Key Facts
- Hangul: 던지다 (deonjida)
- Meaning: to throw
- Level: B1
- Stem: 던지
- Class: regular
- Objects: transitive
Meaning and Register
- to throw. Used for throwing an object: 공을 던지다 (to throw a ball).
The thing you throw takes the object particle 을/를. The person you throw it to takes 에게, and a place or thing you aim at takes 에.
The verb also has a figurative use: 질문을 던지다 means to pose a question, much like English 'throw out a question'. In its literal sense it is most common with balls and stones.
The register is neutral, so the same verb works in conversation and in writing.
Sound
The dictionary form is read as written. In conjugation, 져 is pronounced [저], so 던져요 is read [던저요] and 던졌어요 is read [던저써요]. In 던집니다, read [던짐니다], the ㅂ before ㄴ is pronounced [ㅁ].
Example Sentences
아이가 공을 던져요.
The child throws a ball.
The child is the subject, a ball is the object, and the verb is 던져요. This subject, object, verb order is the basic pattern for 던지다.
내일 공을 던질 거예요.
I will throw the ball tomorrow.
With 내일 (tomorrow), the plan form 던질 거예요 talks about an action you intend to do.
친구가 던진 공을 잡았어요.
I caught the ball my friend threw.
This sentence uses the past modifier 던진 to say 'the ball my friend threw'. The noun 공 comes after the describing clause and takes 을 as the object of 잡았어요 (caught).
Deonjida Conjugation Table
The stem 던지 ends in the vowel 이, so ㅣ and ㅓ merge into ㅕ: 던져요, 던졌어요, 던져. Consonant endings leave the stem plain: 던집니다, 던지면, 던지는. The negatives are 안 던져요 and 던지지 않아요.
던지다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 던져요 | ||
| Polite past | 던졌어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 던질 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 던지겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 던집니다 | ||
| Formal past | 던졌습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 던질 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 던져 | ||
| Casual past | 던졌어 | ||
| Casual future | 던질 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 던지고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 던지세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 던져서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 던지면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 던지는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 던진 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 던질 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 던져요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 던지지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 던져요 | [던저요] |
| Polite past | 던졌어요 | [던저써요] |
| Polite future | 던질 거예요 | [던질꺼예요] |
| Future guess | 던지겠어요 | [던지게써요] |
| Formal present | 던집니다 | [던짐니다] |
| Formal past | 던졌습니다 | [던젇씀니다] |
| Formal future | 던질 것입니다 | [던질꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 던져 | [던저] |
| Casual past | 던졌어 | [던저써] |
| Casual future | 던질 거야 | [던질꺼야] |
| Want to | 던지고 싶어요 | [던지고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific | 던지세요 | - |
| Because | 던져서 | [던저서] |
| If | 던지면 | - |
| Present modifier | 던지는 | - |
| Past modifier | 던진 | - |
| Future modifier | 던질 | - |
| Short negative | 안 던져요 | [안 던저요] |
| Long negative | 던지지 않아요 | [던지지 아나요] |
Class: Regular
던지다 is regular: the stem 던지 never changes. The only thing to notice is that 지 + 어 contracts to 져, which makes 던져요 look different from the dictionary form.
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 쓰레기를 던져요 (when you mean 'I throw away the trash')
Correct: ✓ 쓰레기를 버려요
Why: English 'throw away' is 버리다, not 던지다. 쓰레기를 던져요 would mean you are hurling the trash through the air.
Confusable Verbs
| Verb | Difference |
|---|---|
| 버리다 | 버리다 is to throw away as trash; 던지다 is to throw through the air. |
| 떨어지다 | 떨어지다 is to fall by itself; 던지다 is to make something fly on purpose. |
Throwing a Ball at the Park
Two friends are playing catch. One asks for a slower throw after struggling to catch the previous ball.
Jisu
공을 천천히 던지세요.
Gongeul cheoncheonhi deonjiseyo.
Please throw the ball slowly.
Alex
제가 너무 세게 던졌어요?
Jega neomu sege deonjyeosseoyo?
Did I throw it too hard?
Jisu
네. 이번에는 제가 던질 거예요.
Ne. Ibeoneneun jega deonjil geoyeyo.
Yes. This time I’ll throw it.
Alex
좋아요. 저에게 던지세요.
Joayo. Jeoege deonjiseyo.
Okay. Throw it to me.
던지세요 gives an instruction, 던졌어요 asks about the previous throw, and 던질 거예요 states who will throw next. 세게 means “hard” or “with force”. 천천히 asks for a slower action; in a game of catch, the situation makes clear that the speaker wants an easier ball to catch.
