Plain Present -는다/ㄴ다: Meaning, Rules and Examples

What you'll learn

• Form -는다 and -ㄴ다 on verbs, including ㄹ-stems and irregular verbs.
• Know which words take plain 다 instead: adjectives, 이다, 있다 and 없다.
• Tell the plain present from polite -아요/어요 and formal -ㅂ니다.
• Read the plain present in diaries, news, textbooks and indirect speech.

Before you start: you should know the dictionary form of a verb and the polite ending -아요/어요. Time: about 30 minutes. This site places the pattern at level B1, which is an editorial estimate. The official TOPIK information is published at topik.go.kr.

What Does the Plain Present -는다/ㄴ다 Mean?

The plain present states a fact or an action in the present without any politeness marker. English has one present tense for this job: "I read a book", "The sun rises", "Water flows downhill." Korean uses -는다/ㄴ다 for the same meaning when the speaker is not addressing a listener.

You meet this form in four places: in a diary, in news and reports, in books and textbooks, and inside reported speech. It is the present partner of the plain past -았다/었다, and both belong to the plain style 해라체.

A First Example

Listen to each sentence at normal speed, then slowly.

1. 나는 책을 읽는다. (naneun chaegeul ingneunda.) "I read a book."

Pronunciation: [나는 채글 잉는다]. The ㄱ at the end of 읽 turns into [ㅇ] before the ㄴ of 는, and the ㄹ is silent in this position.

2. 해가 뜬다. (haega tteunda.) "The sun rises."

Pronunciation: [해가 뜬다]. It is read as spelled. The stem 뜨 ends in a vowel, so the ending is ㄴ다, and the ㄴ sits under the stem as a final consonant.

The first sentence uses the consonant-stem form with a visible 는. The second uses the vowel-stem form, where only ㄴ is added.

How Does the Plain Present -는다/ㄴ다 Work?

The ending depends on the word class and on how the stem ends.

1. Verb with a vowel stem: add ㄴ다, written under the last syllable. 가 + ㄴ다 = 간다.
2. Verb with a consonant stem: add 는다. 먹 + 는다 = 먹는다.
3. Verb with an ㄹ-stem: drop the ㄹ and add ㄴ다. 살 + ㄴ다 = 산다.
4. Adjective, 이다, 아니다, 있다, 없다: keep plain 다. 크다, 학생이다, 아니다, 있다, 없다.

Pattern Table

The RR forms are ganda, bonda, handa, masinda, meongneunda, ingneunda, anneunda, sanda, mandeunda, keuda, jota and haksaengida.

Why Verbs and Adjectives Differ

A verb names an action, and the extra syllable ㄴ/는 marks "this is happening". An adjective names a state, and the dictionary form already states it. This is why 예쁘는다 is wrong and 예쁘다 is right. When they mean "there is" or "have", the words 있다 and 없다 behave like adjectives here: 책이 있다, 시간이 없다.

Irregular Verbs

Only the ㄹ-stems change. The other groups keep their stems, because 는다 starts with a consonant.

The honorific marker -(으)시- keeps working in the plain style: 선생님은 책을 읽으신다 (seonsaengnimeun chaegeul ilgeusinda) "The teacher reads a book." Pronunciation: [선생니믄 채글 일그신다].

Worked Example: Building a Sentence in the Plain Present

Goal: write a diary line meaning "I go to school."

1. Choose the verb. 가다 (to go). The stem is 가.
2. Check the ending of the stem. 가 ends in a vowel, so the ending is ㄴ다.
3. Attach. 가 + ㄴ다 = 간다.
4. Add the rest. 학교에 (to school, with the particle 에) and 나는 (I, with the topic particle 는).

Result: 나는 학교에 간다. (naneun hakgyoe ganda.) "I go to school."

Pronunciation: [나는 학꾜에 간다]. In this sentence the ㄱ of 교 is tense after the ㄱ of 학.

How Is -는다/ㄴ다 Different from Similar Forms?

All three present endings come from the same stem. Only the style differs.

