Key Facts
- Hangul: 닫히다 (dachida)
- Pronunciation: [다치다]
- Meaning: to be closed; to close (intransitive)
- Level: B1
- Stem: 닫히
- Conjugation class: regular
- Grammar: intransitive
What Does 닫히다 Mean?
닫히다 is the passive-like partner of 닫다. The thing that shuts takes 이/가 and nothing is the object: 문이 닫혀요. It is the verb you hear on the subway, where the announcement is 문이 닫힙니다.
Because the closing happens without a named doer, a want-to form is not normally made from it. If a person closes something on purpose, use 문을 닫아요 instead.
How Do You Pronounce 닫히다?
닫히다 is spelled with ㄷ + 히 but read [다치다]: ㄷ and ㅎ combine into ㅌ, which before 이 is palatalized into ㅊ. In the conjugated forms the same happens, so 닫혀요 is read [다처요] and 닫힙니다 is read [다침니다]. Because the pronunciation and the spelling differ, it pays to learn the written form and the sound together.
How Do You Use 닫히다 in a Sentence?
지하철 문이 닫혀요.
The subway doors are closing.
닫혀요 with 지하철 gives the typical announcement: the doors are closing.
바람 때문에 창문이 닫혔어요.
The window closed because of the wind.
닫혔어요 adds 바람 때문에, so the wind, not a person, is the cause.
문이 닫히면 열 수 없어요.
Once the door closes, you cannot open it.
닫히면 states a rule: once the door has closed, you cannot open it. 열 수 없어요 is the other half of the sentence.
How Does Datida Conjugation Work?
The stem 닫히 ends in 히, and 히 + 어 contracts to 혀, so the polite present is 닫혀요 and the past is 닫혔어요. Before other endings the stem stays whole: 닫힙니다, 닫히세요, 닫히는. The future is 닫힐 거예요, and the negatives are 안 닫혀요 and 닫히지 않아요.
닫히다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 닫혀요 | ||
| Polite past | 닫혔어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 닫힐 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 닫히겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 닫힙니다 | ||
| Formal past | 닫혔습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 닫힐 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 닫혀 | ||
| Casual past | 닫혔어 | ||
| Casual future | 닫힐 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 닫히세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 닫혀서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 닫히면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 닫히는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 닫힌 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 닫힐 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 닫혀요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 닫히지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite now | 닫혀요 | [다처요] |
| Polite past | 닫혔어요 | [다처써요] |
| Future plan | 닫힐 거예요 | [다칠꺼예요] |
| Future guess | 닫히겠어요 | [다치게써요] |
| Formal now | 닫힙니다 | [다침니다] |
| Formal past | 닫혔습니다 | [다첟씀니다] |
| Formal future | 닫힐 것입니다 | [다칠꺼심니다] |
| Casual now | 닫혀 | [다처] |
| Casual past | 닫혔어 | [다처써] |
| Casual future | 닫힐 거야 | [다칠꺼야] |
| Honorific | 닫히세요 | [다치세요] |
| Because | 닫혀서 | [다처서] |
| If | 닫히면 | [다치면] |
| Modifier now | 닫히는 | [다치는] |
| Modifier past | 닫힌 | [다친] |
| Modifier next | 닫힐 | [다칠] |
| Short negative | 안 닫혀요 | [안 다처요] |
| Long negative | 닫히지 않아요 | [다치지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 문을 닫혀요.
Correct: ✓ 문이 닫혀요.
Why: 닫히다 is intransitive and takes 이/가; to close it yourself, use 문을 닫아요. The ㅎ inside the stem is your clue when reading; when you are the doer, switch to 닫아요.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it from 닫히다 |
|---|---|
| 닫다 | 닫다 is the transitive verb 'to close something'; 닫히다 is the intransitive 'to be closed'. |
| 열리다 | 열리다 is the opposite: to be opened. |
Waiting for the Next Elevator
Two coworkers reach an elevator as its doors shut. One notices the closing movement; the other reports that they have missed it.
Jisu
문이 닫혀요.
Muni dacheoyo.
The doors are closing.
Mina
벌써 닫혔어요. 다음 걸 타요.
Beolsseo dacheosseoyo. Daeum geol tayo.
They have already closed. Let’s take the next one.
Jisu
네. 문이 닫히면 기다려요.
Ne. Muni dachimyeon gidaryeoyo.
