Key Facts
- Hangul: 깊다 (gipda)
- Meaning: deep
- Level: B1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 깊
- Conjugation class: regular
- Dictionary form sounds like: [깁따]
- Grammar: Descriptive word; the deep thing takes 이/가 (강이 깊어요).
- Usage: Used for water, sleep (깊이 자다), thoughts and feelings (정이 깊다). 깊이 as adverb or noun is very common.
What Does 깊다 Mean?
깊다 means deep. For physical depth, 깊은 물 is deep water and 강이 깊어요 says the river is deep. It is also used for things that run deep inside a person: 깊은 생각 is a profound thought and 정이 깊다 describes deep affection. The deep thing takes 이/가.
How Do You Pronounce 깊다?
The spelling ends in ㅍ. Before 다 the ㅍ is read as ㅂ and the 다 is tensed, so 깊다 is [깁따]. Before a vowel the ㅍ is fully heard and moves onto the next syllable: 깊어요 is [기퍼요], and 깊은 is [기픈]. The formal 깊습니다 is [깁씀니다], and 깊지 않아요 is [깁찌 아나요].
How Do You Use 깊다 in a Sentence?
이 강은 아주 깊어요.
This river is very deep.
아주 strengthens 깊어요, and 이 강은 is the topic of the sentence.
깊은 물에는 들어가지 마세요.
Don't go into deep water.
깊은 물에는 means in deep water, and 들어가지 마세요 is the request not to enter.
깊으면 위험해요.
If it's deep, it's dangerous.
깊으면 is the if-form, and 위험해요 is the consequence.
The three sentences give a plain description, a warning with a modifier and an if-clause.
How Does Gipda Conjugation Work?
깊다 is regular, so the stem 깊 never changes. Its last vowel is ㅣ, which takes 어: 깊어요, 깊었어요, 깊어서. With a consonant ending the stem is unchanged: 깊습니다 and 깊지 않아요. The if-form is 깊으면, the present modifier is 깊은, and the future modifier is 깊을. The rule behind this class is in the polite present recipe lesson.
깊다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 깊어요 | ||
| Polite past | 깊었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 깊을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 깊겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 깊습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 깊었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 깊을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 깊어 | ||
| Casual past | 깊었어 | ||
| Casual future | 깊을 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 깊으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 깊어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 깊으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 깊은 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 깊었던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 깊을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 깊어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 깊지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 깊어요 | [기퍼요] |
| Polite past | 깊었어요 | [기퍼써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 깊을 거예요 | [기플꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 깊겠어요 | [깁께써요] |
| Formal present | 깊습니다 | [깁씀니다] |
| Formal past | 깊었습니다 | [기펃씀니다] |
| Formal future | 깊을 것입니다 | [기플꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 깊어 | [기퍼] |
| Casual past | 깊었어 | [기퍼써] |
| Casual future | 깊을 거야 | [기플꺼야] |
| Honorific polite | 깊으세요 | [기프세요] |
| Because / and then | 깊어서 | [기퍼서] |
| If (conditional) | 깊으면 | [기프면] |
| Present modifier | 깊은 | [기픈] |
| Past modifier | 깊었던 | [기펃떤] |
| Future modifier | 깊을 | [기플] |
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 깊어요 | [안 기퍼요] |
| Long negative | 깊지 않아요 | [깁찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake with 깊다
Wrong: ✗ 깊이 강이에요
Correct: ✓ 깊은 강이에요
Why: 깊이 is a noun meaning depth, or an adverb meaning deeply. Before a noun you need the modifier 깊은, so the correct sentence is 깊은 강이에요.
깊이: Depth, Deeply, and Deep Sleep
The adverb and noun 깊이 are very common. 깊이 자다 is to sleep deeply, and 깊이 means depth when used as a noun. Beyond water, 깊다 describes thoughts and feelings: 깊은 생각, 정이 깊다. Use the modifier 깊은 before a noun and 깊이 before a verb.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 깊다?
| Word | How to tell it from 깊다 |
|---|---|
| 얕다 | The opposite: 얕다 is shallow, 깊다 is deep. |
| 높다 | 높다 is high up; 깊다 is deep down. |
높다 is high up, while 깊다 is deep down: one measures up from the ground, the other measures down from the surface.
Choosing a Place to Swim
Two friends are looking at a swimming area. One checks the depth before deciding where to enter.
Mina
여기는 물이 깊어요?
Yeogineun muri gipeoyo?
Is the water deep here?
Jun
네, 생각보다 깊어요.
Ne, saenggakboda gipeoyo.
Yes, it is deeper than I expected.
Mina
깊으면 다른 데로 가요.
Gipeumyeon dareun dero gayo.
If it is deep, let us go somewhere else.
