Key Facts
- Hangul: 어떻다 (eotteota)
- Pronunciation: [어떠타]
- Meaning: to be how
- Level: A1
- Stem: 어떻
- Conjugation class: ㅎ-irregular
- Grammar: descriptive
What Does 어떻다 Mean?
어떻다 asks about the way something is. 어때요? asks for a state or an opinion: 오늘 기분이 어때요? (How do you feel today?). The past 어땠어요? asks how something was, and the modifier 어떤 asks what kind of something is.
For opinions, learners hear 이거 어때요? all the time, and the honorific question is 어떠세요?. The subject takes 이/가, as in 날씨가 어때요?. Do not mix it up with the adverb 어떻게, which means 'in what way': 어떻게 가요?
The answer to a question built on 어떻다 is normally another descriptive verb that gives the state or opinion: the question and the answer share the same subject, and only the predicate changes. That is why this word is the first one learners practise for small talk about weather, food, health and plans.
How Do You Pronounce 어떻다?
어떻다 is read [어떠타], with ㅎ and ㄷ merging into ㅌ. The ㅓ in the first syllable is unrounded. 어땠어요 is [어때써요], 어떻습니다 is [어떠씀니다] and 어떻지 않아요 is [어떠치 아나요]. The tense ㄸ at the start of the second syllable is pronounced firmly.
How Do You Use 어떻다 in a Sentence?
오늘 기분이 어때요?
How do you feel today?
어때요 with 오늘 기분이: asking how a person feels today.
어제 영화는 어땠어요?
How was the movie yesterday?
어땠어요 with 어제 영화는: asking how the movie was.
어떤 음식을 좋아해요?
What kind of food do you like?
어떤 before 음식을 asks 'what kind of food'. It is the modifier, so it sits before a noun with no 요.
How Does Eotteota Conjugation Work?
ㅎ-irregular: the ㅎ is dropped and the vowel becomes ㅐ before 아/어, so 어떻 + 어요 = 어때요 and the past is 어땠어요. The because form is 어때서. With 으 endings only ㅎ drops: 어떠세요. The conditional listed for this word is 어떠면, which is rare. Consonant endings keep ㅎ: 어떻습니다, 어떻지 않아요.
어떻다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 어때요 | ||
| Polite past | 어땠어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 어떨 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 어떻겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 어떻습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 어땠습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 어떨 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 어때 | ||
| Casual past | 어땠어 | ||
| Casual future | 어떨 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 어떠세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 어때서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 어떠면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 어떤 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 어땠던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 어떨 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 어때요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 어떻지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 어땠어요 | [어때써요] |
| Future plan | 어떨 거예요 | [어떨꺼예요] |
| Future guess | 어떻겠어요 | [어떠케써요] |
| Formal now | 어떻습니다 | [어떠씀니다] |
| Formal past | 어땠습니다 | [어땓씀니다] |
| Formal future | 어떨 것입니다 | [어떨꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 어땠어 | [어때써] |
| Casual future | 어떨 거야 | [어떨꺼야] |
| Modifier past | 어땠던 | [어땓떤] |
| Long negative | 어떻지 않아요 | [어떠치 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 어떻어요?
Correct: ✓ 어때요?
Why: 어떻다 is a ㅎ irregular adjective: ㅎ drops, giving 어때요 and 어땠어요, not 어떻어요. For 'if' questions, speakers say 어떻게 하면 instead of using the rare conditional of this word.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it from 어떻다 |
|---|---|
| 어떻게 | 어떻게 is an adverb meaning 'in what way' (어떻게 가요?); 어때요 asks about a state or opinion. |
| 무엇 | 무엇 is 'what' for things; 어떤 is 'what kind of'. |
Choosing a Restaurant with a Coworker
Two coworkers compare a restaurant with one they visited yesterday. The questions use a current opinion, a past impression and a noun modifier asking about food preferences.
Mina
이 식당은 어때요?
I sikdangeun eottaeyo?
How about this restaurant?
Alex
좋아요. 어제 간 식당은 어땠어요?
Joayo. Eoje gan sikdangeun eottaesseoyo?
It looks good. How was the restaurant you went to yesterday?
Mina
맛있었어요. 어떤 음식을 좋아해요?
Masisseosseoyo. Eotteon eumsigeul joahaeyo?
The food was delicious. What kind of food do you like?
Alex
저는 한식을 좋아해요.
Jeoneun hansigeul joahaeyo.
