Key Facts
- Hangul: 동그랗다 (donggeurata)
- Meaning: to be round
- Level: B1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 동그랗
- Conjugation class: ㅎ-irregular
- Grammar: A descriptive word, so the subject takes 이/가 (얼굴이 동그래요).
- Polite present and past: 동그래요, 동그랬어요
What Does 동그랗다 Mean?
동그랗다 describes a round shape, as in 동그란 접시 (a round plate). It often gives a small or softly rounded impression, as with faces, eyes and plates; it is not limited to flat shapes.
The adjective follows the same ㅎ pattern as colour words such as 노랗다 and 파랗다, which makes it a handy one to practise alongside them. The subject takes 이/가: 얼굴이 동그래요.
How Do You Pronounce 동그랗다?
The dictionary form is read [동그라타] because the ㅎ of 랗 fuses with ㄷ. The formal present 동그랗습니다 is heard as [동그라씀니다], the long negative as [동그라치 아나요], and the past 동그랬어요 as [동그래써요].
How Do You Use 동그랗다 in a Sentence?
이 접시는 동그래요.
This plate is round.
이 접시는 points at one plate with 이 and the topic marker 는; 동그래요 gives its shape in the polite present.
아기 눈이 동그랬어요.
The baby's eyes were wide and round.
아기 눈이 describes the baby's eyes as the subject, and 동그랬어요 says they looked wide and round.
동그란 안경을 쓰고 있어요.
I am wearing round glasses.
동그란 modifies 안경을, and 쓰고 있어요 says the glasses are being worn right now.
The three sentences show the stem as 동그래요, 동그랬어요 and 동그란, with the ㅎ gone every time.
How Does Donggeurata Conjugation Work?
동그랗다 is a ㅎ-irregular adjective. Before a vowel the final ㅎ of 동그랗 drops, and with 아/어 endings the vowel becomes ㅐ: 동그래요, 동그랬어요, 동그래서. With an 으-type ending only the ㅎ drops, giving 동그라면 and 동그라세요. The modifier is 동그란. The ㅎ is kept before consonants in 동그랗습니다 and 동그랗지 않아요.
To negate it, use 안 동그래요 or the long form 동그랗지 않아요. The honorific polite form is 동그라세요.
동그랗다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 동그래요 | ||
| Polite past | 동그랬어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 동그랄 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 동그랗겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 동그랗습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 동그랬습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 동그랄 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 동그래 | ||
| Casual past | 동그랬어 | ||
| Casual future | 동그랄 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 동그라세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 동그래서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 동그라면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 동그란 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 동그랬던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 동그랄 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 동그래요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 동그랗지 않아요 |
There is no want-to row for round: that ending attaches to verbs, not to descriptive words.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 동그랬어요 | [동그래써요] |
| Polite future | 동그랄 거예요 | [동그랄꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 동그랗겠어요 | [동그라케써요] |
| Formal present | 동그랗습니다 | [동그라씀니다] |
| Formal past | 동그랬습니다 | [동그랟씀니다] |
| Formal future | 동그랄 것입니다 | [동그랄꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 동그랬어 | [동그래써] |
| Casual future | 동그랄 거야 | [동그랄꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 동그랬던 | [동그랟떤] |
| Long negative | 동그랗지 않아요 | [동그라치 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 동그랗어요
Correct: ✓ 동그래요
Why: Treating 동그랗다 as regular gives 동그랗어요. The ㅎ has to drop and the vowel changes to ㅐ.
Why Use 동그랗다 for Faces and Eyes?
Koreans use 동그랗다 in a friendly, soft way: a baby's wide eyes, a round face, a plate on the table. 둥글다 describes roundness more generally; the choice is not a strict division between flat and three-dimensional shapes. 네모나다 is the word for something square or boxy.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 동그랗다?
| Word | How to tell it from 동그랗다 |
|---|---|
| 둥글다 | Round in a more general sense (둥근 달). 동그랗다 often suggests a smaller, distinctly round outline; the meanings overlap. |
| 네모나다 | Square or box-shaped, the opposite of round. |
Choosing Glasses at an Optical Shop
A customer is comparing frames. The assistant points out the round shape, and the customer compares it with an older pair.
Assistant
이 안경은 동그래요.
I angyeongeun donggeuraeyo.
These glasses are round.
Customer
전에 쓰던 안경도 동그랬어요.
Jeone sseudeon angyeongdo donggeuraesseoyo.
The glasses I used to wear were round too.
Assistant
그럼 이 동그란 안경은 어때요?
Geureom i donggeuran angyeongeun eottaeyo?
Then how about these round glasses?
