Key Facts
- Hangul: 비슷하다 (biseutada)
- Meaning: similar
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 비슷하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: 이/가 marks the subject; 와/과 or 하고 name what it resembles (A와 B는 비슷해요).
- Usage: Pronounced 비스타다. The adverb 비슷하게 means similarly.
What Does 비슷하다 Mean?
비슷하다 says that two things are alike without being the same. 비슷한 옷 is similar clothes and 취미가 비슷해요 says two people have similar hobbies.
Unlike 같다, it leaves room for difference. The verb 닮다 handles resemblance of appearance and takes 을/를.
How Do You Pronounce 비슷하다?
The ㅅ of 슷 and the ㅎ of 하 merge into an aspirated ㅌ, so the lemma is read [비스타다]. In the polite present the contraction gives [비스태요], and the formal 비슷합니다 is spoken [비스탐니다].
How Do You Use 비슷하다 in a Sentence?
우리 둘은 취미가 비슷해요.
The two of us have similar hobbies.
우리 둘은 means the two of us, and 취미가 is the thing that is similar.
비슷한 가방이 많아요.
There are many similar bags.
비슷한 modifies 가방이, and 많아요 says there are many of them.
키가 비슷해서 옷을 같이 입어요.
Our heights are similar, so we share clothes.
비슷해서 gives the reason, and 옷을 같이 입어요 here means the two share clothes.
The examples compare hobbies (비슷해요), bags (비슷한) and heights (비슷해서), and in each case the two things are alike but not identical.
How Does Biseutada Conjugation Work?
비슷하다 is a 하다 adjective, so 하 + 여 contracts to 해: 비슷해요 and 비슷했어요. The modifier is 비슷한. The aspirated sound runs through every form, so 비슷해서 is spoken [비스태서].
To say something is not similar, put 안 in front for 안 비슷해요 or use the long negative 비슷하지 않아요. The because-form is 비슷해서, the if-form 비슷하면, and the modifiers are 비슷한 (now), 비슷했던 (earlier) and 비슷할 (later); the honorific polite form is 비슷하세요.
비슷하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 비슷해요 | ||
| Polite past | 비슷했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 비슷할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 비슷하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 비슷합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 비슷했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 비슷할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 비슷해 | ||
| Casual past | 비슷했어 | ||
| Casual future | 비슷할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 비슷하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 비슷해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 비슷하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 비슷한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 비슷했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 비슷할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 비슷해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 비슷하지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 비슷해요 | [비스태요] |
| Polite past | 비슷했어요 | [비스태써요] |
| Polite future | 비슷할 거예요 | [비스탈꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 비슷하겠어요 | [비스타게써요] |
| Formal present | 비슷합니다 | [비스탐니다] |
| Formal past | 비슷했습니다 | [비스탣씀니다] |
| Formal future | 비슷할 것입니다 | [비스탈꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 비슷해 | [비스태] |
| Casual past | 비슷했어 | [비스태써] |
| Casual future | 비슷할 거야 | [비스탈꺼야] |
| Honorific | 비슷하세요 | [비스타세요] |
| Because form | 비슷해서 | [비스태서] |
| Conditional | 비슷하면 | [비스타면] |
| Present modifier | 비슷한 | [비스탄] |
| Past modifier | 비슷했던 | [비스탣떤] |
| Future modifier | 비슷할 | [비스탈] |
| Short negative | 안 비슷해요 | [안 비스태요] |
| Long negative | 비슷하지 않아요 | [비스타지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 비슷하는 옷
Correct: ✓ 비슷한 옷
Why: 비슷하다 is an adjective, so the modifier is 한. Learners who treat it as a verb say 비슷하는.
Similar, Not the Same
A typical frame is A와 B는 비슷해요. If the two things are exactly alike, use 똑같다. For the resemblance of a face between relatives, 닮다 is the verb.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 비슷하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 비슷하다 |
|---|---|
| 같다 | 같다 means the same, while 비슷하다 allows a difference. |
| 닮다 | 닮다 is a verb: to resemble someone, mostly in appearance, taking 을/를. |
Comparing Two Bags in a Shop
A customer is looking for a bag like one they used to own. The assistant asks which feature matters.
Customer
이 두 가방은 비슷해요.
I du gabangeun biseutaeyo.
These two bags are similar.
Assistant
네. 어떤 색을 찾으세요?
Ne. Eotteon saegeul chajeuseyo?
Yes. What colour are you looking for?