I like Korean food.
The first 어때요 asks for an opinion on a possible choice. 어땠어요 asks about an experience that has already happened. 어떤 needs a following noun, here 음식. The final answer supplies a food category rather than an adjective such as “good”, because the third line asks a different kind of question.
Which Short Questions Will You Hear Every Day?
이거 어때요? means “How is this?” or “What do you think of this?” A person holding a shirt may want an opinion on its appearance. Someone pointing to a plan may be proposing it. 이거 identifies the thing; the situation decides whether the question evaluates it or offers it as a choice.
오늘 어때요? can mean “How about today?” when people are arranging a meeting. The literal question concerns today, but its practical purpose is checking whether that day works. Without an appointment context, a longer question naming a mood or condition would make the intended topic clearer.
어때요? leaves the subject unstated when both people can identify it. That brevity makes the form useful in shopping and small talk, but it also makes context essential. A person who has just tasted soup and a person looking at an apartment can ask the same short question about very different qualities.
How Do 어때요 and 어떠세요 Differ in Practice?
어떠세요 is useful when the question concerns a respected person’s state or preference. A host asking a guest about comfort or a clinician asking about a patient’s condition may use it. 어때요 is ordinary polite language; the additional honorific element in 어떠세요 relates to the person whose state is discussed.
A younger learner does not need an honorific form for every object discussed with an older listener. A question about a bag can use 어때요. If the focus shifts to that listener’s experience or preference, 어떠세요 may fit. First identify who or what the question is about, then choose the form.
In casual dialogue between close friends, 어때 is common. The missing 요 changes the relationship signaled to the listener, but the question still asks about a state, opinion or suggestion. It is a useful form to recognize in dramas even if you usually speak politely yourself.
Which Table Forms Need Extra Context?
어떤 is the modifier in “what kind of” questions. It cannot normally replace 어때요 at the end of the same sentence: it expects a noun after it. 어떤 음식 asks about a food type; 음식이 어때요 asks for an assessment of the food. The question word changes what sort of answer fits.
어때서 can appear in a challenge meaning roughly “What’s wrong with it?” Its shape resembles a because-form, but it is not a convenient general translation for English “because of how”. Recognize its challenging tone before borrowing it for a polite explanation. KBS’s drama phrase lesson shows this use in an argument.
Likewise, the table’s short negative 안 어때요 is not a useful everyday default for “How is it not?” To ask for an opinion, start with 어때요 and let the reply name the actual quality. To reject a suggestion, answer with the reason or your preference. A mechanically possible combination does not supply the conversational purpose on its own.
Words for Asking and Answering Opinions
| Korean | Meaning | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 어떻게 | how; in what way | Asks about a method or manner. |
| 어떤 | what kind of | Goes before the noun being classified. |
| 좋다 | to be good | Supplies a positive assessment. |
| 괜찮다 | to be okay | Can describe an acceptable condition or choice. |
The ㅎ-irregular lesson explains the form changes behind this question family. Keep the useful pair 어때요 and 어떤 together: one asks for a description, and the other helps ask about a type.
Mini Drill: Choose the Form
- Ask “How is it?” politely.
- Ask how a past experience was.
- Complete “what kind of food”: ____ 음식.
- Give the honorific polite question about someone’s condition.
Show drill answers
- 어때요?
- 어땠어요?
- 어떤 음식.
- 어떠세요?
Quick Self-Test
- Which asks about a route or method: 어때요 or 어떻게?
- In restaurant planning, what can 이 식당은 어때요 mean?
- What kind of answer fits 어떤 음식을 좋아해요?
Show answers
- 어떻게 asks about the way to do something.
- “How about this restaurant?” It proposes a choice.
- A food type or category, such as 한식, Korean food.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 어떻다?
It is 어때요.
How Do I Ask the Honorific Question?
Use 어떠세요, as in 어떠세요?
How Is 어때요 Different from 어떻게?
어때요 asks about a state or opinion; the adverb 어떻게 asks 'in what way', as in 어떻게 가요?
What Is the Difference between 무엇 and 어떤?
무엇 is 'what' for things; 어떤 is 'what kind of'.
Which Words Are Related to 어떻다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare the adverb 어떻게 on the how-in-Korean page, the what-in-Korean page for 무엇, and then 그렇다, 이렇다, 저렇다 and 좋다.
The ㅎ-irregular lesson explains the pattern behind 어때요, and the conjugator checks any other form. The dictionary lists the rest.