Key Facts
- Hangul: 도전하다 (dojeonhada)
- Meaning: to challenge
- Level: B1
- Syllables: 4 (도 · 전 · 하 · 다)
- Stem: 도전하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Object marking: intransitive
- Polite present: 도전해요
What Does 도전하다 Mean?
| Sense | How it is used |
|---|---|
| to challenge | Take on something difficult, as in 새로운 일에 도전하다. |
| to try one's luck | Attempt a test, record or contest, as in 시험에 도전하다. |
The target usually takes 에 (새 일에 도전하다); it is not normally marked with 을/를.
So you take on a marathon or cooking with 에: 마라톤에, 요리에. The noun 도전 is also very common, as in 새로운 도전 (a new challenge), and the word has a positive, motivating tone.
How Do You Pronounce 도전하다?
Dojeonhada has 4 syllables (도 · 전 · 하 · 다) and is said as it is spelled.
How Do You Use 도전하다 in a Sentence?
저는 내년에 마라톤에 도전할 거예요.
I will take on a marathon next year.
도전할 거예요 is the polite future (plan) form.
새로운 일에 도전하면 배우는 게 많아요.
If you take on something new, you learn a lot.
도전하면 is the if (conditional) form.
동생이 요리에 도전했어요.
My younger sibling had a go at cooking.
도전했어요 is the polite past form.
Usage Notes
The positive tone is part of the meaning. 새로운 일에 도전하면 배우는 게 많아요 says that taking on something new teaches you a lot. The future example 저는 내년에 마라톤에 도전할 거예요 states a big goal, and 동생이 요리에 도전했어요 shows it also works for small personal tries. In the second sense you try your luck at a test, record or contest, as in 시험에 도전하다.
How Does Dojeonhada Conjugation Work?
도전하다 (to challenge) follows the 하다 pattern: the 하 of the stem 도전하 meets 여 and contracts to 해, which gives 도전해요 and 도전했어요. The short negative of 도전하다 (to challenge) is 도전 안 해요, with 안 placed after the noun part; see negating 하다 verbs.
The pattern behind 도전하다 (to challenge) is taught step by step in 하다 to 해요.
도전하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 도전해요 | ||
| Polite past | 도전했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 도전할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 도전하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 도전합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 도전했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 도전할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 도전해 | ||
| Casual past | 도전했어 | ||
| Casual future | 도전할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 도전하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 도전하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 도전해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 도전하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 도전하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 도전한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 도전할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 도전 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 도전하지 않아요 |
Before a noun, 도전하다 (to challenge) becomes 도전하는 (present) or 도전한 (past); as a link between clauses it is 도전해서 for 'because' and 도전하면 for 'if'.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 도전했어요 | [도전해써요] |
| Future (plan) | 도전할 거예요 | [도전할꺼예요] |
| Future (guess) | 도전하겠어요 | [도전하게써요] |
| Formal present | 도전합니다 | [도전함니다] |
| Formal past | 도전했습니다 | [도전핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 도전할 것입니다 | [도전할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 도전했어 | [도전해써] |
| Casual future | 도전할 거야 | [도전할꺼야] |
| Want to | 도전하고 싶어요 | [도전하고 시퍼요] |
| Long negative | 도전하지 않아요 | [도전하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 새로운 일을 도전해요
Correct: ✓ 새로운 일에 도전해요
Why: English 'challenge something' pushes learners to use 을/를, but the target of 도전하다 takes 에.
도전하다 Versus Similar Words
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 노력하다 | 노력하다 is to work hard at something; 도전하다 stresses facing something difficult or new, with a risk of failing. |
| 시작하다 | 시작하다 simply means to begin; 도전하다 adds the sense of a hard test. |
Choosing a Race to Enter
Two coworkers are discussing a local race. One has completed a shorter event and wants a new goal.
Mina
작년에 마라톤에 도전했어요?
Jangnyeone maratone dojeonhaesseoyo?
Did you attempt a marathon last year?
Alex
아니요. 올해 도전할 거예요.
Aniyo. Olhae dojeonhal geoyeyo.
No. I’m going to try this year.
Mina
저도 새로운 거리에 도전하고 싶어요.
Jeodo saeroun georie dojeonhago sipeoyo.
I’d like to try a new distance too.
The question uses the past, Alex states a future goal, and Mina expresses a wish. The target is a race or a distance, so 에 is the useful marker. 도전했어요 would tell us that someone made the attempt; it would not tell us whether they finished the race.
