Adjectives · 하다 word

깨끗하다 conjugation

to be clean · kkaekkeutada · sounds like [깨끄타다]

Short answer: “Clean” in Korean is 깨끗하다 (kkaekkeutada). Polite present: 깨끗해요 (kkaekkeutaeyo); past: 깨끗했어요 (kkaekkeutaesseoyo); future: 깨끗할 거예요. It is a 하다 adjective: 하 + 아/어 always becomes 해.

Present깨끗해요[깨끄태요] · kkaekkeutaeyo
Past깨끗했어요[깨끄태써요] · kkaekkeutaesseoyo
Future깨끗할 거예요[깨끄탈 꺼예요] · kkaekkeutal geoyeyo
Negative안 깨끗해요[안 깨끄태요] · an kkaekkeutaeyo

Opposite: 더럽다 — to be dirty

깨끗하다 in sentences

방이 깨끗해요.The room is clean.
깨끗한 수건 있어요?Do you have a clean towel?

All forms of 깨끗하다

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	깨끗해요	[깨끄태요]	kkaekkeutaeyo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	깨끗합니다	[깨끄탐니다]	kkaekkeutamnida
casual-아/어	깨끗해	[깨끄태]	kkaekkeutae
plain (written)-다	깨끗하다	[깨끄타다]	kkaekkeutada
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	깨끗합니까?	[깨끄탐니까]	kkaekkeutamnikka?

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	깨끗했어요	[깨끄태써요]	kkaekkeutaesseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	깨끗했습니다	[깨끄탣씀니다]	kkaekkeutaetseumnida
casual-았/었어	깨끗했어	[깨끄태써]	kkaekkeutaesseo
plain (written)-았/었다	깨끗했다	[깨끄탣따]	kkaekkeutaetda

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

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 깨끗해요	[안 깨끄태요]	an kkaekkeutaeyo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 깨끗했어요	[안 깨끄태써요]	an kkaekkeutaesseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	깨끗하지 않아요	[깨끄타지 아나요]	kkaekkeutaji 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	깨끗하세요	[깨끄타세요]	kkaekkeutaseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	깨끗하셨어요	[깨끄타셔써요]	kkaekkeutasyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	깨끗하십니다	[깨끄타심니다]	kkaekkeutasimnida

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	깨끗하고	[깨끄타고]	kkaekkeutago
… so / and then-아/어서	깨끗해서	[깨끄태서]	kkaekkeutaeseo
if …-(으)면	깨끗하면	[깨끄타면]	kkaekkeutamyeon
… but-지만	깨끗하지만	[깨끄타지만]	kkaekkeutajiman
because …-(으)니까	깨끗하니까	[깨끄타니까]	kkaekkeutanikka
… and / but (background)-(으)ㄴ데	깨끗한데	[깨끄탄데]	kkaekkeutande
even if …-아/어도	깨끗해도	[깨끄태도]	kkaekkeutaedo
while …-(으)면서	깨끗하면서	[깨끄타면서]	kkaekkeutamyeonseo

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	깨끗한	[깨끄탄]	kkaekkeutan
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	깨끗할	[깨끄탈]	kkaekkeutal

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
can be …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	깨끗할 수 있어요	[깨끄탈 쑤 이써요]	kkaekkeutal su isseoyo
cannot be …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	깨끗할 수 없어요	[깨끄탈 쑤 업써요]	kkaekkeutal su eopseoyo
have to be …-아/어야 해요	깨끗해야 해요	[깨끄태야 해요]	kkaekkeutaeya haeyo
it’s OK if it’s …-아/어도 돼요	깨끗해도 돼요	[깨끄태도 돼요]	kkaekkeutaedo dwaeyo
…ly (adverb)-게	깨끗하게	[깨끄타게]	kkaekkeutage
becomes …-아/어지다	깨끗해져요	[깨끄태저요]	kkaekkeutaejeoyo
…ing (noun)-기	깨끗하기	[깨끄타기]	kkaekkeutagi

How 깨끗하다 changes

Every 하다 word works the same way: 하 + 여 becomes 해 → 깨끗해요, 깨끗했어요. With other endings 하 stays as it is: 깨끗합니다, 깨끗하면.

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

Questions

How do you say “clean” in Korean?

“Clean” is 깨끗하다 (kkaekkeutada), pronounced [깨끄타다]. In a sentence: 방이 깨끗해요. — The room is clean.

What is the past tense of 깨끗하다?

깨끗했어요 (kkaekkeutaesseoyo) is the polite past tense of 깨끗하다 (“to be clean”). Formal: 깨끗했습니다; casual: 깨끗했어.

How do you say 깨끗하다 politely?

Everyday polite: 깨끗해요 (kkaekkeutaeyo). Formal: 깨끗합니다. Casual, with close friends: 깨끗해.

How do you say “not clean” in Korean?

안 깨끗해요 or 깨끗하지 않아요. Both mean the same; the first is more common in speech.

Is 깨끗하다 irregular?

No. Every 하다 word works the same way: 하 + 여 becomes 해 → 깨끗해요, 깨끗했어요. With other endings 하 stays as it is: 깨끗합니다, 깨끗하면.

More 하다 words like 깨끗하다

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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