Key Facts
- Hangul: 청소하다 (cheongsohada)
- Meaning: to clean
- Level: A1
- Stem: 청소하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Object marking: transitive
What Does 청소하다 Mean?
청소하다 is a common household verb. The place you clean takes the object particle 을/를: 방을 청소하다 means to clean a room.
As with many noun-plus-하다 verbs, 청소 can also stand alone as a noun, and then 하다 carries the tense. That is why both 방을 청소하다 and 청소를 하다 are correct. The word family is useful too: 청소기 is a vacuum cleaner, and 대청소 is a big, thorough clean of the whole place. For a single surface, such as a table, 닦다 (to wipe) is more precise, so keep 청소하다 for a room or a house as a whole.
How Do You Pronounce 청소하다?
청소하다 is read as written, and so is the polite present 청소해요. The sound changes appear in the endings: the past 청소했어요 is read [청소해써요], and in the formal 청소합니다 [청소함니다] the ㅂ before ㄴ is pronounced [ㅁ].
How Do You Use 청소하다 in a Sentence?
주말마다 방을 청소해요.
I clean my room every weekend.
청소해요 with 주말마다 (every weekend) and 방을 (my room) describes a regular chore.
내일 집을 청소할 거예요.
I will clean the house tomorrow.
청소할 거예요 with 내일 (tomorrow) and 집을 (the house) states a plan.
저는 화장실을 청소 안 해요.
I don't clean the bathroom.
청소 안 해요 shows that the short negative 안 goes between the noun 청소 and 하다, not in front of the whole word.
How Does Cheongsohada Conjugation Work?
청소하다 is a 하다 verb: before every ending that starts with 아/어, 하 becomes 해: 청소해요, 청소했어요. Endings that start with a consonant keep 하: 청소합니다, 청소하세요, 청소하는.
청소하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 청소해요 | ||
| Polite past | 청소했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 청소할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 청소하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 청소합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 청소했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 청소할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 청소해 | ||
| Casual past | 청소했어 | ||
| Casual future | 청소할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 청소하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 청소하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 청소해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 청소하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 청소하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 청소한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 청소할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 청소 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 청소하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 청소했어요 | [청소해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 청소할 거예요 | [청소할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 청소하겠어요 | [청소하게써요] |
| Formal present | 청소합니다 | [청소함니다] |
| Formal past | 청소했습니다 | [청소핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 청소할 것입니다 | [청소할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 청소했어 | [청소해써] |
| Casual future | 청소할 거야 | [청소할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 청소하고 싶어요 | [청소하고 시퍼요] |
| Long negative | 청소하지 않아요 | [청소하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 방이 청소해요 (when you mean 'I clean the room')
Correct: ✓ 방을 청소해요
Why: 청소하다 is transitive, so the place you clean takes 을/를. With 이, the room becomes the one doing the cleaning. To say 'the room is clean', use the adjective 깨끗해요 instead; 청소돼요 means the room is being cleaned.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it from 청소하다 |
|---|---|
| 닦다 | 닦다 is to wipe a surface, such as a table; 청소하다 covers cleaning a whole place. |
| 깨끗하다 | 깨끗하다 is the adjective 'clean' and describes a state; 청소하다 is the action that produces that state. |
Dividing the Cleaning before Guests Arrive
Two roommates are getting their home ready for visitors. They agree on tomorrow’s job and check what has already been done.
Jisu
내일 거실을 청소할 거예요.
Naeil geosireul cheongsohal geoyeyo.
I’ll clean the living room tomorrow.
Alex
저는 오늘 화장실을 청소했어요.
Jeoneun oneul hwajangsireul cheongsohaesseoyo.
I cleaned the bathroom today.
Jisu
그럼 내일은 제가 청소해요.
Geureom naeireun jega cheongsohaeyo.
Then I’ll do the cleaning tomorrow.
Alex
네, 고마워요.
Ne, gomawoyo.
Okay, thank you.
The first line gives the place with 을 and the plan with 청소할 거예요. 청소했어요 reports a finished chore. In the third line, 제가 emphasises who will take the turn, while 내일 supplies the future time. 청소해요 can refer to that agreed future job even though it is a present form.
Which Cleaning Phrases Will You Need?
집 안을 청소하다 means to clean the inside of the home. 화장실을 청소하다 is to clean the bathroom or toilet area, and 교실을 청소하다 is to clean a classroom. The object names the area covered by the job; it need not identify every surface or tool.
