Key Facts
- Hangul: 다니다 (danida)
- Meaning: to attend; to go regularly
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: verb
- Stem: 다니
- Conjugation class: Regular
- Grammar: The place takes 에 (회사에 다니다) or 을/를 for areas travelled through; the subject takes 이/가.
- Honorific polite: 다니세요
- Usage: Basic for jobs and schools: 회사에 다니다 means to be employed there. Do not confuse the polite form 다녀요 with the set phrase 다녀오다.
What Does 다니다 Mean?
- to attend; to go regularly: Used for places one goes to regularly, e.g. 학교에 다니다 (to attend school) or 회사에 다니다 (to work at a company).
- to travel around: Used for going back and forth or around, e.g. 여기저기 다니다 (to go about).
다니다 is going to a place again and again, as a routine. 학교에 다니다 means to attend school, that is, to be a student there, and 회사에 다니다 means to be employed at a company. The place takes 에, and the subject takes 이/가.
The second sense is moving around: 여기저기 다니다 is to go about from place to place, and areas travelled through can take 을/를. Do not mix up the polite form 다녀요 with the separate verb 다녀오다, which means to go somewhere and come back.
Which Set Phrases Use 다니다?
- 학교에 다니다: To attend school; to be a student.
- 회사에 다니다: To be employed at a company.
- 여기저기 다니다: To go about from place to place.
How Do You Pronounce 다니다?
다니다 is read as spelled. The past 다녔어요 is [다녀써요] and the formal 다닙니다 is [다님니다]. The future 다닐 거예요 is [다닐꺼예요].
How Do You Use 다니다 in a Sentence?
저는 매일 학교에 다녀요.
I go to school every day.
매일 (every day) shows the habit. 학교에 다녀요 says that school is where the speaker regularly goes, so it is a statement about being a student.
작년에 이 회사에 다녔어요.
I worked at this company last year.
작년에 (last year) is the time, and 이 회사에 is the workplace. The past 다녔어요 places that employment in last year; context tells us whether it continues now.
요즘 어느 학원에 다니세요?
Which academy do you attend these days?
어느 학원에 is 'which academy', and 다니세요 is the honorific polite form. It is how you politely ask where someone studies.
How Does Danida Conjugation Work?
다니다 is regular. The stem 다니 ends in ㅣ, and ㅣ + 어 contracts to ㅕ, so the polite present is 다녀요 and the past is 다녔어요. Formal 다닙니다 and the honorific 다니세요 attach to the whole stem.
다니다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 다녀요 | ||
| Polite past | 다녔어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 다닐 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 다니겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 다닙니다 | ||
| Formal past | 다녔습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 다닐 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 다녀 | ||
| Casual past | 다녔어 | ||
| Casual future | 다닐 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 다니고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 다니세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 다녀서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 다니면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 다니는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 다닌 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 다닐 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 다녀요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 다니지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 다녔어요 | [다녀써요] |
| Polite future | 다닐 거예요 | [다닐꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 다니겠어요 | [다니게써요] |
| Formal present | 다닙니다 | [다님니다] |
| Formal past | 다녔습니다 | [다녇씀니다] |
| Formal future | 다닐 것입니다 | [다닐꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 다녔어 | [다녀써] |
| Casual future | 다닐 거야 | [다닐꺼야] |
| Long negative | 다니지 않아요 | [다니지 아나요] |
Common Mistake with 다니다
Wrong: ✗ 학교에 다니요
Correct: ✓ 학교에 다녀요.
Why: 다니 + 어요 contracts to 다녀요. 요 cannot attach straight to the stem, so 다니요 is wrong. The same ㅣ + 어 merger gives the past 다녔어요.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 다니다?
| Word | How to tell it from 다니다 |
|---|---|
| 가다 | 가다 focuses on going, including a single trip; 다니다 highlights regular attendance or going back and forth. |
| 오다 | 오다 is one coming; 다니다 repeats going and coming as a habit. |
Choosing a Language Academy
Two coworkers are discussing Korean classes. Jisu asks about Alex's current academy, and Alex explains a change from the previous year.
Jisu
요즘 어느 학원에 다니세요?
Yojeum eoneu hagwone daniseyo?
Which academy do you attend these days?
Alex
집 근처 학원에 다녀요.
Jip geuncheo hagwone danyeoyo.
I attend an academy near home.
Jisu
작년에도 거기에 다녔어요?
Jangnyeonedo geogie danyeosseoyo?
Did you attend there last year too?
Alex
아니요. 작년에는 다른 학원에 다녔어요.
Aniyo. Jangnyeoneneun dareun hagwone danyeosseoyo.
