Key Facts
- Hangul: 친절하다 (chinjeolhada)
- Meaning: kind/friendly
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 친절하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: The person who receives the kindness takes 에게/한테, never 을/를.
- Usage: Frequent in reviews and everyday talk about service.
What Does 친절하다 Mean?
친절하다 describes people who treat others helpfully and politely, such as shop staff, as in 친절한 직원. It focuses on outward behaviour.
You will meet it constantly in reviews and small talk about restaurants, hotels and teachers. The adverb 친절하게 is common too, as in 친절하게 설명해요.
How Do You Pronounce 친절하다?
Nothing here needs a sound change in the dictionary form. The ㄹ at the end of 절 flows straight into 하, and the formal present 친절합니다 is read [친절함니다], because ㅂ turns into ㅁ before ㄴ. The past formal 친절했습니다 is [친절핻씀니다].
How Do You Use 친절하다 in a Sentence?
식당 직원이 아주 친절해요.
The restaurant staff are very friendly.
식당 직원이 is the subject; 아주 raises the degree of 친절해요.
친절해서 또 가고 싶어요.
They were kind, so I want to go again.
친절해서 is the reason clause, and 또 가고 싶어요 is the result: the speaker wants to return.
친절한 선생님을 만났어요.
I met a kind teacher.
친절한 is the modifier; 만났어요 shows a past meeting with that teacher.
How Does Chinjeolhada Conjugation Work?
친절하다 is a 하다 adjective, so 친절해요, 친절했어요 and 친절해서 all use the contracted 해. The modifier is 친절한, the honorific is 친절하세요, and the negative is 친절하지 않아요. A direct 고 싶어요 form is not the ordinary way to express wanting this quality.
친절하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 친절해요 | ||
| Polite past | 친절했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 친절할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 친절하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 친절합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 친절했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 친절할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 친절해 | ||
| Casual past | 친절했어 | ||
| Casual future | 친절할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 친절하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 친절해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 친절하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 친절한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 친절했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 친절할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 친절해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 친절하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 친절했어요 | [친절해써요] |
| Polite future | 친절할 거예요 | [친절할꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 친절하겠어요 | [친절하게써요] |
| Formal present | 친절합니다 | [친절함니다] |
| Formal past | 친절했습니다 | [친절핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 친절할 것입니다 | [친절할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 친절했어 | [친절해써] |
| Casual future | 친절할 거야 | [친절할꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 친절했던 | [친절핻떤] |
| Long negative | 친절하지 않아요 | [친절하지 아나요] |
친절하다 Forms to Reach for First
- Politely (kind/friendly): 친절해요
- Earlier, in the past (kind/friendly): 친절했어요
- Giving the reason (kind/friendly): 친절해서
- If the condition holds (kind/friendly): 친절하면
- Before a noun (kind/friendly): 친절한, or 친절했던 for the past
- Denying it (kind/friendly): 친절하지 않아요
- Honorific, about a respected person (kind/friendly): 친절하세요
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 저를 친절해요
Correct: ✓ 저에게 친절해요
Why: Because 'be kind to someone' takes an object in English, learners attach 를. In Korean the person who receives the kindness is marked with 에게 or 한테.
When Does 친절하다 Fit Best?
Choose 친절하다 for service and helpfulness that you can see. For a warm personality in general, 착하다 is the better word.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 친절하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 친절하다 |
|---|---|
| 착하다 | 착하다 is a good heart in general; 친절하다 is about outward helpful behavior toward others. |
| 무례하다 | The opposite in behavior: 무례하다 is rude and lacks manners, while 친절하다 is warm and helpful. |
Remembering Helpful Hotel Staff
Two travelers are choosing a hotel for their next visit. One remembers how the staff treated them on their previous stay.
Alex
지난번 호텔 직원은 친절했어요?
Jinanbeon hotel jigwoneun chinjeolhaesseoyo?
Were the hotel staff kind last time?
Jisu
네. 저에게 정말 친절했어요.
Ne. Jeoege jeongmal chinjeolhaesseoyo.
Yes. They were really kind to me.
Alex
친절한 직원이 있으면 좋겠어요.
Chinjeolhan jigwoni isseumyeon jokesseoyo.
I hope there are kind staff.
