Key Facts
- Hangul: 들다 (deulda)
- Meaning: to hold/lift
- Level: A2
- Stem: 들
- Class: ㄹ-drop
- Objects: transitive
Meaning and Register
들다 is the physical act of holding or lifting something, usually in the hand: 가방을 들다 is to carry a bag, and 손을 들다 is to raise a hand. It is an A2 verb. The object takes 을/를.
Typical collocations are 가방을 들다, 손을 들다 and 짐을 들다 (carry luggage). The example sentences use a bag, heavy boxes and luggage.
Watch the honorific. 드세요 looks the same as the honorific of 먹다, which is 드시다, so context decides whether someone is being asked to carry something or invited to eat.
Meanings:
- to hold; to lift; to carry in the hand. Used for holding or carrying something in the hand: 가방을 들다, 손을 들다 (raise a hand).
Sound
Most forms are read as written. The ㄹ links forward in 들어요, read [드러요], in 들었어요 and in 들어서, read [드러서]. The formal present 듭니다 is read [듬니다], with the ㅂ turning into ㅁ.
Example Sentences
저는 가방을 들어요.
I am carrying my bag.
A simple statement of carrying: the bag takes 을/를 and the verb is 들어요, the form you would use for what is in your hand right now.
무거운 상자를 드는 사람이 많아요.
Many people carry heavy boxes.
This sentence uses the present modifier 드는 to describe people carrying heavy boxes. The ㄹ has dropped before ㄴ, which is exactly the mistake case below.
이 짐을 드세요.
Please carry this luggage.
The honorific 드세요 is a polite request to carry the luggage. Out of context 드세요 could also mean 'please eat', which is why the object 이 짐을 matters. The ㄹ has dropped again, because the honorific ending begins with ㅅ.
Deulda Conjugation Table
The rule is ㄹ-drop: the stem-final ㄹ disappears before ㄴ, ㅂ and ㅅ. That produces 듭니다, 드는, 드세요 and the past modifier 든. Everywhere else the ㄹ stays, so you see 들어요, 들었어요, 들면 and the future modifier 들.
들다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 들어요 | ||
| Polite past | 들었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 들 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 들겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 듭니다 | ||
| Formal past | 들었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 들 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 들어 | ||
| Casual past | 들었어 | ||
| Casual future | 들 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 들고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 드세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 들어서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 들면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 드는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 든 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 들 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 들어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 들지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 들어요 | [드러요] |
| Polite past | 들었어요 | [드러써요] |
| Polite future | 들 거예요 | [들꺼예요] |
| Future guess | 들겠어요 | [들게써요] |
| Formal present | 듭니다 | [듬니다] |
| Formal past | 들었습니다 | [드럳씀니다] |
| Formal future | 들 것입니다 | [들꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 들어 | [드러] |
| Casual past | 들었어 | [드러써] |
| Casual future | 들 거야 | [들꺼야] |
| Want to | 들고 싶어요 | [들고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific | 드세요 | - |
| Because | 들어서 | [드러서] |
| If | 들면 | - |
| Present modifier | 드는 | - |
| Past modifier | 든 | - |
| Future modifier | 들 | - |
| Short negative | 안 들어요 | [안 드러요] |
| Long negative | 들지 않아요 | [들지 아나요] |
Class: ㄹ-Drop
들다 is ㄹ-irregular (ㄹ-drop): the ㄹ drops before ㄴ, ㅂ and ㅅ, just as it does in 살다 and 만들다. See the ㄹ-irregular lesson for the full rule.
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 들는 사람
Correct: ✓ 드는 사람
Why: The ㄹ of a stem like 들- drops before ㄴ, so the modifier is 드는, not 들는.
Learners attach 는 to the full stem. Because the next sound is ㄴ, the ㄹ has to drop: 드는 사람, the person who is carrying it.
Confusable Verbs
| Verb | Difference |
|---|---|
| 잡다 | 잡다 is to grab or grip; 들다 is to lift or carry something up. |
| 가지다 | 가지다 means to have or own; 들다 is the physical act of holding something up. |
잡다 is to grab or grip, a short, forceful act. 들다 is to lift or carry something up.
가지다 means to have or own, which is a state. 들다 is the physical act of holding something up.
Carrying Boxes during a Move
Two friends are moving boxes out of a room. The first asks who handled a box earlier; they then decide who will carry it next.
Jisu
이 상자는 누가 들었어요?
I sangjaneun nuga deureosseoyo?
Who carried this box?
