Key Facts
- Hangul: 고치다 (gochida)
- Meaning: to fix; to cure
- Level: B1
- Stem: 고치
- Class: regular
- Objects: transitive
- Honorific polite: 고치세요
What Does 고치다 Mean?
고치다 has two senses. The first is to fix: repair or correct something broken or wrong, as in 고장 난 시계를 고치다 or 틀린 곳을 고치다. The second is to cure, used for habits or illnesses: 버릇을 고치다. It is transitive with 을/를, for example 컴퓨터를 고쳐요. It is very common in everyday speech.
Senses:
- to fix. Repair or correct something broken or wrong: 고장 난 시계를 고치다, 틀린 곳을 고치다.
- to cure. Also used for fixing habits or illnesses: 버릇을 고치다.
How Do You Pronounce 고치다?
치 plus 어 contracts to 쳐, and 쳐 is pronounced [처]: 고쳐요 is [고처요].
Read as gochida. Pronunciation of each form:
- 고쳐요 [고처요]
- 고쳤어요 [고처써요]
- 고칠 거예요 [고칠꺼예요]
- 고치겠어요 [고치게써요]
- 고칩니다 [고침니다]
- 고쳤습니다 [고첟씀니다]
- 고칠 것입니다 [고칠꺼심니다]
- 고쳐 [고처]
- 고쳤어 [고처써]
- 고칠 거야 [고칠꺼야]
- 고치고 싶어요 [고치고 시퍼요]
- 고쳐서 [고처서]
- 안 고쳐요 [안 고처요]
- 고치지 않아요 [고치지 아나요]
How Do You Use 고치다 in a Sentence?
아버지가 의자를 고쳤어요.
My father fixed the chair.
아버지가 is the subject, 의자를 the object, and 고쳤어요 the past. (고쳤어요)
이 문장을 고치고 싶어요.
I want to correct this sentence.
Correcting writing: 이 문장을 (this sentence) is the object, and 고치고 싶어요 expresses the wish. (고치고 싶어요)
주말에 자전거를 고칠 거예요.
I will fix my bicycle on the weekend.
주말에 (on the weekend) gives the time, and 고칠 거예요 states the plan. (고칠 거예요)
How Does Gochida Conjugation Work?
고치다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 고쳐요 | ||
| Polite past | 고쳤어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 고칠 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 고치겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 고칩니다 | ||
| Formal past | 고쳤습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 고칠 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 고쳐 | ||
| Casual past | 고쳤어 | ||
| Casual future | 고칠 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 고치고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 고치세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 고쳐서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 고치면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 고치는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 고친 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 고칠 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 고쳐요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 고치지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 고쳐요 | [고처요] |
| Polite past | 고쳤어요 | [고처써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 고칠 거예요 | [고칠꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 고치겠어요 | [고치게써요] |
| Formal present | 고칩니다 | [고침니다] |
| Formal past | 고쳤습니다 | [고첟씀니다] |
| Formal future | 고칠 것입니다 | [고칠꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 고쳐 | [고처] |
| Casual past | 고쳤어 | [고처써] |
| Casual future | 고칠 거야 | [고칠꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 고치고 싶어요 | [고치고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 고치세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 고쳐서 | [고처서] |
| If (conditional) | 고치면 | as written |
| Modifier, present | 고치는 | as written |
| Modifier, past | 고친 | as written |
| Modifier, future | 고칠 | as written |
| Short negative | 안 고쳐요 | [안 고처요] |
| Long negative | 고치지 않아요 | [고치지 아나요] |
Is 고치다 Regular or Irregular?
고치다 is regular. The stem 고치 contracts with 어 into 쳐: 고쳐요, 고쳤어요.
Common Mistake with 고치다
Wrong: ✗ 고장이 고쳐요.
Correct: ✓ 고장 난 컴퓨터를 고쳐요.
Why: 고치다 takes the repaired thing as an object with 을/를; the problem is not the subject.
고장 means a breakdown, so 고장이 고쳐요 makes the problem the subject of a verb that needs an object. Name the broken thing and mark it with 을/를: 고장 난 컴퓨터를 고쳐요.
고치다 Versus 수리하다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 수리하다 | 수리하다 is more formal and often for professional repair; 고치다 is everyday and also covers correcting mistakes. |
| 바꾸다 | 바꾸다 replaces or alters; 고치다 makes something right or working again. |
At the Bicycle Repair Shop
A customer has brought in a bicycle with a brake problem. The customer requests a repair, and the repairer asks about the fault before explaining the plan.
Customer
자전거를 고쳐 주세요.
Jajeongeoreul gochyeo juseyo.
Please fix my bicycle.
Repairer
어디가 고장 났어요?
Eodiga gojang nasseoyo?
