Key Facts
- Hangul: 빗다 (bitda)
- Meaning: to comb
- Level: B2
- Part of speech: verb
- Pronounced: [빋따]
- Stem: 빗
- Conjugation class: regular
- Grammar: The hair takes 을/를, as in 머리를 빗다.
- Usage: Commonly with 머리. The noun for the tool is 빗 (comb), same spelling as the stem.
What Does 빗다 Mean?
빗다 is almost always used with 머리: 머리를 빗다 is to comb your hair. The hair takes 을/를. The noun 빗 means comb and is spelled like the verb stem.
It covers only grooming hair. Washing yourself is a different verb, 씻다.
How Do You Pronounce 빗다?
The dictionary form is read [빋따]: the ㅅ batchim is pronounced as a stop, and the following ㄷ hardens. Before a vowel the ㅅ comes back, so 빗어요 is [비서요].
How Do You Use 빗다 in a Sentence?
저는 아침에 머리를 빗어요.
I comb my hair in the morning.
아침에 means in the morning. 머리를 is the hair, and 빗어요 uses 어 because the stem vowel ㅣ is not bright.
딸이 거울 앞에서 머리를 빗었어요.
My daughter combed her hair in front of the mirror.
딸이 거울 앞에서 sets the scene in front of a mirror; the past 빗었어요 completes it.
머리를 빗으면 훨씬 단정해 보여요.
If you comb your hair, you look much neater.
빗으면 is the conditional with the inserted 으, and the second clause says the result: you look much neater.
How Does Bitda Conjugation Work?
빗다 is regular. The stem 빗 ends in ㅅ, so endings such as -면 and -세요 add 으 (빗으면, 빗으세요) and vowel endings use 어 (빗어요, 빗었어요). Unlike ㅅ-irregular verbs, the ㅅ is never dropped, which is the mistake to avoid.
빗다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 빗어요 | ||
| Polite past | 빗었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 빗을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 빗겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 빗습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 빗었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 빗을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 빗어 | ||
| Casual past | 빗었어 | ||
| Casual future | 빗을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 빗고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 빗으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 빗어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 빗으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 빗는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 빗은 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 빗을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 빗어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 빗지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 빗어요 | [비서요] |
| Polite past | 빗었어요 | [비서써요] |
| Polite future | 빗을 거예요 | [비슬꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 빗겠어요 | [빋께써요] |
| Formal present | 빗습니다 | [빋씀니다] |
| Formal past | 빗었습니다 | [비섣씀니다] |
| Formal future | 빗을 것입니다 | [비슬꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 빗어 | [비서] |
| Casual past | 빗었어 | [비서써] |
| Casual future | 빗을 거야 | [비슬꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 빗고 싶어요 | [빋꼬 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 빗으세요 | [비스세요] |
| Because / and then | 빗어서 | [비서서] |
| If (conditional) | 빗으면 | [비스면] |
| Present modifier | 빗는 | [빈는] |
| Past modifier | 빗은 | [비슨] |
| Future modifier | 빗을 | [비슬] |
| Short negative | 안 빗어요 | [안 비서요] |
| Long negative | 빗지 않아요 | [빋찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 머리를 빚어요
Correct: ✓ 머리를 빗어요
Why: 빗다 and 빚다 sound identical in the dictionary form, [빋따], so people write the wrong one. 빗다 is the one for hair; 빚다 means shaping dough, such as dumplings.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 빗다?
| Word | How to tell it from 빗다 |
|---|---|
| 빚다 | 빚다 shapes dough, such as dumplings or songpyeon; its dictionary form sounds the same as 빗다 but is spelled differently. |
| 씻다 | 씻다 is washing; 빗다 is only combing or brushing hair. |
Getting Ready before a Family Photo
Two siblings are getting ready for a family photograph. One has already combed their hair, while the other is still deciding when to do it.
Jisu
머리 빗었어요?
Meori biseosseoyo?
Have you combed your hair?
Minho
아직요. 지금 빗을 거예요.
Ajigyo. Jigeum biseul geoyeyo.
Not yet. I’m going to comb it now.
Jisu
저는 사진 찍기 전에 빗어요.
Jeoneun sajin jjikgi jeone biseoyo.
I comb mine before taking photos.
빗었어요 asks about a completed action, 빗을 거예요 gives a plan, and 빗어요 describes a routine. 머리 can stand without 를 in this conversation because its role is clear. The full object form is still 머리를.
