Key Facts
- Hangul: 어렵다 (eoryeopda)
- Meaning: difficult
- Level: A1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 어렵
- Conjugation class: ㅂ-irregular
- Grammar: Takes 이/가 for the thing that is difficult.
- Usage: ㅂ-irregular like 쉽다. For a hard day of work, Koreans often prefer 힘들다 over 어렵다.
What Does 어렵다 Mean?
The first sense is plain difficulty, as in 어려운 질문 (a difficult question). The thing that is difficult takes 이/가.
The second sense is social: 어른이 어렵다 says an elder or a formal person is someone you feel uneasy with, hard to approach. English 'difficult' covers both, but Korean readers pick the sense from the subject.
Senses:
- difficult: Describes something hard to do or understand, e.g. 어려운 질문 (a difficult question).
- hard to approach: Can describe a person or situation one feels uneasy with, e.g. 어른이 어렵다.
How Do You Pronounce 어렵다?
어렵다 is [어렵따], with the ㅂ stop tensing the ㄷ of 다. The same happens before 습 and 겠: 어렵습니다 [어렵씀니다], 어렵겠어요 [어렵께써요]. The past 어려웠어요 is [어려워써요], and 어려웠던 is [어려웓떤].
How Do You Use 어렵다 in a Sentence?
영어 시험이 어려웠어요.
The English test was difficult.
영어 시험이 어려웠어요 marks the test as the subject with 이 and reports its difficulty with the past form 어려웠어요.
어려운 단어를 몰라요.
I don't know the difficult words.
어려운 단어를 몰라요 uses the present modifier 어려운 to describe the noun 단어, and 몰라요 is the irregular 'don't know'.
이 일은 어렵지 않아요.
This job is not difficult.
이 일은 어렵지 않아요 is the long negative. 어렵지 keeps the ㅂ because 지 begins with a consonant.
How Does Eoryeopda Conjugation Work?
어렵다 is a ㅂ-irregular adjective, exactly like 쉽다. Before a vowel, the ㅂ turns into 우 and 우 + 어 merges to 워: 어려워요, 어려웠어요, 어려워서. The 으 endings give 어려우세요, 어려우면 and 어려운. Consonant endings leave ㅂ alone: 어렵습니다, 어렵지, 어렵겠어요.
어렵다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 어려워요 | ||
| Polite past | 어려웠어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 어려울 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 어렵겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 어렵습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 어려웠습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 어려울 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 어려워 | ||
| Casual past | 어려웠어 | ||
| Casual future | 어려울 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 어려우세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 어려워서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 어려우면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 어려운 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 어려웠던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 어려울 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 어려워요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 어렵지 않아요 |
For a word meaning 'difficult', -고 싶다 has no cell, because that ending attaches to action verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 어려웠어요 | [어려워써요] |
| Polite future | 어려울 거예요 | [어려울꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 어렵겠어요 | [어렵께써요] |
| Formal present | 어렵습니다 | [어렵씀니다] |
| Formal past | 어려웠습니다 | [어려웓씀니다] |
| Formal future | 어려울 것입니다 | [어려울꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 어려웠어 | [어려워써] |
| Past modifier | 어려웠던 | [어려웓떤] |
| Long negative | 어렵지 않아요 | [어렵찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 어렵어요
Correct: ✓ 어려워요
Why: 어렵다 is a ㅂ-irregular; ㅂ changes to 워 before 어/아 endings. Learners attach 어요 straight to the stem. The ㅂ must change to 워 first.
Where Does 어렵다 Turn up in Daily Talk?
For a hard day at work, Koreans often reach for 힘들다 instead, because 어렵다 is more about understanding or accomplishing than about being worn out. 복잡하다 (complicated) often explains why something is 어렵다, and 간단하다 (simple) is the usual reason something is not.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 어렵다?
| Word | How to tell it from 어렵다 |
|---|---|
| 힘들다 | 힘들다 means hard in the sense of tiring or demanding; 어렵다 means hard to understand or accomplish. |
| 복잡하다 | 복잡하다 means complicated, with many parts, not necessarily hard. |
Talking after a Korean Class
A student tells a classmate which part of the lesson was difficult. The classmate compares yesterday’s lesson and offers to work through the hard words together.
Mina
오늘 수업이 어려워요.
Oneul sueobi eoryeowoyo.
Today’s lesson is difficult.
Alex
어제 수업도 어려웠어요?
Eoje sueopdo eoryeowosseoyo?
Was yesterday’s lesson difficult too?
Mina
네, 어려운 단어가 많았어요.
Ne, eoryeoun daneoga manasseoyo.
Yes, there were a lot of difficult words.
Alex
그럼 어려운 단어를 같이 공부해요.
Geureom eoryeoun daneoreul gachi gongbuhaeyo.
Then let’s study the difficult words together.
