Verbs · Regular

떨어지다 conjugation

to fall; to drop; to fail (an exam); to run out · tteoreojida · sounds like [떠러지다]

Short answer: “To fall” in Korean is 떨어지다 (tteoreojida), which also means to drop; to fail (an exam); to run out. Polite present: 떨어져요 (tteoreojeoyo); past: 떨어졌어요 (tteoreojeosseoyo); future: 떨어질 거예요. It is regular.

Present떨어져요[떠러저요] · tteoreojeoyo
Past떨어졌어요[떠러저써요] · tteoreojeosseoyo
Future떨어질 거예요[떠러질 꺼예요] · tteoreojil geoyeyo
Negative안 떨어져요[안 떠러저요] · an tteoreojeoyo

떨어지다 in sentences

시험에 떨어졌어요.I failed the exam.
휴대폰이 바닥에 떨어졌어요.My phone fell on the floor.

All forms of 떨어지다

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	떨어져요	[떠러저요]	tteoreojeoyo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	떨어집니다	[떠러짐니다]	tteoreojimnida
casual-아/어	떨어져	[떠러저]	tteoreojeo
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다	떨어진다	[떠러진다]	tteoreojinda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	떨어집니까?	[떠러짐니까]	tteoreojimnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요	떨어지고 있어요	[떠러지고 이써요]	tteoreojigo isseoyo

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	떨어졌어요	[떠러저써요]	tteoreojeosseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	떨어졌습니다	[떠러젇씀니다]	tteoreojeotseumnida
casual-았/었어	떨어졌어	[떠러저써]	tteoreojeosseo
plain (written)-았/었다	떨어졌다	[떠러젇따]	tteoreojeotda

Future
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요	떨어질 거예요	[떠러질 꺼예요]	tteoreojil geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다	떨어질 겁니다	[떠러질 껌니다]	tteoreojil geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야	떨어질 거야	[떠러질 꺼야]	tteoreojil geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다	떨어지겠습니다	[떠러지겓씀니다]	tteoreojigetseumnida

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 떨어져요	[안 떠러저요]	an tteoreojeoyo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 떨어졌어요	[안 떠러저써요]	an tteoreojeosseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	떨어지지 않아요	[떠러지지 아나요]	tteoreojiji anayo
cannot못 …	못 떨어져요	[몯 떠러저요]	mot tteoreojeoyo

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	떨어지세요	[떠러지세요]	tteoreojiseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	떨어지셨어요	[떠러지셔써요]	tteoreojisyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	떨어지십니다	[떠러지심니다]	tteoreojisimnida

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	떨어지고	[떠러지고]	tteoreojigo
… so / and then-아/어서	떨어져서	[떠러저서]	tteoreojeoseo
if …-(으)면	떨어지면	[떠러지면]	tteoreojimyeon
… but-지만	떨어지지만	[떠러지지만]	tteoreojijiman
because …-(으)니까	떨어지니까	[떠러지니까]	tteoreojinikka
… and / but (background)-는데	떨어지는데	[떠러지는데]	tteoreojineunde
even if …-아/어도	떨어져도	[떠러저도]	tteoreojeodo
while …-(으)면서	떨어지면서	[떠러지면서]	tteoreojimyeonseo
before …-기 전에	떨어지기 전에	[떠러지기 저네]	tteoreojigi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에	떨어진 후에	[떠러진 후에]	tteoreojin 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	떨어지는	[떠러지는]	tteoreojineun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ	떨어진	[떠러진]	tteoreojin
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	떨어질	[떠러질]	tteoreojil

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
I want to …-고 싶어요	떨어지고 싶어요	[떠러지고 시퍼요]	tteoreojigo sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	떨어질 수 있어요	[떠러질 쑤 이써요]	tteoreojil su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	떨어질 수 없어요	[떠러질 쑤 업써요]	tteoreojil su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요	떨어져야 해요	[떠러저야 해요]	tteoreojeoya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요	떨어져도 돼요	[떠러저도 돼요]	tteoreojeodo dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요	떨어지면 안 돼요	[떠러지면 안 돼요]	tteoreojimyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기	떨어지기	[떠러지기]	tteoreojigi

How 떨어지다 changes

떨어지 ends in a vowel, so 떨어지 + 아/어 becomes 떨어져 → 떨어져요, 떨어졌어요. Endings written -(으) attach directly → 떨어지면, 떨어질. 떨어지다 is regular.

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

Questions

How do you say “fall” in Korean?

“To fall” is 떨어지다 (tteoreojida), pronounced [떠러지다]. In a sentence: 시험에 떨어졌어요. — I failed the exam.

What is the past tense of 떨어지다?

떨어졌어요 (tteoreojeosseoyo) is the polite past tense of 떨어지다 (“to fall”). Formal: 떨어졌습니다; casual: 떨어졌어.

How do you say 떨어지다 politely?

Everyday polite: 떨어져요 (tteoreojeoyo). Formal: 떨어집니다. Casual, with close friends: 떨어져.

Is 떨어지다 irregular?

No. 떨어지 ends in a vowel, so 떨어지 + 아/어 becomes 떨어져 → 떨어져요, 떨어졌어요. Endings written -(으) attach directly → 떨어지면, 떨어질. 떨어지다 is regular.

More regular words like 떨어지다

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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