No. Last year I attended a different academy.
다니세요 asks respectfully about the other person's routine. Alex answers with 다녀요 about current attendance and 다녔어요 for last year. 거기에 means “there” with the destination marker attached.
Regular Attendance Does Not Have to Mean Every Day
학교에 다니다 identifies someone as attending school, and 회사에 다니다 identifies regular employment at a company. The frequency comes from the situation or an added time expression. A class that meets once a week can still take 다니다. The verb itself does not require daily travel, even though the existing school example includes 매일.
학원에 다니다 means “to attend an academy” or “to take classes at a private institute”. 학원 can cover language lessons and many other subjects. The phrase tells you where someone studies regularly. It does not tell you that they are attending a university, so the type of institution matters when translating it.
병원에 다니다 means “to go to a hospital/clinic regularly”. It can describe a series of appointments or ongoing treatment. A single visit is more naturally introduced with 가다. The recurring visits are what connects this phrase to school and work attendance; the institution does not have to be educational.
여기저기 다니다 means “to go around from place to place”. Here the focus is movement across locations instead of membership of one institution. 다니다 can therefore describe traveling about without suggesting that the person attends every place like a student. 여기저기 supplies the “here and there” part of the meaning.
How Is 다니다 Different from Related Travel Words?
가다 can describe one trip, but it can also describe a habit when the sentence gives repeated timing. The distinction is therefore about focus: 다니다 highlights regular attendance or going back and forth. A question about today's destination may favor 가다; a question about which school someone attends favors 다니다.
다녀오다 adds the idea of going somewhere and returning. 다녀요 alone does not report that a return has been completed. The familiar leaving-home phrase 다녀오겠습니다 belongs to 다녀오다. It promises going out and coming back, while 회사에 다녀요 describes the speaker's employment or routine. Similar-looking beginnings do not make the phrases equivalent.
출근하다 focuses on going to work, and 일하다 focuses on working. 회사에 다니다 describes regular employment at a workplace. Choose the verb according to whether you are discussing the commute, the work or the employment relationship.
Keep the Full Stem outside the Contraction
다녀요 contracts 다니 plus 어요. The contraction does not change every form to 다녀: 다니세요, 다니면 and 다니는 retain 다니. In 다니는 학교, “the school someone attends”, 는 makes the verb modify 학교. Write a space before 학교 because the modifier and noun are separate words.
A past form reports attendance in a past period, but does not by itself prove that it has ended forever. The existing 작년에 example places the job last year. If the speaker still works there, surrounding context can say so. The dialogue removes that ambiguity by explicitly contrasting last year's academy with the current one.
| Korean | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 학원 | private academy / institute | Name a place for regular classes outside school. |
| 직장 | workplace / job | Discuss where someone works regularly. |
| 통학 | commuting to school | Focus on the journey between home and school. |
| 통근 | commuting to work | Focus on the work commute rather than the job itself. |
The school vocabulary lesson teaches words for the institutions and classes that commonly appear with 다니다.
Mini Drill: a Routine in Four Forms
- Make the polite present of 다니다.
- Ask respectfully using the honorific polite form.
- Complete “the school I attend”: ____ 학교.
- Complete “I want to attend”: ____ 싶어요.
Show the attendance drill answers
- 다녀요.
- 다니세요? The subject is the respected person.
- 다니는 학교.
- 다니고 싶어요. Keep 다니 before 고 and a space before 싶어요.
Quick Self-Test
- Can 다니다 describe a class attended once a week?
- Does 다녀요 alone mean “I went and came back”?
- Which particle marks the institution in 회사에 다녀요?
Show self-test answers
- Yes. It describes regular attendance, not a fixed daily frequency.
- No. 다녀오다 is the verb for going and returning.
- 에 marks the place of regular attendance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say 'I Work at a Company'?
회사에 다녀요. The place takes 에 and the verb is 다니다.
What Is the Polite Present of 다니다?
다녀요. The ㅣ of the stem merges with 어 into ㅕ.
How Is 다니다 Different from 가다?
가다 focuses on going and can describe either one trip or a habit. 다니다 emphasizes regular attendance or going back and forth.
Is 다녀요 the Same as 다녀오다?
No. 다녀요 is the polite present of 다니다. 다녀오다 is a separate verb meaning to go and come back.
Which Words Are Related to 다니다?
What Should You Learn Next?
After 다니다, compare it with 가다 and 오다, then learn 일하다 and 출근하다 for work talk. You will use them together when you describe your routine. For the rule behind these forms, read how ㅣ stems become ㅕ, then try another stem in the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.