The same fact in three styles:

• 나는 매일 아침 조깅을 한다. (naneun maeil achim jogingeul handa.) Plain, in a diary.
• 저는 매일 아침 조깅을 해요. (jeoneun maeil achim jogingeul haeyo.) Polite, in conversation.
• 저는 매일 아침 조깅을 합니다. (jeoneun maeil achim jogingeul hamnida.) Formal, in a speech.

Pronunciation: [나는 매일 아침 조깅을 한다], [저는 매일 아침 조깅을 해요] and [저는 매일 아침 조깅을 함니다].

The plain present is not casual banmal either. Banmal ends in -아/어 (읽어, 가), and it is for friends. For the formal group, see formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다.

How Do Negatives and Questions Work in the Plain Present?

Negation follows the same split between verbs and adjectives. A verb takes -지 않는다, and an adjective takes -지 않다. The short form 안 goes before the verb, and 못 means "cannot".

• 나는 아침을 먹지 않는다. (naneun achimeul meokji anneunda.) = "I do not eat breakfast." Pronunciation: [나는 아치믈 먹찌 안는다].
• 날씨가 춥지 않다. (nalssiga chupji anta.) = "The weather is not cold." Pronunciation: [날씨가 춥찌 안타].

The reason for the difference is that 않다 follows the same rule as the word it supports. In 먹지 않는다 it acts as a verb and takes 는다, and in 춥지 않다 it acts as an adjective and keeps 다. A plain question uses 니 or 냐, which are taught in Korean plain style 해라체.

When Do You Use It, and When Not?

Writing. A diary, a report, a blog post or a story in plain style uses the plain present for habits and facts. Here is a short passage:

한국의 아침은 바쁘다. 사람들은 지하철을 탄다. 학생들은 학교에 가고, 회사원들은 회사로 간다. 카페는 일찍 문을 연다.

(hanguge achimeun bappeuda. saramdeureun jihacheoreul tanda. haksaengdeureun hakgyoe gago, hoesawondeureun hoesaro ganda. kapeneun iljjik muneul yeonda.)

"Morning in Korea is busy. People take the subway. Students go to school, and office workers go to work. Cafés open early."

Pronunciation: [한구게 아치믄 바쁘다 사람드른 지하처를 탄다 학쌩드른 학꾜에 가고 회사원드른 회사로 간다 카페는 일찍 무늘 연다]. Notice the mix: 바쁘다 is an adjective and keeps 다, while 탄다, 간다 and 연다 are verbs.

General truths. Textbooks and encyclopedias state facts in the plain present: 지구는 태양 주위를 돈다 (jiguneun taeyang juwireul donda) "The Earth goes around the Sun." Pronunciation: [지구는 태양 주위를 돈다]. Here 돌다 is an ㄹ-stem, so the ㄹ drops.

Indirect speech. When you report what someone says in the present, the quote uses the plain present. The quoting endings are 다고 and 라고.

The sentence 날씨가 맑다 (nalssiga makda) "The weather is clear" becomes 날씨가 맑다고 했어요 in a report. Pronunciation: [날씨가 막따] and [날씨가 막따고 해써요]. For the writing-style past that pairs with this form, see plain past -았다/었다.

When not to use it. Do not use the plain present with an older person, in a polite message or in a job interview. Use -아요/어요 or -ㅂ니다. Do not end a spoken question with the plain statement form either. The plain question is 가니? or 가냐?, which belong to the plain style 해라체.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make?

1. Adding 는다 to an adjective. 예쁘는다 is wrong. The adjective stays 예쁘다.
2. Adding 는다 to 있다 or 없다. When they mean "there is" or "have", 있는다 and 없는다 are wrong: say 책이 있다 and 시간이 없다. The honorific 계시다 is a verb and becomes 계신다.
3. Using 는다 after a vowel stem. 가는다 and 보는다 are wrong. Say 간다 and 본다.
4. Using ㄴ다 after a consonant stem. 먹ㄴ다 cannot be written. Say 먹는다.
5. Keeping the ㄹ. 살는다 and 만들는다 are wrong. Say 산다 and 만든다.
6. Using the plain present with an elder. 선생님은 책을 읽는다 is fine in a diary, but it is rude as speech to the teacher. Say 읽으세요 or 읽으십니다 to or about them in speech.
7. Mixing styles. One text should not switch between 읽는다 and 읽어요.

