Key Facts
- Hangul: 공부하다 (gongbuhada)
- Meaning: to study
- Level: A1
- Stem: 공부하
- Class: 하다 type
- Objects: transitive
- Honorific polite: 공부하세요
What Does 공부하다 Mean?
공부하다 means to study a subject, usually alone or at school: 한국어를 공부하다. It takes 을/를. Typical phrases: 한국어를 공부하다 and 시험 공부를 하다. Because 공부 is also a noun, you can say 공부를 해요.
Meanings:
- to study. Study a subject, usually alone or at school, as in 한국어를 공부하다.
How Do You Pronounce 공부하다?
Mostly read as written. The past is [공부해써요], and the formal present is [공부함니다].
Romanized as gongbuhada. How the forms sound:
- 공부했어요 [공부해써요]
- 공부할 거예요 [공부할꺼예요]
- 공부하겠어요 [공부하게써요]
- 공부합니다 [공부함니다]
- 공부했습니다 [공부핻씀니다]
- 공부할 것입니다 [공부할꺼심니다]
- 공부했어 [공부해써]
- 공부할 거야 [공부할꺼야]
- 공부하고 싶어요 [공부하고 시퍼요]
- 공부하지 않아요 [공부하지 아나요]
How Do You Use 공부하다 in a Sentence?
저는 매일 도서관에서 공부해요.
I study in the library every day.
A study place: 도서관에서 uses 에서 for where the action happens. (공부해요)
어제 도서관에서 공부했어요.
I studied at the library yesterday.
The past of that habit: 도서관에서 공부했어요. (공부했어요)
저는 한국에서 공부하고 싶어요.
I want to study in Korea.
A wish about location: 한국에서 공부하고 싶어요. (공부하고 싶어요)
How Does Gongbuhada Conjugation Work?
공부하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 공부해요 | ||
| Polite past | 공부했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 공부할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 공부하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 공부합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 공부했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 공부할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 공부해 | ||
| Casual past | 공부했어 | ||
| Casual future | 공부할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 공부하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 공부하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 공부해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 공부하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 공부하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 공부한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 공부할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 공부 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 공부하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 공부해요 | as written |
| Polite past | 공부했어요 | [공부해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 공부할 거예요 | [공부할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 공부하겠어요 | [공부하게써요] |
| Formal present | 공부합니다 | [공부함니다] |
| Formal past | 공부했습니다 | [공부핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 공부할 것입니다 | [공부할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 공부해 | as written |
| Casual past | 공부했어 | [공부해써] |
| Casual future | 공부할 거야 | [공부할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 공부하고 싶어요 | [공부하고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 공부하세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 공부해서 | as written |
| If (conditional) | 공부하면 | as written |
| Modifier, present | 공부하는 | as written |
| Modifier, past | 공부한 | as written |
| Modifier, future | 공부할 | as written |
| Short negative | 공부 안 해요 | as written |
| Long negative | 공부하지 않아요 | [공부하지 아나요] |
Is 공부하다 Regular or Irregular?
공부하다 is regular: 하 plus 여 becomes 해.
Common Mistake with 공부하다
Wrong: ✗ 한국어를 공부 해요
Correct: ✓ 한국어를 공부해요
Why: 공부하다 is written as one word (공부해요); a space appears only if you insert 을/를, as in 공부를 해요.
한국어를 공부 해요 adds a space. Write 공부해요 as one word. If you want to name the subject and use 공부 as a noun, the natural option is 한국어 공부를 해요.
공부하다 Versus 배우다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 배우다 | 공부하다 is to study, often on your own with books or notes; 배우다 is to learn a skill from someone, such as a teacher or coach. |
| 연습하다 | 공부하다 is studying a subject to understand it; 연습하다 is practising a skill by repeating it. |
At the Library: Making a Study Plan
Two classmates meet at the library before an exam. They compare yesterday’s work and decide what to study today.
Mina
어제도 여기서 공부했어요?
Eojedo yeogiseo gongbuhaesseoyo?
Did you study here yesterday too?
Jun
네, 한국어를 공부했어요.
Ne, hangugeoreul gongbuhaesseoyo.
Yes, I studied Korean.
Mina
오늘은 뭘 공부해요?
Oneureun mwol gongbuhaeyo?
What are you studying today?
Jun
오늘은 문법을 공부할 거예요.
Oneureun munbeobeul gongbuhal geoyeyo.
