Key Facts
- Hangul: 다르다 (dareuda)
- Meaning: different
- Level: A1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 다르
- Conjugation class: 르-irregular
- Grammar: 이/가 marks the subject; 와/과 or 하고 name what it differs from (A는 B와 달라요).
- Usage: The modifier 다른 also means other: 다른 사람.
What Does 다르다 Mean?
다르다 says that two things are not the same. 제 생각은 친구와 달라요 means my opinion differs from my friend's, and the partner takes 와 or 과 (하고 in speech).
The modifier 다른 does double duty: before a noun it can mean different or other. 다른 색은 없어요? asks whether there are other colours.
How Do You Pronounce 다르다?
Read as written: [다르다]. In the polite present the 르 changes shape: 달라요 is read [달라요], and the past 달랐어요 follows. The doubled ㄹ links the two syllables.
How Do You Use 다르다 in a Sentence?
제 생각은 친구와 달라요.
My opinion is different from my friend's.
제 생각은 is the topic, and 친구와 names what it differs from.
다른 색은 없어요?
Don't you have other colors?
다른 modifies 색은, and 없어요? asks about the existence of other colours.
지난번과 달랐어요.
It was different from last time.
지난번과 names what the comparison is with, and 달랐어요 is the past.
The examples show the word's two faces: comparison (달라요, 달랐어요) and the everyday meaning 'other' in 다른 색.
How Does Dareuda Conjugation Work?
다르다 is a 르-irregular adjective. Before 아/어 the ㅡ of 르 drops, and an extra ㄹ is added to the syllable before it: 다르 + 아요 becomes 달라요, and the past is 달랐어요. Before consonants nothing changes, so you get 다릅니다 and 다르면, and the modifier is 다른.
To say something is not different, put 안 in front for 안 달라요 or use the long negative 다르지 않아요. The because-form is 달라서, the if-form 다르면, and the modifiers are 다른 (now), 달랐던 (earlier) and 다를 (later); the honorific polite form is 다르세요.
다르다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 달라요 | ||
| Polite past | 달랐어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 다를 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 다르겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 다릅니다 | ||
| Formal past | 달랐습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 다를 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 달라 | ||
| Casual past | 달랐어 | ||
| Casual future | 다를 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 다르세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 달라서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 다르면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 다른 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 달랐던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 다를 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 달라요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 다르지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 달랐어요 | [달라써요] |
| Polite future | 다를 거예요 | [다를꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 다르겠어요 | [다르게써요] |
| Formal present | 다릅니다 | [다름니다] |
| Formal past | 달랐습니다 | [달랃씀니다] |
| Formal future | 다를 것입니다 | [다를꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 달랐어 | [달라써] |
| Casual future | 다를 거야 | [다를꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 달랐던 | [달랃떤] |
| Long negative | 다르지 않아요 | [다르지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 저는 형과 틀려요
Correct: ✓ 저는 형과 달라요
Why: Many learners, and many Koreans in casual speech, use 틀리다 for different, but 틀리다 means be wrong. The correct word for different is 다르다.
Different Is Not Wrong
Because 틀리다 and 다르다 are confused so often, the comparison is worth a moment. Say 달라요 when two things differ, and keep 틀리다 for mistakes. 같다 is the straight opposite.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 다르다?
| Word | How to tell it from 다르다 |
|---|---|
| 틀리다 | 틀리다 means wrong or incorrect; 다르다 means different, not wrong. |
| 같다 | 같다 is the opposite, same. |
Comparing Two Shirts in a Shop
A shopper notices that a shirt looks different from a photo. The assistant explains the lighting, then helps the shopper look for another color.
Shopper
사진과 색이 달라요.
Sajingwa saegi dallayo.
The color is different from the photo.
Assistant
조명이 다르면 색도 달라요.
Jomyeongi dareumyeon saekdo dallayo.
When the lighting is different, the color looks different too.
Shopper
그럼 다른 색은 없어요?
Geureom dareun saegeun eopseoyo?
