KoreanSum

Verbs · Regular

서다 conjugation

to stand; to stop · seoda · sounds like [서다]

Short answer: “To stand” in Korean is 서다 (seoda), which also means to stop. Polite present: 서요 (seoyo); past: 섰어요 (seosseoyo); future: 설 거예요. It is regular.

Opposite: 앉다 — to sit

서다 in sentences

All forms of 서다

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.
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
polite-아/어요서요[서요]seoyo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다섭니다[섬니다]seomnida
casual-아/어서[서]seo
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다선다[선다]seonda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?섭니까?[섬니까]seomnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요서고 있어요[서고 이써요]seogo isseoyo
Past
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
polite-았/었어요섰어요[서써요]seosseoyo
formal-았/었습니다섰습니다[섣씀니다]seotseumnida
casual-았/었어섰어[서써]seosseo
plain (written)-았/었다섰다[섣따]seotda
Future
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요설 거예요[설 꺼예요]seol geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다설 겁니다[설 껌니다]seol geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야설 거야[설 꺼야]seol geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다서겠습니다[서겓씀니다]seogetseumnida
Negative
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
not (short)안 …안 서요[안 서요]an seoyo
did not안 …았/었어요안 섰어요[안 서써요]an seosseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요서지 않아요[서지 아나요]seoji anayo
cannot못 …못 서요[몯 써요]mot seoyo
Honorific
Add -(으)시- when the subject is someone you respect (a teacher, a customer, an older person) — not yourself.
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
honorific — present-(으)세요서세요[서세요]seoseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요서셨어요[서셔써요]seosyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다서십니다[서심니다]seosimnida
Requests
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
please …-(으)세요서세요[서세요]seoseyo
please … (for me)-아/어 주세요서 주세요[서 주세요]seo juseyo
please don’t …-지 마세요서지 마세요[서지 마세요]seoji maseyo
let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다섭시다[섭씨다]seopsida
let’s … (casual)-자서자[서자]seoja
do … ! (casual command)-아/어라서라[서라]seora
Connecting
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
… and-고서고[서고]seogo
… so / and then-아/어서서서[서서]seoseo
if …-(으)면서면[서면]seomyeon
… but-지만서지만[서지만]seojiman
because …-(으)니까서니까[서니까]seonikka
… and / but (background)-는데서는데[서는데]seoneunde
even if …-아/어도서도[서도]seodo
while …-(으)면서서면서[서면서]seomyeonseo
in order to …-(으)려고서려고[서려고]seoryeogo
(go) to …-(으)러서러[서러]seoreo
before …-기 전에서기 전에[서기 저네]seogi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에선 후에[선 후에]seon hue
Describing a noun
These go before a noun: “the food (that) I ate”, “a cold day”.
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
(that) … now-는서는[서는]seoneun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ선[선]seon
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ설[설]seol
Useful patterns
FormKoreanSounds likeRomanized
I want to …-고 싶어요서고 싶어요[서고 시퍼요]seogo sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요설 수 있어요[설 쑤 이써요]seol su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요설 수 없어요[설 쑤 업써요]seol su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요서야 해요[서야 해요]seoya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요서도 돼요[서도 돼요]seodo dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요서면 안 돼요[서면 안 돼요]seomyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기서기[서기]seogi

How 서다 changes

서 ends in a vowel, so 서 + 아/어 becomes 서 → 서요, 섰어요. Endings written -(으) attach directly → 서면, 설. 서다 is regular.

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

Questions

How do you say “stand” in Korean?

“To stand” is 서다 (seoda), pronounced [서다]. In a sentence: 버스가 여기에서 서요. — The bus stops here.

What is the past tense of 서다?

섰어요 (seosseoyo) is the polite past tense of 서다 (“to stand”). Formal: 섰습니다; casual: 섰어.

How do you say 서다 politely?

Everyday polite: 서요 (seoyo). Formal: 섭니다. Casual, with close friends: 서.

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

서고 싶어요 (seogo sipeoyo), pronounced [서고 시퍼요].

Is 서다 irregular?

No. 서 ends in a vowel, so 서 + 아/어 becomes 서 → 서요, 섰어요. Endings written -(으) attach directly → 서면, 설. 서다 is regular.

More regular words like 서다

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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