Verbs · ㅡ drops
쓰다 conjugation
to write; to use; to wear (a hat, glasses) · sseuda · sounds like [쓰다]
Short answer: “To write” in Korean is 쓰다 (sseuda), which also means to use; to wear (a hat, glasses). Polite present: 써요 (sseoyo); past: 썼어요 (sseosseoyo); future: 쓸 거예요. It is regular, but its ㅡ drops before 아/어.
- Present써요[써요] · sseoyo
- Past썼어요[써써요] · sseosseoyo
- Future쓸 거예요[쓸 꺼예요] · sseul geoyeyo
- Negative안 써요[안 써요] · an sseoyo
쓰다 in sentences
- 이름을 여기에 쓰세요.Please write your name here.
- 이 컴퓨터를 써도 돼요?May I use this computer?
All forms of 쓰다
| Form | Korean | Sounds like | Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|
| polite-아/어요 | 써요 | [써요] | sseoyo |
| formal-(스)ㅂ니다 | 씁니다 | [씀니다] | sseumnida |
| casual-아/어 | 써 | [써] | sseo |
| plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다 | 쓴다 | [쓴다] | sseunda |
| formal question-(스)ㅂ니까? | 씁니까? | [씀니까] | sseumnikka? |
| is …ing (polite)-고 있어요 | 쓰고 있어요 | [쓰고 이써요] | sseugo isseoyo |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like | Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|
| polite-았/었어요 | 썼어요 | [써써요] | sseosseoyo |
| formal-았/었습니다 | 썼습니다 | [썯씀니다] | sseotseumnida |
| casual-았/었어 | 썼어 | [써써] | sseosseo |
| plain (written)-았/었다 | 썼다 | [썯따] | sseotda |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like | Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|
| polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요 | 쓸 거예요 | [쓸 꺼예요] | sseul geoyeyo |
| formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다 | 쓸 겁니다 | [쓸 껌니다] | sseul geomnida |
| casual-(으)ㄹ 거야 | 쓸 거야 | [쓸 꺼야] | sseul geoya |
| formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다 | 쓰겠습니다 | [쓰겓씀니다] | sseugetseumnida |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like | Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|
| not (short)안 … | 안 써요 | [안 써요] | an sseoyo |
| did not안 …았/었어요 | 안 썼어요 | [안 써써요] | an sseosseoyo |
| not (long)-지 않아요 | 쓰지 않아요 | [쓰지 아나요] | sseuji anayo |
| cannot못 … | 못 써요 | [몯 써요] | mot sseoyo |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like | Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|
| honorific — present-(으)세요 | 쓰세요 | [쓰세요] | sseuseyo |
| honorific — past-(으)셨어요 | 쓰셨어요 | [쓰셔써요] | sseusyeosseoyo |
| honorific — formal-(으)십니다 | 쓰십니다 | [쓰심니다] | sseusimnida |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like | Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|
| please …-(으)세요 | 쓰세요 | [쓰세요] | sseuseyo |
| please … (for me)-아/어 주세요 | 써 주세요 | [써 주세요] | sseo juseyo |
| please don’t …-지 마세요 | 쓰지 마세요 | [쓰지 마세요] | sseuji maseyo |
| let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다 | 씁시다 | [씁씨다] | sseupsida |
| let’s … (casual)-자 | 쓰자 | [쓰자] | sseuja |
| do … ! (casual command)-아/어라 | 써라 | [써라] | sseora |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like | Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|
| … and-고 | 쓰고 | [쓰고] | sseugo |
| … so / and then-아/어서 | 써서 | [써서] | sseoseo |
| if …-(으)면 | 쓰면 | [쓰면] | sseumyeon |
| … but-지만 | 쓰지만 | [쓰지만] | sseujiman |
| because …-(으)니까 | 쓰니까 | [쓰니까] | sseunikka |
| … and / but (background)-는데 | 쓰는데 | [쓰는데] | sseuneunde |
| even if …-아/어도 | 써도 | [써도] | sseodo |
| while …-(으)면서 | 쓰면서 | [쓰면서] | sseumyeonseo |
| in order to …-(으)려고 | 쓰려고 | [쓰려고] | sseuryeogo |
| (go) to …-(으)러 | 쓰러 | [쓰러] | sseureo |
| before …-기 전에 | 쓰기 전에 | [쓰기 저네] | sseugi jeone |
| after …-(으)ㄴ 후에 | 쓴 후에 | [쓴 후에] | sseun hue |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like | Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|
| (that) … now-는 | 쓰는 | [쓰는] | sseuneun |
| (that) …ed-(으)ㄴ | 쓴 | [쓴] | sseun |
| (that) will …-(으)ㄹ | 쓸 | [쓸] | sseul |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like | Romanized |
|---|---|---|---|
| I want to …-고 싶어요 | 쓰고 싶어요 | [쓰고 시퍼요] | sseugo sipeoyo |
| can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요 | 쓸 수 있어요 | [쓸 쑤 이써요] | sseul su isseoyo |
| cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요 | 쓸 수 없어요 | [쓸 쑤 업써요] | sseul su eopseoyo |
| have to …-아/어야 해요 | 써야 해요 | [써야 해요] | sseoya haeyo |
| may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요 | 써도 돼요 | [써도 돼요] | sseodo dwaeyo |
| must not …-(으)면 안 돼요 | 쓰면 안 돼요 | [쓰면 안 돼요] | sseumyeon an dwaeyo |
| …ing (noun)-기 | 쓰기 | [쓰기] | sseugi |
How 쓰다 changes
The ㅡ in 쓰다 drops before 아/어: 써요, 썼어요. The vowel that replaces it follows the syllable before (아 after ㅏ or ㅗ, otherwise 어). With other endings ㅡ stays: 쓰면, 씁니다.
Questions
How do you say “write” in Korean?
“To write” is 쓰다 (sseuda), pronounced [쓰다]. In a sentence: 이름을 여기에 쓰세요. — Please write your name here.
What is the past tense of 쓰다?
썼어요 (sseosseoyo) is the polite past tense of 쓰다 (“to write”). Formal: 썼습니다; casual: 썼어.
How do you say 쓰다 politely?
Everyday polite: 써요 (sseoyo). Formal: 씁니다. Casual, with close friends: 써.
How do you say “I want to write” in Korean?
쓰고 싶어요 (sseugo sipeoyo), pronounced [쓰고 시퍼요].
Is 쓰다 irregular?
No. The ㅡ in 쓰다 drops before 아/어: 써요, 썼어요. The vowel that replaces it follows the syllable before (아 after ㅏ or ㅗ, otherwise 어). With other endings ㅡ stays: 쓰면, 씁니다.
More ㅡ-stem words like 쓰다
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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