Key Facts
- Hangul: 버리다 (beorida)
- Meaning: to throw away
- Level: A2
- Stem: 버리
- Conjugation class: regular
- Object marking: transitive
What Does 버리다 Mean?
Senses:
- to throw away. Used for throwing something away or discarding it: 쓰레기를 버리다.
- to give up; to abandon. Can also mean to abandon a person or habit: 습관을 버리다.
On its own, 버리다 is a very common action verb, and the thing you throw away or give up takes the object particle 을/를: 쓰레기를 버리다 (to throw away trash), 습관을 버리다 (to give up a habit). The abstract sense can also describe abandoning a person.
After another verb in the -아/어 form, 버리다 becomes a helping verb that adds a sense of finishing something completely: 먹어 버렸어요 means 'I ate it all up' or 'I went ahead and ate it'. Learn the physical meaning first, then the abstract one, and leave the helping-verb use until you meet it in lessons.
How Do You Pronounce 버리다?
버리다 is read as written, and so is the polite present 버려요. Sound changes appear only in some endings: the past 버렸어요 is read [버려써요], and in the formal 버립니다 [버림니다] the ㅂ before ㄴ is pronounced [ㅁ].
How Do You Use 버리다 in a Sentence?
쓰레기를 버려요.
I throw away the trash.
The polite present 버려요 with the object 쓰레기를 describes a habit or a general statement.
낡은 신발을 버렸어요.
I threw away the old shoes.
The polite past 버렸어요 with 낡은 신발을: the modifier 낡은 (old, worn out) describes the shoes.
여기에 쓰레기를 안 버려요.
I don't throw trash here.
안 버려요 with 여기에 shows the short negative 안 before the verb: 'I don't throw trash here'.
How Does Beorida Conjugation Work?
The stem 버리 ends in ㅣ, so 버리 + 어요 contracts to 버려요 and the past is 버렸어요. Consonant endings leave the stem untouched: 버립니다, 버리세요, 버리는.
버리다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 버려요 | ||
| Polite past | 버렸어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 버릴 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 버리겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 버립니다 | ||
| Formal past | 버렸습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 버릴 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 버려 | ||
| Casual past | 버렸어 | ||
| Casual future | 버릴 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 버리고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 버리세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 버려서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 버리면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 버리는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 버린 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 버릴 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 버려요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 버리지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 버렸어요 | [버려써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 버릴 거예요 | [버릴꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 버리겠어요 | [버리게써요] |
| Formal present | 버립니다 | [버림니다] |
| Formal past | 버렸습니다 | [버렫씀니다] |
| Formal future | 버릴 것입니다 | [버릴꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 버렸어 | [버려써] |
| Casual future | 버릴 거야 | [버릴꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 버리고 싶어요 | [버리고 시퍼요] |
| Long negative | 버리지 않아요 | [버리지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 지갑을 버렸어요 (when you mean 'I lost my wallet')
Correct: ✓ 지갑을 잃어버렸어요
Why: 버리다 means discarding something on purpose, so 지갑을 버렸어요 says 'I threw my wallet away'. Losing something by accident is 잃어버리다.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it from 버리다 |
|---|---|
| 던지다 | 던지다 is to throw through the air; 버리다 is to discard. |
| 잃어버리다 | 잃어버리다 is to lose something by accident; 버리다 is to discard on purpose. Ask yourself whether you meant to part with the object. |
Clearing out a Kitchen Cupboard
Two housemates are sorting an empty box and some old dishes. One checks before throwing away something that might still be useful.
Mina
이 상자를 버릴 거예요?
I sangjareul beoril geoyeyo?
Are you going to throw this box away?
Jisu
네, 버리세요.
Ne, beoriseyo.
Yes, go ahead and throw it away.
Mina
오래된 컵도 버렸어요?
Oraedoen keopdo beoryeosseoyo?
Did you throw away the old cups too?
Jisu
아니요. 아직 써요.
Aniyo. Ajik sseoyo.
No. I still use them.
버릴 거예요 checks a plan, 버리세요 gives permission in this situation, and 버렸어요 checks a completed action. 도 adds “too” to the cups. The final answer explains why the cups stay: old does not automatically mean unwanted.
Phrases beyond Throwing out Rubbish
쓰레기를 버리다 is the basic disposal phrase. 쓰레기통에 버리다 names the destination: put something in a rubbish bin. The thing discarded takes 을/를, while the place it goes takes 에. The verb says you are getting rid of something, without describing whether you drop, place or toss it.