어려워요 evaluates today’s lesson; 어려웠어요 asks about yesterday. 어려운 points to the particular words that caused trouble. In the last line, 같이 공부해요 is an invitation. The reply gives a concrete next step instead of simply repeating that Korean is hard.
What Do Common 어렵다 Combinations Mean?
어려운 문제 means a difficult problem or question. 문제 can name a test question, a puzzle or a problem to solve. The phrase identifies the difficulty but does not say whether the obstacle is unfamiliar vocabulary, calculations or a decision. Naming the type of problem gives the listener more to work with.
이해하기 어렵다 means “hard to understand”. The -기 part turns 이해하다, “understand”, into the activity being evaluated. The thing that is hard is understanding, rather than the physical act of reading a page. You will meet this structure when someone comments on explanations, books or instructions.
형편이 어렵다 describes difficult circumstances, often financial hardship. Its literal wording is “circumstances are difficult”; the real point may be that money is tight. It is not a description of how difficult a school assignment is. The Korean Basic Dictionary’s entry for 어렵다 includes this use alongside task difficulty.
How Can 어렵습니다 Soften a Refusal?
In a work conversation, 어렵습니다 can mean that a request would be difficult to fulfill. A person discussing a deadline or proposed appointment may use it to signal that the plan is unlikely to work. The adjective evaluates feasibility, rather than insulting the person who asked.
A bare 어렵습니다 does not tell you the obstacle. The speaker may add a reason about time, availability or circumstances. When reading a message, keep the proposal in mind: a reply saying something is difficult may function as a polite refusal, even without an explicit word for “no”.
This use is formal because of -습니다. 어려워요 gives the same basic evaluation in ordinary polite conversation. Adding 좀, “a little” or “somewhat”, can soften the delivery, but a softened refusal still needs to be understood in its situation. It does not promise that the speaker will eventually agree.
Which Part Is Difficult, and for Whom?
어렵다 usually describes the task, question or situation. In the dialogue, 수업이 is the subject because the lesson is difficult. English often starts with “I find…”, but Korean can simply name the difficult thing. The speaker’s viewpoint is understood unless another person is specified.
Before a noun, use 어려운. Before the conditional ending, use 어려우면. Both forms replace ㅂ with 우, but only the present sentence ending combines 우 with 어 to produce 워. This explains why 어려운 has no 워 even though 어려워요 does.
Keep 어렵다 separate from 어리다 when listening. 어려워요 evaluates difficulty; 어려요 describes youth. The similar beginning is not enough to identify the word. The syllable 워 makes a practical difference when a learner describes a class, an exam or a child.
Words for Different Kinds of Difficulty
| Korean | Meaning | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 쉽다 | to be easy | The direct opposite for a task’s difficulty. |
| 힘들다 | to be tiring; demanding | Adds physical effort or emotional strain. |
| 복잡하다 | to be complicated | Describes many parts or tangled steps. |
| 간단하다 | to be simple | Describes a small number of steps or details. |
The opposite adjectives lesson teaches 어렵다 and 쉽다 as a pair. Both also follow the shared ㅂ-irregular form pattern. A task can be simple in structure but difficult to perform, so 간단하다 does not automatically mean 쉽다.
Mini Drill: Choose the Form
- Describe a difficult lesson politely: 수업이 ____.
- Complete “a difficult word”: ____ 단어.
- Give the conditional “if it is difficult”.
- Make the formal present for a work reply.
Show drill answers
- 수업이 어려워요.
- 어려운 단어.
- 어려우면.
- 어렵습니다. The consonant ending retains ㅂ.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 형편이 어렵다 normally describe a hard exam?
- What can 어렵습니다 imply in response to a request?
- Can something be 간단하다 but still 어렵다?
Show answers
- No. It describes hardship in someone’s circumstances, often money.
- That fulfilling the request is difficult or not feasible.
- Yes. Few steps can still require considerable skill.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say "It Was Difficult"?
어려웠어요. Say 영어 시험이 어려웠어요 for 'The English test was difficult.'
Why Is It 어려워요 and Not 어렵어요?
어렵다 is a ㅂ-irregular. The ㅂ becomes 우 before a vowel ending, so 어렵 + 어요 turns into 어려워요.
Can 어렵다 Describe a Person?
Yes. 어른이 어렵다 means an elder feels hard to approach. It is about the speaker's unease, not about the person being cruel.
How Is 어렵다 Different from 힘들다?
힘들다 is hard in the tiring, demanding sense. 어렵다 is hard to understand or to accomplish.
Which Words Are Related to 어렵다?
The entries closest to 어렵다 (difficult) are 쉽다 (easy), 힘들다 (hard/tiring), 복잡하다 (complicated), 간단하다 (simple).
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 쉽다 first if you have not, since the two make a pair, and 힘들다 and 복잡하다 add the neighbouring shades of 'hard'. To see why 'difficult' takes the form 어려워요, read ㅂ-irregular verbs and adjectives; the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest of the family.