Key Facts
- Hangul: 가볍다 (gabyeopda)
- Meaning: light
- Level: A2
- Syllables: 3 (가 · 볍 · 다)
- Stem: 가볍
- Conjugation class: ㅂ-irregular
- Polite present: 가벼워요
What Does 가볍다 Mean?
| Sense | How it is used |
|---|---|
| light | Low in weight, as in 가방이 가볍다. |
| light-hearted | Easy or casual, as in 마음이 가볍다. |
The thing described takes 이/가, as in 짐이 가벼워요.
Bags, laptops, clothes and meals can all be light: 가방, 노트북, 옷 and 식사. A light meal is 가벼운 식사, and the adverb form 가볍게 turns up in 가볍게 운동하다, to exercise lightly.
How Do You Pronounce 가볍다?
Gabyeopda has 3 syllables (가 · 볍 · 다). The ㅂ at the end of the stem makes the next ㄷ tense, so the lemma is said [가볍따].
How Do You Use 가볍다 in a Sentence?
이 노트북은 가벼워요.
This laptop is light.
가벼워요 is the polite present form.
가방이 가벼워서 여행하기 편했어요.
The bag was light, so it was comfortable to travel with.
가벼워서 is the because / and then form.
가벼운 옷을 입고 나갔어요.
I went out in light clothes.
가벼운 is the present modifier (before a noun) form.
Usage Notes
The sentences move from objects to experience. 이 노트북은 가벼워요 describes a laptop, 가방이 가벼워서 여행하기 편했어요 gives a reason for a comfortable trip, and 가벼운 옷을 입고 나갔어요 uses the modifier 가벼운 to describe clothes. The opposite is 무겁다, and 얇다 is thin rather than light.
How Does Gabyeopda Conjugation Work?
가볍다 is ㅂ-irregular: the final ㅂ of 가볍 turns into 우 before a vowel ending (가벼워요, 가벼운) but stays before a consonant (가볍습니다, 가볍지 않아요).
The whole class is explained in ㅂ-irregular verbs and adjectives.
As an adjective, 가볍다 does not take the 'want to' ending, so that cell is left out.
가볍다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 가벼워요 | ||
| Polite past | 가벼웠어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 가벼울 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 가볍겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 가볍습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 가벼웠습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 가벼울 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 가벼워 | ||
| Casual past | 가벼웠어 | ||
| Casual future | 가벼울 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 가벼우세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 가벼워서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 가벼우면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 가벼운 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 가벼웠던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 가벼울 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 가벼워요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 가볍지 않아요 |
Before a noun, 가볍다 (light) becomes 가벼운 (present) or 가벼웠던 (past); as a link between clauses it is 가벼워서 for 'because' and 가벼우면 for 'if'.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 가벼웠어요 | [가벼워써요] |
| Future (plan) | 가벼울 거예요 | [가벼울꺼예요] |
| Future (guess) | 가볍겠어요 | [가볍께써요] |
| Formal present | 가볍습니다 | [가볍씀니다] |
| Formal past | 가벼웠습니다 | [가벼웓씀니다] |
| Formal future | 가벼울 것입니다 | [가벼울꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 가벼웠어 | [가벼워써] |
| Casual future | 가벼울 거야 | [가벼울꺼야] |
| Modifier, past | 가벼웠던 | [가벼웓떤] |
| Long negative | 가볍지 않아요 | [가볍찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 가볍어요
Correct: ✓ 가벼워요
Why: 가볍다 is ㅂ-irregular, so ㅂ becomes 우 before a vowel.
가볍다 Versus Similar Words
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 무겁다 | 무겁다 is the opposite: heavy. |
| 얇다 | 얇다 is thin in thickness; 가볍다 is light in weight, and a thin jacket is often both. |
Comparing Bags before a Trip
Two friends are packing for a journey. One compares today’s bag with yesterday’s heavier packing. The forms describe its current weight, its earlier weight, and the kind of bag they want.
Jisu
이 가방은 가벼워요?
I gabangeun gabyeowoyo?
Is this bag light?
Alex
네. 어제는 짐이 더 가벼웠어요.
Ne. Eojeneun jimi deo gabyeowosseoyo.
Yes. Yesterday the luggage was even lighter.
Jisu
저도 가벼운 가방을 찾고 있어요.
Jeodo gabyeoun gabangeul chatgo isseoyo.
I’m looking for a light bag too.
가벼워요 describes the bag now, 가벼웠어요 looks back at yesterday’s packing, and 가벼운 sits before 가방. 더 means “more”, so 더 가벼웠어요 compares two weights without giving a number. 짐 can refer to the whole load, while 가방 names a particular bag.
Common Phrases: Meals, Moods, and Gentle Movement
가벼운 식사 means a light meal. The meal is small or not substantial; the phrase does not describe its weight on a kitchen scale. It also does not name one particular dish. A sandwich could be a light meal in one situation and part of a larger meal in another.