동그래요 finishes a sentence about shape. 동그랬어요 recalls the earlier pair, while 동그란 attaches the description directly to 안경. Korean uses 안경 for a pair of glasses without needing the English plural ending. Here the adjective describes the outline of the frames, not the person's eyesight.
Familiar Phrases: Glasses, Faces and Surprised Eyes
동그란 안경 is round glasses, a phrase you may see in a product description or hear while choosing frames. 동그란 얼굴 describes a round face. The word gives a visual description; it does not specify an exact measurement or say how attractive the face is. A friendly tone does not make every unsolicited comment about appearance welcome.
눈이 동그래요 can describe round-looking eyes. In a story about a surprising event, round eyes can instead signal the person's reaction: their eyes are wide with surprise. The past example 아기 눈이 동그랬어요 needs its surrounding story to tell you whether the speaker is recalling an expression or describing appearance at that moment.
동그란 접시 is a round plate. The noun tells you the kind of object, while 동그란 supplies its outline. These combinations are literal descriptions, rather than idioms whose meaning must be guessed. The eyes example is the useful extension: a visible shape can communicate a feeling.
Where Will You Hear or See 동그랗다?
Children's books and conversations about drawings use the adjective to describe recognizable shapes. Clothing and accessory descriptions use it for frames, buttons and similar outlines. In a drama or a story, a description of someone's eyes can help you picture surprise even before the feeling is named.
동그랗다 can suggest a small, neat or softly rounded impression, but it is not restricted to flat objects. It can describe a face as well as a plate. 둥글다 is a broader roundness word, and the two overlap. Size and tone can affect the choice; a strict “flat versus three-dimensional” rule is too narrow. The National Institute of Korean Language compares these roundness words through their dictionary meanings.
For a mathematical circle, the noun 원 is more precise than an adjective describing how something looks. A casual drawing can be called 동그라미, a circle or circular mark. A learner choosing a shape word should first decide whether they need a noun naming the shape or an adjective describing an object.
The Two Changes Hidden in 동그래요
동그래요 involves both losing ㅎ and changing the vowel to ㅐ. 동그란 loses ㅎ before the noun modifier ending but keeps ㅏ. 동그라면 likewise keeps ㅏ. The vowel change belongs to the 아/어 forms; losing ㅎ does not automatically make every form contain 래.
Before consonant endings, the written ㅎ stays in 동그랗습니다 and 동그랗지 않아요. These spellings can look unlike the short spoken form 동그래요, but they belong to the same adjective. Keep the existing pronunciation table separate from the spelling rule: a change in sound does not give you permission to remove a written letter.
An object such as a plate does not normally need the honorific form in the table. 동그래요 already makes your statement polite to the listener. Honorific grammar concerns the subject, so choosing an ending simply because you are talking to a customer can produce an odd description of the glasses themselves.
Shape Words to Learn Together
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 동그라미 | circle; circular mark | A noun for a shape you can draw or mark. |
| 원 | circle | Useful for the geometric shape. |
| 둥글다 | to be round | A broader adjective that overlaps with 동그랗다. |
| 네모나다 | to be square or rectangular | Describes a four-sided, boxlike outline. |
The Korean shapes vocabulary lesson puts these nouns and adjectives together with other outlines.
Mini Drill: Keep the Correct Vowel
- Give the polite present of 동그랗다.
- Complete “round glasses”: ___ 안경.
- Give the conditional meaning “if it is round.”
- Recall the polite past from the glasses dialogue.
Show drill answers
- 동그래요.
- 동그란 안경.
- 동그라면.
- 동그랬어요.
Quick Self-Test
- Is 동그랗다 restricted to flat objects?
- Which is a noun naming a circle: 동그라미 or 동그란?
- In a surprising scene, what can round eyes suggest?
Show self-test answers
- No. Faces and other rounded objects can also be described this way.
- 동그라미. 동그란 modifies a following noun.
- Eyes opened wide in surprise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 동그랗다?
동그래요. Do not write 동그랗어요.
Which Is Rounder, 동그랗다 or 둥글다?
Neither is rounder; they differ in feel. 동그랗다 often suggests a small, distinctly round shape, while 둥글다 covers round things more generally. Their uses overlap.
What Does the Modifier Look Like?
It is 동그란, as in 동그란 안경 (round glasses).
What Is the past Tense?
동그랬어요. It follows the same ㅐ change as the present, and this past form has no ㅎ.
Which Words Are Related to 동그랗다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Move on to 둥글다 to compare a second way of saying round, then try 노랗다 and 파랗다 for the same ㅎ pattern. The rule behind this entry is explained in ㅎ-irregular verbs and adjectives. To test other words, use the Korean verb conjugator, or browse the Korean verb dictionary.