Verbs · Regular

웃다 conjugation

to laugh; to smile · utda · sounds like [욷따]

Short answer: “To laugh” in Korean is 웃다 (utda), which also means to smile. Polite present: 웃어요 (useoyo); past: 웃었어요 (useosseoyo); future: 웃을 거예요. It is regular.

Present웃어요[우서요] · useoyo
Past웃었어요[우서써요] · useosseoyo
Future웃을 거예요[우슬 꺼예요] · useul geoyeyo
Negative안 웃어요[안 우서요] · an useoyo

Opposite: 울다 — to cry

웃다 in sentences

아기가 웃어요.The baby is smiling.
그 영화를 보고 많이 웃었어요.I laughed a lot watching that movie.

All forms of 웃다

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	웃어요	[우서요]	useoyo
formal-(스)ㅂ니다	웃습니다	[욷씀니다]	utseumnida
casual-아/어	웃어	[우서]	useo
plain (written)-(느)ㄴ다	웃는다	[운는다]	unneunda
formal question-(스)ㅂ니까?	웃습니까?	[욷씀니까]	utseumnikka?
is …ing (polite)-고 있어요	웃고 있어요	[욷꼬 이써요]	utgo isseoyo

Past
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite-았/었어요	웃었어요	[우서써요]	useosseoyo
formal-았/었습니다	웃었습니다	[우섣씀니다]	useotseumnida
casual-았/었어	웃었어	[우서써]	useosseo
plain (written)-았/었다	웃었다	[우섣따]	useotda

Future
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
polite — will-(으)ㄹ 거예요	웃을 거예요	[우슬 꺼예요]	useul geoyeyo
formal-(으)ㄹ 겁니다	웃을 겁니다	[우슬 껌니다]	useul geomnida
casual-(으)ㄹ 거야	웃을 거야	[우슬 꺼야]	useul geoya
formal — I will (intention)-겠습니다	웃겠습니다	[욷껟씀니다]	utgetseumnida

Negative
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
not (short)안 …	안 웃어요	[안 우서요]	an useoyo
did not안 …았/었어요	안 웃었어요	[안 우서써요]	an useosseoyo
not (long)-지 않아요	웃지 않아요	[욷찌 아나요]	utji anayo
cannot못 …	못 웃어요	[몯 우서요]	mot useoyo

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	웃으세요	[우스세요]	useuseyo
honorific — past-(으)셨어요	웃으셨어요	[우스셔써요]	useusyeosseoyo
honorific — formal-(으)십니다	웃으십니다	[우스심니다]	useusimnida

Requests
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
please …-(으)세요	웃으세요	[우스세요]	useuseyo
please … (for me)-아/어 주세요	웃어 주세요	[우서 주세요]	useo juseyo
please don’t …-지 마세요	웃지 마세요	[욷찌 마세요]	utji maseyo
let’s … (formal)-(으)ㅂ시다	웃읍시다	[우습씨다]	useupsida
let’s … (casual)-자	웃자	[욷짜]	utja
do … ! (casual command)-아/어라	웃어라	[우서라]	useora

Connecting
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
… and-고	웃고	[욷꼬]	utgo
… so / and then-아/어서	웃어서	[우서서]	useoseo
if …-(으)면	웃으면	[우스면]	useumyeon
… but-지만	웃지만	[욷찌만]	utjiman
because …-(으)니까	웃으니까	[우스니까]	useunikka
… and / but (background)-는데	웃는데	[운는데]	unneunde
even if …-아/어도	웃어도	[우서도]	useodo
while …-(으)면서	웃으면서	[우스면서]	useumyeonseo
in order to …-(으)려고	웃으려고	[우스려고]	useuryeogo
(go) to …-(으)러	웃으러	[우스러]	useureo
before …-기 전에	웃기 전에	[욷끼 저네]	utgi jeone
after …-(으)ㄴ 후에	웃은 후에	[우슨 후에]	useun 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	웃는	[운는]	unneun
(that) …ed-(으)ㄴ	웃은	[우슨]	useun
(that) will …-(으)ㄹ	웃을	[우슬]	useul

Useful patterns
Form	Korean	Sounds like	Romanized
I want to …-고 싶어요	웃고 싶어요	[욷꼬 시퍼요]	utgo sipeoyo
can …-(으)ㄹ 수 있어요	웃을 수 있어요	[우슬 쑤 이써요]	useul su isseoyo
cannot …-(으)ㄹ 수 없어요	웃을 수 없어요	[우슬 쑤 업써요]	useul su eopseoyo
have to …-아/어야 해요	웃어야 해요	[우서야 해요]	useoya haeyo
may … / it’s OK to …-아/어도 돼요	웃어도 돼요	[우서도 돼요]	useodo dwaeyo
must not …-(으)면 안 돼요	웃으면 안 돼요	[우스면 안 돼요]	useumyeon an dwaeyo
…ing (noun)-기	웃기	[욷끼]	utgi

How 웃다 changes

웃 ends in a consonant, so 아/어 endings are added as they are → 웃어요, and endings written -(으) add 으 → 웃으면, 웃을. 웃다 is regular.

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

Questions

How do you say “laugh” in Korean?

“To laugh” is 웃다 (utda), pronounced [욷따]. In a sentence: 아기가 웃어요. — The baby is smiling.

What is the past tense of 웃다?

웃었어요 (useosseoyo) is the polite past tense of 웃다 (“to laugh”). Formal: 웃었습니다; casual: 웃었어.

How do you say 웃다 politely?

Everyday polite: 웃어요 (useoyo). Formal: 웃습니다. Casual, with close friends: 웃어.

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

웃고 싶어요 (utgo sipeoyo), pronounced [욷꼬 시퍼요].

Is 웃다 irregular?

No. 웃 ends in a consonant, so 아/어 endings are added as they are → 웃어요, and endings written -(으) add 으 → 웃으면, 웃을. 웃다 is regular.

More regular words like 웃다

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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