Key Facts
- Hangul: 초대하다 (chodaehada)
- Meaning: to invite
- Level: A2
- Stem: 초대하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Object marking: transitive
What Does 초대하다 Mean?
The basic pattern is 친구를 집에 초대하다 (invite a friend to your home). The invited person takes 을/를, and the place or event takes 에. The related noun 초대장 is an invitation card, and 초대해 주셔서 감사합니다 thanks a host.
Compared with 부르다, this verb explicitly describes inviting a guest, so it fits parties and visits. The guest is the direct object, which surprises learners who expect a recipient to take 에게 as in other verbs of giving. The noun 초대 and the card 초대장 are handy as well: an invitation you receive is a 초대, and the printed or digital card that carries it is a 초대장. As a guest you can thank your host with the set phrase 초대해 주셔서 감사합니다. The three examples below cover a home visit, a birthday party and a weekend plan. You can reuse their frames: swap the guest, the place or the time and the pattern still holds.
How Do You Pronounce 초대하다?
How Do You Use 초대하다 in a Sentence?
친구를 집에 초대해요.
I invite a friend to my home.
초대해요 with 친구를 and 집에: the guest is the object and the home is the destination.
생일 파티에 친구들을 초대했어요.
I invited my friends to the birthday party.
초대했어요 with 생일 파티에 and 친구들을: a group of guests for a party.
주말에 초대할 거예요.
I will invite you on the weekend.
초대할 거예요 with 주말에 states a plan to invite someone at the weekend.
How Does Chodaehada Conjugation Work?
초대하다 is a 하다 verb, so 하 + 여 becomes 해: 초대해요, 초대했어요. Consonant endings keep 하: 초대합니다, 초대하세요, 초대하는.
초대하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 초대해요 | ||
| Polite past | 초대했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 초대할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 초대하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 초대합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 초대했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 초대할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 초대해 | ||
| Casual past | 초대했어 | ||
| Casual future | 초대할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 초대하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 초대하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 초대해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 초대하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 초대하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 초대한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 초대할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 초대 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 초대하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 초대했어요 | [초대해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 초대할 거예요 | [초대할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 초대하겠어요 | [초대하게써요] |
| Formal present | 초대합니다 | [초대함니다] |
| Formal past | 초대했습니다 | [초대핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 초대할 것입니다 | [초대할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 초대했어 | [초대해써] |
| Casual future | 초대할 거야 | [초대할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 초대하고 싶어요 | [초대하고 시퍼요] |
| Long negative | 초대하지 않아요 | [초대하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 친구에게 초대해요.
Correct: ✓ 친구를 초대해요.
Why: The invited person is the object with 을/를. Learners treat the guest like the receiver of an invitation, as with verbs of sending, but 초대하다 acts directly on the guest.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it from 초대하다 |
|---|---|
| 부르다 | 부르다 can call someone over; 초대하다 explicitly invites them as a guest. |
| 약속하다 | 약속하다 is making a promise or plan; 초대하다 is inviting someone. |
Planning a Small Birthday Dinner
Two friends discuss who will come to a birthday dinner at home. One invitation has already been sent, and another is still planned.
Jisu
생일 파티에 누구를 초대해요?
Saengil patie nugureul chodaehaeyo?
Who are you inviting to the birthday party?
Alex
민수 씨를 초대했어요.
Minsu ssireul chodaehaesseoyo.
I invited Minsu.
Jisu
수진 씨도 초대해요?
Sujin ssido chodaehaeyo?
Are you inviting Sujin too?
Alex
네. 오늘 초대할 거예요.
Ne. Oneul chodaehal geoyeyo.
Yes. I’ll invite her today.
누구를 asks about the guest, while 생일 파티에 supplies the event. 초대했어요 means Minsu has already been invited; it does not confirm that he accepted. 초대할 거예요 says the next invitation is still a plan. In 수진 씨도, 도 means “too” and replaces the ordinary object marker.
Which Invitation Phrases Are Common?
집들이에 초대하다 means to invite someone to a housewarming gathering. 집들이 is the occasion, so it takes 에. 저녁 식사에 초대하다 means to invite someone to dinner. These phrases tell you what the invitation is for; the guest can be named separately with 을/를.
