Key Facts
- Hangul: 부지런하다 (bujireonhada)
- Meaning: diligent
- Part of speech: adjective (형용사)
- Level: B1
- Stem: 부지런하
- Class: 하다 type
What Does 부지런하다 Mean?
부지런하다 describes a person who works steadily and does not waste time: 부지런한 사람 is a diligent person. It speaks about character, so it sits well with nouns like 사람 and 학생, and it is often said of someone who gets up early and keeps working. The result of diligence is often success, as in 부지런한 사람이 성공해요. The opposite is 게으르다, lazy.
How Do You Pronounce 부지런하다?
No sound changes affect the dictionary form. The polite present 부지런해요 is said as written, the past 부지런했어요 is [부지런해써요], the formal 부지런합니다 is [부지런함니다] and the long negative 부지런하지 않아요 is [부지런하지 아나요].
How Do You Use 부지런하다 in a Sentence?
동생은 정말 부지런해요.
My younger sibling is really diligent.
동생은 정말 부지런해요 praises a sibling directly, and 정말 means 'really'.
부지런한 사람이 성공해요.
Diligent people succeed.
부지런한 사람이 성공해요 uses 부지런한 as a modifier before 사람이 and expresses a general belief about diligence in the present.
그 직원은 부지런해서 모두가 좋아해요.
That employee is diligent, so everyone likes them.
그 직원은 부지런해서 모두가 좋아해요 gives the reason with 부지런해서, and 모두가 좋아해요 states the result.
Usage Notes for 부지런하다
부지런하다 is a compliment about character, so it suits teachers, colleagues and family, and the 직원 in the third example is a typical target of praise. It differs from 바쁘다, which describes a schedule instead of a trait. Diligence is a steady habit such as rising early, while busyness can be a single hard week. The opposite, 게으르다, is blunt, so handle it with care. Because the word names a lasting trait, the present tense is the natural choice for praise, as in 부지런해요, while a past form can describe a particular earlier period without saying the trait has faded.
How Does Bujireonhada Conjugation Work?
부지런하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 부지런해요 | ||
| Polite past | 부지런했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 부지런할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 부지런하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 부지런합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 부지런했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 부지런할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 부지런해 | ||
| Casual past | 부지런했어 | ||
| Casual future | 부지런할 거야 | ||
| Because / and then | 부지런해서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 부지런하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 부지런한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 부지런했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 부지런할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 부지런해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 부지런하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 부지런해요 | — |
| Polite past | 부지런했어요 | [부지런해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 부지런할 거예요 | [부지런할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 부지런하겠어요 | [부지런하게써요] |
| Formal present | 부지런합니다 | [부지런함니다] |
| Formal past | 부지런했습니다 | [부지런핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 부지런할 것입니다 | [부지런할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 부지런해 | — |
| Casual past | 부지런했어 | [부지런해써] |
| Casual future | 부지런할 거야 | [부지런할꺼야] |
| Because / and then | 부지런해서 | — |
| Conditional (if) | 부지런하면 | — |
| Modifier, present | 부지런한 | — |
| Modifier, past | 부지런했던 | [부지런핻떤] |
| Modifier, future | 부지런할 | — |
| Short negative | 안 부지런해요 | — |
| Long negative | 부지런하지 않아요 | [부지런하지 아나요] |
Is 부지런하다 Regular or Irregular?
부지런하다 is a 하다 adjective, so the polite present is 부지런해요 and the past is 부지런했어요. The 하 stays before consonants, as in 부지런하지 않아요. The 하다 to 해요 lesson covers the pattern.
Common Mistake with 부지런하다
Wrong: ✗ 부지런이에요 / ✗ 부지런하어요
Correct: ✓ 부지런해요
Why: 부지런하다 is a 하다 adjective, so the polite form is 부지런해요. 부지런이에요 uses the noun 부지런 ('diligence') and does not mean 'is diligent', and 부지런하어요 attaches 어요 to the stem without the 하다 change.
부지런하다 Versus 성실하다 and 게으르다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 성실하다 | 성실하다 is sincere, reliable and honest in work, not just busy. |
| 게으르다 | 게으르다 is the opposite, lazy. |
Noticing an Early Start
Two coworkers arrive before a morning meeting. Jisu has already prepared the room, and Minho notices the effort.
Minho
벌써 준비했어요? 정말 부지런해요.
Beolsseo junbihaesseoyo? Jeongmal bujireonhaeyo.
You have already prepared everything? You are really diligent.
