Key Facts
- Hangul: 안전하다 (anjeonhada)
- Meaning: safe
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 안전하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: Describes places, things and situations; the adverb 안전하게 modifies actions.
- Usage: Common in news, signs and travel talk.
What Does 안전하다 Mean?
안전하다 describes a place, thing or situation free from danger, as in 안전한 곳 (a safe place). You see it in 안전벨트 and 안전 운전.
The adverb 안전하게 is frequent, as in 안전하게 도착했어요.
How Do You Pronounce 안전하다?
The dictionary form has no sound change, and the ㅈ in 전 is plain. The formal present 안전합니다 is [안전함니다] and the formal past 안전했습니다 is [안전핻씀니다].
How Do You Use 안전하다 in a Sentence?
이 동네는 밤에도 안전해요.
This neighborhood is safe even at night.
이 동네는 is the topic and 밤에도 widens the claim to nighttime.
안전한 길로 가세요.
Please take the safe road.
안전한 길로 is the safe road, with 로 marking the route.
여기가 안전하면 좋겠어요.
I hope it is safe here.
안전하면 is a conditional clause expressing a hope.
How Does Anjeonhada Conjugation Work?
안전하다 is a 하다 adjective: 안전해요, 안전했어요, 안전해서. The modifier is 안전한, and the conditional is 안전하면. Negatives are 안전하지 않아요 and the short 안 안전해요.
안전하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 안전해요 | ||
| Polite past | 안전했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 안전할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 안전하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 안전합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 안전했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 안전할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 안전해 | ||
| Casual past | 안전했어 | ||
| Casual future | 안전할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 안전하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 안전해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 안전하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 안전한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 안전했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 안전할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 안전해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 안전하지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 안전했어요 | [안전해써요] |
| Polite future | 안전할 거예요 | [안전할꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 안전하겠어요 | [안전하게써요] |
| Formal present | 안전합니다 | [안전함니다] |
| Formal past | 안전했습니다 | [안전핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 안전할 것입니다 | [안전할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 안전했어 | [안전해써] |
| Casual future | 안전할 거야 | [안전할꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 안전했던 | [안전핻떤] |
| Long negative | 안전하지 않아요 | [안전하지 아나요] |
안전하다 Forms to Reach for First
- Politely (safe): 안전해요
- Earlier, in the past (safe): 안전했어요
- Giving the reason (safe): 안전해서
- If the condition holds (safe): 안전하면
- Before a noun (safe): 안전한, or 안전했던 for the past
- Denying it (safe): 안전하지 않아요
- Honorific, about a respected person (safe): 안전하세요
Common Mistake
Means something else: 안전해요 ('it is safe', a statement, not a goodbye)
Correct for 'take care' when someone leaves: ✓ 조심히 가세요
Why: 안전하다 describes a state of being safe, so it cannot work as a wish or command like English 'stay safe'. Say 조심히 가세요 as a goodbye.
When Does 안전하다 Fit Best?
Use 안전하다 for the safety of places and things. For the care a person takes, use 조심하다. Beyond everyday talk, the word appears in compounds such as 안전벨트 and 안전 운전, so it leads into travel and transport vocabulary. The adverb 안전하게 turns it into a manner for actions, like arriving safely. Learn it together with 위험하다, its opposite, to judge a neighbourhood, a route or a plan.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 안전하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 안전하다 |
|---|---|
| 위험하다 | The opposite: 위험하다 means dangerous, while 안전하다 means free from danger. |
| 조심하다 | 조심하다 is the careful action a person takes; 안전하다 is the safe condition of a place or thing. |
Choosing a Route Back to the Hotel
A guest asks a hotel receptionist about walking back after dinner. The question asks about a condition; the reply gives a route. Present, noun-modifying and past forms appear in the exchange.
Guest
이 길은 밤에도 안전해요?
I gireun bamedo anjeonhaeyo?
Is this road safe even at night?
Receptionist
네. 그래도 안전한 길로 가세요.
Ne. Geuraedo anjeonhan gillo gaseyo.
Yes. Still, take the safe route.
Guest
어제는 큰길로 왔어요. 안전했어요.
Eojeneun keungillo wasseoyo. Anjeonhaesseoyo.