Common Combinations with 도전
새로운 도전 means “a new challenge”. Here 도전 is a noun, so it can name the undertaking in a headline, a personal introduction, or a project description. 새로운 describes something new to the person or situation. It does not have to be an achievement nobody has attempted before.
기록에 도전하다 means to attempt a record. You may hear it in sports coverage about a runner or swimmer aiming at a difficult result. A record takes 에 because it is the target. The expression identifies the attempt, while a separate statement is needed to report whether the athlete set a new record.
다시 도전하다 means to try again or take on the challenge again. 다시 is written separately before the verb. The phrase is useful after a failed audition, exam attempt, or competition. It says the person is returning to the challenge; it does not promise a different outcome.
Where Will You Encounter 도전하다?
Variety shows use 도전 for games and difficult tasks. The word can make a modest activity sound like a test of skill, especially when a participant is trying it for the first time. A cooking segment can frame a new dish as a challenge without suggesting professional competition.
In interviews, someone may use 도전하다 for a career change, a demanding role, or a new field. The focus is stepping into something that stretches their ability. 시작하다 simply identifies a beginning, so it does not carry that same sense of difficulty or ambition.
In sports news, the challenge may be a title or a record. In everyday conversation, it may be cooking or a language exam. The scale changes, but the core idea remains an attempt at something demanding. For a small routine experiment, a general expression meaning “try doing” may sound less dramatic.
도전하다 is neutral in register and often encouraging in tone. 도전하세요 can invite someone to take a chance, but it may sound too forceful if the situation calls for a gentle suggestion. The verb highlights difficulty, so using it for a simple task can be deliberately playful.
Keep the Target Separate from the Action
The noun 도전 joins 하다 to make 도전하다, written together in the dictionary form and 도전해요. The challenge itself is usually named before 에: 요리에 도전하다 means to take on cooking. Changing 요리에 to an object marked with 를 copies English sentence structure too closely.
The future 도전할 거예요 states a plan. The wish 도전하고 싶어요 expresses desire without committing to a date. The difference matters when talking about a race: wanting to attempt it and having a plan to attempt it are different claims.
For the short negative, write 도전 안 해요. The long form 도전하지 않아요 attaches 지 to the complete verb before adding 않아요. The negative says the attempt is not being made; it does not mean that an attempt happened and failed.
Words for the Attempt and Its Outcome
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 목표 | goal | What someone hopes to achieve. |
| 기록 | record | A performance result an athlete may challenge. |
| 성공하다 | to succeed | Reports a successful outcome beyond the attempt. |
| 실패하다 | to fail | Reports an unsuccessful outcome; 도전하다 alone does not. |
The sports vocabulary lesson gives the event and competition vocabulary used with these goals.
Mini Drill: Name a Challenge
- Complete the target marker: 마라톤____ 도전해요.
- Give the polite past of 도전하다.
- Express a wish with the table’s “want to” form.
- Give the short negative with 안.
Show drill answers
- 에: 마라톤에.
- 도전했어요.
- 도전하고 싶어요.
- 도전 안 해요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 도전했어요 prove the person succeeded?
- What does 다시 add to 다시 도전하다?
- Which word reports a successful outcome: 도전하다 or 성공하다?
Show answers
- No. It reports the attempt.
- “Again”: another attempt at the challenge.
- 성공하다.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say 'I Will Take on a Marathon Next Year' in Korean?
저는 내년에 마라톤에 도전할 거예요. The goal takes 에, not 을/를.
How Is 도전하다 (to challenge) Different from 노력하다?
노력하다 is working hard at something; 도전하다 stresses facing something difficult or new, with a risk of failing.
How Is 도전하다 (to challenge) Different from 시작하다?
시작하다 simply means to begin; 도전하다 adds the sense of a hard test.
Is 새로운 일을 도전해요 Correct Korean?
Use 새로운 일에 도전해요. English 'challenge something' pushes learners toward 을/를, but the target of 도전하다 takes 에.
What Is the Polite past of 도전하다?
For 'to challenge', the polite past is 도전했어요; the polite present is 도전해요 and the formal present is 도전합니다.
How Do You Say 'Not Take on' with 도전하다?
For 'not take on', the short negative is 도전 안 해요 and the long one is 도전하지 않아요.
Which Words Are Related to 도전하다?
- 포기하다 (to give up)
- 노력하다 (to make effort)
- 성공하다 (to succeed)
- 실패하다 (to fail)
- Korean verb dictionary
What Should You Learn Next?
Try other forms of 도전하다 in the Korean verb conjugator, then continue with 포기하다 (to give up). More entries like 도전하다 (to challenge) sit together in the Korean verb dictionary.