Key Facts
- Hangul: 닮다 (damda)
- Pronunciation: [담따]
- Meaning: to resemble
- Level: B1
- Stem: 닮
- Conjugation class: regular
- Grammar: transitive
How Do You Say Resemble in Korean?
닮다 is for family likeness and for things that look alike. The person you resemble takes 을/를, as in 엄마를 닮다 (to take after mom), and the 와/과 pattern is also possible.
The key habit to learn is aspect. 닮다 describes a result: the likeness is already fixed. So Korean says 닮았어요 for 'I look like my father', and the attributive form is the past-looking 닮은, as in 닮은 사람. The plain present 닮아요 describes a likeness that is developing, as in a child who gradually becomes like a parent. A friendly reaction to a family resemblance is 많이 닮았네요.
How Do You Pronounce 닮다?
닮다 is pronounced [담따]. The final ㄻ cluster is said as ㅁ, and the following ㄷ is tensed to ㄸ. Before vowels both letters are heard: the ㄹ stays and the ㅁ moves across, giving 닮아요 as [달마요] and 닮으세요 as [달므세요]. With consonant endings the ㅁ stays put: 닮습니다 is [담씀니다], and 닮지 않아요 is [담찌 아나요].
How Do You Use 닮다 in a Sentence?
저는 아버지를 닮았어요.
I look like my father.
닮았어요 is the neutral way to say 'I look like my father'. Past in form, present in meaning.
동생은 엄마를 닮아요.
My younger sibling takes after mom.
닮아요 says the younger sibling takes after mom as a general trait. For a plain statement of likeness, 닮았어요 is more common.
고양이를 닮은 강아지예요.
It is a puppy that looks like a cat.
닮은 sits before 강아지 and means 'that looks like'. This is the attributive state form, not a true past tense.
How Does 닮다 Conjugation Work?
The stem 닮 ends in a consonant cluster and its vowel is ㅏ, so the endings take 아: 닮아요, 닮았어요, 닮아서. Endings that begin with 으 appear after the stem: 닮으세요, 닮으면. The future is 닮을 거예요, and a remembered likeness is 닮았던. For a likeness that already exists, the modifier is 닮은, not 닮는.
닮다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 닮아요 | ||
| Polite past | 닮았어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 닮을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 닮겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 닮습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 닮았습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 닮을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 닮아 | ||
| Casual past | 닮았어 | ||
| Casual future | 닮을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 닮고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 닮으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 닮아서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 닮으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 닮은 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 닮았던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 닮을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 닮아요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 닮지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite now | 닮아요 | [달마요] |
| Polite past | 닮았어요 | [달마써요] |
| Future plan | 닮을 거예요 | [달믈꺼예요] |
| Future guess | 닮겠어요 | [담께써요] |
| Formal now | 닮습니다 | [담씀니다] |
| Formal past | 닮았습니다 | [달맏씀니다] |
| Formal future | 닮을 것입니다 | [달믈꺼심니다] |
| Casual now | 닮아 | [달마] |
| Casual past | 닮았어 | [달마써] |
| Casual future | 닮을 거야 | [달믈꺼야] |
| Want to | 닮고 싶어요 | [담꼬 시퍼요] |
| Honorific | 닮으세요 | [달므세요] |
| Because | 닮아서 | [달마서] |
| If | 닮으면 | [달므면] |
| Modifier now | 닮은 | [달믄] |
| Modifier past | 닮았던 | [달맏떤] |
| Modifier next | 닮을 | [달믈] |
| Short negative | 안 닮아요 | [안 달마요] |
| Long negative | 닮지 않아요 | [담찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 닮는 사람
Correct: ✓ 닮은 사람
Why: 닮다 describes a state, so its present modifier is 닮은, not 닮는, even though 닮은 looks like a past form. Learners avoid it for that reason, but for this verb it is the ordinary present-state modifier.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it from 닮다 |
|---|---|
| 비슷하다 | 비슷하다 means similar in general; 닮다 is used for people or things that look or act alike, often by family. |
| 같다 | 같다 means the same; 닮다 means resembling, not identical. |
Looking through Family Photos
Two friends are looking at an old family photo. One notices a resemblance, and the other explains whose personality they hope to take after.
Jisu
아버지를 닮았어요?
Abeojireul dalmasseoyo?
Do you look like your father?
Alex
네. 아버지를 많이 닮았어요.
Ne. Abeojireul mani dalmasseoyo.
Yes. I look a lot like my father.
Jisu
성격도 닮았어요?
Seonggyeokdo dalmasseoyo?
Do you take after him in personality too?
Alex
성격은 엄마를 닮고 싶어요.