Customer
전에 쓰던 가방 색도 이 색과 비슷했어요.
Jeone sseudeon gabang saekdo i saekgwa biseutaesseoyo.
The colour of my old bag was similar to this too.
Assistant
비슷한 색 가방은 여기 있어요.
Biseutan saek gabangeun yeogi isseoyo.
Bags in similar colours are here.
비슷해요 compares the bags now. 비슷했어요 recalls the older bag, while 비슷한 modifies 색. The customer narrows the comparison to colour, so the assistant need not find an identical size or design. 색 names the particular feature being compared.
How Do You Name the Comparison?
A가 B와 비슷해요 means A is similar to B. The item you are describing takes 이/가, and the reference item takes 와/과. In conversation, 하고 can introduce the reference item too. Keep those roles clear: the comparison partner is not an object being acted on.
A와 B는 비슷해요 presents A and B together as the topic. That frame is useful when you have both items in front of you. The first frame instead starts with one item and brings in a reference. Both can describe the same relationship; they organise the information differently.
Name the feature when “similar” is too broad. 색이 비슷해요 concerns colour, 크기가 비슷해요 concerns size, and 가격이 비슷해요 concerns price. Two bags can cost about the same while looking very different. A specific subject prevents the listener from assuming that every feature matches.
Common Combinations and What They Imply
비슷한 나이 means a similar age, often close in age rather than the same birth year. 비슷한 시간 means a similar time; the surrounding sentence tells you whether that concerns the time of day or the amount of time taken. Neither phrase gives an exact numerical tolerance.
비슷비슷하다 is a common related expression for things being much alike. It often appears when several choices seem hard to distinguish. The repeated shape suggests a group of similar items, rather than establishing that they are identical in every detail.
비슷하게 means similarly or in a similar way. It describes how something is done, while 비슷한 describes a noun. Think of a similar bag versus arranging things similarly: English changes the word’s job too. The noun or action that follows helps you choose the Korean form.
Where Will You Hear or See 비슷하다?
Shopping comparisons use 비슷하다 for products with comparable designs, sizes or prices. An assistant can offer a similar item when the exact product is unavailable. The word leaves room for differences, so check the feature you care about before assuming the substitute will fit.
In everyday introductions, 취미가 비슷해요 explains a shared interest. It does not mean two people do everything together or have identical tastes. In language lessons, 뜻이 비슷하다 describes words with related meanings, while 발음이 비슷하다 concerns their sounds. Similar meanings do not guarantee the same grammar or register.
The Ending and the Sound Tell Different Stories
비슷하다 keeps the written stem 비슷하 even though ㅅ and ㅎ produce an aspirated sound together. Do not replace those letters in ordinary spelling. The polite ending contracts 하 to 해, but the modifier keeps 하 and adds ㄴ: 비슷한.
Because 비슷하다 describes a state, its present noun modifier is 비슷한. The action-verb ending 는 would create the wrong form shown in the common-mistake section. This matters especially beside 닮다: that word is an action verb even though English can translate both with words about resemblance.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 색 | colour | Specify visual similarity in one feature. |
| 크기 | size | Compare dimensions rather than style. |
| 모양 | shape / appearance | Useful when objects look alike. |
| 차이 | difference | Names what remains different between similar items. |
Use the clothing vocabulary lesson to name the items you want to compare.
Mini Drill: Make the Comparison Precise
- Complete “a similar bag”: ____ 가방.
- Give the polite past of 비슷하다.
- Choose the reference marker in A가 B____ 비슷해요: 와 or 를?
- Give the because-form of 비슷하다.
Show drill answers
- 비슷한 가방.
- 비슷했어요.
- 와.
- 비슷해서.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 비슷하다 promise an exact match?
- What does 가격이 비슷해요 compare?
- Which modifies a noun: 비슷한 or 비슷하게?
Show answers
- No. Some differences can remain.
- Prices.
- 비슷한; 비슷하게 describes manner.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Is 비슷하다 Pronounced?
[비스타다].
What Is the Modifier?
비슷한, never 비슷하는.
How Do I Say Similarly?
비슷하게.
What Is the Polite Present?
비슷해요.
Which Words Are Related to 비슷하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare it with 같다 and 다르다. Its endings follow how 하다 becomes 해요, and the [비스태요] sound comes from the ㅅ + ㅎ merger. Try 같다 and 다르다 in the Korean verb conjugator to finish the comparison set, or browse the Korean verb dictionary.