Jisu
어제는 안 부지런했어요. 오늘은 일찍 왔어요.
Eojeneun an bujireonhaesseoyo. Oneureun iljjik wasseoyo.
I was not diligent yesterday. Today I came early.
Minho
부지런한 동료가 있어서 좋아요.
Bujireonhan dongnyoga isseoseo joayo.
It is nice to have a diligent coworker.
Minho uses 부지런해요 to praise what Jisu has done, rather than to order more work. Jisu's past-tense reply limits the description to yesterday. The final 부지런한 turns the same quality into a description before 동료, “coworker”. None of these sentences says how quickly Jisu worked.
Phrases about Effort and Daily Habits
부지런한 사람 means “a diligent person”. The literal description is also the everyday meaning: someone regularly gets things done. It can praise keeping a home tidy, preparing meals or studying. Paid work is only one possible setting, so translating every occurrence as “hardworking employee” is too narrow.
부지런히 일하다 means “to work diligently”. 부지런히 is the adverb: it tells you how someone works. Compare a person described as 부지런한 with an action described as 부지런히. In the first, the adjective needs a noun; in the second, the adverb needs an action to describe.
부지런히 움직이다 literally means “to move diligently”. In context it often means keeping active and getting on with things. A person getting ready for guests may clean, shop and cook. The phrase gathers those activities together; it does not describe a special way of walking.
Where Will You Hear This Compliment?
Family conversations often connect 부지런하다 with early rising or finishing household tasks before others wake up. A teacher might use it when describing a student's steady preparation. At work it praises initiative and consistent activity, especially when someone has already completed a task without being reminded.
For a colleague you respect, praise specific work before making a broad judgment about their character. 부지런해요 can sound warm between peers, but praising a senior as though you were grading them can feel awkward. The issue is the relationship and situation, even when the ending is polite.
부지런하다 also differs from “productive”. Someone can put in steady effort without producing a large result that day. Likewise, an unexpectedly busy afternoon does not establish a diligent personality. The word tells you about the person's approach to activity, rather than measuring output.
Does Diligence Mean Working Quickly?
부지런히 and 빨리 can describe the same task from different angles. 부지런히 concerns steady effort; 빨리 concerns speed. A careful person may work diligently and slowly. If a colleague finishes preparation early, 부지런해요 praises their active approach, while a comment about speed would focus on how fast the preparation happened.
What Makes the Adjective Tricky?
부지런하다 ends in 하다, but it describes a quality. Before 사람, use the adjective modifier 부지런한. The action-verb pattern with 하는 does not fit this meaning. The 하다 ending alone does not tell you whether a Korean word is an action verb or an adjective.
Keep the short negative separate: 안 부지런해요. A mild denial of diligence need not mean someone is lazy. You may simply be rejecting an exaggerated compliment. 게으르다 makes a stronger negative judgment, so it is not always the right replacement for the negative phrase.
| Related word | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 성실하다 | sincere; conscientious | Emphasizes taking responsibilities seriously. |
| 게으르다 | lazy | A direct opposite that can sound critical. |
| 바쁘다 | busy | Describes having much to do, even without diligent habits. |
| 일하다 | to work | Names an action that can be done diligently. |
The personality vocabulary lesson gives a wider set for describing character, so you can choose praise that matches the quality you noticed.
Mini Drill
- Describe a diligent student: 부지런하다 → ____ 학생.
- Give the polite past for diligence yesterday.
- Write the polite short negative, including its space.
- Choose the adverb for working diligently: 부지런한 or 부지런히?
Show drill answers
- 부지런한 학생. The adjective modifies the student.
- 부지런했어요. The time period can be limited to yesterday.
- 안 부지런해요.
- 부지런히, as in 부지런히 일하다.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 부지런하다 mean that someone has a crowded schedule?
- Can this word praise someone doing household tasks?
- Does a past-tense compliment necessarily mean the person is lazy now?
Show answers
- No. 바쁘다 describes busyness; 부지런하다 describes diligent activity.
- Yes. It is not limited to a job or schoolwork.
- No. It can describe effort during a particular earlier period.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say 'a Diligent Person'?
Use 부지런한 사람.
Is 부지런하다 about Speed or Consistency?
It is about steady, constant effort.
What Is the Opposite?
게으르다 is lazy.
What Is the Polite Present?
It is 부지런해요.
Which Words Are Related to 부지런하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 성실하다 for reliability and 게으르다 for the opposite, then 바쁘다 for being busy. The Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest of the family.