많다 conjugation

to be many; a lot · manta · sounds like [만타]

Short answer: “Many” in Korean is 많다 (manta), which also means a lot. Polite present: 많아요 (manayo); past: 많았어요 (manasseoyo); future: 많을 거예요. It is regular.

Present많아요[마나요] · manayo
Past많았어요[마나써요] · manasseoyo
Future많을 거예요[마늘 꺼예요] · maneul geoyeyo
Negative안 많아요[안 마나요] · an manayo

Opposite: 적다 — to be few

많다 in sentences

사람이 많아요.There are a lot of people.
어제는 할 일이 많았어요.I had a lot to do yesterday.

All forms of 많다

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	많아요	[마나요]	manayo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	많습니다	[만씀니다]	manseumnida
casual-아/어	많아	[마나]	mana
plain (written)-다	많다	[만타]	manta
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	많습니까?	[만씀니까]	manseumnikka?

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	많았어요	[마나써요]	manasseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	많았습니다	[마낟씀니다]	manatseumnida
casual-았/었어	많았어	[마나써]	manasseo
plain (written)-았/었다	많았다	[마낟따]	manatda

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

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 많아요	[안 마나요]	an manayo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 많았어요	[안 마나써요]	an manasseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	많지 않아요	[만치 아나요]	manchi 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	많으세요	[마느세요]	maneuseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	많으셨어요	[마느셔써요]	maneusyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	많으십니다	[마느심니다]	maneusimnida

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	많고	[만코]	manko
… so / and then-아/어서	많아서	[마나서]	manaseo
if …-(으)면	많으면	[마느면]	maneumyeon
… but-지만	많지만	[만치만]	manchiman
because …-(으)니까	많으니까	[마느니까]	maneunikka
… and / but (background)-(으)ㄴ데	많은데	[마는데]	maneunde
even if …-아/어도	많아도	[마나도]	manado
while …-(으)면서	많으면서	[마느면서]	maneumyeonseo

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	많은	[마는]	maneun
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	많을	[마늘]	maneul

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
can be …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	많을 수 있어요	[마늘 쑤 이써요]	maneul su isseoyo
cannot be …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	많을 수 없어요	[마늘 쑤 업써요]	maneul su eopseoyo
have to be …-아/어야 해요	많아야 해요	[마나야 해요]	manaya haeyo
it’s OK if it’s …-아/어도 돼요	많아도 돼요	[마나도 돼요]	manado dwaeyo
…ly (adverb)-게	많게	[만케]	manke
becomes …-아/어지다	많아져요	[마나저요]	manajeoyo
…ing (noun)-기	많기	[만키]	manki

How 많다 changes

많 ends in a consonant, so 아/어 endings are added as they are → 많아요, and endings written -(으) add 으 → 많으면, 많을. 많다 is regular.

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

Questions

How do you say “many” in Korean?

“Many” is 많다 (manta), pronounced [만타]. In a sentence: 사람이 많아요. — There are a lot of people.

What is the past tense of 많다?

많았어요 (manasseoyo) is the polite past tense of 많다 (“to be many”). Formal: 많았습니다; casual: 많았어.

How do you say 많다 politely?

Everyday polite: 많아요 (manayo). Formal: 많습니다. Casual, with close friends: 많아.

How do you say “not many” in Korean?

안 많아요 or 많지 않아요. Both mean the same; the first is more common in speech.

Is 많다 irregular?

No. 많 ends in a consonant, so 아/어 endings are added as they are → 많아요, and endings written -(으) add 으 → 많으면, 많을. 많다 is regular.

More regular words like 많다

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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