Key Facts
- Hangul: 대화하다 (daehwahada)
- Meaning: to converse
- Level: A2
- Syllables: 4 (대 · 화 · 하 · 다)
- Stem: 대화하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Object marking: intransitive
- Polite present: 대화해요
What Does 대화하다 Mean?
대화하다 means a two-way conversation. The partner takes 와/과: 외국인과 대화해요, 부모님과 대화했어요.
The noun with a separate verb, 대화를 하다, is just as common and means the same thing. Both sound a little more formal than everyday chatting verbs.
How Do You Pronounce 대화하다?
Daehwahada has 4 syllables (대 · 화 · 하 · 다) and is said as it is spelled.
How Do You Use 대화하다 in a Sentence?
외국인과 영어로 대화해요.
I converse with a foreigner in English.
대화해요 is the polite present form.
어제 부모님과 대화했어요.
I talked with my parents yesterday.
대화했어요 is the polite past form.
대화하면 오해가 풀려요.
Misunderstandings clear up when you talk.
대화하면 is the if (conditional) form.
Usage Notes
대화하다 sounds more formal than the everyday verbs for chatting, so it suits serious talks between two people. The first example shows the language of the talk marked with 로, as in 영어로, and the partner marked with 과. The third example shows why the verb is valued: 대화하면 오해가 풀려요 says that talking clears up misunderstandings. If you only want to say that someone speaks, use 말하다. If you chat or tell a story, 이야기하다 fits better.
How Does Daehwahada Conjugation Work?
대화하다 (to converse) follows the 하다 pattern: the 하 of the stem 대화하 meets 여 and contracts to 해, which gives 대화해요 and 대화했어요. The short negative of 대화하다 (to converse) is 대화 안 해요, with 안 placed after the noun part; see negating 하다 verbs.
The pattern behind 대화하다 (to converse) is taught step by step in 하다 to 해요.
대화하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 대화해요 | ||
| Polite past | 대화했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 대화할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 대화하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 대화합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 대화했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 대화할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 대화해 | ||
| Casual past | 대화했어 | ||
| Casual future | 대화할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 대화하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 대화하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 대화해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 대화하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 대화하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 대화한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 대화할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 대화 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 대화하지 않아요 |
Before a noun, 대화하다 (to converse) becomes 대화하는 (present) or 대화한 (past); as a link between clauses it is 대화해서 for 'because' and 대화하면 for 'if'.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 대화했어요 | [대화해써요] |
| Future (plan) | 대화할 거예요 | [대화할꺼예요] |
| Future (guess) | 대화하겠어요 | [대화하게써요] |
| Formal present | 대화합니다 | [대화함니다] |
| Formal past | 대화했습니다 | [대화핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 대화할 것입니다 | [대화할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 대화했어 | [대화해써] |
| Casual future | 대화할 거야 | [대화할꺼야] |
| Want to | 대화하고 싶어요 | [대화하고 시퍼요] |
| Long negative | 대화하지 않아요 | [대화하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 친구를 대화해요.
Correct: ✓ 친구와 대화해요.
Why: 대화하다 takes 와/과 for the partner, not 을/를.
대화하다 Versus Similar Words
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 이야기하다 | 이야기하다 is everyday talk or storytelling; 대화하다 is a two-way conversation, often a serious one. |
| 말하다 | 말하다 is speaking or saying; 대화하다 requires two sides. |
Making Time to Resolve a Misunderstanding
Two coworkers have had a misunderstanding. One suggests a conversation after work, and the other explains why another talk would help.
Jisu
오늘 퇴근 후에 대화해요.
Oneul toegeun hue daehwahaeyo.
Let’s talk after work today.
Alex
좋아요. 저도 대화하고 싶어요.
Joayo. Jeodo daehwahago sipeoyo.
Okay. I want to talk too.
Jisu
어제도 대화했어요?
Eojedo daehwahaesseoyo?
Did you talk yesterday too?
Alex
네. 하지만 아직 오해가 있어요.
Ne. Hajiman ajik ohaega isseoyo.
Yes. But there’s still a misunderstanding.
대화해요 proposes a talk, 대화하고 싶어요 expresses willingness, and 대화했어요 asks about an earlier conversation. The partner is understood from the situation, so it need not be repeated in every line. The final reply shows that having a conversation does not guarantee that a disagreement is already resolved.
How Do You Name the Partner, Language, and Topic?
친구와 대화하다 means talking with a friend. 부모님과 대화하다 means talking with one's parents. 와 follows a vowel and 과 follows a consonant, so the partner's noun controls the choice. The partner participates in the exchange; the noun is not a direct object receiving an action.
