작다 conjugation

to be small; short (height) · jakda · sounds like [작따]

Short answer: “Small” in Korean is 작다 (jakda), which also means short (height). Polite present: 작아요 (jagayo); past: 작았어요 (jagasseoyo); future: 작을 거예요. It is regular.

Present작아요[자가요] · jagayo
Past작았어요[자가써요] · jagasseoyo
Future작을 거예요[자글 꺼예요] · jageul geoyeyo
Negative안 작아요[안 자가요] · an jagayo

Opposite: 크다 — to be big

작다 in sentences

이 옷은 저한테 작아요.These clothes are too small for me.
작은 가방을 샀어요.I bought a small bag.

All forms of 작다

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	작아요	[자가요]	jagayo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	작습니다	[작씀니다]	jakseumnida
casual-아/어	작아	[자가]	jaga
plain (written)-다	작다	[작따]	jakda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	작습니까?	[작씀니까]	jakseumnikka?

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	작았어요	[자가써요]	jagasseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	작았습니다	[자갇씀니다]	jagatseumnida
casual-았/었어	작았어	[자가써]	jagasseo
plain (written)-았/었다	작았다	[자갇따]	jagatda

Future
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite — will probably be-(으)ㄹ 거예요	작을 거예요	[자글 꺼예요]	jageul geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다	작을 겁니다	[자글 껌니다]	jageul geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야	작을 거야	[자글 꺼야]	jageul geoya

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 작아요	[안 자가요]	an jagayo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 작았어요	[안 자가써요]	an jagasseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	작지 않아요	[작찌 아나요]	jakji anayo

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	작으세요	[자그세요]	jageuseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	작으셨어요	[자그셔써요]	jageusyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	작으십니다	[자그심니다]	jageusimnida

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	작고	[작꼬]	jakgo
… so / and then-아/어서	작아서	[자가서]	jagaseo
if …-(으)면	작으면	[자그면]	jageumyeon
… but-지만	작지만	[작찌만]	jakjiman
because …-(으)니까	작으니까	[자그니까]	jageunikka
… and / but (background)-(으)ㄴ데	작은데	[자근데]	jageunde
even if …-아/어도	작아도	[자가도]	jagado
while …-(으)면서	작으면서	[자그면서]	jageumyeonseo

Describing a noun
These go before a noun: “the food (that) I ate”, “a cold day”.
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
(that is) …-(으)ㄴ	작은	[자근]	jageun
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	작을	[자글]	jageul

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
can be …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	작을 수 있어요	[자글 쑤 이써요]	jageul su isseoyo
cannot be …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	작을 수 없어요	[자글 쑤 업써요]	jageul su eopseoyo
have to be …-아/어야 해요	작아야 해요	[자가야 해요]	jagaya haeyo
it’s OK if it’s …-아/어도 돼요	작아도 돼요	[자가도 돼요]	jagado dwaeyo
…ly (adverb)-게	작게	[작께]	jakge
becomes …-아/어지다	작아져요	[자가저요]	jagajeoyo
…ing (noun)-기	작기	[작끼]	jakgi

How 작다 changes

작 ends in a consonant, so 아/어 endings are added as they are → 작아요, and endings written -(으) add 으 → 작으면, 작을. 작다 is regular.

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

Questions

How do you say “small” in Korean?

“Small” is 작다 (jakda), pronounced [작따]. In a sentence: 이 옷은 저한테 작아요. — These clothes are too small for me.

What is the past tense of 작다?

작았어요 (jagasseoyo) is the polite past tense of 작다 (“to be small”). Formal: 작았습니다; casual: 작았어.

How do you say 작다 politely?

Everyday polite: 작아요 (jagayo). Formal: 작습니다. Casual, with close friends: 작아.

How do you say “not small” in Korean?

안 작아요 or 작지 않아요. Both mean the same; the first is more common in speech.

Is 작다 irregular?

No. 작 ends in a consonant, so 아/어 endings are added as they are → 작아요, and endings written -(으) add 으 → 작으면, 작을. 작다 is regular.

More regular words like 작다

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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