Practice and Answers

Try all four items before you read the answers. Each answer has audio.

1. Choose the form. The plain present of 읽다: 읽는다 or 읽ㄴ다?
2. Fix the error. 하늘이 파랗는다.
3. Translate. "The film starts."
4. Write your own. Write one diary line in the plain present about your morning, using 일어나다 (to get up) or 마시다 (to drink).

Answer Key

1. 읽는다. (ingneunda.) Pronunciation: [잉는다]. A consonant stem takes 는다.

2. 하늘이 파랗다. (haneuri parata.) Pronunciation: [하느리 파라타]. 파랗다 is an adjective, so it keeps the dictionary form.

3. 영화가 시작한다. (yeonghwaga sijakanda.) Pronunciation: [영화가 시자칸다]. The verb 시작하다 has a vowel stem, so it takes ㄴ다, and the ㅎ joins the ㄱ in speech.

4. Sample answer: 아침 일곱 시에 일어난다. (achim ilgop sie ireonanda.) "I get up at seven in the morning." Pronunciation: [아침 일곱씨에 이러난다]. The ㅅ of 시 is tense after the stop ㅂ of 일곱. Any action verb with the correct ㄴ다 or 는다 is right.

If a sentence went wrong, check two things: whether the word is a verb or an adjective, and how the stem of a verb ends.

Next Lessons and Where to Go from Here

The matching lesson for the past is plain past -았다/었다. For all the ways the present is used, read Korean present tense uses, and for adjectives, read adjective present tense in Korean. For the polite and formal alternatives, see formal speech -ㅂ니다/습니다. The set overview, Korean present tense, lists every lesson. For the polite verb forms, see Korean present tense conjugation.

This page uses Revised Romanization only as a learning aid. The Hangul is the reference. To remember the idea in one line: verbs take ㄴ다 or 는다, adjectives and 이다 keep 다, and the whole form belongs to writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Plain Present -는다/ㄴ다?

It is the unmarked, non-polite present form of Korean verbs, used in diaries, news, books and reported statements. Add ㄴ다 after a vowel stem and 는다 after a consonant stem: 간다 means "goes" and 읽는다 means "reads".

How Do I Form -는다/ㄴ다?

Remove 다 from a verb. If the stem ends in a vowel, add ㄴ다 (가 to 간다). If it ends in a consonant, add 는다 (먹 to 먹는다). For an ㄹ-stem, drop the ㄹ and add ㄴ다 (살다 to 산다). Adjectives and 이다 keep plain 다.

What Is the Most Common Mistake with -는다/ㄴ다?

The most common mistake is adding 는다 to an adjective, as in 예쁘는다 for 예쁘다. Adjectives and 이다 keep the dictionary form. Another is adding 는다 to 있다 or 없다, which also keep plain 다.

How Is -는다/ㄴ다 Different from -아요/어요 and -ㅂ니다?

All three are present endings on the same stem. -는다/ㄴ다 is the plain style for writing and has no listener, -아요/어요 is polite everyday speech, and -ㅂ니다/습니다 is formal speech. 읽는다, 읽어요 and 읽습니다 mean the same thing in different settings.

Do I Use -는다/ㄴ다 in Speech, Writing or Both?

Mostly in writing, such as diaries, essays, news and textbooks. In speech it appears when talking to yourself or to young children. With adults you must respect, use -아요/어요 or -ㅂ니다/습니다 instead.

Does the Plain Present Work in Indirect Speech?

Yes. The quoted present uses the plain form with 다고 or 라고: 간다고 해요, 크다고 해요 and 학생이라고 해요. A report of "the weather is clear" becomes 날씨가 맑다고 했어요. Learning the plain present helps you build reported speech.

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