Key Facts
- Hangul: 업다 (eopda)
- Meaning: to carry on back
- Level: B2
- Syllables: 2 (업 · 다)
- Stem: 업
- Conjugation class: regular
- Object marking: transitive
- Polite present: 업어요
Carry on Back in Korean: What Does 업다 Mean?
The person carried takes 을/를 (아기를 업어요).
The stem ends in ㅂ, which makes it look like an irregular ㅂ verb, but 업다 keeps its consonant: 업어요 and 업었어요, with 업으면 before a condition. A small child who wants a ride says 업어 주세요.
How Do You Pronounce 업다?
Eopda has 2 syllables (업 · 다). The final ㅂ of the stem turns the next ㄷ into a tense sound, so the lemma is said [업따].
How Do You Use 업다 in a Sentence?
엄마가 아기를 업어요.
The mother carries the baby on her back.
업어요 is the polite present form.
아빠가 아이를 업었어요.
Dad carried the child on his back.
업었어요 is the polite past form.
아기를 업으면 손이 자유로워요.
If you carry the baby on your back, your hands are free.
업으면 is the if (conditional) form.
Usage Notes
The first two examples show a parent carrying a child: 엄마가 아기를 업어요 and 아빠가 아이를 업었어요. The conditional adds the practical reason, since 손이 자유로워요 when the baby rides on your back. Holding a child in front is 안다, and carrying a bag on a shoulder is 메다, so check which part of the body does the carrying. The passive for the child being carried is 업히다.
How Does Eopda Conjugation Work?
업다 is regular: the stem 업 never changes, and its vowel ㅓ selects 어, giving 업어요 and 업었어요. Unlike ㅂ-irregular words, the ㅂ never changes.
The pattern behind 업다 (to carry on back) is taught step by step in regular verbs that look irregular.
업다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 업어요 | ||
| Polite past | 업었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 업을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 업겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 업습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 업었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 업을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 업어 | ||
| Casual past | 업었어 | ||
| Casual future | 업을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 업고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 업으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 업어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 업으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 업는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 업은 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 업을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 업어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 업지 않아요 |
Before a noun, 업다 (to carry on back) becomes 업는 (present) or 업은 (past); as a link between clauses it is 업어서 for 'because' and 업으면 for 'if'.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 업어요 | [어버요] |
| Polite past | 업었어요 | [어버써요] |
| Future (plan) | 업을 거예요 | [어블꺼예요] |
| Future (guess) | 업겠어요 | [업께써요] |
| Formal present | 업습니다 | [업씀니다] |
| Formal past | 업었습니다 | [어벋씀니다] |
| Formal future | 업을 것입니다 | [어블꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 업어 | [어버] |
| Casual past | 업었어 | [어버써] |
| Casual future | 업을 거야 | [어블꺼야] |
| Want to | 업고 싶어요 | [업꼬 시퍼요] |
| Honorific | 업으세요 | [어브세요] |
| Because | 업어서 | [어버서] |
| If (conditional) | 업으면 | [어브면] |
| Modifier, present | 업는 | [엄는] |
| Modifier, past | 업은 | [어븐] |
| Modifier, future | 업을 | [어블] |
| Short negative | 안 업어요 | [안 어버요] |
| Long negative | 업지 않아요 | [업찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 가방을 업어요
Correct: ✓ 가방을 메요
Why: 업다 is for carrying a person on your back; a bag on the shoulder is 메다.
업다 Versus Similar Words
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 안다 | 안다 is holding someone in front, in your arms. |
| 메다 | 메다 is carrying a bag on the shoulder. |
| 업히다 | 업히다 is the passive: to be carried on someone's back. |
Taking Turns Carrying a Tired Child
Two parents are walking home with their child. One carried the child earlier, and the other offers to take over. 업다 can describe an adult carrying an older child as well as a baby.
Mina
아까 제가 아이를 업었어요.
Akka jega aireul eobeosseoyo.
I carried the child on my back earlier.
Jun
지금은 제가 업을 거예요.
Jigeumeun jega eobeul geoyeyo.
I’m going to carry them now.
Mina
아이를 업으면 힘들지 않아요?
Aireul eobeumyeon himdeulji anayo?
Isn’t it tiring when you carry the child on your back?
업었어요 reports the earlier action, 업을 거예요 announces the next turn, and 업으면 asks about the experience under that condition. 제가 identifies who will carry the child. Korean can omit “the child” in the second line because the first line has already supplied the object.