Minho
제가 들었어요.
Jega deureosseoyo.
I carried it.
Jisu
이번에는 제가 들 거예요.
Ibeoneneun jega deul geoyeyo.
I will carry it this time.
Minho
그럼 이 상자를 드세요.
Geureom i sangjareul deuseyo.
Then please carry this box.
들었어요 keeps the stem's ㄹ before a vowel ending. 드세요 loses it before the honorific ㅅ. 들 거예요 has only one ㄹ at the end of 들: the future pattern does not add a second written ㄹ. The boxes make it clear that 드세요 refers to carrying, rather than eating.
Does 들다 Mean Lifting or Carrying?
들다 covers raising something and holding it up or carrying it in the hand. 손을 들다 is raising a hand, such as volunteering an answer in class. 가방을 들다 describes holding or carrying a bag. 짐을 들다 is handling luggage or a load. The object helps you choose the natural English translation.
Holding something in your hand does not establish ownership. Someone carrying a friend's bag still uses 들다. 가지다 concerns having or possessing something, while 잡다 emphasizes taking hold of it. One person can grip a suitcase handle, lift the suitcase and carry it; these verbs highlight different parts of that action.
들다 also does not specify a destination. To say you take the bag along when leaving, 가져가다 supplies that movement. A bag can be in your hand while you stand still, so 가방을 들다 alone does not mean that you have gone anywhere.
Where Will You Hear These Combinations?
손을 들다 is common in classrooms, voting by a show of hands and instructions for group activities. A teacher asking for raised hands is looking for a visible gesture. In a conversation, raising a hand may also signal wanting a turn to speak; the verb itself does not say what the raised hand means.
가방을 들다 and 짐을 들다 appear when people travel, shop or help someone move. In a drama, a character carrying another person's bag may be helping them, but the verb only describes the physical action. The relationship or reason has to come from the scene.
The fixed expression 두 손을 들다 literally means raising both hands. In a figurative context it can mean giving up or admitting defeat. A person raising both hands in an exercise class is simply following a movement instruction. Look for the surrounding situation before choosing the figurative meaning.
Listen for the Object, Then Check the Ending
들어요 also matches a form of 듣다, “to listen”. 가방을 들어요 points to holding a bag, while a sentence about music points to listening. This page covers physical 들다; the dictionary form and the object are more useful clues than the isolated sound 들어요.
For ㄹ-drop, focus on the next ending rather than memorizing one shortened stem. 드는 describes someone carrying something, and 듭니다 is formal present. 들어요 and 들면 keep ㄹ. The ㄹ-drop lesson gives the same contrast with other verbs.
Objects and Actions to Learn Together
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 손 | hand | 손을 들다 is the gesture of raising a hand. |
| 가방 | bag | Carrying it does not mean you own it. |
| 상자 | box | Common when describing lifting a load. |
| 놓다 | put down | Describes setting down something you were holding. |
See the classroom vocabulary lesson for the setting where 손을 들다 is especially useful.
Mini Drill: Keep or Drop ㄹ?
- Give the formal present of 들다.
- Complete “the person carrying”: ____ 사람.
- Give the conditional “if you lift it”.
- Change 들어요 to the polite past.
Show drill answers
- 듭니다. ㄹ drops before ㅂ.
- 드는 사람. ㄹ drops before ㄴ.
- 들면. ㄹ stays before ㅁ.
- 들었어요. ㄹ stays before the vowel ending.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 가방을 들다 mean you own the bag?
- What makes 드세요 refer to carrying in the moving dialogue?
- What can 두 손을 들다 mean in a discussion about defeat?
Show answers
- No. It describes holding or carrying it.
- The speakers are discussing boxes, so the object identifies the action.
- To give up or admit defeat, rather than literally performing a hand gesture.
FAQ
Why Is It 드는 and Not 들는?
The stem-final ㄹ drops before ㄴ.
What Is the Honorific?
드세요. It looks the same as the honorific of 먹다 (드시다, to eat), so the object and the context tell you which is meant.
What Can It Mean besides Carrying?
Raising a hand: 손을 들다.
Does It Take an Object?
Yes, with 을/를.
Which Other Verbs Follow the Same ㄹ-Drop Rule?
살다 and 만들다, among many others.
Related Verbs
Next Steps
Compare 잡다 and 가지다, then 놓다 for the opposite act of putting down. 만들다 follows the same ㄹ-drop rule.
To try other forms of 들다 yourself, open the Korean verb conjugator; all entries are listed in the verb dictionary.