Key Facts
- Hangul: 참가하다 (chamgahada)
- Meaning: to participate
- Level: B1
- Part of speech: verb
- Stem: 참가하
- Conjugation class: 하다
- Grammar: The event takes 에, as in 행사에 참가하다.
- Usage: Often seen in contest announcements: 참가 신청 (application to take part). Sports and competitions fit best.
What Does 참가하다 Mean?
The event takes 에: 대회에 참가하다 and 행사에 참가하다. The verb is intransitive. Contest announcements use the noun 참가 신청 for applications.
It fits sports and competitions best.
English "join a contest" has a direct object, so learners often reach for 을/를. In Korean the event is where you take part, so it takes 에.
How Do You Pronounce 참가하다?
참가하다 is read as written. 하 + 여 contracts to 해, giving 참가해요 and 참가했어요.
How Do You Use 참가하다 in a Sentence?
저는 이번 마라톤에 참가해요.
I will take part in this marathon.
이번 마라톤에 is the event, marked with 에.
작년에 노래 대회에 참가했어요.
I took part in a singing contest last year.
작년에 노래 대회에 puts a singing contest in the past.
참가하면 선물을 받을 수 있어요.
If you take part, you can get a gift.
참가하면 is the conditional, followed by the reward.
How Does Chamgahada Conjugation Work?
The stem 참가하 follows the 하다 pattern: 참가해요, 참가했어요, 참가하면. Because the verb is intransitive, no object appears in any of these forms; the event keeps 에 in every tense.
참가하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 참가해요 | ||
| Polite past | 참가했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 참가할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 참가하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 참가합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 참가했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 참가할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 참가해 | ||
| Casual past | 참가했어 | ||
| Casual future | 참가할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 참가하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 참가하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 참가해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 참가하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 참가하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 참가한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 참가할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 참가 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 참가하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 참가했어요 | [참가해써요] |
| Polite future | 참가할 거예요 | [참가할꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 참가하겠어요 | [참가하게써요] |
| Formal present | 참가합니다 | [참가함니다] |
| Formal past | 참가했습니다 | [참가핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 참가할 것입니다 | [참가할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 참가했어 | [참가해써] |
| Casual future | 참가할 거야 | [참가할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 참가하고 싶어요 | [참가하고 시퍼요] |
| Long negative | 참가하지 않아요 | [참가하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 대회를 참가했어요
Correct: ✓ 대회에 참가했어요
Why: The event takes 에, not 을/를, because 참가하다 is intransitive.
Where Does 참가하다 Turn up in Practice?
Event announcements use it constantly. A poster for a race or contest asks people to join with 참가 신청, an application to take part. The sentences above use a marathon and a singing contest, both events where you take part actively.
도전하다 (to challenge), 노력하다 (to make an effort) and 성공하다 (to succeed) are the verbs that often follow, since taking part in a contest leads to trying and succeeding.
참석하다 is the quieter verb: you attend a meeting or ceremony. 가다 only says that you went somewhere.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 참가하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 참가하다 |
|---|---|
| 참석하다 | 참석하다 is being present at a meeting or ceremony. |
| 가다 | 가다 just means to go. |
Signing up for a Weekend Race
Two coworkers are looking at a notice for a local marathon. One is interested but has never entered this event before.
Jisu
이번 마라톤에 참가해요?
Ibeon maratone chamgahaeyo?
Are you taking part in this marathon?
Alex
네. 참가하고 싶어요.
Ne. Chamgahago sipeoyo.
Yes. I want to take part.
Jisu
저는 작년에도 참가했어요.
Jeoneun jangnyeonedo chamgahaesseoyo.
I took part last year too.
Alex
그럼 같이 참가해요.
Geureom gachi chamgahaeyo.
Then let’s take part together.
The first 참가해요 is a question about a plan. 참가하고 싶어요 expresses a wish, and 참가했어요 supplies past experience. The final 참가해요 becomes an invitation because 같이 means “together.” The question mark and the surrounding conversation help distinguish a question, a statement, and a suggestion even when the verb ending looks the same.