Yesterday I came along the main road. It was safe.
Receptionist
그럼 오늘도 그 길로 가세요.
Geureom oneuldo geu gillo gaseyo.
Then take that road today too.
안전해요 asks whether the road is safe now. 안전한 describes the route before the noun 길. 안전했어요 reports the guest’s experience yesterday; it does not make a claim about every road in the area.
How Does 안전하다 Appear on Signs and in Messages?
The noun 안전 means safety. In 안전벨트, “safety belt” or “seat belt”, it labels a piece of equipment. In 안전 운전, “safe driving”, it describes the aim of an activity. These short labels have no sentence ending, so a sign can contain 안전 without containing the adjective 안전하다 at all.
안전 제일 means “safety first”. You may see it at a work site or on a safety notice. The literal order is “safety, first”, and the practical message is to put safety before speed or convenience. It is a slogan rather than a claim that a particular place is safe.
In arrival messages, 안전하게 도착했어요 means “I arrived safely”. 안전하게 tells you how the arrival went; it modifies an action. 안전해요 instead describes the condition of a person, place or thing. A traveler can use the arrival message to reassure family after a journey without making a broad judgment about the destination.
Can a Place Be Comfortable but Unsafe?
A quiet room, a soft seat or an easy route can be 편하다, comfortable or convenient. That does not by itself establish safety. 안전하다 focuses on danger, so it answers a different practical question. A comfortable car seat and a seat belt illustrate the distinction: one concerns comfort; the other is safety equipment.
For advice about behavior, 조심하다 means to be careful. A speaker can describe a road with 안전하다 and still advise someone to take care. The words fit together because a condition and a person's actions are separate ideas. In the dialogue, 그래도, “still”, connects reassurance with the route advice.
The question 밤에도 안전해요? includes “even at night”. Without 밤에도, the question is broader. This detail matters when asking about a neighborhood: adding a time or a particular route makes the question more specific. The Korean adjective states the speaker's assessment; it does not explain what evidence that assessment rests on.
What Makes This 하다 Adjective Tricky?
The 하다 ending does not make 안전하다 an action verb. Before a noun, use 안전한, as in 안전한 곳. In the future 안전할 거예요, the meaning is a prediction that something will be safe. The table's general “plan” label does not mean the place itself intends to do anything.
안 안전해요 is grammatical, with the negative 안 written separately. 안전하지 않아요 is often easier for learners to read because it avoids two nearby 안 syllables. The 안 at the beginning of 안전 is part of the word for safety, so it cannot be removed or treated as a negative marker.
The honorific 안전하세요 in the table refers respectfully to a person's condition. A road does not need that personal respect ending. For a departing person, the ordinary farewell 조심히 가세요 gives the intended “take care” message much more naturally than a bare statement about safety.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 안전 | safety | The noun used in notices and equipment names. |
| 위험 | danger / risk | The noun corresponding to 위험하다. |
| 사고 | accident | An event safety measures aim to prevent. |
| 안전벨트 | seat belt | A familiar compound using 안전. |
See transportation vocabulary for the vehicles and journeys these safety words describe.
Mini Drill: Describe Safety
- Change 안전하다 to the polite present.
- Fill “a safe place”: ____ 곳.
- Give the polite past for a trip that was safe.
- Use the long negative to say something is not safe.
Show answers
- 안전해요. 하 becomes 해 before this ending.
- 안전한 곳. The modifier ends in ㄴ.
- 안전했어요.
- 안전하지 않아요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 안전 운전 contain a conjugated adjective?
- Which describes how someone arrived: 안전해요 or 안전하게?
- Does 안전할 거예요 express a road’s intention?
Show answers
- No. It is a short noun phrase meaning safe driving.
- 안전하게, as in 안전하게 도착했어요.
- No. It predicts a safe condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 안전하다?
안전해요.
How Do I Say 'a Safe Place'?
안전한 곳.
Can I Say 안전해요 as a Goodbye?
No. Say 조심히 가세요.
What Is the Opposite?
위험하다, meaning dangerous.
Which Words Are Related to 안전하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 위험하다 next for the opposite and 조심하다 for the action. The pattern is explained in how 하다 words become 해요. Then run another word through the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.