Verbs · ㅅ irregular

젓다 conjugation

to stir; to row · jeotda · sounds like [젇따]

Short answer: “To stir” in Korean is 젓다 (jeotda), which also means to row. Polite present: 저어요 (jeoeoyo); past: 저었어요 (jeoeosseoyo); future: 저을 거예요. It is a ㅅ irregular verb.

Present저어요[저어요] · jeoeoyo
Past저었어요[저어써요] · jeoeosseoyo
Future저을 거예요[저을 꺼예요] · jeoeul geoyeyo
Negative안 저어요[안 저어요] · an jeoeoyo

젓다 in sentences

커피를 숟가락으로 저어요.I stir my coffee with a spoon.
잘 저어 주세요.Please stir it well.

All forms of 젓다

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	저어요	[저어요]	jeoeoyo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	젓습니다	[젇씀니다]	jeotseumnida
casual-아/어	저어	[저어]	jeoeo
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다	젓는다	[전는다]	jeonneunda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	젓습니까?	[젇씀니까]	jeotseumnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요	젓고 있어요	[젇꼬 이써요]	jeotgo isseoyo

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	저었어요	[저어써요]	jeoeosseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	저었습니다	[저얻씀니다]	jeoeotseumnida
casual-았/었어	저었어	[저어써]	jeoeosseo
plain (written)-았/었다	저었다	[저얻따]	jeoeotda

Future
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요	저을 거예요	[저을 꺼예요]	jeoeul geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다	저을 겁니다	[저을 껌니다]	jeoeul geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야	저을 거야	[저을 꺼야]	jeoeul geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다	젓겠습니다	[젇껟씀니다]	jeotgetseumnida

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 저어요	[안 저어요]	an jeoeoyo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 저었어요	[안 저어써요]	an jeoeosseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	젓지 않아요	[젇찌 아나요]	jeotji anayo
cannot못 …	못 저어요	[몯 쩌어요]	mot jeoeoyo

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	저으세요	[저으세요]	jeoeuseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	저으셨어요	[저으셔써요]	jeoeusyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	저으십니다	[저으심니다]	jeoeusimnida

Requests
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
please …-(으)세요	저으세요	[저으세요]	jeoeuseyo
please … (for me)-아/어 주세요	저어 주세요	[저어 주세요]	jeoeo juseyo
please don’t …-지 마세요	젓지 마세요	[젇찌 마세요]	jeotji maseyo
let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다	저읍시다	[저읍씨다]	jeoeupsida
let’s … (casual)-자	젓자	[젇짜]	jeotja
do … ! (casual command)-아/어라	저어라	[저어라]	jeoeora

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	젓고	[젇꼬]	jeotgo
… so / and then-아/어서	저어서	[저어서]	jeoeoseo
if …-(으)면	저으면	[저으면]	jeoeumyeon
… but-지만	젓지만	[젇찌만]	jeotjiman
because …-(으)니까	저으니까	[저으니까]	jeoeunikka
… and / but (background)-는데	젓는데	[전는데]	jeonneunde
even if …-아/어도	저어도	[저어도]	jeoeodo
while …-(으)면서	저으면서	[저으면서]	jeoeumyeonseo
in order to …-(으)려고	저으려고	[저으려고]	jeoeuryeogo
(go) to …-(으)러	저으러	[저으러]	jeoeureo
before …-기 전에	젓기 전에	[젇끼 저네]	jeotgi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에	저은 후에	[저은 후에]	jeoeun 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	젓는	[전는]	jeonneun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ	저은	[저은]	jeoeun
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	저을	[저을]	jeoeul

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
I want to …-고 싶어요	젓고 싶어요	[젇꼬 시퍼요]	jeotgo sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	저을 수 있어요	[저을 쑤 이써요]	jeoeul su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	저을 수 없어요	[저을 쑤 업써요]	jeoeul su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요	저어야 해요	[저어야 해요]	jeoeoya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요	저어도 돼요	[저어도 돼요]	jeoeodo dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요	저으면 안 돼요	[저으면 안 돼요]	jeoeumyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기	젓기	[젇끼]	jeotgi

How 젓다 changes

ㅅ irregular: before a vowel, ㅅ drops — and the vowels do not merge → 저어요, 저으면. Before a consonant ㅅ stays: 젓습니다, 젓고. Regular ㅅ verbs such as 씻다 (씻어요) and 웃다 (웃어요) keep it.

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

Questions

How do you say “stir” in Korean?

“To stir” is 젓다 (jeotda), pronounced [젇따]. In a sentence: 커피를 숟가락으로 저어요. — I stir my coffee with a spoon.

What is the past tense of 젓다?

저었어요 (jeoeosseoyo) is the polite past tense of 젓다 (“to stir”). Formal: 저었습니다; casual: 저었어.

How do you say 젓다 politely?

Everyday polite: 저어요 (jeoeoyo). Formal: 젓습니다. Casual, with close friends: 저어.

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

젓고 싶어요 (jeotgo sipeoyo), pronounced [젇꼬 시퍼요].

Is 젓다 irregular?

Yes — ㅅ irregular: before a vowel, ㅅ drops — and the vowels do not merge → 저어요, 저으면. Before a consonant ㅅ stays: 젓습니다, 젓고. Regular ㅅ verbs such as 씻다 (씻어요) and 웃다 (웃어요) keep it.

More ㅅ irregular words like 젓다

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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