Jun
좋아요. 깊은 곳은 피하세요.
Joayo. Gipeun goseun pihaseyo.
Okay. Avoid the deep areas.
깊어요 asks about or describes depth. 깊으면 makes depth a condition for the next decision, and 깊은 modifies 곳, “place.” 생각보다 means “compared with what I thought,” so the answer compares the actual depth with the speaker's expectation rather than giving a measurement.
Depth beyond Water
깊다 describes distance down from a surface or far into something. 깊은 물 is physical depth. 깊은 생각 carries that image into thought: the thinking goes beyond the surface. The English “deep” works in both expressions, which makes the connection easy to remember.
정이 깊다 describes deep affection or emotional attachment. It does not describe how physically close two people stand. The noun 정 names the bond, and 깊다 describes its strength. A person can use the phrase about a lasting relationship with family, friends or a familiar place.
| Collocation | Meaning | Literal image and actual use |
|---|---|---|
| 깊은 생각 | deep thought | Thought that goes beyond a surface impression. |
| 정이 깊다 | have deep affection | A strong emotional bond, not a distance. |
| 깊은 잠 | deep sleep | Sleep that is sound, not physically low. |
| 밤이 깊다 | be late at night | The night is far advanced. |
밤이 깊다 does not mean the darkness has a measurable depth. It places the scene late in the night and fits narration or a reflective conversation. In a story, it can tell you that people have stayed awake talking for a long time without stating the clock time.
Where Will You See 깊다 and 깊이?
At a swimming area, 깊은 곳 identifies a deep area, while 깊이 can label a depth measurement. In a personal essay or drama, 깊은 생각 and 깊은 잠 are more likely than a numerical depth. The noun beside the adjective tells you whether the meaning is physical or figurative.
In formal thanks, 깊이 감사드립니다 expresses deep gratitude. 깊이 modifies the act of thanking. It is more formal than a quick everyday thank-you. Recognising the phrase is useful even before you need to write a formal letter yourself.
Why Does the Spelling Keep ㅍ?
깊다 is regular: the written ㅍ remains in 깊어요, 깊은 and 깊으면. Its sound changes with the next syllable, as the pronunciation table shows. A consonant pronounced like a final ㅂ does not turn the spelling into a ㅂ-irregular stem.
Compare 깊어요 with the irregular 그리워요. 깊다 keeps ㅍ; 그립다 changes ㅂ to 우 before the vowel ending. They may look similar in dictionary form, but the final letters differ. Read the stem spelling before choosing an irregular rule.
깊은 describes a noun, 깊이 can describe how an action happens, and 깊어요 finishes a polite statement. These are three different jobs. 깊은 잠 names deep sleep, while 깊이 자다 describes sleeping deeply. In a sentence about a depth measurement, 깊이 is a noun rather than an instruction to do something deeply.
Words for Describing Dimensions
| Word | Meaning | One useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 깊이 | depth; deeply | A noun for a measurement or an adverb for an action. |
| 얕다 | be shallow | The direct opposite of physical depth. |
| 높다 | be high | Measures height or elevation. |
| 넓다 | be wide; spacious | Describes breadth or area. |
The directions and position lesson gives the surrounding location vocabulary for describing where a deep area is. For a measurement, identify depth, height or width first; the same number describes different dimensions depending on that label.
Mini Drill: Choose the Form
- Say politely, “This river is very deep.”
- Complete ___ 물 for “deep water.”
- Complete “if it is deep”: ___.
- Choose 깊은 or 깊이 before 자다.
Show drill answers
- 이 강은 아주 깊어요. The adjective describes the river.
- 깊은 물. Use the modifier before a noun.
- 깊으면. Keep the written ㅍ.
- 깊이 자다. The adverb describes sleeping.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 깊다 follow the ㅂ-irregular pattern?
- Does 밤이 깊다 describe a water measurement?
- Which word labels depth as a noun?
Show self-test answers
- No. It is regular and its stem ends in ㅍ.
- No. It means it is late at night.
- 깊이 can mean depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say 'This River Is Very Deep'?
이 강은 아주 깊어요.
What Is the Difference between 깊은 and 깊이?
깊은 is the modifier used before a noun; 깊이 is a noun (depth) or an adverb (deeply).
How Is 깊어요 Pronounced?
It is spoken [기퍼요]. The ㅍ moves onto the vowel of 어요.
How Do You Say 'Sleep Deeply'?
깊이 자다.
What Is the Opposite of 깊다?
The opposite is 얕다, which means shallow.
Which Words Are Related to 깊다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 얕다 as the opposite, then 높다 and 넓다 for other size words, and 길다 for length. Once you know how to say "deep", put another word through the Korean verb conjugator to compare the pattern, or browse more entries in the Korean verb dictionary.