Today I’m going to study grammar.
공부했어요 looks back at completed study, 공부해요 asks about today’s activity, and 공부할 거예요 gives a plan. 여기서 is the conversational form of 여기에서, “here”. 뭘 is a shortened form of 무엇을, “what” as an object. The classmates keep the polite 요 ending throughout; they do not need a more formal ending just because they are discussing school.
Useful Combinations with 공부하다
| Expression | Meaning | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| 한국어를 공부하다 | to study Korean | Names the subject as the object. |
| 시험 공부를 하다 | to study for an exam | Names the purpose of the study. |
| 혼자 공부하다 | to study alone | Says who is involved, rather than what is studied. |
| 같이 공부하다 | to study together | Often used when arranging a shared study session. |
| 열심히 공부하다 | to study hard | Describes effort, rather than ability or results. |
These are literal combinations. 열심히 공부하다 says someone puts effort into studying; it does not promise good grades. 공부를 잘하다 means to be good at schoolwork or studying. Someone can study hard and still find a subject difficult, so choose the phrase that describes what you actually mean.
시험 공부를 하다 contains two nouns before the verb: 시험 identifies the kind of 공부, and 를 marks that study as the activity being done. In 한국어를 공부하다, Korean itself is the object of the single verb 공부하다. Both patterns let you be specific without adding a separate verb meaning “learn”.
Where Will You Hear 공부하다?
At school, a question about 공부 may concern classes, homework or exam preparation. At a language exchange, 한국어를 공부해요 tells someone you are studying Korean. It does not say whether you attend a course, work with a tutor or study independently. Add the place or method if that distinction matters.
In a drama, a parent telling a child 공부해 is giving a familiar instruction to study. 공부하세요 can also be a polite instruction. The same honorific form can describe someone else’s studying, so the sentence and situation tell you whether it is a request or a statement. Use 공부해요 when simply describing your own study routine.
공부하다 can cover school subjects, professional qualifications and independent reading about a topic. For repeated practice of a physical or performance skill, 연습하다 is often the more precise choice. A piano student may study music theory and practise the piano; English “study” can cover both, while Korean often names the activities separately.
공부하는 사람 means “a person who studies”. The present modifier 공부하는 goes directly before 사람, rather than ending the sentence. You can use this pattern to identify a fellow learner; the noun tells you who they are, while the modifier describes their activity.
Words for the Next Study Session
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 과목 | school subject | A category such as maths or history. |
| 문법 | grammar | One part of language study. |
| 복습하다 | to review | Return to material already learned. |
| 예습하다 | to prepare ahead | Study material before the class covers it. |
| 숙제 | homework | An assigned task, rather than all studying. |
The school vocabulary lesson places these activities in a classroom setting. For choosing what to study, the school subjects lesson gives names you can put before 을/를 and 공부하다.
Mini Drill: Build a Study Sentence
Keep Korean as the language being studied and change the part requested.
- Say “I study Korean” in polite speech.
- Change that sentence to the past.
- Say “I’m going to study Korean.”
- Say “I don’t study Korean” using the short negative.
Show the study sentences
- 한국어를 공부해요.
- 한국어를 공부했어요.
- 한국어를 공부할 거예요.
- 한국어 공부 안 해요. Here 한국어 공부 is the noun phrase before 안 해요.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase means studying before a lesson: 예습하다 or 복습하다?
- Does 열심히 공부하다 mean someone gets good grades?
- In 도서관에서 공부해요, what does 에서 mark?
Show answers
- 예습하다; 복습하다 is reviewing afterwards.
- It describes effort, without guaranteeing results.
- The place where the studying happens: the library.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Write 공부 해요 with a Space?
No. 공부하다 is written as one word, so the polite present is 공부해요. A space appears only when 공부 is used as a noun with its own particle, as in 공부를 해요.
What Is the Honorific?
공부하세요.
How Is It Different from 배우다?
공부하다 is studying, often on your own with books; 배우다 means learning a skill from someone, such as a teacher.
What Objects Does It Take?
The subject studied takes 을/를: 한국어를 공부해요. For exam study Koreans also say 시험 공부를 하다, with 공부 as a noun and 하다 as a separate verb.
Which Words Are Related to 공부하다?
- 배우다
- 복습하다
- 예습하다
- 숙제하다
- Dictionary
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 배우다, 복습하다, 예습하다 and 숙제하다. Test any form in the Korean verb conjugator.