Seonggyeogeun eommareul damgo sipeoyo.
For personality, I want to take after my mom.
The questions use 닮았어요 for a resemblance that exists now. Alex's final 닮고 싶어요 expresses a wish to acquire a quality. Physical appearance and personality can therefore lead to different answers. The person being resembled keeps 를, while 성격은 sets up personality as the part Alex wants to discuss.
Useful Combinations with 닮다
부모를 닮다 means “to take after one's parents”. 닮다 can concern facial features, habits or personality, so an English translation limited to “look like” can be too narrow. A family conversation may begin with appearance and then move to temperament, just as the dialogue does.
많이 닮다 means “to resemble a lot”. 많이 increases the degree of resemblance rather than counting people. In the dialogue, 아버지를 많이 닮았어요 means the likeness is strong. It does not mean Alex has resembled his father on many separate occasions.
서로 닮다 means “to resemble each other”. 서로 makes the relationship mutual, which is useful when comparing siblings or a couple. Neither person has to be named as the model the other one follows. By contrast, 엄마를 닮다 picks out the mother as the person whose features or qualities are shared.
닮은 사람 means “a person who resembles someone”. The phrase needs context to identify whom they resemble. It is useful in a conversation about a look-alike or a familiar face. 닮은 is attached directly to the noun phrase without adding a separate word for English “who”.
Where Will You Hear about Resemblance?
Family photos, baby photos and introductions often prompt comments with 닮았어요. Entertainment discussions also compare a person with a celebrity or an animal. The puppy example shows that 닮다 can cross categories: a puppy can resemble a cat without being the same kind of animal. Resemblance is a shared feature, rather than identity.
A resemblance comment can be a compliment, a neutral observation or an unwelcome comparison. The grammar alone does not decide. Saying someone resembles a person they admire may feel warm; choosing an insulting comparison can offend. With someone you have just met, stay with an appropriate comparison rather than assuming any appearance comment will be welcome.
For a respected person, the table's 닮으세요 is the simple honorific present. In comments about an already established resemblance, you may also hear past-shaped honorific wording. The central lesson remains the same: a past-shaped expression can describe the likeness visible now. A time word or the surrounding story tells you when a genuinely past resemblance is meant.
Keep the Spelling When the Sound Changes
닮다 is regular even though its ㄻ cluster sounds different across endings. In 닮다 only ㅁ is heard from the cluster; in 닮아요 the ㄹ remains at the end of the first syllable and ㅁ starts the next. The spelling 닮 stays throughout. Rewriting the stem to match only the sound would hide the connection between these forms.
| Korean | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 외모 | appearance | Specify visible resemblance. |
| 성격 | personality | Specify shared traits or temperament. |
| 부모 | parents | Name the family members someone takes after. |
| 형제 | brothers / siblings | Discuss resemblance within a family. |
The family vocabulary lesson helps you name the relatives in these comparisons. For personality and appearance, the personality vocabulary lesson supplies the qualities you may want to identify more precisely.
Mini Drill: the Shape of a Resemblance
- Complete “I look like my father”: 아버지____ 닮았어요.
- Choose the ordinary existing-state modifier: 닮은 / 닮는 사람.
- Make “I want to resemble” politely.
- Complete the conditional from 닮다: ____.
Show the resemblance drill answers
- 아버지를 닮았어요.
- 닮은 사람. This names an existing resemblance.
- 닮고 싶어요.
- 닮으면. Keep the full ㄻ spelling.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 닮았어요 always describe a resemblance that has ended?
- Can 닮다 describe personality as well as appearance?
- Does 닮다 mean the two people are identical?
Show self-test answers
- No. It commonly describes a resemblance that exists now.
- Yes. It can mean taking after someone's traits.
- No. It points to shared features; 같다 is the comparison for sameness.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say 'I Look Like My Mother'?
Use the past form for the finished likeness: 닮았어요, with 엄마를 as the object. The example above uses 아버지를 for a father.
Why Is 닮았어요 Not 'Looked Like'?
Because 닮다 names a state that has already been reached, the past tense is how Korean states it now.
Is 닮다 the Same as 비슷하다?
Not quite. 비슷하다 means similar in general, while 닮다 is for people or things that look or act alike, often within a family.
What Is the Pronunciation of 닮다?
It is [담따]: the final cluster is said as ㅁ and the next ㄷ becomes ㄸ.
Which Words Are Related to 닮다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next look at 비슷하다 for general similarity, 같다 for 'the same', 다르다 for difference and 잘생기다 for good looks.
The polite present recipe explains the pattern behind 닮아요, and the conjugator checks any other form. The dictionary lists the rest.