Key Facts
- Hangul: 되다 (doeda)
- Meaning: to become
- Level: A1
- Stem: 되
- Class: regular
- Objects: intransitive
Meaning and Register
The first sense is change into a state or role: 의사가 되다 is to become a doctor. The second sense is to be okay or allowed, as in 여기서 사진을 찍어도 돼요?, which asks whether photographing here is permitted. The register is neutral and everyday.
What you become takes 이/가, never 을/를. That is the most important grammar fact on this page, because English "become a teacher" has no particle and tempts learners to add the object one.
돼요 is the contracted spelling of 되어요, and 안 돼요 means 'no, that is not allowed'. Many other verbs are built on it, such as 걱정되다 (to be worried).
Meanings:
- to become. Change into a state or role, as in 의사가 되다.
- to be okay/allowed. Be acceptable or possible, as in 여기서 사진을 찍어도 돼요?
Sound
되 plus 어 contracts into 돼, so the polite present 돼요 has two syllables instead of the three of 되어요. In everyday speech 되 and 돼 sound almost the same, which is why they are so often confused in writing. The past 됐어요 is read [돼써요], and the formal present 됩니다 is read [됨니다], where the ㅂ of the formal ending turns into ㅁ before ㄴ.
Example Sentences
여기서 사진 찍어도 돼요?
Is it okay to take a photo here?
This is the permission sense. The speaker states the action first, 사진 찍어도, then asks with 돼요. The object particle after 사진 is dropped, as often happens in speech, which makes this an easy sentence to memorize as a chunk.
벌써 열 시가 됐어요.
It has already become ten o'clock.
Here the verb describes time changing: ten o'clock has become the current time. The result takes 이/가 (열 시가), and 됐어요 shows the contracted past.
저는 선생님이 되고 싶어요.
I want to become a teacher.
This one uses 되고 싶어요 with 선생님이 되고 싶어요: the role marked with 이, followed by the want form. It is the model for talking about your future job.
Doeda Conjugation Table
Contraction is the only real event here. Forms that begin with 어 merge into 돼: 돼요, 됐어요, 돼, 돼서. Forms starting with a consonant attach to the plain stem: 됩니다, 되면, 되는. Negatives are 안 돼요 (the short form, also the 'not allowed' phrase) and 되지 않아요.
되다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 돼요 | ||
| Polite past | 됐어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 될 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 되겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 됩니다 | ||
| Formal past | 됐습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 될 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 돼 | ||
| Casual past | 됐어 | ||
| Casual future | 될 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 되고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 되세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 돼서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 되면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 되는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 된 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 될 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 돼요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 되지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 돼요 | - |
| Polite past | 됐어요 | [돼써요] |
| Polite future | 될 거예요 | [될꺼예요] |
| Future guess | 되겠어요 | [되게써요] |
| Formal present | 됩니다 | [됨니다] |
| Formal past | 됐습니다 | [됃씀니다] |
| Formal future | 될 것입니다 | [될꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 돼 | - |
| Casual past | 됐어 | [돼써] |
| Casual future | 될 거야 | [될꺼야] |
| Want to | 되고 싶어요 | [되고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific | 되세요 | - |
| Because | 돼서 | - |
| If | 되면 | - |
| Present modifier | 되는 | - |
| Past modifier | 된 | - |
| Future modifier | 될 | - |
| Short negative | 안 돼요 | - |
| Long negative | 되지 않아요 | [되지 아나요] |
Class: Regular
되다 is regular. Its only visible quirk is the contraction of 되 plus 어 into 돼, which is a spelling effect rather than an irregularity in the stem. Mixing up 되 and 돼 is a very common writing slip; if an ending beginning with 어 follows, you need 돼.
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 저는 의사를 되고 싶어요
Correct: ✓ 저는 의사가 되고 싶어요
Why: The result of 되다 takes 이/가, not 을/를.
The doctor is what the subject turns into, not something the subject acts on, so 의사 takes 이/가.
Confusable Verbs
| Verb | Difference |
|---|---|
| 하다 | 되다 is to become or be done; 하다 is to do actively. |
| 이다 | 되다 is a change into something; 이다 is a fixed state of being. |
The pair with 하다 is a difference of agency. 하다 is to do something actively, while 되다 is for something becoming or being done to you, which is why 걱정되다 is a state rather than an act.
The pair with 이다 is a difference of change. 이다 states a fixed identity, while 되다 narrates the move into that identity. A sentence with 이다 says you already are a doctor, while 의사가 되다 says you will get there.
