Key Facts
- Hangul: 어둡다 (eodupda)
- Meaning: dark
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 어둡
- Conjugation class: ㅂ-irregular
- Dictionary form sounds like: [어둡따]
- Grammar: Descriptive word; the dark thing takes 이/가 (밤이 어두워요).
- Usage: Used for rooms, nights and also moods (표정이 어두워요). 어두워지다 means to get dark.
What Does 어둡다 Mean?
어둡다 means dark. It describes a room with no light, a street at night and, in the same way as English, a mood or a face: 표정이 어두워요 says the expression looks gloomy. The dark thing takes 이/가, as in 밤이 어두워요. 어두워지다 means to get dark, so it is the word for evening falling.
How Do You Pronounce 어둡다?
The dictionary form is [어둡따]: the ㅂ stays and the 다 is tensed. Before a vowel ending the ㅂ changes into 워, so 어두워요 is spoken exactly as it is written, and 어두웠어요 is [어두워써요]. The formal forms keep the ㅂ: 어둡습니다 is [어둡씀니다] and 어둡지 않아요 is [어둡찌 아나요].
How Do You Use 어둡다 in a Sentence?
방이 너무 어두워요.
The room is too dark.
너무 means too, so the room is darker than the speaker would like.
어두운 길은 무서워요.
Dark roads are scary.
어두운 is the present modifier and goes before 길은 in the sentence.
밖이 어두워서 집에 갔어요.
It was dark outside, so I went home.
밖이 어두워서 gives the reason, and 집에 갔어요 is what happened next.
The examples show the polite present 어두워요, the modifier 어두운 and the because-form 어두워서.
How Does Eodupda Conjugation Work?
어둡다 is a ㅂ-irregular adjective. Before a vowel ending the ㅂ turns into 우, and 우 + 어 becomes 워: 어두워요, 어두웠어요, 어두워서. Before a consonant the ㅂ stays: 어둡습니다 and 어둡지 않아요. The modifier 어두운 follows the same rule, and the if-form is 어두우면. The rule behind this class is in the lesson on ㅂ-irregular verbs and adjectives.
어둡다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 어두워요 | ||
| Polite past | 어두웠어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 어두울 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 어둡겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 어둡습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 어두웠습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 어두울 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 어두워 | ||
| Casual past | 어두웠어 | ||
| Casual future | 어두울 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 어두우세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 어두워서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 어두우면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 어두운 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 어두웠던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 어두울 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 어두워요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 어둡지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 어두웠어요 | [어두워써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 어두울 거예요 | [어두울꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 어둡겠어요 | [어둡께써요] |
| Formal present | 어둡습니다 | [어둡씀니다] |
| Formal past | 어두웠습니다 | [어두웓씀니다] |
| Formal future | 어두울 것입니다 | [어두울꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 어두웠어 | [어두워써] |
| Casual future | 어두울 거야 | [어두울꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 어두웠던 | [어두웓떤] |
| Long negative | 어둡지 않아요 | [어둡찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake with 어둡다
Wrong: ✗ 어둡어요
Correct: ✓ 어두워요
Why: This is a ㅂ-irregular adjective: the ㅂ turns into 워 before 어, so the polite present is 어두워요. The formal form 어둡습니다 keeps the ㅂ.
Dark Rooms, Dark Nights and Dark Moods
Use 어둡다 for rooms, nights and also moods. 표정이 어두워요 says someone looks troubled. The verb 어두워지다 describes the change as it happens: it is getting dark. Since the polite forms look so different from the dictionary form, check them against the ㅂ-irregular class when a new ㅂ adjective appears.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 어둡다?
| Word | How to tell it from 어둡다 |
|---|---|
| 밝다 | The opposite: 밝다 is bright, 어둡다 is dark. |
| 흐리다 | 흐리다 is cloudy weather; 어둡다 is lack of light. |
흐리다 is for the sky when it is overcast; 어둡다 describes a lack of light, in the sky or anywhere else.
Checking a Hotel Room after Sunset
A guest and a hotel employee look at a dim room. The guest describes the current light, compares yesterday, and explains why reading is difficult.
Guest
방이 좀 어두워요.
Bangi jom eoduwoyo.
The room is a bit dark.
Employee
어제도 어두웠어요?
Eojedo eoduwosseoyo?
Was it dark yesterday too?
Guest
네, 어두워서 책을 못 읽었어요.