Throwing Something to Someone or at a Target
공을 던지다 means to throw a ball. Add 친구에게 to name the friend receiving it. 에게 identifies the person, but the situation tells you whether the throw is friendly or hostile. In a game of catch, the natural interpretation is throwing to a partner.
돌을 던지다 means to throw a stone. A target can take 에, and a direction can be expressed with 쪽으로, “toward”. These details tell the listener where the object goes. The object keeps 을/를: changing the target does not change the verb’s basic object pattern.
멀리 던지다 means to throw far, and 세게 던지다 means to throw hard. These describe distance and force. They are related in many real throws, but they are not the same measurement. A coach can comment on the force of a throw without saying where it landed.
Why Do People “Throw” Questions?
질문을 던지다 means to pose or put forward a question. Nothing physically travels through the air. The phrase presents the question as something offered to another person or a group for a response. It fits an interviewer raising a difficult issue or a speaker inviting discussion.
의문을 던지다 means to raise a doubt or question about something. 의문 points to uncertainty, while 질문 names a question someone asks. In news or commentary, the phrase may introduce a concern that the writer wants readers to consider. Translate the whole expression rather than picturing a thrown object.
던지다 can also describe tossing a remark into a conversation. The tone comes from the surrounding description: a casual remark and an angry challenge can both be presented this way. The verb alone does not prove that the speaker was rude.
Where Will You Hear 던지다?
Sports lessons and commentary use 던지다 for throwing balls and other objects. A player can throw and another player can catch, so 던지다 pairs naturally with 잡다 in a description of a game. The existing example 친구가 던진 공을 잡았어요 links those two actions in one sentence.
Interviews, essays and news discussions use the figurative question phrases. If the object is 질문 or 의문, expect an act of communication or thought. If the object is 공 or 돌, expect a physical throw. The noun often resolves the meaning before you reach the verb.
Words for a Game of Catch
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 공 | ball | The object thrown in the dialogue. |
| 잡다 | to catch / grasp | Describes receiving and holding the thrown ball. |
| 방향 | direction | Useful when explaining where a throw should go. |
| 거리 | distance | Useful when comparing near and far throws. |
The sports vocabulary lesson teaches more words for games and movement. For disposal, return to 버리다: putting rubbish in a bin and throwing a ball answer different needs.
Keep 지 before Some Endings and 져 before Others
던져요 and 던졌어요 have the contracted vowel, but 던지면, 던지는 and 던지세요 keep 지. A visible change in the polite present does not mean every ending attaches to 던져. For a description before a noun, the past modifier is 던진: 던진 공 means “the ball that someone threw”. The noun still needs its own particle in the larger sentence.
Mini Drill
- Give the polite present of 던지다.
- Give the polite past.
- Complete “the ball my friend threw”: 친구가 ____ 공.
- Choose the verb for disposing of rubbish: 던지다 or 버리다.
Show drill answers
- 던져요.
- 던졌어요.
- 친구가 던진 공.
- 버리다. 던지다 describes throwing it through the air.
Quick Self-Test
- Is 질문을 던지다 a physical throw?
- Which word describes force in 세게 던지다?
- What marks the ball in 공을 던지다?
Show self-test answers
- No. It means to pose a question.
- 세게 means hard or with force.
- 을 marks the object being thrown.
FAQ
Does 던지다 Mean Throw Away?
No. 던지다 means to throw something through the air. For throwing away trash, use 버리다: 쓰레기를 버려요.
Which Particle Marks the Person or Place You Throw To?
Use 에게 for a person and 에 for a place or thing you aim at. The thing you throw takes 을/를.
Can 던지다 Be Used Figuratively?
Yes. 질문을 던지다 means to pose a question, much like English 'throw out a question'.
How Do You Say 'I Will Throw It' with 던지다?
Use the polite future 던질 거예요, pronounced [던질꺼예요], as in 내일 공을 던질 거예요 (I will throw the ball tomorrow).
How Do You Say 'the Ball My Friend Threw'?
Use the past modifier 던진 before the noun: 친구가 던진 공. The present modifier is 던지는 and the future modifier is 던질.
Related Verbs
Next Steps
Look at 버리다 first to fix the 'throw away' trap, then 잡다 for catching. 떨어지다 and 달리다 are also on the related list.
To try other forms of 던지다 yourself, open the Korean verb conjugator; all entries are listed in the verb dictionary.