초대해 주셔서 감사합니다 is a polite way to thank a host for inviting you. 주셔서 presents the invitation as something the host kindly did for you. It can be said when accepting or when arriving; you do not have to wait until the gathering has ended.
초대를 받다 means to receive an invitation. The literal structure treats the invitation as something received, so the guest becomes the person receiving it. 초대장을 보내다 means to send an invitation card. Here 초대장, rather than the guest, is the thing sent. That change of verb changes the particle pattern.
여러분을 초대합니다 means “We invite you all” or “You are all invited.” You may see it in an event announcement. 여러분 addresses the audience collectively, and 초대합니다 gives the invitation a formal public tone.
Where Will You Hear or See 초대하다?
초대하다 appears in birthday plans, housewarming conversations, wedding-related messages and event publicity. A digital invitation is still a 초대장. The word does not require a paper card, a ticket or a formal ceremony: inviting a friend over for a simple meal also fits.
In an app, 초대 can label an invitation to a group chat, shared workspace or game. The social action is the same: someone offers another person entry to a group or event. The invited person may still need to accept, so “invited” does not mean “joined.”
Compared with 부르다, 초대하다 makes the role of guest clearer. 부르다 can simply summon someone or call them over. 초대하다 can be casual or formal depending on the ending and situation. 초대해요 fits polite conversation; 초대합니다 suits an announcement without changing the basic meaning.
What Is Tricky about the Guest and the Event?
English speakers may think of an invitation being given “to” someone and choose 에게. With 초대하다, the person being invited is the direct object. Keep the frame person + 을/를, event + 에. The order can change: 친구를 생일 파티에 and 생일 파티에 친구를 give the same roles.
Two phrases with 에 can appear if you name both time and event. In an invitation story, a weekend phrase might tell you when the invitation is sent or when the gathering happens. If that timing matters, add an explicit date or clarify the event time in the next sentence. The verb alone does not settle every scheduling detail.
초대하세요 honours the person doing the inviting; it does not specifically honour the guest. If a manager invites a friend, the honorific ending concerns the manager. If you invite a respected teacher, the teacher’s title and the wording of your invitation need attention, but you do not use 초대하세요 to describe your own action.
Keep 초대하다 and 초대했어요 together in writing. In 초대를 받다, the space comes after the noun and particle because 받다 is a separate verb. These are two useful perspectives on the same invitation, not two spellings of one conjugated form.
Words for Hosting and Attending
| Word | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 초대장 | invitation card | Carries the details of an invitation. |
| 손님 | guest; customer | The guest sense fits a home invitation. |
| 집들이 | housewarming gathering | A common occasion for inviting friends home. |
| 참석 | attendance | What happens if an invited guest actually comes. |
| 환영 | welcome | The reception given to someone who arrives. |
The celebration phrases lesson adds expressions for birthdays and other occasions where invitations arise.
Mini Drill: Build an Invitation
- Complete 친구___ 집에 초대해요 with 를 or 에게.
- Complete 생일 파티___ 친구들을 초대했어요 with 에 or 를.
- Change 초대해요 to polite past.
- Use the future plan form after 주말에.
Show the invitation answers
- 친구를 집에 초대해요.
- 생일 파티에 친구들을 초대했어요.
- 초대했어요.
- 주말에 초대할 거예요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 초대했어요 confirm that the guest accepted?
- Can 초대하다 describe a casual dinner at home?
- Who receives respect through the ending in 초대하세요: the inviter or the guest?
Show answers
- No. It reports the invitation, not the reply.
- Yes. The event need not be formal.
- The inviter, who performs the action.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Thank a Host for Inviting Me?
Say 초대해 주셔서 감사합니다 (thank you for inviting me).
What Is 초대장?
An invitation card, built on the noun 초대 (invitation) plus 장 (card, letter).
Does the Guest Take 에게?
No. The invited person is a direct object with 을/를: 친구를 초대해요.
How Do I Say "I Invited My Friends to the Birthday Party"?
생일 파티에 친구들을 초대했어요. The event takes 에 and the guests take 을/를.
Which Words Are Related to 초대하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next, read 환영하다 and 방문하다, which describe welcoming and visiting. 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.