Verbs · Regular

끝내다 conjugation

to finish (something) · kkeunnaeda · sounds like [끈내다]

Short answer: “To finish (something)” in Korean is 끝내다 (kkeunnaeda). Polite present: 끝내요 (kkeunnaeyo); past: 끝냈어요 (kkeunnaesseoyo); future: 끝낼 거예요. It is regular.

Present끝내요[끈내요] · kkeunnaeyo
Past끝냈어요[끈내써요] · kkeunnaesseoyo
Future끝낼 거예요[끈낼 꺼예요] · kkeunnael geoyeyo
Negative안 끝내요[안 끈내요] · an kkeunnaeyo

Opposite: 시작하다 — to start

끝내다 in sentences

오늘까지 이 일을 끝내야 해요.I have to finish this work by today.
숙제를 끝냈어요.I finished my homework.

All forms of 끝내다

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	끝내요	[끈내요]	kkeunnaeyo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	끝냅니다	[끈냄니다]	kkeunnaemnida
casual-아/어	끝내	[끈내]	kkeunnae
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다	끝낸다	[끈낸다]	kkeunnaenda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	끝냅니까?	[끈냄니까]	kkeunnaemnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요	끝내고 있어요	[끈내고 이써요]	kkeunnaego isseoyo

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	끝냈어요	[끈내써요]	kkeunnaesseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	끝냈습니다	[끈낻씀니다]	kkeunnaetseumnida
casual-았/었어	끝냈어	[끈내써]	kkeunnaesseo
plain (written)-았/었다	끝냈다	[끈낻따]	kkeunnaetda

Future
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요	끝낼 거예요	[끈낼 꺼예요]	kkeunnael geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다	끝낼 겁니다	[끈낼 껌니다]	kkeunnael geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야	끝낼 거야	[끈낼 꺼야]	kkeunnael geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다	끝내겠습니다	[끈내겓씀니다]	kkeunnaegetseumnida

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 끝내요	[안 끈내요]	an kkeunnaeyo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 끝냈어요	[안 끈내써요]	an kkeunnaesseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	끝내지 않아요	[끈내지 아나요]	kkeunnaeji anayo
cannot못 …	못 끝내요	[몯 끈내요]	mot kkeunnaeyo

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	끝내세요	[끈내세요]	kkeunnaeseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	끝내셨어요	[끈내셔써요]	kkeunnaesyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	끝내십니다	[끈내심니다]	kkeunnaesimnida

Requests
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
please …-(으)세요	끝내세요	[끈내세요]	kkeunnaeseyo
please … (for me)-아/어 주세요	끝내 주세요	[끈내 주세요]	kkeunnae juseyo
please don’t …-지 마세요	끝내지 마세요	[끈내지 마세요]	kkeunnaeji maseyo
let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다	끝냅시다	[끈냅씨다]	kkeunnaepsida
let’s … (casual)-자	끝내자	[끈내자]	kkeunnaeja
do … ! (casual command)-아/어라	끝내라	[끈내라]	kkeunnaera

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	끝내고	[끈내고]	kkeunnaego
… so / and then-아/어서	끝내서	[끈내서]	kkeunnaeseo
if …-(으)면	끝내면	[끈내면]	kkeunnaemyeon
… but-지만	끝내지만	[끈내지만]	kkeunnaejiman
because …-(으)니까	끝내니까	[끈내니까]	kkeunnaenikka
… and / but (background)-는데	끝내는데	[끈내는데]	kkeunnaeneunde
even if …-아/어도	끝내도	[끈내도]	kkeunnaedo
while …-(으)면서	끝내면서	[끈내면서]	kkeunnaemyeonseo
in order to …-(으)려고	끝내려고	[끈내려고]	kkeunnaeryeogo
(go) to …-(으)러	끝내러	[끈내러]	kkeunnaereo
before …-기 전에	끝내기 전에	[끈내기 저네]	kkeunnaegi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에	끝낸 후에	[끈낸 후에]	kkeunnaen 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	끝내는	[끈내는]	kkeunnaeneun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ	끝낸	[끈낸]	kkeunnaen
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	끝낼	[끈낼]	kkeunnael

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
I want to …-고 싶어요	끝내고 싶어요	[끈내고 시퍼요]	kkeunnaego sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	끝낼 수 있어요	[끈낼 쑤 이써요]	kkeunnael su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	끝낼 수 없어요	[끈낼 쑤 업써요]	kkeunnael su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요	끝내야 해요	[끈내야 해요]	kkeunnaeya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요	끝내도 돼요	[끈내도 돼요]	kkeunnaedo dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요	끝내면 안 돼요	[끈내면 안 돼요]	kkeunnaemyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기	끝내기	[끈내기]	kkeunnaegi

How 끝내다 changes

끝내 ends in a vowel, so 끝내 + 아/어 becomes 끝내 → 끝내요, 끝냈어요. Endings written -(으) attach directly → 끝내면, 끝낼. 끝내다 is regular.

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

Questions

How do you say “finish” in Korean?

“To finish (something)” is 끝내다 (kkeunnaeda), pronounced [끈내다]. In a sentence: 오늘까지 이 일을 끝내야 해요. — I have to finish this work by today.

What is the past tense of 끝내다?

끝냈어요 (kkeunnaesseoyo) is the polite past tense of 끝내다 (“to finish (something)”). Formal: 끝냈습니다; casual: 끝냈어.

How do you say 끝내다 politely?

Everyday polite: 끝내요 (kkeunnaeyo). Formal: 끝냅니다. Casual, with close friends: 끝내.

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

끝내고 싶어요 (kkeunnaego sipeoyo), pronounced [끈내고 시퍼요].

Is 끝내다 irregular?

No. 끝내 ends in a vowel, so 끝내 + 아/어 becomes 끝내 → 끝내요, 끝냈어요. Endings written -(으) attach directly → 끝내면, 끝낼. 끝내다 is regular.

More regular words like 끝내다

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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