What part is broken?
Customer
브레이크가 잘 안 돼요.
Beureikeuga jal an dwaeyo.
The brakes aren’t working properly.
Repairer
오늘 고칠 거예요. 내일 오세요.
Oneul gochil geoyeyo. Naeil oseyo.
I’ll fix it today. Please come tomorrow.
The customer uses 고쳐 주세요 to request a repair. The repairer uses 고칠 거예요 to describe the planned work. Neither line says that the bicycle is already fixed. 고쳤어요 would report a completed repair. The question leaves out “bicycle” because both people can see it.
What Can You Fix with 고치다?
| Combination | Literal idea | Meaning in use |
|---|---|---|
| 고장 난 시계를 고치다 | fix a broken watch | Repair an object so it works again. |
| 틀린 곳을 고치다 | fix the wrong parts | Correct errors in an answer or a piece of writing. |
| 버릇을 고치다 | fix a habit | Break or change an unwanted habit. |
| 병을 고치다 | fix an illness | Cure or treat an illness successfully. |
The object tells you which English translation fits. A teacher marking a worksheet is correcting it; a mechanic working on a bicycle is repairing it. 버릇을 고치다 is figurative: the habit is treated as something that needs putting right. It often refers to an unwanted behavior rather than a neutral routine.
For health, keep the roles clear. 병을 고치다 describes curing the illness. 낫다 describes the sick person or injured part getting better. Using 고치다 does not automatically mean a doctor is the subject, but it does present someone as acting on the problem.
Where Will You Hear 고치다?
In class, a teacher may ask you to correct a sentence, spelling, or an answer. 이 문장을 고치고 싶어요 also works when you ask for help revising your own writing. It does not specify whether the sentence has a grammar error or simply needs better wording; the surrounding discussion supplies that detail.
At home, 고치다 is natural for fixing a chair, clock, or computer. A repair business may use the noun 수리 on its sign while customers use 고치다 in conversation. The everyday verb is still appropriate when speaking politely to a repairer.
In family conversations and dramas, 버릇을 고치다 can sound critical because it identifies a person's behavior as a fault. 고치세요 is grammatically polite, but telling someone to fix their habits can still feel blunt. A polite ending does not remove the criticism in the object you choose.
Why Does 고치 Become 고쳐?
고치 ends in ㅣ. With the 어 ending, ㅣ and ㅓ combine into ㅕ, producing 고쳐요. Before consonant endings, the visible 치 remains: 고치면 and 고치고 싶어요. This is vowel contraction, so there is no irregular consonant to memorize.
Watch 고친 and 고칠 before nouns. 고친 자전거 means a bicycle that someone has fixed; 고칠 자전거 means a bicycle to be fixed. The final ㄴ or ㄹ changes whether the repair is completed or still ahead. The person doing the work may be left unstated.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 고장 | breakdown | Names the fault, rather than the object being repaired. |
| 수리 | repair | Useful on service signs and repair estimates. |
| 부품 | part / component | A repair may involve replacing one part. |
| 버릇 | habit / mannerism | Explains the non-mechanical use of 고치다. |
The home tools vocabulary lesson adds words for describing a repair job. For the ending pattern, use the polite present lesson.
Mini Drill: Repair or Correction
- Give the polite present of 고치다.
- Complete “a bicycle that someone fixed”: ____ 자전거.
- Complete the object marker: 문장____ 고쳐요.
- Give the conditional “if someone fixes it.”
Show drill answers
- 고쳐요.
- 고친 자전거.
- 문장을 고쳐요. The sentence is being corrected.
- 고치면.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 버릇을 고치다 describe a mechanical repair?
- Which verb describes getting better: 고치다 or 낫다?
- Does 고칠 거예요 say the repair is already complete?
Show answers
- No. It means changing an unwanted habit.
- 낫다 describes getting better.
- No. It describes a future repair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 고치다 Only Mean Repair?
No. It also means correcting mistakes (틀린 곳을 고치다) and breaking a habit or curing an illness (버릇을 고치다).
What Are Typical Objects of 고치다?
Bad habits (버릇을), mistakes (틀린 것을) and broken things (고장 난 것을).
Why Is 고장이 고쳐요 Wrong?
고치다 needs the repaired thing as an object with 을/를, so the problem (고장) cannot be the subject. Say 고장 난 컴퓨터를 고쳐요.
How Is 고쳐요 Pronounced?
It is read [고처요]. After ㅊ, the vowel ㅕ is pronounced as ㅓ.
Which Words Are Related to 고치다?
- 수리하다
- 바꾸다
- 변하다
- 낫다
- Dictionary
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 수리하다, 바꾸다 and 낫다. Test any form in the Korean verb conjugator.