Ne, eoduwoseo chaegeul mot ilgeosseoyo.
Yes, it was too dark for me to read.
Employee
그럼 불을 하나 더 켤게요.
Geureom bureul hana deo kyeolgeyo.
Then I will turn on one more light.
어두워요 describes the room now; 어두웠어요 looks back; 어두워서 gives the reason reading was impossible. The guest leaves the room unstated in the third line because both speakers already know the subject. 좀 softens the complaint, although the lighting problem is still clear.
What Do Common Dark Expressions Actually Describe?
어두운 색 means a dark color. A dark blue shirt can look dark even in a well-lit shop, so this phrase concerns the color’s lightness rather than the amount of light in the room. 검은색 means black specifically; 어두운 색 covers more than black.
표정이 어둡다 describes a gloomy or worried expression. You might hear it in a drama when someone notices bad news on another person’s face. The phrase reports an impression; it does not identify the cause or prove exactly what that person feels.
전망이 어둡다 means the outlook is bleak. 전망 can mean a view or a future prospect, but this combination commonly points to poor prospects. A report about a business with falling sales may use it without discussing lighting at all. The Korean Basic Dictionary’s entry for 전망 includes this collocation.
Where Will You Hear 어둡다?
At home, 어두워요 can explain why someone wants a lamp on. In a cinema or restaurant review, it may describe the lighting rather than criticize the cleanliness or service. Add the subject when the distinction matters: 방, “room”, and 색, “color”, guide the listener toward different meanings.
Photography conversations use the same adjective for an image that looks too dark. A picture can be 어두운 even if it was taken during the day. In news and business writing, a subject such as 전망 shifts the interpretation toward future prospects. Follow the noun before choosing an English translation.
The adjective itself is neutral. 어두워 is a casual comment to someone close; 어두워요 suits a polite request or complaint. A room does not need the honorific ending in 어두우세요. Politeness toward hotel staff comes from the sentence ending, rather than from honoring the room.
How Do You Keep the Two 우 Syllables Straight?
어두우면 contains the stem’s original 우 and the 우 that replaces ㅂ. Keep both in writing. In 어두워요, the second 우 combines with 어 into 워; in 어두운, it combines with the modifier ending differently. Writing only one 우 in the conditional loses part of the required form.
Also separate a state from a change. 어두워요 says it is dark; 어두워지다 means to become dark. Evening approaching and a lamp being switched off can both lead to darkness, but 어둡다 alone does not tell you which event caused it. For a simple description, the shorter state form is all you need.
Related Words for Light and Visibility
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 밝다 | to be bright | The direct contrast for lighting. |
| 빛 | light | The light itself, rather than its source. |
| 조명 | lighting | Useful for rooms, stages and photographs. |
| 검은색 | black | A particular color rather than dim illumination. |
Use the color adjectives lesson for descriptions of color. A room’s brightness and an object’s color can change independently, so choose the noun before describing either one as dark.
Mini Drill: Choose the Form
- Describe a dark room politely: 방이 ____.
- Complete “a dark road”: ____ 길.
- Write “if it is dark” using the conditional.
- Give the formal present of 어둡다.
Show drill answers
- 방이 어두워요.
- 어두운 길.
- 어두우면, with both 우 syllables.
- 어둡습니다. The consonant ending keeps ㅂ.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 어두운 색 always mean black?
- What does a dark 전망 suggest in a business report?
- Which expression describes becoming dark: 어둡다 or 어두워지다?
Show answers
- No. Other colors can be dark too.
- A bleak outlook or poor future prospects.
- 어두워지다 describes the change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say 'the Room Is Too Dark'?
방이 너무 어두워요.
Why Is It 어두워요 and Not 어둡어요?
어둡다 is ㅂ-irregular: the ㅂ turns into 워 before a vowel ending. 어둡어요 is wrong.
What Is the Formal Form?
The formal present is 어둡습니다, and it keeps the ㅂ.
What Does 어두워지다 Mean?
It means to get dark, as in evening coming on.
Can 어둡다 Describe a Mood?
Yes. 표정이 어두워요 means the expression looks gloomy.
Which Words Are Related to 어둡다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 밝다 as the opposite, then 흐리다 and 무섭다 for related weather and feeling words. Once you know how to say "dark", put another word through the Korean verb conjugator to compare the pattern, or browse more entries in the Korean verb dictionary.