욕심을 버리다 literally means “throw away greed” and means letting go of excessive desire or ambition. 미련을 버리다 means to let go of lingering attachment or regret. These phrases extend the physical idea of discarding to a feeling that someone no longer wants to hold on to.
With 습관을 버리다, the habit is being abandoned. It often refers to an unwanted habit, but the noun 습관 alone does not say whether the habit is good or bad. A surrounding adjective or the conversation supplies that information. The same object pattern works for both physical and abstract things.
Where Will You Hear or See 버리다?
In shared kitchens and homes, 버리다 is the ordinary verb for asking whether food, packaging or old belongings should go. A question matters when ownership is unclear: a box that looks empty to one housemate may still be needed by another. Naming the item avoids turning a general cleaning instruction into permission to discard everything nearby.
You may see 쓰레기를 버리지 마세요 on a notice: “Please do not litter” or “Please do not dump rubbish.” This is a prohibition. The existing example 안 버려요 instead reports that someone does not throw rubbish there. A negative statement and an instruction not to do something have different jobs.
A disposal notice does not tell you which local collection rules apply to an item. For that, look for labels such as 분리수거, separate collection for recycling, and the labels on individual bins. Knowing 버리다 helps you understand the action, but you still need the category and location on the notice.
When Does 버리다 Become a Helping Verb?
In 먹어 버렸어요, the main action is eating. 버리다 adds that the action was completed, often with a feeling about the result. Depending on context, the speaker might regret eating everything or feel relieved that it is finished. The helping verb alone does not tell you which emotion to choose.
Compare that with 쓰레기를 버렸어요, where discarding is the main action. Look immediately before 버리다: a noun with an object marker points to something discarded; another verb in its 아/어 form can introduce the helping-verb use. Keep the spaced form 먹어 버리다 while learning this pattern so the two parts are easy to see.
The contraction 버리 plus 어 gives 버려 in both uses. The final 리 is not 르, so this is not a 르-irregular verb. Before consonant endings, the stem stays 버리: 버리면 and 버리는. The spoken change in 버립니다 is a sound rule, not a change to the stem spelling.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 쓰레기 | rubbish; trash | The everyday object in disposal sentences. |
| 쓰레기통 | rubbish bin | Takes 에 when it is the destination. |
| 분리수거 | separate collection for recycling | Appears on collection areas and sorting notices. |
| 청소하다 | to clean | Cleaning may include discarding things, but is broader. |
See home vocabulary for household objects and cleaning words.
Mini Drill: Discard, Complete or Lose?
- Give the polite past of 버리다.
- Say “I don’t throw it away” with 안.
- Give the future plan form of 버리다.
- Choose 버리다 or 잃어버리다 for accidentally losing a wallet.
Show drill answers
- 버렸어요.
- 안 버려요, with a space after 안.
- 버릴 거예요.
- 잃어버리다. 버리다 would describe discarding the wallet.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 버리다 require throwing something through the air?
- What does 미련을 버리다 mean?
- Is 버리지 마세요 a statement about your own habit?
Show answers
- No. The core meaning is discarding; 던지다 describes throwing.
- To let go of lingering attachment or regret.
- No. It asks someone not to discard or dump something.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can 버리다 Describe Giving up a Habit?
Yes. 습관을 버리다 means to give up a habit. This is the abstract sense of 버리다, and it can also describe abandoning a person.
How Do I Say 'I Lost My Wallet'?
Use 지갑을 잃어버렸어요. 지갑을 버렸어요 would mean you threw your wallet away on purpose.
What Does 버리다 Add in 먹어 버렸어요?
Used after another verb in the -아/어 form, 버리다 adds a sense of finishing something completely, so 먹어 버렸어요 means 'I ate it all up'. This use is taught later in the course.
How Is the Short Negative Formed?
Put 안 before the verb: 안 버려요. For example, 여기에 쓰레기를 안 버려요 means 'I don't throw trash here'. The long form is 버리지 않아요.
Which Words Are Related to 버리다?
What Should You Learn Next?
After this page, read 잃어버리다 and 줍다 to see the other side of what happens to objects. The rule behind 버려요 is in the polite present recipe, any form can be checked in the Korean verb conjugator, and the full list is in the Korean verb dictionary.