대청소를 하다 means to do a thorough clean. 대청소 is larger in scope than an ordinary quick tidy: it can involve moving furniture, clearing stored things and cleaning places usually left alone. It names a kind of cleaning, rather than a special conjugation of 청소하다.
청소기를 돌리다 means to run the vacuum cleaner. The literal verb 돌리다 can mean to turn or operate something; here the whole phrase names vacuuming. 물걸레질을 하다 means to wipe or mop with a damp cloth. These expressions tell the listener how the cleaning is done.
청소 당번 is the person assigned a cleaning turn. You may hear it where a classroom or shared space has a rota. 청소 itself stays a noun in this phrase; there is no tense ending because the expression identifies a role rather than making a sentence.
Where Will You See 청소?
A sign reading 청소 중 means “cleaning in progress.” On a public restroom door, it explains why staff or equipment may be inside or why access is temporarily limited. 중 names an activity in progress. The sign does not say that the place is already clean.
Household conversations use 청소하다 when dividing chores or asking what has been finished. In accommodation messages, 청소 can refer to room cleaning. Words such as 청소 시간 and 청소 도구 name the cleaning time and cleaning equipment. These noun phrases are useful even before you can understand a complete notice.
청소해요 is polite everyday speech, while 청소해 fits close relationships. A direct instruction to clean can sound like assigning a chore. Who has authority, whether the work is shared and how the request is phrased all affect the tone; the word 청소 itself has no special respectful replacement.
What Makes the Noun-Plus-Verb Pattern Tricky?
In 방을 청소하다, 방 is the place being cleaned. In 방에서 청소를 하다, 방에서 tells you where the action happens, and 청소를 names the activity. Both describe cleaning in a room, but the second pattern explicitly separates location from activity. Avoid building a beginner sentence with two competing object phrases when one clear pattern will do.
The short negative 청소 안 해요 separates the noun from the 하다 part. The full verb 청소해요 is written together, while 청소를 해요 separates the noun with its particle. The negative is not a new verb: 해요 still carries the tense and politeness.
청소했어요 reports an action, not a permanent condition. A room can become dirty again after someone cleaned it. To describe how the room is now, use the adjective 깨끗하다. To describe putting scattered things back in place, 정리하다 may be more precise; a tidy desk can still need wiping.
Words for Household Cleaning
| Word | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 청소기 | vacuum cleaner | The appliance used for vacuuming. |
| 빗자루 | broom | A tool for sweeping a floor. |
| 걸레 | cleaning cloth; floor rag | Used for wiping dirt from surfaces or floors. |
| 먼지 | dust | One thing cleaning removes. |
| 쓰레기 | rubbish; trash | What you collect and dispose of during cleaning. |
The cleaning and laundry vocabulary lesson teaches these tools alongside other household tasks.
Mini Drill: Action, Place and State
- Complete “I clean the room”: 방___ 청소해요. Choose 을 or 이.
- Make 청소해요 negative with 안.
- Put 청소해요 into the polite past.
- Choose “The room is clean”: 방이 깨끗해요 or 방을 청소해요.
Show the cleaning answers
- 방을 청소해요.
- 청소 안 해요.
- 청소했어요.
- 방이 깨끗해요. The other sentence describes cleaning the room.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 청소 중 mean the cleaning has finished?
- Which verb is more precise for wiping a tabletop: 닦다 or 청소하다?
- What does 청소기를 돌리다 mean?
Show answers
- No. Cleaning is in progress.
- 닦다 names the wiping action.
- To run the vacuum cleaner; to vacuum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Say 청소를 하다?
Yes. 청소 is a noun, so 청소를 하다 means the same as 청소하다. Use one pattern or the other, not both objects at once.
What Is 대청소?
대청소 is a big, thorough clean of a whole house or building. Another useful word from the same family is 청소기, a vacuum cleaner.
How Do I Make 청소하다 Negative?
Put 안 between 청소 and 하다: 저는 화장실을 청소 안 해요 (I don't clean the bathroom). The long form is 청소하지 않아요.
How Do I Say 'the Room Is Clean'?
Use the adjective 깨끗하다: 방이 깨끗해요. 방이 청소해요 is wrong, and 청소돼요 means the room is being cleaned.
Which Words Are Related to 청소하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 닦다, 씻다 and 빨래하다 to build your vocabulary of household tasks. The rule behind 청소해요 is on the 하다 to 해요 page, and the placement of 안 is explained under negating 하다 verbs. You can check any form in the Korean verb conjugator, and the full list is in the Korean verb dictionary.