Key Facts
- Hangul: 더럽다 (deoreopda)
- Meaning: dirty
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 더럽
- Conjugation class: ㅂ-irregular
- Grammar: 이/가 marks the dirty thing, as in 이 방은 너무 더러워요.
- Usage: Strong language when used for acts: 더러운 짓. For a mild mess, say 지저분해요.
What Does 더럽다 Mean?
더럽다 describes something unclean, such as 더러운 손 (dirty hands) or 더러운 옷 (dirty clothes). The word is literal first, and then figurative.
Used about behaviour, as in 더러운 짓, it becomes strong language for something immoral or unfair. For a place that is merely untidy, speakers soften it to 지저분하다.
How Do You Pronounce 더럽다?
The dictionary form is read [더럽따], with ㅂ followed by ㄷ tensing the ㄷ. The vowel forms drop the ㅂ: 더러워요 and 더러운 are read as written, while 더러웠어요 is pronounced [더러워써요].
How Do You Use 더럽다 in a Sentence?
이 방은 너무 더러워요.
This room is too dirty.
너무 means too in this sentence; the complaint is that the room is more dirty than it should be.
더러운 옷을 빨았어요.
I washed the dirty clothes.
더러운 comes before 옷을, and 빨았어요 is the past of washing.
손이 더러우면 씻으세요.
If your hands are dirty, wash them.
더러우면 is the conditional, and 씻으세요 is the polite instruction that follows it.
The examples follow a dirty thing from complaint (더러워요) to laundry (더러운 옷) to a hygiene instruction (더러우면), all literal uses of the word.
How Does Deoreopda Conjugation Work?
더럽다 is a ㅂ-irregular adjective. The ㅂ of 더럽 becomes 우 before a vowel and joins 어 as 워, giving 더러워요 and 더러웠어요. The conditional 더러우면 and the modifier 더러운 lose the ㅂ in the same way, while 더럽습니다 keeps it before a consonant.
To say something is not dirty, put 안 in front for 안 더러워요 or use the long negative 더럽지 않아요. The because-form is 더러워서, the if-form 더러우면, and the modifiers are 더러운 (now), 더러웠던 (earlier) and 더러울 (later); the honorific polite form is 더러우세요.
더럽다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 더러워요 | ||
| Polite past | 더러웠어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 더러울 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 더럽겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 더럽습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 더러웠습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 더러울 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 더러워 | ||
| Casual past | 더러웠어 | ||
| Casual future | 더러울 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 더러우세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 더러워서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 더러우면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 더러운 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 더러웠던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 더러울 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 더러워요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 더럽지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 더러웠어요 | [더러워써요] |
| Polite future | 더러울 거예요 | [더러울꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 더럽겠어요 | [더럽께써요] |
| Formal present | 더럽습니다 | [더럽씀니다] |
| Formal past | 더러웠습니다 | [더러웓씀니다] |
| Formal future | 더러울 것입니다 | [더러울꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 더러웠어 | [더러워써] |
| Casual future | 더러울 거야 | [더러울꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 더러웠던 | [더러웓떤] |
| Long negative | 더럽지 않아요 | [더럽찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 더럽어요
Correct: ✓ 더러워요
Why: Learners keep the ㅂ and add 어요. The stem has to change first: 더러워요.
Dirty Things Versus Dirty Deeds
The literal use covers hands, clothes, rooms and streets. The figurative use, 더러운 짓, is harsh. When the problem is only clutter, 지저분하다 is the milder choice, and 씻다 and 청소하다 are the verbs that fix the problem.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 더럽다?
| Word | How to tell it from 더럽다 |
|---|---|
| 깨끗하다 | 깨끗하다 is clean, the opposite. |
| 지저분하다 | 지저분하다 means messy or untidy; 더럽다 means actually dirty or filthy. |
Cleaning up after Repotting a Plant
Two roommates have moved a plant into a larger pot. One notices soil on the table; the other explains where it came from.
Jisu
탁자가 더러워요.
Takjaga deoreowoyo.
The table is dirty.
Mina
화분이 더러웠어요. 흙이 떨어졌어요.
Hwabuni deoreowosseoyo. Heulgi tteoreojyeosseoyo.
The flowerpot was dirty. Some soil fell off.
Jisu
더러운 옷도 같이 빨아요.
Deoreoun otdo gachi pparayo.
Let’s wash the dirty clothes too.
