Adjectives · 하다 word

조용하다 conjugation

to be quiet · joyonghada · sounds like [조용하다]

Short answer: “Quiet” in Korean is 조용하다 (joyonghada). Polite present: 조용해요 (joyonghaeyo); past: 조용했어요 (joyonghaesseoyo); future: 조용할 거예요. It is a 하다 adjective: 하 + 아/어 always becomes 해.

Present조용해요[조용해요] · joyonghaeyo
Past조용했어요[조용해써요] · joyonghaesseoyo
Future조용할 거예요[조용할 꺼예요] · joyonghal geoyeyo
Negative안 조용해요[안 조용해요] · an joyonghaeyo

Opposite: 시끄럽다 — to be noisy

조용하다 in sentences

도서관은 조용해요.The library is quiet.
조용한 카페를 찾고 있어요.I’m looking for a quiet café.

All forms of 조용하다

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	조용해요	[조용해요]	joyonghaeyo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	조용합니다	[조용함니다]	joyonghamnida
casual-아/어	조용해	[조용해]	joyonghae
plain (written)-다	조용하다	[조용하다]	joyonghada
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	조용합니까?	[조용함니까]	joyonghamnikka?

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	조용했어요	[조용해써요]	joyonghaesseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	조용했습니다	[조용핻씀니다]	joyonghaetseumnida
casual-았/었어	조용했어	[조용해써]	joyonghaesseo
plain (written)-았/었다	조용했다	[조용핻따]	joyonghaetda

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

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 조용해요	[안 조용해요]	an joyonghaeyo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 조용했어요	[안 조용해써요]	an joyonghaesseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	조용하지 않아요	[조용하지 아나요]	joyonghaji 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	조용하세요	[조용하세요]	joyonghaseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	조용하셨어요	[조용하셔써요]	joyonghasyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	조용하십니다	[조용하심니다]	joyonghasimnida

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	조용하고	[조용하고]	joyonghago
… so / and then-아/어서	조용해서	[조용해서]	joyonghaeseo
if …-(으)면	조용하면	[조용하면]	joyonghamyeon
… but-지만	조용하지만	[조용하지만]	joyonghajiman
because …-(으)니까	조용하니까	[조용하니까]	joyonghanikka
… and / but (background)-(으)ㄴ데	조용한데	[조용한데]	joyonghande
even if …-아/어도	조용해도	[조용해도]	joyonghaedo
while …-(으)면서	조용하면서	[조용하면서]	joyonghamyeonseo

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	조용한	[조용한]	joyonghan
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	조용할	[조용할]	joyonghal

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
can be …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	조용할 수 있어요	[조용할 쑤 이써요]	joyonghal su isseoyo
cannot be …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	조용할 수 없어요	[조용할 쑤 업써요]	joyonghal su eopseoyo
have to be …-아/어야 해요	조용해야 해요	[조용해야 해요]	joyonghaeya haeyo
it’s OK if it’s …-아/어도 돼요	조용해도 돼요	[조용해도 돼요]	joyonghaedo dwaeyo
…ly (adverb)-게	조용하게	[조용하게]	joyonghage
becomes …-아/어지다	조용해져요	[조용해저요]	joyonghaejeoyo
…ing (noun)-기	조용하기	[조용하기]	joyonghagi

How 조용하다 changes

Every 하다 word works the same way: 하 + 여 becomes 해 → 조용해요, 조용했어요. With other endings 하 stays as it is: 조용합니다, 조용하면.

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

Questions

How do you say “quiet” in Korean?

“Quiet” is 조용하다 (joyonghada), pronounced [조용하다]. In a sentence: 도서관은 조용해요. — The library is quiet.

What is the past tense of 조용하다?

조용했어요 (joyonghaesseoyo) is the polite past tense of 조용하다 (“to be quiet”). Formal: 조용했습니다; casual: 조용했어.

How do you say 조용하다 politely?

Everyday polite: 조용해요 (joyonghaeyo). Formal: 조용합니다. Casual, with close friends: 조용해.

How do you say “not quiet” in Korean?

안 조용해요 or 조용하지 않아요. Both mean the same; the first is more common in speech.

Is 조용하다 irregular?

No. Every 하다 word works the same way: 하 + 여 becomes 해 → 조용해요, 조용했어요. With other endings 하 stays as it is: 조용합니다, 조용하면.

More 하다 words like 조용하다

Look up another word

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