Phrases for Combing and Brushing
머리를 빗다 is the basic expression for combing your hair. In this phrase 머리 refers to hair, even though the same noun can also mean head. English normally adds “my” or “your”; Korean often leaves ownership unstated when the situation makes it obvious.
빗으로 머리를 빗다 means to comb hair with a comb. 빗 is the tool, 으로 marks what you use, and 빗다 is the action. This is a useful contrast because the noun looks exactly like the verb stem. A bare 빗 on a shopping list names an object you can buy.
머리를 곱게 빗다 means to comb your hair neatly or nicely. The adverb 곱게 describes the result or manner of grooming. 머리를 뒤로 빗다 means to comb the hair back; 뒤로 supplies a direction. 빗다 alone does not specify a hairstyle.
빗질을 하다 also means to comb or brush hair. The noun 빗질 names the activity. It is useful in descriptions of grooming, including pet care. You can encounter it even when no full form of 빗다 appears nearby.
Where Will You Hear 빗다?
At home, 빗다 fits morning routines and getting ready to go out. The verb identifies one step in grooming. Washing hair, drying it and cutting it need other verbs. A speaker who says they have combed their hair has not automatically said they have washed it too.
At a hair salon, 빗다 describes working through hair with a comb or brush. It can be one part of preparing hair for a cut or styling it afterward. The object remains the hair; the tool can be added with 으로 when the speaker wants to specify it.
In a story or a drama, someone combing a child's hair can be a small domestic action. The scene may show care or closeness, but that emotional meaning comes from the people and situation. The verb itself just names the grooming action.
What Makes 빗다 Tricky?
빗다 ends in ㅅ but is regular. In 빗어요, 빗었어요 and 빗으면, the written ㅅ remains. The inserted 으 in 빗으면 belongs to the ending after this consonant stem. It does not replace the ㅅ. This distinguishes 빗다 from verbs whose ㅅ actually disappears before a vowel.
The pronunciation changes with the next sound. 빗어요 has the linked ㅅ in [비서요], while 빗는 has nasalisation in [빈는]. In the second form, a final stop changes to ㄴ before the following ㄴ. Neither pronunciation changes the spelling or makes the verb irregular.
빚다 shares the dictionary-form sound [빋따], but its vowel-ending forms reveal a different consonant. Focus on the meaning as well as the isolated sound: hair goes with 빗다, while shaping dumplings goes with 빚다. Copying the dictionary sound alone can hide this spelling distinction.
빗으세요 can be an instruction to comb your hair. The 으 is needed after the consonant stem. It is different from 빗어요, which can describe what someone does. An instruction from a stylist and a report about your morning routine may therefore use different endings with the same verb.
Words around the Mirror
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 빗 | comb | The grooming tool, not a complete verb. |
| 머리카락 | hair; a strand of hair | More specific than 머리 when discussing the hair itself. |
| 거울 | mirror | 거울 앞에서 sets an action in front of a mirror. |
| 머리 | head; hair | In 머리를 빗다, the meaning is hair. |
See the body vocabulary lesson for hair and the other parts around the head.
Mini Drill: Keep the ㅅ
- Give the polite present of 빗다.
- Give the polite past.
- Complete “if someone combs”: 빗____.
- Give the polite instruction form shown in the table.
Show drill answers
- 빗어요.
- 빗었어요.
- 빗으면. The ㅅ stays, and 으 is added before 면.
- 빗으세요.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 빗 name on a shopping list?
- Does 머리를 빗다 mean washing your hair?
- Is 빗는 spelled differently because it sounds like [빈는]?
Show answers
- A comb.
- No. It means combing or brushing it.
- No. The spelling keeps 빗 even though the pronunciation changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say Comb My Hair?
머리를 빗어요. The hair takes 를, and the ending is 어 because the stem vowel is ㅣ.
Is 빗다 an Irregular Verb?
No. Unlike ㅅ-irregular verbs, the ㅅ stays in every form: 빗어요, 빗었어요, 빗으면.
What Is the Noun for the Tool?
빗 means comb. The noun is spelled exactly like the verb stem.
How Is 빗다 Different from 빚다?
Their dictionary forms sound alike, [빋따], but 빚다 shapes dough and 빗다 combs hair.
Which Words Are Related to 빗다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Study 씻다 next to keep grooming verbs apart, then 샤워하다. polite present recipe gives the recipe for 빗어요, the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists related entries.