마음이 가볍다 describes feeling relieved or free from a burden. Literally the heart or mind is light. After finishing a worrying task, someone may use this phrase because the worry has lifted. The focus is the person’s feeling, not their body weight or how serious their personality is.
가볍게 운동하다 means to exercise lightly. 가볍게 describes the manner of the exercise, while 가벼운 describes a noun. The ending choice therefore changes what the adjective connects to: an action or a thing. “Lightly” can suggest gentle effort without specifying a duration or a particular exercise routine.
Why Can “Light” Become Criticism?
입이 가볍다 literally says that someone’s mouth is light. Its idiomatic meaning is that they talk too freely or cannot keep information to themselves. The National Institute of Korean Language explains this negative sense. It is about discretion, not the physical weight of a mouth.
Compare 마음이 가볍다 with 입이 가볍다. The first can describe welcome relief; the second can criticize loose talk. The body or feeling word before 이 decides the interpretation. Treating every figurative use as “light-hearted” would lose this difference.
A description of a person as 가볍다 can also suggest that they are frivolous or lack seriousness. That makes the adjective risky as a general compliment about someone’s character. If you mean their suitcase is easy to carry, name the suitcase so the intended meaning is clear.
Where Will You Meet 가볍다?
Product listings and reviews use 가볍다 for laptops, bags, and shoes. A claim about weight does not tell you whether the item is thin, small, durable, or comfortable. A laptop can be 가볍다 and still have a large screen. Check which property the sentence actually describes.
In travel talk, a lighter bag can explain why moving around feels easier, as in the existing example. In food talk, 가벼운 식사 concerns the size or substance of a meal. In a drama, 마음 or 입 can signal that the meaning has moved away from a physical object.
가벼워요 is neutral polite speech. 가벼워 is casual, and 가볍습니다 sounds more formal, for example during a product presentation. Politeness does not change the property being described. For an object, 가벼워요 is enough even when you are speaking to an older listener; the object itself does not need an honorific ending.
Watch the Modifier and the Negative
The ㅂ-irregular change gives 가벼운 before a noun and 가벼우면 before a condition. Neither form contains 워, even though the familiar 가벼워요 does. Learn the three shapes together: 워요 at a polite sentence ending, 운 before a noun, and 우면 for a condition.
가볍지 않아요 retains ㅂ before 지. The short negative 안 가벼워요 has a space after 안 and uses the changed form 가벼워요. Both say “not light”, which can mean heavier than expected without necessarily describing something extremely heavy.
Words for Weight and Luggage
| Korean | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 무게 | weight | Names the property you can measure. |
| 짐 | luggage; load | Covers what someone has to carry. |
| 가방 | bag | A bag can be light even when it looks large. |
| 무겁다 | to be heavy | The opposite description of weight. |
Use the airport vocabulary lesson for luggage words in a travel setting, including situations where the weight of a bag matters.
Mini Drill: Describe the Light Item
- Give the polite present of 가볍다.
- Complete “a light bag”: ____ 가방.
- Give the conditional “if it is light”.
- Make the long negative.
Show drill answers
- 가벼워요.
- 가벼운.
- 가벼우면.
- 가볍지 않아요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 가벼운 식사 refer to weighing the plate?
- Which phrase describes relief: 마음이 가볍다 or 입이 가볍다?
- Can a laptop be light without being thin?
Show answers
- No. It means a small or not substantial meal.
- 마음이 가볍다.
- Yes. 가볍다 concerns weight; 얇다 concerns thickness.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say 'This Laptop Is Light' in Korean?
이 노트북은 가벼워요. The topic marker 은 sets up the laptop, and 가벼워요 describes it.
What Is the Opposite of 가볍다?
무겁다, heavy. It is ㅂ-irregular too.
How Is 가볍다 (light) Different from 얇다?
얇다 is thin in thickness; 가볍다 is light in weight, and a thin jacket is often both.
Is 가볍어요 Correct Korean?
No, use 가벼워요. 가볍다 is ㅂ-irregular, so ㅂ becomes 우 before a vowel.
What Is the Polite past of 가볍다?
For 'light', the polite past is 가벼웠어요; the polite present is 가벼워요 and the formal present is 가볍습니다.
How Do You Say 'Not Light' with 가볍다?
For 'not light', the short negative is 안 가벼워요 and the long one is 가볍지 않아요.
Which Words Are Related to 가볍다?
- 무겁다 (heavy)
- 얇다 (thin)
- 편하다 (comfortable)
- 쉽다 (easy)
- Korean verb dictionary
What Should You Learn Next?
Try other forms of 가볍다 in the Korean verb conjugator, then continue with 무겁다 (heavy). More entries like 가볍다 (light) sit together in the Korean verb dictionary.