탁자가 names the dirty surface. 더러웠어요 describes the pot earlier, and 더러운 modifies the clothes that now need washing. The problem is actual soil, so 더럽다 fits more precisely than a word that only describes clutter. The conversation moves from noticing dirt to explaining it and dealing with it.
Common Combinations: Dirt and Disapproval
손이 더럽다 describes dirty hands, while 더러운 손 means “dirty hands” inside a noun phrase. 옷이 더럽다 and 더러운 옷 work the same way for clothes. In the sentence form, 이/가 marks the dirty thing; in the noun phrase, 더러운 goes directly before that thing's name.
더러운 물 means dirty water. The adjective tells you the water is unclean; it does not identify the substance in it or explain whether it is safe. If the practical issue is a stain on clothing, 얼룩 names the stain more precisely. Describing a whole shirt as dirty and pointing out one mark give different amounts of information.
더러운 짓 literally uses “dirty” for an act, but its meaning is moral: a nasty, dishonest or disgraceful act. This is condemnation rather than a request to clean a surface. A drama character using the phrase is expressing strong disapproval. It is not a neutral way to describe a minor mistake.
Where Will You Hear 더럽다?
At home, the adjective comes up around laundry, muddy shoes and cleaning a bathroom. In reviews, it can describe a room, toilet or shared facility that did not seem clean. A bare 더러워요 is a direct negative judgment. If you are asking someone to fix a problem, identifying the object or area makes the complaint more useful.
지저분하다 focuses on an untidy or messy appearance. A desk covered in clean papers can be 지저분하다 without being unhygienic. A neatly arranged desk with sticky dirt on its surface can be 더럽다. Real situations can involve both, so the distinction is about what you want the listener to notice.
The polite ending in 더러워요 addresses the listener politely. It does not make comments about someone's body or home automatically tactful. Describing an observable problem, such as dirty water or a stained towel, is clearer than judging the person. The formal 더럽습니다 is possible in a report, but the strength of the description remains.
A State, a Cause and a Person
더럽다 describes a state. It does not say who caused the dirt. 더럽히다 means “to make dirty” and lets you name an action that dirties something. The final 히 belongs to a different verb; adding it changes the meaning rather than making 더럽다 more polite.
In the existing instruction 손이 더러우면 씻으세요, the conditional describes the hands, while the instruction addresses the person. Those are different subjects. There is no need to attach an honorific ending to the hands just because you are speaking politely to their owner. The respectful instruction is carried by 씻으세요.
For spelling, compare 더러워요 with 더러운 and 더러우면. The first contains 워 because 우 and 어 contract. The other two keep 우. Before consonants, 더럽 returns in 더럽습니다 and 더럽지 않아요. The choice follows the ending rather than the amount of dirt.
Words for Choosing the Right Cleaning Action
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 먼지 | dust | Names loose dirt on a shelf or surface. |
| 얼룩 | stain | Points to a mark rather than general untidiness. |
| 씻다 | to wash | Fits washing hands or other things with water. |
| 청소하다 | to clean | Fits cleaning a room or shared space. |
Find the supplies and actions together in cleaning and laundry vocabulary.
Mini Drill: Describe the Dirty Thing
- Give the polite present for a dirty room.
- Complete “dirty clothes”: ___ 옷.
- Give the conditional used in the handwashing example.
- Give the formal present without changing ㅂ to 우.
Show drill answers
- 더러워요.
- 더러운 옷.
- 더러우면.
- 더럽습니다.
Quick Self-Test
- Must an untidy desk be unhygienic?
- Does 더러운 짓 refer to ordinary housework?
- Which word names one stain: 먼지 or 얼룩?
Show self-test answers
- No. 지저분하다 can describe clutter alone.
- No. It condemns someone's behavior.
- 얼룩. 먼지 means dust.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 더럽다 Rude?
For objects it is plain. For behaviour, as in 더러운 짓, it is strong language.
What Is the Polite Present?
더러워요.
How Do I Say a Mild Mess?
Use 지저분해요 rather than 더러워요.
How Do I Say Dirty Hands?
더러운 손.
Which Words Are Related to 더럽다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Go to 깨끗하다 for the opposite and 씻다 for washing. The ㅂ change behind 더러워요 is explained in ㅂ-irregular verbs and adjectives. Compare it with 시끄럽다 in the Korean verb conjugator, or browse the Korean verb dictionary for more describing words.