Jisu
거기는 직원들이 다 친절해요.
Geogineun jigwondeuri da chinjeolhaeyo.
All the staff there are kind.
친절했어요 recalls the previous stay. 친절한 describes the kind of employee Alex hopes to meet, and 친절해요 gives Jisu's current assessment of the hotel. The second line also makes the recipient explicit with 저에게. The staff are the kind people; the traveler is the person receiving their help.
Helpful Service: Phrases Worth Recognizing
친절한 설명 means “a helpful explanation”. An explanation cannot have a friendly personality, so 친절한 here describes the care taken to help the listener understand. A guide who patiently explains where to transfer trains can give this kind of explanation. The focus is how someone presents the information.
친절하게 설명하다 means “to explain kindly” or “to explain helpfully”. 친절하게 tells you how the explaining happens. Compare the structure with 친절한 설명: 한 puts the quality before a noun, while 하게 connects the quality to an action. In the existing phrase 친절하게 설명해요, 설명해요 is the main action.
친절한 직원 is “a kind/helpful employee”. You may read this in accommodation or restaurant reviews. It praises the way the employee deals with people, such as giving directions or answering a question patiently. It does not automatically say that the hotel is luxurious or that the food tastes good.
How Does the Compliment Sound?
친절하다 fits spoken compliments, travel reviews and accounts of customer service. 친절해요 is a polite comment to a listener. 친절합니다 sounds more formal and can suit a written review or an organized report. A review may use the past 친절했어요 because it describes one visit, even when the writer still thinks well of the business.
친절하세요 honors the person who is kind. It can describe a respected teacher or another adult. The honorific and the polite ending do different jobs: the honorific respects the person described; 요 makes the conversation polite to the listener. When describing your own helpfulness, ordinary 친절해요 does not need that honorific.
Calling someone 친절하다 praises observable treatment. It does not say that the person is your friend or that you know them well. A stranger who helps you find a bus stop can be 친절한 사람. For a person's broader good nature, compare 착하다; for a gentle voice or manner, 상냥하다 adds a different detail.
Words to Add to a Service Review
| Korean | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 직원 | employee / staff member | Name the person whose help you appreciated. |
| 설명 | explanation | Say what the person made easier to understand. |
| 서비스 | service | Discuss the experience beyond one employee. |
| 불친절하다 | to be unkind / unhelpful | Give the direct negative counterpart in a service context. |
A helpful explanation can still be factually wrong, so 친절한 설명 praises the delivery and care rather than guaranteeing accuracy. If you want to praise both, the surrounding sentence needs to make both qualities clear.
The personality adjective lesson compares words for people's qualities. 불친절하다 focuses directly on a lack of kindness or helpfulness. 무례하다 is stronger about manners: someone is rude. A rushed employee who gives little help is not necessarily openly insulting.
Mini Drill: Who Is Kind to Whom?
- Choose the recipient marker: 저____ 친절해요 (에게 / 를).
- Fill “a kind teacher”: ____ 선생님.
- Choose the form before 설명해요: 친절한 / 친절하게.
- Report a past visit politely: 친절하다 → ____.
Show the kindness drill answers
- 저에게 친절해요. 저 is the recipient of the kindness.
- 친절한 선생님.
- 친절하게 설명해요. The adverb describes the action.
- 친절했어요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 친절한 직원 mean the employee is your close friend?
- Which form honors a respected person who is kind: 친절해요 or 친절하세요?
- Which is the direct negative counterpart in a service review: 불친절하다 or 무겁다?
Show self-test answers
- No. It describes helpful behavior toward people.
- 친절하세요. Both forms are polite to the listener, but this one also honors the person described.
- 불친절하다. 무겁다 means heavy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 친절하다?
친절해요. It is the usual way to praise service.
How Do I Say 'Kind to Me'?
저에게 친절해요. The receiver takes 에게.
How Do I Say 'Kindly' as an Adverb?
친절하게, as in 친절하게 설명해요.
What Is the Opposite?
무례하다 is the opposite in behaviour: rude and lacking manners.
Which Words Are Related to 친절하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 친절하다 with 착하다 to see outer help against inner goodness, then read 무례하다 for the other extreme. The pattern is explained in how 하다 words become 해요. Then run another word through the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.