Then do you have another color?
The first line compares the actual shirt with its photograph. 사진과 supplies the comparison point. In the second line, 다르면 gives a condition; in the last line, 다른 sits before a noun. The same adjective lets the shopper report a difference, understand a reason and ask for an alternative.
Common Phrases with 다르다
생각이 다르다 means to have different thoughts or opinions. It reports a disagreement without saying whose view is correct. During a group decision, this is useful when people prefer different plans. By contrast, saying an answer is 틀리다 judges it as incorrect.
사람마다 다르다 means “it varies from person to person.” 마다 means “each,” so the phrase distributes the difference across people. You might hear it in a conversation about taste, sleeping habits or how difficult a lesson feels. The phrase gives no single answer for everyone.
다른 사람 can mean another person or other people; Korean does not always mark a noun as plural. 다른 방법 is another method, and 다른 날 is another day. In these phrases, 다른 opens an alternative rather than making a complete comparison sentence. The context tells you which person, method or day is being replaced.
Where Does 다르다 Appear outside a Textbook?
Shopping conversations compare colors, sizes, prices and product photos. Reviews compare an experience with what someone expected. Everyday discussions use 다르다 for preferences and opinions. In all of these, identify the feature that differs before trying to translate the whole sentence: a color difference is more specific than a vague “it is different.”
Written notices may use 다를 수 있습니다, meaning “may differ.” It leaves room for variation rather than promising that every item is different. On a product page, look for the nearby nouns to learn whether the notice concerns the color, design or actual item. The formal ending belongs naturally in customer information.
다릅니다 suits a formal explanation; 달라요 fits an ordinary polite conversation. Neither form is automatically a complaint. A shopper's tone and the situation decide whether a difference is welcome, surprising or a problem.
Keep 달라요, 다르면 and 다른 Apart
The extra ㄹ belongs to the 아/어 family of endings: 달라요, 달랐어요 and 달라서. It is not a permanent replacement for 다르. The conditional 다르면 and the noun modifier 다른 retain 다르 without doubling ㄹ. Learning these three forms together prevents the common habit of carrying 달라 into every ending.
다른 is a modifier, so it needs a noun after it in a phrase such as 다른 색. 달라요 can finish the sentence. This gives you two ways to discuss color: describe the color as different, or request a different color. The English adjective looks the same in both positions; the Korean form changes.
Words for Comparing Options
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 같다 | to be the same | Says the compared things match. |
| 비슷하다 | to be similar | Allows differences while emphasizing resemblance. |
| 똑같다 | to be exactly the same | Makes a stronger claim of sameness. |
| 색 | color | Names one feature that can differ between items. |
Use these comparison words while practicing Korean shopping vocabulary, where a different color or size is a concrete request.
Mini Drill: Choose the Shape of 다르다
- Give the polite present for two different prices.
- Complete “another color”: ___ 색.
- Give the conditional meaning “if it is different.”
- Report that yesterday's experience was different, using the polite past.
Show drill answers
- 달라요.
- 다른 색.
- 다르면.
- 달랐어요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does a different opinion have to be wrong?
- What does 마다 contribute to 사람마다 다르다?
- Which form can end a polite sentence: 다른 or 달라요?
Show self-test answers
- No. 다르다 reports difference; 틀리다 judges something incorrect.
- “Each”: the answer varies from person to person.
- 달라요. 다른 goes before a noun.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 틀리다 the Same as Different?
No. 틀리다 means wrong. Different is 다르다.
What Is the Polite Present?
달라요.
How Do I Say Other Colours?
다른 색.
How Do I Name What It Differs From?
Use 와 or 과: 제 생각은 친구와 달라요.
Which Words Are Related to 다르다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 같다 as the opposite, then 비슷하다 for similar. Why 다르 becomes 달라 is explained in 르-irregular verbs and adjectives, together with the other 르 words. The Korean verb conjugator shows the doubling for any of them, and the Korean verb dictionary has the full list.