Paying at a Small Shop
A customer asks which payment method the shop accepts. Here 되다 describes what works in this situation.
Customer
카드 돼요?
Kadeu dwaeyo?
Can I pay by card?
Clerk
아니요. 카드가 안 돼요.
Aniyo. Kadeuga an dwaeyo.
No. We can’t take cards.
Customer
그럼 현금으로 낼게요.
Geureom hyeongeumeuro naelgeyo.
Then I’ll pay in cash.
Clerk
네, 현금은 됩니다.
Ne, hyeongeumeun doemnida.
Yes, cash is fine.
카드 돼요 is a compact spoken question. The situation supplies “payment,” so no separate verb for paying is needed. 안 돼요 says that cards are not an available option; it need not mean that the customer has broken a rule. 됩니다 gives the same acceptance meaning in a more formal ending.
Everyday Expressions beyond “Become”
잘되다 means “to go well” or “to work well.” A plan, a business or a task can be what goes well. This related compound is written as one word, as listed in the Korean Learners’ Dictionary. It describes a favorable result rather than becoming a new identity.
말이 되다 means “to make sense.” Literally, something “becomes words,” but the expression asks whether an explanation is reasonable. 말이 안 돼요 can mean “That makes no sense” or express disbelief. In a drama, it may be a reaction to surprising news rather than a comment about grammar.
준비가 되다 means “to be ready.” It focuses on readiness as a result, while 준비하다 focuses on doing the preparation. You will hear the result phrase before starting a lesson, taking a photo or leaving for a trip.
됐어요 can mean “That’s enough,” “It’s done,” or “No thanks,” depending on the situation and tone. At a counter, a sudden, firm 됐어요 can sound dismissive. A learner should first recognize this response in context rather than use it as a general replacement for a polite refusal.
Keep 되 and 돼 Apart in Writing
Expand 돼 back into 되어 to check the spelling. 돼요 expands to 되어요 and 됐어요 to 되었어요. In 되면, 되고 싶어요 and 됩니다, no 어 is present to contract, so the spelling keeps 되. This gives you a concrete test even when the two syllables sound alike.
Keep a space in 안 돼요 when you mean “not allowed” or “doesn’t work.” The short negative is a separate word before the verb. Likewise, 될 거예요 has a space before 거예요; the future modifier 될 is complete before the next word begins.
| Related word | Meaning | Connection to 되다 |
|---|---|---|
| 준비 | preparation | 준비가 되다 describes being ready. |
| 가능하다 | to be possible | A more explicit way to discuss possibility. |
| 허락 | permission | Names the approval requested with an “is it okay?” question. |
| 결과 | result | Helps connect “become” with how something turns out. |
For full permission sentences, see the obligation and permission lesson. A short question such as 카드 돼요 relies much more on the shared situation.
Mini Drill: Choose the Spelling
- Give the contracted polite present of 되다.
- Give its polite past.
- Complete “I want to become a teacher”: 선생님___ 되고 싶어요.
- Write “not allowed” with the short negative.
Show spelling drill answers
- 돼요, from 되어요.
- 됐어요, from 되었어요.
- 선생님이 되고 싶어요.
- 안 돼요.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 카드 돼요 ask in a shop?
- Does 말이 되다 literally describe becoming a person or job?
- Why does 되면 keep 되 instead of 돼?
Show answers
- Whether payment by card is accepted or possible.
- No. It is a set expression meaning “make sense.”
- There is no 어 ending to contract into 돼.
FAQ
Is It 의사를 되다 or 의사가 되다?
Use 의사가 되다. The role you become is marked with 이/가.
What Does 안 돼요 Mean?
It is 안 돼요, and it means no or not allowed. It is the natural answer to a permission question such as 여기서 사진 찍어도 돼요?
Is 돼요 a Different Verb?
No. 돼요 is the contracted polite present of 되다, written from 되어요.
What Are the Two Senses?
To become, and to be okay or allowed. Both use the same conjugated forms.
Can I Use It for Compound Verbs?
Yes. Many verbs end in 되다, for example 걱정되다 (to be worried).
Related Verbs
Next Steps
After this page, look at 하다 and 이다 to settle the three-way contrast between doing, being and becoming. 변하다 and 바꾸다 are the related words for change in a more specific sense.
To try other forms of 되다 yourself, open the Korean verb conjugator; all entries are listed in the verb dictionary.