닫다 (datda) Conjugation: Meaning, Forms & Examples

Key Facts

• Hangul: 닫다 (datda)
• Meaning: to close
• Spoken as: [닫따]
• Level: A1
• Stem: 닫
• Class: regular
• Objects: transitive

Meaning and Register

닫다 means to close, to shut something, as in 문을 닫다. The thing closed takes 을/를.

The example sentences cover a window (창문), a shop door (가게 문) and a door (문), which are also the typical collocations: 문을 닫다, 창문을 닫다 and 가게 문을 닫다. The register is neutral and the level is A1.

The honorific polite form is 닫으세요.

Meanings:

• to close. Shut something, as in 문을 닫다.

Sound

The dictionary form is read [닫따]. Before a vowel the ㄷ moves across the syllable break: 닫아요 is read [다다요], 닫았어요 is read [다다써요] and 닫아서 is read [다다서]. Before a consonant it stays: 닫습니다 is read [닫씀니다].

Example Sentences

The reason comes first: it is cold, so the window is closed. The causal link is carried by the verb ending of 추워서, and the closing is 닫아요.

가게 문을 닫았어요 uses 닫았어요 for closing a shop, which here means shutting up shop for the day. The same phrase can also mean closing a business for good, so context decides.

The conditional 닫으면 states a condition about the door: if you close it, it is quiet.

Datda Conjugation Table

The last vowel of the stem 닫 is ㅏ, so vowel harmony selects 아: 닫아요, 닫았어요, 닫아. Endings that begin with 으 add it after the ㄷ: 닫으면, 닫으세요, 닫은, 닫을. Consonant endings attach straight to the stem: 닫습니다, 닫는, 닫지 않아요.

Class: Regular

It is regular. It looks similar to ㄷ-irregular verbs, but the ㄷ never turns into ㄹ here, which is why it appears in the ㄷ lookalikes group.

Common Mistake

Wrong: ✗ 문을 닫어요

Correct: ✓ 문을 닫아요

Why: The last vowel of the stem 닫 is ㅏ, so it takes 아 (닫아요), not 어.

The rule behind it is vowel harmony: stems whose last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ take 아, and all other stems take 어. 닫 has ㅏ, so the polite present is always 닫아요.

Confusable Verbs

열다 is the opposite action, to open. The two are used as a pair for doors, windows and shops.

닫히다 focuses on the thing closing or being closed, without naming who closes it. 닫다 describes someone closing something.

Closing a Window in a Study Room

Two learners are studying beside an open window. One notices the cold air, and the other agrees to close it.

Jisu

Alex

Jisu

Alex

닫을 거예요 checks the intended action and states the reply, 닫으세요 requests another action, and 닫았어요 refers to a completed action. 문도 means “the door too”. In the final line, 문은 shifts attention to the door to explain that this part of the task is already done.

What Can You Close with 닫다?

문을 닫다 means to close a door, and 창문을 닫다 means to close a window. Both describe moving something into a shut position. 서랍을 닫다 means to close a drawer. The thing being closed takes 을/를, whatever its size or location.

입을 닫다 literally means to close your mouth. It can also mean to stop talking or keep silent. In conversation, telling another person to do this can sound harsh. Recognising the phrase in a drama is useful, but a polite ending alone does not make every use friendly.

마음을 닫다 literally means to close your heart or mind. It describes shutting yourself off emotionally or being unwilling to open up. The object is abstract, so you are hearing a figurative use. The verb still follows the same 을/를 pattern as closing a physical door.

Does 문을 닫다 Mean a Shop Is Gone for Good?

가게 문을 닫다 can describe closing a shop for the day. With a time such as 저녁에, the natural reading is often the end of that day’s business. The same phrase can describe a business shutting down permanently when the wider context says it will no longer operate.

A question about what time a shop closes is about its daily schedule. A report about a shop no longer trading concerns permanent closure. 문을 닫다 alone does not settle which one is intended. Listen for a closing time, a date or an explanation about the business ending.

On a computer or phone, 닫기 is a common label for “close”. It may close a window or panel while leaving the app running. 종료 means ending or exiting an operation. Read the surrounding interface rather than assuming every close button shuts down the whole device.

Where Will You Hear 닫다 and 닫히다?

At home, 닫다 is common in requests about doors and windows. On public transport, door announcements may use 닫히다 because the announcement concerns the doors closing. The door is then the subject, rather than the object of someone’s action.

Compare 문을 닫아요, “I close the door”, with 문이 닫혀요, “the door closes”. The second sentence can describe an automatic door or a door moved by someone. It simply puts attention on what happens to the door. It does not require the door to close all by itself.

Related Words around Doors and Windows

The daily routine vocabulary lesson gives more language for actions around the home. When security matters, keep closing and locking separate: a shut door can still be unlocked.

A Regular ㄷ That Stays in the Spelling

닫다 has a final ㄷ, but it is not ㄷ-irregular. 닫으면 and 닫으세요 keep that consonant before the vowel 으. The movement of ㄷ into the next spoken syllable in 닫아요 is a pronunciation rule, not a change to ㄹ. The regular verbs that look irregular lesson compares these cases.

Mini Drill

1. Choose the polite present: 닫아요 or 닫어요.
2. Give the conditional “if you close”.
3. Say “I closed the window”.
4. Choose the subject particle and verb for “the door closes”.

Quick Self-Test

1. Does 문을 닫다 always mean permanent closure?
2. Does closing a door guarantee that it is locked?
3. Does the ㄷ of 닫다 become ㄹ before a vowel?

FAQ

Is 닫다 a ㄷ-Irregular Verb?

No. It is regular, so the ㄷ never becomes ㄹ.

Why 닫아요 and Not 닫어요?

The stem vowel is ㅏ, so it takes 아.

What Is the Honorific?

닫으세요.

What Does the Object Take?

을/를.

How Is 닫아서 Pronounced?

[다다서].

Related Verbs

• 열다
• 닫히다
• 끄다
• 끝내다

Next Steps

Learn 열다 as the opposite, then 닫히다 for the self-closing version. 끄다 and 끝내다 are listed as related words.

To try other forms of 닫다 yourself, open the Korean verb conjugator; all entries are listed in the verb dictionary.