Key Facts
- Hangul: 긴장되다 (ginjangdoeda)
- Meaning: nervous
- Part of speech: verb (feeling) (동사)
- Level: A2
- Stem: 긴장되
- Class: regular
What Does 긴장되다 Mean?
긴장되다 is the nervousness you feel before a test, an interview or a performance. 시험 전에 긴장돼요 means "I get nervous before an exam". It is intransitive: the person or situation takes 이/가 or 은/는, as in 저는 긴장돼요, and no object marked with 을/를 follows. Here, 되다 presents nervousness as a feeling that arises rather than an action you choose.
How Do You Pronounce 긴장되다?
Everything is read as it is written, with soft nasal sounds in the middle. The polite past 긴장됐어요 is [긴장돼써요], and the formal 긴장됩니다 is [긴장됨니다]. The planned future 긴장될 거예요 is [긴장될꺼예요], and the guess form 긴장되겠어요 is [긴장되게써요].
How Do You Use 긴장되다 in a Sentence?
면접 때문에 긴장돼요.
I'm nervous because of the interview.
면접 때문에 names the cause, the interview. The polite present reports the nervousness as it is happening.
긴장돼서 잠을 못 잤어요.
I was nervous, so I couldn't sleep.
The because-form 긴장돼서 links the nerves to the result: sleeplessness. 못 잤어요 shows that you could not sleep.
긴장되면 심호흡을 해요.
When I'm nervous, I take a deep breath.
The conditional 긴장되면 sets a habit: whenever nerves appear, take a deep breath, 심호흡을 해요.
Usage Notes for 긴장되다
You will meet this word before exams, interviews and stage performances. The 되다 pattern highlights the onset of nervousness. The related 긴장하다 also describes being tense; it need not be deliberate. The modifier 긴장되는 is useful in set phrases, as in a nervous moment. For worry about what might go wrong, 걱정되다 is the better word.
How Does Ginjangdoeda Conjugation Work?
긴장되다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 긴장돼요 | ||
| Polite past | 긴장됐어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 긴장될 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 긴장되겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 긴장됩니다 | ||
| Formal past | 긴장됐습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 긴장될 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 긴장돼 | ||
| Casual past | 긴장됐어 | ||
| Casual future | 긴장될 거야 | ||
| Because / and then | 긴장돼서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 긴장되면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 긴장되는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 긴장된 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 긴장될 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 긴장돼요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 긴장되지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 긴장돼요 | — |
| Polite past | 긴장됐어요 | [긴장돼써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 긴장될 거예요 | [긴장될꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 긴장되겠어요 | [긴장되게써요] |
| Formal present | 긴장됩니다 | [긴장됨니다] |
| Formal past | 긴장됐습니다 | [긴장됃씀니다] |
| Formal future | 긴장될 것입니다 | [긴장될꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 긴장돼 | — |
| Casual past | 긴장됐어 | [긴장돼써] |
| Casual future | 긴장될 거야 | [긴장될꺼야] |
| Because / and then | 긴장돼서 | — |
| Conditional (if) | 긴장되면 | — |
| Modifier, present | 긴장되는 | — |
| Modifier, past | 긴장된 | — |
| Modifier, future | 긴장될 | — |
| Short negative | 안 긴장돼요 | — |
| Long negative | 긴장되지 않아요 | [긴장되지 아나요] |
Is 긴장되다 Regular or Irregular?
긴장되다 is regular. The stem 긴장되 ends in ㅚ, so the vowel 어 of 어요 merges with it, and 되 plus 어 contracts to 돼: 긴장돼요, 긴장돼서 and 긴장됐어요. Consonant endings simply attach, as in 긴장됩니다 and 긴장되지 않아요. The contraction is only a matter of spelling and speed. For the general regular pattern, see the lesson on conjugating the present tense.
Common Mistake with 긴장되다
Wrong: ✗ 긴장되요
Correct: ✓ 긴장돼요
Why: 돼요 is the short form of 되어요. 되요 is a spelling error: if you could say 되어요 in that spot, write 돼요. The full ending 되어요 is not wrong, only less common.
긴장되다 Versus 긴장하다 and 걱정되다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 긴장하다 | 긴장하다 describes being tense or nervous. 긴장되다 highlights the feeling arising; neither requires deliberate tension. |
| 걱정되다 | 걱정되다 is worry about something going wrong. 긴장되다 is tension before an event. |
Waiting for a Job Interview
Two applicants are waiting outside an interview room. One admits to nerves, and the other shares a similar experience.
Mina
면접 때문에 긴장돼요.
Myeonjeop ttaemune ginjangdwaeyo.
I am nervous because of the interview.
Jun
저도 어제 많이 긴장됐어요.
Jeodo eoje mani ginjangdwaesseoyo.
I was very nervous yesterday too.
Mina
긴장되면 말을 잘 못 해요.
Ginjangdoemyeon mareul jal mot haeyo.
When I get nervous, I cannot speak well.
Jun
저도요. 천천히 말해 보세요.
Jeodoyo. Cheoncheonhi malhae boseyo.
Me too. Try speaking slowly.
