Key Facts
- Hangul: 어색하다 (eosaekada)
- Meaning: to be awkward
- Level: B1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 어색하
- Conjugation class: regular 하다 adjective
- Grammar: A descriptive word; the situation or expression takes 이/가 (분위기가 어색해요).
- Polite present and past: 어색해요, 어색했어요
What Does 어색하다 Mean?
어색하다 describes an awkward feeling or situation, as in 분위기가 어색하다 (the mood is awkward). It also means unnatural or unfamiliar, such as 표현이 어색하다 (the phrasing is unnatural).
It is very common in daily talk about new relationships and about Korean that sounds off. The situation or expression takes 이/가. The adverb 어색하게 is also used.
How Do You Pronounce 어색하다?
The dictionary form is read [어새카다]: the ㄱ of 색 and the ㅎ of 하 combine into an aspirated ㅋ. The same happens in every form, so 어색해요 is [어새캐요], 어색합니다 is [어새캄니다], and 어색한 is [어새칸].
How Do You Use 어색하다 in a Sentence?
처음 만나서 좀 어색해요.
It is a bit awkward since we just met.
처음 만나서 좀 어색해요 gives the cause with 만나서: since we just met, it is a bit awkward.
그 말이 어색했어요.
That wording sounded unnatural.
그 말이 어색했어요 says that particular wording sounded unnatural.
어색하면 먼저 말을 걸어 보세요.
If it feels awkward, try speaking first.
어색하면 먼저 말을 걸어 보세요 offers advice: if it feels awkward, try speaking first.
The three lines use 어색해요, 어색했어요 and 어색하면.
How Does Eosaekada Conjugation Work?
어색하다 is a regular 하다 adjective. Before 아/어 endings the 하 becomes 해: 어색해요, 어색했어요, 어색해서. Before 으-type endings it stays 하: 어색하면, 어색하세요. The modifier is 어색한 and the future modifier is 어색할. Consonant endings attach directly, as in 어색합니다 and 어색하지 않아요.
Negatives: 안 어색해요 or 어색하지 않아요. The honorific polite form is 어색하세요.
어색하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 어색해요 | ||
| Polite past | 어색했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 어색할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 어색하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 어색합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 어색했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 어색할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 어색해 | ||
| Casual past | 어색했어 | ||
| Casual future | 어색할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 어색하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 어색해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 어색하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 어색한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 어색했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 어색할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 어색해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 어색하지 않아요 |
There is no want-to row for awkward: that ending attaches to verbs, not to descriptive words.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 어색했어요 | [어새캐써요] |
| Polite future | 어색할 거예요 | [어새칼꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 어색하겠어요 | [어새카게써요] |
| Formal present | 어색합니다 | [어새캄니다] |
| Formal past | 어색했습니다 | [어새캗씀니다] |
| Formal future | 어색할 것입니다 | [어새칼꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 어색했어 | [어새캐써] |
| Casual future | 어색할 거야 | [어새칼꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 어색했던 | [어새캗떤] |
| Long negative | 어색하지 않아요 | [어새카지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Meaning contrast (not a grammar error): 어색해요 vs 부끄러워요
For 'I am ashamed' or 'I feel shy', say: ✓ 부끄러워요.
Why: 어색해요 is correct Korean, but it means the situation or the wording feels awkward or unnatural. It says nothing about shame. Shyness and shame are 부끄럽다, and embarrassment in front of others is 창피하다.
Is 어색하다 Shy, Uncomfortable or Unnatural?
It is closest to unnatural and stiff. 부끄럽다 is feeling shy or ashamed, and 불편하다 is uncomfortable or inconvenient. 창피하다 is embarrassed in front of others. 이상하다 simply means strange.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 어색하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 어색하다 |
|---|---|
| 부끄럽다 | Feeling shy or ashamed. 어색하다 is the stiff, unnatural feeling of a situation or person. |
| 불편하다 | Uncomfortable or inconvenient. 어색하다 is awkward because of unfamiliarity. |
Discussing a Korean Message before Sending It
A learner asks a friend to look at a message. They compare the old wording with a revised sentence. Here 어색하다 concerns natural phrasing rather than embarrassment.
Alex
이 문장이 좀 어색해요?
I munjangi jom eosaekaeyo?
Does this sentence sound a little unnatural?
Jisu
네, 마지막 표현이 어색해요.
Ne, majimak pyohyeoni eosaekaeyo.
Yes, the last expression sounds unnatural.
Alex
아까 쓴 문장도 어색했어요?
Akka sseun munjangdo eosaekaesseoyo?
Was the sentence I wrote earlier unnatural too?
