Key Facts
- Hangul: 복습하다 (bokseupada)
- Meaning: to review
- Level: A2
- Stem: 복습하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Object marking: transitive
What Does 복습하다 Mean?
It means studying again what you learned already, as in 어제 배운 것을 복습하다 (review what you learned yesterday). The object takes 을/를, as in 단어를 복습해요. It is often paired with 예습: 예습과 복습.
School vocabulary tends to come in pairs, and this is one: 예습 prepares before class, 복습 revisits afterwards. The verb is attached to a noun, so 복습을 하다 is also fine. Timing words often go with it: 수업 후에 (after class) and 시험 전에 (before the exam). The same verb fits both a daily routine and a plan.
A natural study routine uses both halves of the pair: preview the next lesson the night before, then review the same material after class. Korean teachers often remind students of 예습과 복습 at the start of a school term, so the phrase is worth recognizing as a unit.
How Do You Pronounce 복습하다?
The dictionary form is read [복쓰파다], and the polite present 복습해요 is [복쓰패요].
How Do You Use 복습하다 in a Sentence?
수업 후에 단어를 복습해요.
I review the words after class.
복습해요 with 수업 후에 (after class) and 단어를: a routine placed in time.
어제 문법을 복습했어요.
I reviewed grammar yesterday.
복습했어요 with 문법을: one completed review session.
시험 전에 복습할 거예요.
I will review before the exam.
복습할 거예요 with 시험 전에 (before the exam) plans the review ahead of time.
How Does Bokseupada Conjugation Work?
복습하다 is a 하다 verb: 하 + 여 gives 해, so 복습해요 and 복습했어요. Consonant endings keep 하: 복습합니다, 복습하세요, 복습하는. The dictionary form is pronounced [복쓰파다]: the ㅅ after final ㄱ is tensed to [ㅆ], and ㅂ plus ㅎ makes [ㅍ].
복습하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 복습해요 | ||
| Polite past | 복습했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 복습할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 복습하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 복습합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 복습했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 복습할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 복습해 | ||
| Casual past | 복습했어 | ||
| Casual future | 복습할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 복습하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 복습하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 복습해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 복습하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 복습하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 복습한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 복습할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 복습 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 복습하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 복습해요 | [복쓰패요] |
| Polite past | 복습했어요 | [복쓰패써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 복습할 거예요 | [복쓰팔꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 복습하겠어요 | [복쓰파게써요] |
| Formal present | 복습합니다 | [복쓰팜니다] |
| Formal past | 복습했습니다 | [복쓰팯씀니다] |
| Formal future | 복습할 것입니다 | [복쓰팔꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 복습해 | [복쓰패] |
| Casual past | 복습했어 | [복쓰패써] |
| Casual future | 복습할 거야 | [복쓰팔꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 복습하고 싶어요 | [복쓰파고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 복습하세요 | [복쓰파세요] |
| Because / and then | 복습해서 | [복쓰패서] |
| If (conditional) | 복습하면 | [복쓰파면] |
| Present modifier | 복습하는 | [복쓰파는] |
| Past modifier | 복습한 | [복쓰판] |
| Future modifier | 복습할 | [복쓰팔] |
| Short negative | 복습 안 해요 | [복쓰반 해요] |
| Long negative | 복습하지 않아요 | [복쓰파지 아나요] |
In connected speech, 복습 안 해요 links the final ㅂ of 복습 into 안. Applying the National Institute of Korean Language’s Standard Pronunciation Rules gives [복쓰반 해요]. The space remains in writing.
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 복습을 공부해요 (to mean review).
Correct: ✓ 복습해요.
Why: 복습하다 already means to study again, so it needs no second verb. Learners translate "do review study" word for word; just conjugate 복습하다, or use 복습을 하다.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it from 복습하다 |
|---|---|
| 예습하다 | 예습하다 is studying before class; 복습하다 is studying after class. |
| 연습하다 | 연습하다 is practicing a skill; 복습하다 is going over material again. |
Planning a Review after Class
Two classmates have just finished a grammar lesson. Mina has already gone over the vocabulary and wants to review the new grammar next.
Mina
오늘 배운 문법을 복습할 거예요.
Oneul baeun munbeobeul bokseupal geoyeyo.
I’m going to review the grammar we learned today.
Jisu
단어도 복습해요?
Daneodo bokseupaeyo?
Are you reviewing the vocabulary too?
Mina
네, 단어는 아까 복습했어요.
Ne, daneoneun akka bokseupaesseoyo.
Yes, I reviewed the vocabulary earlier.
복습할 거예요 gives the next task, 복습해요 asks about the review plan, and 복습했어요 reports work already finished. 오늘 배운 identifies material learned today. In the last line, 단어는 contrasts the vocabulary, which is done, with grammar, which is still planned.