Everyday Combinations and One Figurative Phrase
아기를 업다 means to carry a baby on your back. 아이를 업다 uses the broader word for a child. The verb describes the position of the carried person, so it can apply to a tired child or an adult receiving a piggyback ride. It does not itself name a baby carrier or other equipment.
등에 업다 makes the location explicit: 등에 means “on the back”. That extra phrase is often unnecessary in a literal scene because 업다 already conveys the position. It becomes useful when a writer wants to emphasize the image or contrast it with holding someone in front.
Figuratively, someone can put a powerful supporter “on their back”: 등에 업다 can mean to rely on that person’s backing or influence. The National Institute of Korean Language discusses this figurative expression. A news passage about a person’s supporters is therefore unlikely to describe a literal piggyback ride. The surrounding nouns tell you whether the backing is social or physical.
Where Will You Hear 업다?
Family conversations use 업다 when children are tired or want to be carried. 업어 주세요 is a polite request for a piggyback ride. The person asking can leave out “me”: the request makes the intended passenger clear. A close family member may use casual speech, but the meaning of the verb stays the same.
In dramas, a character may carry another person home or away from a difficult situation. The action is still literal 업다, even when the passenger is an adult. The word describes how the person is carried; it does not by itself imply romance, an injury, or drunkenness.
For bags, 메다 is the usual choice when the bag rests on a shoulder or the back. 들다 describes holding or carrying something in a hand. English “carry” covers all these positions, so the English translation alone does not identify the Korean verb. Ask where the weight is supported and what is being carried.
Why Regular 업다 Can Sound Irregular
The ㅂ remains in 업어요, but the following vowel lets it begin the next spoken syllable. That is why the table gives [어버요]. The spelling keeps 업, and no 우 is added. This is a sound connection between syllables, not the ㅂ-irregular change found in 가볍다.
업는 is pronounced [엄는] because ㅂ becomes a nasal sound before ㄴ. Again, the spelling keeps ㅂ. A pronunciation change and a stem change are different things: you can hear a different consonant without needing a new written stem.
The dictionary forms 업다 and 없다 look similar to learners, but they are different words. 업다 means carrying someone on your back; 없다 means not existing or not having. 업어요 is the carrying form. In listening, pay attention to the vowel connection rather than guessing from the English romanization eopda.
업히다 changes the viewpoint to the person who receives the ride. 업다 focuses on the carrier’s action; 업히다 focuses on being carried. Keep track of who is doing what before deciding which verb a scene needs.
People and Body Words for the Scene
| Korean | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 아기 | baby | A frequent object of 업다. |
| 아이 | child | Broader than 아기; not limited to infants. |
| 등 | back | The body part supporting the passenger. |
| 어깨 | shoulder | Useful when distinguishing a shoulder bag from a piggyback ride. |
The body vocabulary lesson helps you name the positions that English often groups under “carry”.
Mini Drill: Keep the ㅂ
- Give the polite present of 업다.
- Give the polite past.
- Complete “if someone carries”: 업____.
- Build the present modifier before a noun.
Show drill answers
- 업어요.
- 업었어요.
- 업으면.
- 업는. The ㅂ remains in the spelling.
Quick Self-Test
- Which verb fits holding a child in front: 업다 or 안다?
- Does 업다 apply only to babies?
- What does 등에 업다 suggest in a passage about powerful supporters?
Show answers
- 안다.
- No. Children and adults can receive piggyback rides too.
- Relying on someone’s backing or influence.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say 'the Mother Carries the Baby on Her Back' in Korean?
엄마가 아기를 업어요. The baby takes 를 as the object.
How Is 업다 (to carry on back) Different from 안다?
안다 is holding someone in front, in your arms; 업다 is carrying them on your back.
How Does a Child Ask for a Piggyback Ride?
업어 주세요, literally please carry me on your back.
Is 가방을 업어요 Correct Korean?
No, use 가방을 메요. 업다 is for carrying a person on your back; a bag on the shoulder is 메다.
What Is the Polite past of 업다?
For 'to carry on back', the polite past is 업었어요; the polite present is 업어요 and the formal present is 업습니다.
How Do You Say 'Not Carry on Your Back' with 업다?
For 'not carry on your back', the short negative is 안 업어요 and the long one is 업지 않아요.
Which Words Are Related to 업다?
- 안다 (to hug)
- 들다 (to hold/lift)
- 잡다 (to catch/hold)
- 가져가다 (to take along)
- Korean verb dictionary
What Should You Learn Next?
Try other forms of 업다 in the Korean verb conjugator, then continue with 안다 (to hug). More entries like 업다 (to carry on back) sit together in the Korean verb dictionary.