What is the past tense of 고르다?

골랐어요 (gollasseoyo) is the polite past tense of 고르다 (“to choose”). Formal: 골랐습니다; casual: 골랐어.

How do you say 고르다 politely?

Everyday polite: 골라요 (gollayo). Formal: 고릅니다. Casual, with close friends: 골라.

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

고르고 싶어요 (goreugo sipeoyo), pronounced [고르고 시퍼요].

Is 고르다 irregular?

Yes — 르 irregular: before 아/어, 르 loses its vowel and an extra ㄹ appears → 골라요, 골랐어요. Other endings are regular: 고르면, 고릅니다.

More 르 irregular words like 고르다

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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