Key Facts
- Hangul: 걷다 (geotda)
- Meaning: to walk
- Level: A1
- Stem: 걷
- Class: ㄷ-irregular
- Objects: intransitive
- Honorific polite: 걸으세요
What Does 걷다 Mean?
걷다 means to walk, to move on foot: 길을 걷다 or 공원을 걷다. It is usually intransitive, but the place walked through may take 을/를 (공원을 걸어요). The connecting form 걸어서 means 'on foot' (걸어서 가다), and the honorific polite form is 걸으세요, with the ㄹ stem and the honorific ending -으세요.
In brief:
- to walk. Move on foot, as in 길을 걷다 or 공원을 걷다.
How Do You Pronounce 걷다?
걷다 is read [걷따]: the ㄷ at the end of the stem makes the next ㄷ tense. Because ㄷ becomes ㄹ before vowels, the polite present is heard as [거러요], with the ㄹ as a light tap. Before consonants it stays ㄷ, and before ㄴ it turns into an n sound, which is why the present modifier sounds like [건는]. The vowel ㅓ is an open, unrounded "uh" throughout.
How every form sounds:
- 걸어요 [거러요]
- 걸었어요 [거러써요]
- 걸을 거예요 [거를꺼예요]
- 걷겠어요 [걷께써요]
- 걷습니다 [걷씀니다]
- 걸었습니다 [거럳씀니다]
- 걸을 것입니다 [거를꺼심니다]
- 걸어 [거러]
- 걸었어 [거러써]
- 걸을 거야 [거를꺼야]
- 걷고 싶어요 [걷꼬 시퍼요]
- 걸으세요 [거르세요]
- 걸어서 [거러서]
- 걸으면 [거르면]
- 걷는 [건는]
- 걸은 [거른]
- 걸을 [거를]
- 안 걸어요 [안 거러요]
- 걷지 않아요 [걷찌 아나요]
How Do You Use 걷다 in a Sentence?
저는 매일 공원을 걸어요.
I walk in the park every day.
A daily habit in a place: 공원을 takes 을/를 as the place walked through. (걸어요)
어제 한 시간 걸었어요.
I walked for an hour yesterday.
A duration: 한 시간 counts the hour, and 걸었어요 uses the ㄹ stem before a vowel. (걸었어요)
걸어서 학교에 가요.
I go to school on foot.
걸어서 makes a manner clause. 학교에 가요 follows, so the whole sentence reads 'go on foot'. (걸어서)
How Does Geotda Conjugation Work?
걷다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 걸어요 | ||
| Polite past | 걸었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 걸을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 걷겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 걷습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 걸었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 걸을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 걸어 | ||
| Casual past | 걸었어 | ||
| Casual future | 걸을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 걷고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 걸으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 걸어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 걸으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 걷는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 걸은 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 걸을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 걸어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 걷지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 걸어요 | [거러요] |
| Polite past | 걸었어요 | [거러써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 걸을 거예요 | [거를꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 걷겠어요 | [걷께써요] |
| Formal present | 걷습니다 | [걷씀니다] |
| Formal past | 걸었습니다 | [거럳씀니다] |
| Formal future | 걸을 것입니다 | [거를꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 걸어 | [거러] |
| Casual past | 걸었어 | [거러써] |
| Casual future | 걸을 거야 | [거를꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 걷고 싶어요 | [걷꼬 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 걸으세요 | [거르세요] |
| Because / and then | 걸어서 | [거러서] |
| If (conditional) | 걸으면 | [거르면] |
| Modifier, present | 걷는 | [건는] |
| Modifier, past | 걸은 | [거른] |
| Modifier, future | 걸을 | [거를] |
| Short negative | 안 걸어요 | [안 거러요] |
| Long negative | 걷지 않아요 | [걷찌 아나요] |
Is 걷다 Regular or Irregular?
걷다 is ㄷ-irregular. The stem-final ㄷ turns into ㄹ before a vowel ending (걸어요, 걸었어요, 걸으세요) and stays ㄷ before a consonant (걷고, 걷는).
Common Mistake with 걷다
Wrong: ✗ 걷어요 (for 'I walk')
Correct: ✓ 걸어요
Why: 걷다 is a ㄷ-irregular verb: ㄷ changes to ㄹ before a vowel (걸어요, 걸었어요), but it stays before a consonant (걷고, 걷는).
Beginners write 걷어요 because they keep the ㄷ. Before a vowel it must change: 걸어요. 걷어요 does exist, but it belongs to a different, regular verb meaning to roll up or to collect, so using it for walking changes the meaning.
걷다 Versus 뛰다 and 달리다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 뛰다 | 걷다 is walking; 뛰다 is running or jumping, the everyday spoken choice. |
| 달리다 | 걷다 is walking at a normal pace; 달리다 is running fast, and is also used for vehicles and races. |
Choosing a Route through the Park
Jisu and Alex are outside a station near a park. They decide whether to take a bus or continue on foot.