Yes. When the doors close, let’s wait.
문이 stays the subject in all three lines. 닫혀요 describes the event as it happens, 닫혔어요 places it in the past, and 닫히면 makes closing the condition for waiting. Nobody names the person or mechanism responsible. That focus on the door is what makes 닫히다 useful here.
Phrases for Doors, Lids and Closed Minds
자동으로 닫히다 means “to close automatically.” 자동으로 names how the closing happens, so the phrase fits elevator doors and automatic entrances. 꽉 닫히다 means “to shut tightly”: 꽉 describes how firmly the opening is closed. A lid can close without closing tightly, so the added word gives useful information.
The verb also has figurative uses. 닫힌 마음, literally a closed heart or mind, describes someone who is not open to other people or ideas. No physical door is involved. The National Institute of Korean Language's entry for 닫히다 covers physical closing, business closing and this emotional sense.
Where Will You Hear 닫히다?
On public transport, 문이 닫힙니다 is an announcement that the doors are closing. The formal ending suits a message addressed to everyone. It reports what is happening; it is not an instruction telling a passenger to close the doors. In a conversation with a friend or coworker, 문이 닫혀요 uses the ordinary polite style instead.
In a building, nearby words such as 엘리베이터, 창문 and 뚜껑 help you identify what is shutting. A conversation about a shop can use closing in the business sense, so a closed shop does not always mean someone is discussing its physical door. Check whether the speaker is describing an opening, a mechanism or business hours.
Closing Once Versus Remaining Closed
닫혔어요 reports that something closed. 닫혀 있어요 describes the resulting state: it is closed now. Imagine arriving at a classroom after everyone has left. If the useful information is that the door is currently shut, the state expression is especially clear. If you just watched it swing shut, the past event form fits.
The spelling 닫혀 stays together in 닫혀 있어요; 있어요 is a separate word. This expression keeps the door as subject. It does not turn 닫히다 into the action of a person closing something.
For a noun phrase, compare 닫히는 문 with 닫힌 문. The first presents a door that closes or is closing; the second presents a closed door. The present modifier here is 닫히는 because 닫히다 is a verb. Its past modifier 닫힌 can describe the result without giving an exact time.
A door can close because of wind, a motor or another person. 닫히다 leaves that cause open unless you add it. The existing 바람 때문에 example supplies the cause explicitly. In a maintenance conversation, 안 닫혀요 can report that a door will not close, without blaming anyone for leaving it open.
Words to Follow the Whole Opening-and-Closing Event
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 닫다 | to close something | Names the action of a doer; the door takes 을/를. |
| 열리다 | to open; be opened | Keeps the opening thing as the subject. |
| 열다 | to open something | Names someone opening the door, lid or window. |
| 뚜껑 | lid | Extends the same closing pattern beyond doors. |
The home and everyday objects vocabulary gives you more objects to use with this pair.
Mini Drill: Follow the Door
- Choose the particle in 문___ 닫혀요.
- Give the polite past of 닫히다.
- Put “closed” before 문 using the past modifier.
- Which verb describes a person deliberately closing a door?
Show drill answers
- 이: 문이 닫혀요.
- 닫혔어요.
- 닫힌 문.
- 닫다: 문을 닫아요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 문이 닫힙니다 tell you who closed the door?
- Which expression emphasizes the current state: 닫혔어요 or 닫혀 있어요?
- Does 닫힌 마음 describe a physical opening?
Show self-test answers
- No. The announcement focuses on the doors.
- 닫혀 있어요.
- No. It describes someone being emotionally or mentally closed off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is the Site Address Datida When the Revised Romanization Is Dachida?
Datida follows the spelling letter by letter, while dachida follows the sound. Both point to the same word, 닫히다.
How Do I Pronounce 닫혀요?
It is [다처요]. The ㅎ merges with the ㄷ and the 혀 syllable is said as 처.
What Do I Say If I Close the Door Myself?
Use the transitive 닫다: 문을 닫아요.
What Is the Opposite of 닫히다?
It is 열리다, 'to be opened'.
Which Words Are Related to 닫히다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Continue with 닫다 and 열다 for the transitive pair, 열리다 for the opposite, and 끝나다 for things that end.
The polite present recipe explains the pattern behind 닫혀요, and the conjugator checks any other form. The dictionary lists the rest.