Verbs · ㄷ irregular

깨닫다 conjugation

to realise · kkaedatda · sounds like [깨닫따]

Short answer: “To realise” in Korean is 깨닫다 (kkaedatda). Polite present: 깨달아요 (kkaedarayo); past: 깨달았어요 (kkaedarasseoyo); future: 깨달을 거예요. It is a ㄷ irregular verb.

Present깨달아요[깨다라요] · kkaedarayo
Past깨달았어요[깨다라써요] · kkaedarasseoyo
Future깨달을 거예요[깨다를 꺼예요] · kkaedareul geoyeyo
Negative안 깨달아요[안 깨다라요] · an kkaedarayo

깨닫다 in sentences

그때 제 실수를 깨달았어요.That was when I realised my mistake.
시간이 지나면 깨달을 거예요.You’ll realise it in time.

All forms of 깨닫다

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	깨달아요	[깨다라요]	kkaedarayo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	깨닫습니다	[깨닫씀니다]	kkaedatseumnida
casual-아/어	깨달아	[깨다라]	kkaedara
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다	깨닫는다	[깨단는다]	kkaedanneunda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	깨닫습니까?	[깨닫씀니까]	kkaedatseumnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요	깨닫고 있어요	[깨닫꼬 이써요]	kkaedatgo isseoyo

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	깨달았어요	[깨다라써요]	kkaedarasseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	깨달았습니다	[깨다랃씀니다]	kkaedaratseumnida
casual-았/었어	깨달았어	[깨다라써]	kkaedarasseo
plain (written)-았/었다	깨달았다	[깨다랃따]	kkaedaratda

Future
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요	깨달을 거예요	[깨다를 꺼예요]	kkaedareul geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다	깨달을 겁니다	[깨다를 껌니다]	kkaedareul geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야	깨달을 거야	[깨다를 꺼야]	kkaedareul geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다	깨닫겠습니다	[깨닫껟씀니다]	kkaedatgetseumnida

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 깨달아요	[안 깨다라요]	an kkaedarayo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 깨달았어요	[안 깨다라써요]	an kkaedarasseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	깨닫지 않아요	[깨닫찌 아나요]	kkaedatji anayo
cannot못 …	못 깨달아요	[몯 깨다라요]	mot kkaedarayo

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	깨달으세요	[깨다르세요]	kkaedareuseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	깨달으셨어요	[깨다르셔써요]	kkaedareusyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	깨달으십니다	[깨다르심니다]	kkaedareusimnida

Requests
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
please …-(으)세요	깨달으세요	[깨다르세요]	kkaedareuseyo
please … (for me)-아/어 주세요	깨달아 주세요	[깨다라 주세요]	kkaedara juseyo
please don’t …-지 마세요	깨닫지 마세요	[깨닫찌 마세요]	kkaedatji maseyo
let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다	깨달읍시다	[깨다릅씨다]	kkaedareupsida
let’s … (casual)-자	깨닫자	[깨닫짜]	kkaedatja
do … ! (casual command)-아/어라	깨달아라	[깨다라라]	kkaedarara

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	깨닫고	[깨닫꼬]	kkaedatgo
… so / and then-아/어서	깨달아서	[깨다라서]	kkaedaraseo
if …-(으)면	깨달으면	[깨다르면]	kkaedareumyeon
… but-지만	깨닫지만	[깨닫찌만]	kkaedatjiman
because …-(으)니까	깨달으니까	[깨다르니까]	kkaedareunikka
… and / but (background)-는데	깨닫는데	[깨단는데]	kkaedanneunde
even if …-아/어도	깨달아도	[깨다라도]	kkaedarado
while …-(으)면서	깨달으면서	[깨다르면서]	kkaedareumyeonseo
in order to …-(으)려고	깨달으려고	[깨다르려고]	kkaedareuryeogo
(go) to …-(으)러	깨달으러	[깨다르러]	kkaedareureo
before …-기 전에	깨닫기 전에	[깨닫끼 저네]	kkaedatgi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에	깨달은 후에	[깨다른 후에]	kkaedareun 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	깨닫는	[깨단는]	kkaedanneun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ	깨달은	[깨다른]	kkaedareun
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	깨달을	[깨다를]	kkaedareul

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
I want to …-고 싶어요	깨닫고 싶어요	[깨닫꼬 시퍼요]	kkaedatgo sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	깨달을 수 있어요	[깨다를 쑤 이써요]	kkaedareul su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	깨달을 수 없어요	[깨다를 쑤 업써요]	kkaedareul su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요	깨달아야 해요	[깨다라야 해요]	kkaedaraya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요	깨달아도 돼요	[깨다라도 돼요]	kkaedarado dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요	깨달으면 안 돼요	[깨다르면 안 돼요]	kkaedareumyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기	깨닫기	[깨닫끼]	kkaedatgi

How 깨닫다 changes

ㄷ irregular: before a vowel, ㄷ becomes ㄹ → 깨달아요, 깨달으면, 깨달을. Before a consonant ㄷ stays: 깨닫습니다, 깨닫고. Regular ㄷ verbs such as 받다 (받아요) and 닫다 (닫아요) keep the ㄷ.

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Questions

How do you say “realise” in Korean?

“To realise” is 깨닫다 (kkaedatda), pronounced [깨닫따]. In a sentence: 그때 제 실수를 깨달았어요. — That was when I realised my mistake.

What is the past tense of 깨닫다?

깨달았어요 (kkaedarasseoyo) is the polite past tense of 깨닫다 (“to realise”). Formal: 깨달았습니다; casual: 깨달았어.

How do you say 깨닫다 politely?

Everyday polite: 깨달아요 (kkaedarayo). Formal: 깨닫습니다. Casual, with close friends: 깨달아.

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

깨닫고 싶어요 (kkaedatgo sipeoyo), pronounced [깨닫꼬 시퍼요].

Is 깨닫다 irregular?

Yes — ㄷ irregular: before a vowel, ㄷ becomes ㄹ → 깨달아요, 깨달으면, 깨달을. Before a consonant ㄷ stays: 깨닫습니다, 깨닫고. Regular ㄷ verbs such as 받다 (받아요) and 닫다 (닫아요) keep the ㄷ.

More ㄷ irregular words like 깨닫다

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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