Jisu
네, 이 어색한 표현만 바꿔 보세요.
Ne, i eosaekan pyohyeonman bakkwo boseyo.
Yes, try changing just this awkward expression.
The present 어색해요 evaluates the visible message; 어색했어요 looks back at an earlier version; 어색한 identifies a phrase to change. 표현만 means “just the expression”, which narrows the feedback. The friend is discussing the writing rather than judging the writer’s personality.
Which Combinations Describe Social Awkwardness?
어색한 침묵 means an awkward silence. The literal parts are “awkward” and “silence”, but the phrase usually suggests people do not know what to say next. A quiet library is not automatically an example: the awkwardness comes from the social situation, rather than from silence alone.
어색한 사이 describes a relationship in which people feel stiff or uneasy with each other. 사이 concerns the relationship between people. Two people who have just met can feel this way, but so can old friends after a disagreement. The phrase does not tell you how long they have known each other.
어색한 웃음 is an awkward smile or laugh. It may be someone’s reaction when a joke fails or a greeting goes badly. The expression describes how the reaction appears. It does not guarantee that the person is ashamed, amused or lying; the rest of the scene supplies that interpretation.
What Does “Awkward Korean” Mean Here?
어색한 표현 means unnatural or awkward phrasing. A sentence may follow a grammar rule and still feel odd because its words do not normally fit together, or because its tone does not suit the situation. Feedback using 어색하다 therefore does not always mean a sentence is grammatically impossible.
In a language exchange, ask which expression sounds awkward. A comment about a single phrase is easier to act on than a broad judgment of your Korean. 문장, “sentence”, and 표현, “expression”, are useful subjects because they keep the conversation focused on the wording being discussed.
The adjective is neutral, but feedback can still feel blunt. 좀 어색해요 softens the statement, and identifying the exact phrase helps the listener understand it. Saying that an entire person is awkward can sound more personal than describing a particular conversation, smile or sentence.
Why Is 어색한 an Adjective Form?
어색하다 ends in 하다, but it describes a state rather than an action. Its present modifier is 어색한. The 하다 ending alone does not tell you to use an action-verb modifier. Compare the noun phrase 어색한 표현 with the full statement 표현이 어색해요: they express the same judgment in different sentence positions.
Write 어색하다 and 어색해요 as single words. This adjective is not formed by placing a separate noun 어색 before a separate 하다. The sound change involving ㄱ and ㅎ also stays inside the word, while its written spelling keeps both letters. The pronunciation section above shows how that combination sounds.
어색하게 is the adverb form, used to describe how an action happens. A description of someone smiling awkwardly concerns the manner of smiling, while 어색한 웃음 names an awkward smile. The choice depends on whether the next word is an action or a noun.
Words near Awkward, Shy and Uncomfortable
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 부끄럽다 | to feel shy or ashamed | Focuses on the person’s feeling. |
| 불편하다 | to be uncomfortable; inconvenient | Can describe a bad chair or an inconvenient arrangement. |
| 자연스럽다 | to be natural | A useful opposite for relaxed behavior or fluent phrasing. |
| 표현 | expression; phrasing | Names the wording being evaluated. |
The emotions vocabulary lesson develops related feelings. An awkward atmosphere may make someone shy or uncomfortable, but the words identify different parts of the experience.
Mini Drill: Choose the Form
- Turn 어색하다 into the polite present.
- Describe yesterday’s awkward moment in the polite past.
- Complete “awkward phrasing”: ____ 표현.
- Give the conditional “if it is awkward”.
Show drill answers
- 어색해요. 하 contracts to 해 before this ending.
- 어색했어요.
- 어색한 표현.
- 어색하면. The 하 remains before 면.
Quick Self-Test
- Is every silence an 어색한 침묵?
- Does 어색한 표현 always mean a grammar rule was broken?
- Which word names personal shyness or shame: 어색하다 or 부끄럽다?
Show answers
- No. It refers to a socially awkward silence.
- No. The wording may be grammatical but unnatural in context.
- 부끄럽다.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 어색하다?
어색해요, read [어새캐요].
Does 어색해요 Mean I Am Embarrassed?
No. Say 부끄러워요 for shame; 어색해요 means the situation or wording feels awkward.
How Do I Say the Mood Is Awkward?
분위기가 어색해요.
What Is the Adverb?
어색하게, used before a verb.
Which Words Are Related to 어색하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Contrast 어색하다 with 부끄럽다 and 불편하다, then add 창피하다 and 이상하다 to the set. The rule behind this entry is explained in 하다 to 해요. To test other words, use the Korean verb conjugator, or browse the Korean verb dictionary.