한국어로 대화하다 means having a conversation in Korean. 로 identifies the language used for the exchange. A sentence can include both pieces: a partner and a language. English sometimes makes “speak Korean” sound like a claim about ability, but this phrase describes the language of a conversation.
그 문제에 대해 대화하다 means talking about that issue. 에 대해 introduces the topic. The partner and topic therefore use different structures. If you replace the partner with the issue but keep 와, you change the meaning toward talking “with” an issue, which is not the intended relationship.
Common Phrases Built on 대화
대화를 나누다 literally means to share a conversation and naturally translates as “have a conversation.” It presents the exchange as something people share. 대화 상대 is a conversation partner: 상대 identifies the person on the other side of the exchange, rather than the subject under discussion.
진지한 대화 is a serious conversation, and 일상 대화 is everyday conversation. The noun 대화 does not require an argument, negotiation, or heavy subject. It can label the ordinary exchanges in a language textbook just as easily as a difficult family discussion.
대화가 통하다 describes being able to communicate or understand each other. 통하다 adds the idea of getting through. The phrase goes beyond merely saying that two people spoke; it suggests that the exchange connects them or that they can make themselves understood.
Where Does 대화하다 Appear, and How Formal Is It?
Textbooks use 대화 as a heading for model conversations. Interviews and relationship discussions use 대화하다 when the exchange itself matters: who talked with whom, about what, and whether they understood each other. News may use 대화 for talks between groups as well as individuals.
In a relaxed chat about spending time with a friend, 이야기하다 can sound more conversational. 대화하다 is still natural in everyday speech when you want to emphasise a two-way exchange. It does not always signal a conflict. The added words 진지한 or 일상 tell you much more about the tone.
Keep the Noun and Verb Structure Clear
대화하다 and 대화를 하다 describe the same basic action. In the second construction, 대화 takes 를 as the object of 하다. That does not mean the conversation partner can also take 를. 친구와 remains the partner phrase in either construction. Keep the whole relationship, rather than copying the particle from the nearest noun.
| Related word | Meaning | Role in a conversation |
|---|---|---|
| 상대 | partner / the other party | Identifies the person you exchange words with. |
| 주제 | topic | Identifies what you discuss. |
| 질문 | question | Opens a request for information. |
| 오해 | misunderstanding | A possible reason to have a clarifying conversation. |
Try the Korean conversation questions lesson for topics that turn 대화 from a label into an actual exchange.
Mini Drill: Build the Right Form
- Choose the partner particle: 친구____ 대화해요.
- Mark Korean as the language: 한국어____ 대화해요.
- Put 대화하다 in the polite past.
- Write the equivalent noun-plus-verb construction for 대화하다.
Show drill answers
- 친구와 대화해요. 친구 ends in a vowel.
- 한국어로 대화해요. 로 marks the language.
- 대화했어요.
- 대화를 하다. 를 belongs to 대화, not to the partner.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 대화하다 necessarily mean having an argument?
- What does 대화 상대 identify?
- In 그 문제에 대해 대화하다, what is the topic?
Show answers
- No. It can describe everyday conversation too.
- The conversation partner.
- 그 문제, that issue. 에 대해 introduces it as the subject discussed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say 'I Talk with a Foreigner in English' in Korean?
외국인과 영어로 대화해요. The partner takes 과 and the language takes 로.
How Is 대화하다 (to converse) Different from 이야기하다?
이야기하다 is everyday talk or storytelling; 대화하다 is a two-way conversation, often a serious one.
How Is 대화하다 (to converse) Different from 말하다?
말하다 is speaking or saying something; 대화하다 needs two sides.
Is 친구를 대화해요 Correct Korean?
No, use 친구와 대화해요. 대화하다 takes 와/과 for the partner, not 을/를.
What Is the Polite past of 대화하다?
For 'to converse', the polite past is 대화했어요; the polite present is 대화해요 and the formal present is 대화합니다.
How Do You Say 'Not Talk' with 대화하다?
For 'not talk', the short negative is 대화 안 해요 and the long one is 대화하지 않아요.
Which Words Are Related to 대화하다?
- 이야기하다 (to talk; to chat)
- 말하다 (to speak)
- 회의하다 (to hold a meeting)
- 질문하다 (to ask a question)
- Korean verb dictionary
What Should You Learn Next?
Try other forms of 대화하다 in the Korean verb conjugator, then continue with 이야기하다 (to talk; to chat). More entries like 대화하다 (to converse) sit together in the Korean verb dictionary.