How Do You Read 참가 on an Event Notice?
참가 신청 means an application to participate. 신청 names the application step, so seeing it on a button does not mean you have already entered or completed the event. 참가비 is the participation or entry fee. It is the money for taking part, rather than necessarily the admission price for a spectator.
참가자 means a participant. A 참가자 명단 is a participant list; it tells you who is taking part, without saying who won. 참가 자격 means eligibility to participate. Look for it when checking whether an event accepts your age group or experience level. 자격 concerns permission or requirements, rather than the strength of your wish to join.
These expressions share the noun 참가. You can recognise their role on a form without finding a conjugated verb. A notice can therefore contain 참가 several times while teaching you different practical facts: how to apply, what to pay, who can enter, and whose names are on the list.
Does 참가하다 Mean Joining a Club?
참가하다 normally points to taking part in an activity or event. For becoming a member of a club or organisation, 가입하다 is the more precise verb. A person can join a club once and then participate in many events. English uses “join” for both actions, which can hide that difference.
A marathon runner is a 참가자, while someone watching from the roadside is a spectator, 관중. Both people may go to the same place. 참가하다 tells the listener about the runner's role, not merely the destination. That is why replacing it with 가다 loses information.
What Needs Care in 참가하다 Sentences?
Keep the event particle even when you change the tense: 대회에 참가했어요 describes past participation, while 대회에 참가할 거예요 describes a future plan. The ending changes the time; it does not turn the event into a direct object. Think of the whole chunk 대회에 when building the sentence.
참가하고 싶어요 expresses wanting to take part. It does not confirm registration. 참가합니다 is a formal statement and can suit a written reply about participation. 참가하세요 addresses someone respectfully or invites them to participate; it cannot replace 참가합니다 in a statement about your own plans.
In spelling, 참가하다 is one verb. In the short negative 참가 안 해요, 안 sits between the noun part and 해요. The long negative 참가하지 않아요 keeps the verb together before 지. Both forms describe nonparticipation, without explaining whether the reason is lack of interest or another commitment.
| Related word | Meaning | A useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 대회 | competition / organised meet | Names an event people enter. |
| 신청 | application | The step before participation is confirmed. |
| 참가비 | entry fee | A cost attached to taking part. |
| 관중 | spectators | People watching rather than entering the contest. |
Learn the surrounding event words in Korean sports vocabulary, especially when reading a race or competition announcement.
Mini Drill: Build the Right Form
- Choose 에 or 를: 마라톤____ 참가해요.
- Put 참가하다 in the polite past.
- Use the “want to” form for taking part.
- Write the short negative of 참가하다.
Show drill answers
- 마라톤에 참가해요. The event takes 에.
- 참가했어요. 하 contracts to 했 in this past form.
- 참가하고 싶어요. The wish does not itself confirm registration.
- 참가 안 해요. Keep spaces around 안.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 참가비 tell you about an event?
- Does 참가 신청 mean winning a competition?
- Which verb focuses on being present at a ceremony: 참가하다 or 참석하다?
Show answers
- It identifies the fee for taking part.
- No. It means applying to participate.
- 참석하다. 참가하다 emphasises taking part as a participant.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say I Joined a Contest?
대회에 참가했어요. The contest takes 에, and the past ending shows it is finished.
What Does 참가 신청 Mean?
It means an application to take part.
Does It Take 을/를?
No. The event takes 에, not 을/를: 대회에 참가했어요.
What Is the past Tense?
참가했어요 in the polite style; the formal past is 참가했습니다.
Is 참가하다 Only for Contests?
No. 행사 (events) take it too, but it fits sports and competitions best, where you join in actively.
How Is 참가하다 Different from 참석하다?
참석하다 is being present at a meeting or ceremony; 참가하다 is joining in as a participant, like a race or event.
Which Words Are Related to 참가하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 참석하다 next. 하다 to 해요 explains the pattern, the Korean verb conjugator tests more words, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest. See negating 하다 verbs.