긴장돼요 reports present nerves, 긴장됐어요 recalls yesterday's feeling, and 긴장되면 introduces what happens whenever nerves appear. 면접 때문에 names a cause. The applicants do not need to repeat 저는 in every sentence because the speakers and their feelings are clear.
Which Situations Fit 긴장되다?
긴장되다 fits an interview, exam, presentation or first performance because the situation makes you feel tense. It can happen before something you want to do. Being nervous before a concert does not mean you expect to dislike performing or want to cancel it.
걱정되다 focuses on concern about a possible problem. 긴장되다 focuses on the tense feeling as an important moment approaches. A learner might worry about forgetting a line and also feel nervous on stage. The two words can describe the same event from different angles.
The related 긴장하다 also describes being tense or nervous; it does not require a deliberate choice. The difference is useful as a tendency: 긴장되다 highlights the feeling arising in you, while 긴장하다 describes someone being tense. Avoid reading 되다 as proof that every sentence is a passive action done by another person.
Common Combinations around Nerves
| Expression | Meaning | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| 면접 때문에 긴장되다 | feel nervous because of an interview | 때문에 names the cause. |
| 발표 전에 긴장되다 | feel nervous before a presentation | 전에 locates the feeling in time. |
| 긴장되는 순간 | a nerve-racking moment | 되는 describes the moment that brings on nerves. |
| 긴장을 풀다 | relax; release tension | Literally loosen or release the tension. |
긴장을 풀다 is a common companion expression, but 풀다 is a separate verb. It describes tension easing or someone helping it ease. The noun 긴장 can appear in advice about relaxing even when the sentence never uses 긴장되다.
Where Will You Hear 긴장돼요?
You may hear 긴장돼요 in an audition interview, a conversation before an exam, or a drama scene outside a meeting room. Entertainment programmes also use it when someone is waiting for a result or about to perform. The focus is the speaker's reaction to the moment.
긴장돼 is casual and personal. 긴장됩니다 gives a more formal admission, such as a speaker addressing an audience. Formal wording does not make the nervousness more severe. Modifiers such as 많이 or 너무 give more information about how strong the feeling is.
The future 긴장될 거예요 predicts nerves. On a feeling verb, the table's future form is a prediction rather than a plan to make yourself nervous. 긴장되겠어요 can respond sympathetically to someone describing an intimidating event: the speaker expects that it would make the other person tense.
Why Do 되 and 돼 Alternate?
긴장돼요 contains 되 plus 어요, contracted to 돼요. 긴장되면 has no 어 to contract, so 되 remains. 긴장되는 and 긴장됩니다 also keep 되. Looking for the following ending is more reliable than trying to remember one spelling for the entire verb.
The present modifier is 긴장되는, following the verb pattern, rather than an adjective pattern. 긴장되는 순간 describes a moment that makes you tense. 긴장된 can describe a tense state or a state resulting from becoming tense; its meaning depends on the noun and context, not simply English past tense. The Korean Learners’ Dictionary gives 긴장된 표정, “a tense expression,” as an example.
Words for the Waiting Room and the Stage
| Word | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 면접 | interview | A frequent cause of 긴장돼요. |
| 발표 | presentation | Often follows a time phrase about nerves. |
| 긴장 | tension | The noun in 긴장을 풀다. |
| 심호흡 | deep breathing | Appears in the existing example about reacting to nerves. |
The emotions vocabulary lesson compares nervousness with fear, worry and other reactions.
Mini Drill: Choose the Form
- Make 긴장되다 polite present.
- Give the polite past.
- Complete “when I get nervous”: ___.
- Put 긴장되다 before 순간, using the present modifier.
Show drill answers
- 긴장돼요. 되 plus 어 contracts to 돼.
- 긴장됐어요. The past uses 됐.
- 긴장되면. There is no 어 contraction here.
- 긴장되는 순간. Use the verb modifier -는.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 긴장하다 always describe a deliberate choice?
- Is 긴장될 거예요 a prediction or a plan to feel nervous?
- What does 긴장을 풀다 literally suggest?
Show self-test answers
- No. It can describe an involuntary tense state too.
- A prediction about a feeling.
- Releasing or loosening tension; naturally, relaxing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say I'm Nervous?
Say 긴장돼요. If you want to give the reason, add it before: 면접 때문에 긴장돼요.
Is the Long Form with 되어요 Wrong?
No. 되어요 is the full, uncontracted ending. 되 plus 어 usually contracts to 돼 in speech and in most writing, so 긴장돼요 is the everyday form. The real error is 긴장되요.
Can I Say I Want to Be Nervous?
The usual meaning is “I feel nervous,” expressed by 긴장돼요. A wish to experience nervousness would be unusual. This page focuses on reporting the feeling, rather than expressing that wish.
How Do I Say It as a Modifier?
The present modifier is 긴장되는 and the past is 긴장된.
Which Words Are Related to 긴장되다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 걱정되다 next, because the two are easily confused, then 무섭다 for fear and 궁금하다 for curiosity. Compare the base verbs 되다 and 하다 too. The Korean verb conjugator builds the same table for words not covered here, and the Korean verb dictionary lists them all.