Jisu
공원까지 걸어요?
Gongwonkkaji georeoyo?
Shall we walk to the park?
Alex
네, 걸어서 가요.
Ne, georeoseo gayo.
Yes, let’s go on foot.
Jisu
어제도 많이 걸었어요?
Eojedo mani georeosseoyo?
Did you walk a lot yesterday too?
Alex
네, 한 시간 걸었어요.
Ne, han sigan georeosseoyo.
Yes, I walked for an hour.
The first 걸어요 proposes walking; the past 걸었어요 asks about a finished activity. 걸어서 explains how they will get to the park. 공원까지 gives the endpoint, while 한 시간 measures the walking time. Neither phrase names an object someone acts on.
Routes, Pace and Walking Expressions
길을 걷다 means “to walk along a road or path.” The 을 phrase names the route covered. 공원에서 걷다 locates the activity in a park, while 공원을 걷다 presents the park as the area walked through. Both can describe an ordinary park walk, with a different focus.
천천히 걷다 means “to walk slowly”; 빨리 걷다 means “to walk fast.” These describe pace without changing the activity into running. 많이 걷다 means “to walk a lot,” which may concern distance or time depending on the conversation.
걸어서 가다 means “to go on foot.” The walking is the way you travel. This helps distinguish 걷다 from 걸리다, “to take” a certain amount of time: walking for an hour and a journey taking an hour are different statements. Read the full verb rather than deciding from the shared syllable 걸.
같은 길을 걷다 literally means “to walk the same road.” It can also mean following the same path in life, such as sharing a profession or a commitment. A conversation about careers may use the road figuratively even though no one is discussing a walk.
Where Will You Encounter 걷다?
Friends use 걸어요 when deciding how to get somewhere nearby. Exercise conversations use it for daily walking. A travel description may contrast walking along a river with taking public transport. In a route guide, 걸어서 identifies the section covered on foot.
A formal health or activity description may use 걷습니다. That ending reports an action; it does not invite the reader to walk. 걸으세요 can be a respectful instruction from a guide or health professional. As with other requests, a clear situation makes it sound helpful rather than abrupt.
Separate the Stem Change from the Sound Change
걸어요 is spelled with ㄹ because the ㄷ-irregular rule changes the stem before the vowel ending. 걷는 keeps ㄷ in writing because 는 starts with a consonant. Its pronunciation [건는] follows nasal assimilation, a sound adjustment before ㄴ. Changing pronunciation and changing the written stem are separate steps.
The 으 in 걸으면 and 걸으세요 belongs to the ending chosen after the original consonant stem. Once the ㄷ changes to ㄹ, keep that 으. Do not copy the shorter ending pattern of verbs whose dictionary stem already ends in ㄹ.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 산책 | walk / stroll | A walk taken for enjoyment or light exercise. |
| 도보 | walking / on foot | A compact term in route and travel information. |
| 보행자 | pedestrian | The person walking, often mentioned on traffic signs. |
| 인도 | sidewalk | Where pedestrians walk beside a road. |
| 걸리다 | to take time | Describes a duration required, not the walking action itself. |
The directions phrases lesson puts walking into route questions. For the stem pattern, see the ㄷ-irregular lesson.
Mini Drill: Keep or Change ㄷ?
- Give the polite present of 걷다, “to walk.”
- Give the formal present.
- Give the present modifier before a noun.
- Give the conditional form.
Show walking drill answers
- 걸어요: the stem changes before the vowel.
- 걷습니다: ㄷ stays before the consonant.
- 걷는: keep ㄷ in writing.
- 걸으면: ㄷ changes before 으.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 걸어서 tell you about a journey?
- Is the ㄹ in 걸어요 only a pronunciation change?
- In a career conversation, what might 같은 길을 걷다 mean?
Show answers
- It is made on foot.
- No. The irregular rule changes the written stem too.
- Following the same path in life or work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is It 걸어요?
걷다 follows the ㄷ-irregular pattern: the ㄷ of the stem becomes ㄹ before an ending that starts with a vowel, so 걷 + 어요 becomes 걸어요.
How Do I Say 'on Foot'?
Use 걸어서, as in 걸어서 학교에 가요 (I go to school on foot).
What Is the Honorific?
The honorific polite form is 걸으세요, with the ㄹ stem and the honorific ending -으세요.
When Does ㄷ Stay?
Before an ending that starts with a consonant, as in 걷고, 걷는 and 걷습니다.
Which Words Are Related to 걷다?
- 뛰다
- 듣다
- 달리다
- 따라가다
- Dictionary
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 듣다 for another ㄷ-irregular verb, then 뛰다 and 달리다. Test any form in the Korean verb conjugator.