Useful Phrases for Talking about Review
배운 내용을 복습하다 means to review what you learned. 내용 is the content or material, so the phrase can cover a whole lesson without listing every word and grammar point. It is useful when discussing a course rather than one particular exercise.
문법을 복습하다 and 단어를 복습하다 name narrower targets: grammar and vocabulary. 복습 시간 means review time, while 복습 문제 means review questions or exercises. These are transparent combinations with the noun 복습, not idioms with a hidden meaning. Recognizing the noun lets you understand a worksheet label even when no verb ending appears.
예습과 복습 means preview and review. The pair distinguishes preparing for material you have not yet been taught from revisiting material you have already learned. Reviewing yesterday’s lesson before today’s class is still 복습. The relevant question is whether you have studied that material before, not simply whether the clock says “before class”.
Where Will You Hear or See 복습하다?
Teachers use 복습하다 when setting work based on a previous lesson. A course video may include 복습 in its title to indicate a recap, and a workbook may label a section 복습 문제. These labels point backward to earlier material. They do not necessarily promise new explanations or a new topic.
In casual conversation, 복습해 is possible between close classmates. A teacher’s 복습하세요 gives a polite instruction. 복습합니다 is more formal and can introduce what a lesson or presentation will cover. The central meaning stays the same: going over something already learned.
English “review” also means evaluating a restaurant, movie or product. Korean 복습하다 does not cover that use. A restaurant review is a 후기 or 리뷰, not 복습. If a friend says they are reviewing Korean vocabulary, 복습하다 fits; if they are posting a review of a textbook they bought, the intended action is different.
How Is Review Different from Practice or Memorizing?
복습하다 says you revisit learned material, but it does not tell you the method. You could reread notes, answer questions, or explain yesterday’s grammar to a classmate. All can count as review because the material has been learned before. The word does not guarantee that you now remember everything correctly.
연습하다 emphasizes doing a skill repeatedly, such as practicing pronunciation. 외우다 emphasizes committing something to memory. A single activity can involve all three: going over yesterday’s words is review, repeating their sounds is practice, and trying to retain them is memorizing. Choose the verb for the aspect you want to describe.
What Makes 복습하다 Tricky?
Conjugate the 하다 part, not the noun 복습. The vowel form is 복습해요, while the formal form is 복습합니다. In the short negative 복습 안 해요, 안 separates the noun from 해요. The long negative 복습하지 않아요 keeps the compound together before 지.
The dictionary spelling has ㅂ followed by ㅎ, even though pronunciation combines them into an aspirated sound. Keep 복습하 in writing before consonant endings such as 면 and 는. Hearing that sound does not create a different stem or justify changing the written ㅂ to ㅍ.
You can also use the noun-plus-verb construction 복습을 하다. The particle 을 belongs to the noun 복습 there. When you name the actual material, 단어를 복습하다 is more direct: 단어 is what you review, and 복습하다 is the action. Adding 공부하다 after 복습 does not make the meaning more complete.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 예습 | preview study | Preparation for material not yet learned. |
| 내용 | content; material | Names what a lesson covered. |
| 필기 | written notes | Something you can consult during review. |
| 문제 | question; exercise | 복습 문제 tests previously learned material. |
See school vocabulary for lesson, homework and examination words.
Mini Drill: Conjugate the 하다 Part
- Give the polite present of 복습하다.
- Give the polite past.
- Give the short negative used on this page.
- Give the future plan form.
Show drill answers
- 복습해요.
- 복습했어요.
- 복습 안 해요.
- 복습할 거예요, with a space before 거예요.
Quick Self-Test
- You revisit yesterday’s words before today’s class. Is that 예습 or 복습?
- Does 복습하다 mean posting a product review?
- Does 복습하다 specify whether you read notes or answer questions?
Show answers
- 복습: you have learned those words before.
- No. Product reviews use words such as 후기 or 리뷰.
- No. Either method can be review if it revisits learned material.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does 예습과 복습 Mean?
It is the common pair "preview and review": 예습 before class, 복습 after it.
Do I Need 공부하다 as Well?
No. 복습하다 already means to study again, so 복습해요 is enough.
How Do I Say "I Will Review before the Exam"?
시험 전에 복습할 거예요, using the plan future 복습할 거예요.
Which Particle Does the Object Take?
을/를, as in 단어를 복습해요 (I review the words).
Which Words Are Related to 복습하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Continue with 예습하다, 외우다 and 연습하다. The conjugation rule is in 하다 to 해요, negatives are covered in negating 하다 verbs, any form can be checked in the Korean verb conjugator, and the full list is in the Korean verb dictionary.