Key Facts
- Hangul: 궁금하다 (gunggeumhada)
- Meaning: curious
- Part of speech: adjective (형용사)
- Level: A2
- Stem: 궁금하
- Class: 하다 type
What Does 궁금하다 Mean?
궁금하다 is the itch to find something out. 결과가 궁금해요 means "I'm curious about the result". The thing wondered about takes 이/가 and the person takes 은/는, as in 저는 그 이야기가 궁금해요. It is the standard word in questions: 궁금해요? checks whether someone is wondering, and 뭐가 궁금해요? asks what they want to know.
How Do You Pronounce 궁금하다?
The stem is read as written, with the ㅇ at the end of 궁 staying a clear nasal sound. The formal 궁금합니다 is [궁금함니다], and the past 궁금했어요 is [궁금해써요]. The planned future 궁금할 거예요 reads [궁금할꺼예요].
How Do You Use 궁금하다 in a Sentence?
저는 그 이야기가 궁금해요.
I'm curious about that story.
저는 is the topic and 그 이야기가 is what the speaker wants to know. The sentence is a polite way to ask for more.
궁금한 점이 있어요.
I have something I'm curious about.
The modifier 궁금한 sits before 점, a point, so the whole phrase means "a point I'm curious about".
너무 궁금해서 물어봤어요.
I was so curious that I asked.
너무 raises the intensity, and the because-form 궁금해서 leads to the action: 물어봤어요, I asked.
Usage Notes for 궁금하다
To open a polite question, Koreans say 궁금한 게 있는데요, which means "I have something I'd like to ask". It works in class, in shops and at work. Use 궁금하다 when you want an answer, not when you find something strange or amazing. Those two feelings have their own words, 이상하다 and 신기하다. If you want to describe someone who keeps wondering, the verb 궁금해하다 takes an object.
How Does Gunggeumhada Conjugation Work?
궁금하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 궁금해요 | ||
| Polite past | 궁금했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 궁금할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 궁금하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 궁금합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 궁금했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 궁금할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 궁금해 | ||
| Casual past | 궁금했어 | ||
| Casual future | 궁금할 거야 | ||
| Because / and then | 궁금해서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 궁금하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 궁금한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 궁금했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 궁금할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 궁금해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 궁금하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 궁금해요 | — |
| Polite past | 궁금했어요 | [궁금해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 궁금할 거예요 | [궁금할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 궁금하겠어요 | [궁금하게써요] |
| Formal present | 궁금합니다 | [궁금함니다] |
| Formal past | 궁금했습니다 | [궁금핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 궁금할 것입니다 | [궁금할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 궁금해 | — |
| Casual past | 궁금했어 | [궁금해써] |
| Casual future | 궁금할 거야 | [궁금할꺼야] |
| Because / and then | 궁금해서 | — |
| Conditional (if) | 궁금하면 | — |
| Modifier, present | 궁금한 | — |
| Modifier, past | 궁금했던 | [궁금핻떤] |
| Modifier, future | 궁금할 | — |
| Short negative | 안 궁금해요 | — |
| Long negative | 궁금하지 않아요 | [궁금하지 아나요] |
Is 궁금하다 Regular or Irregular?
궁금하다 follows the 하다 pattern throughout. The stem 궁금하 turns 하 into 해 before 아 or 어 endings, as in 궁금해요, 궁금해서 and 궁금했어요. Before -ㅂ니다, -면 and -지, the 하 stays: 궁금합니다, 궁금하면 and 궁금하지 않아요. No letter inside 궁금 ever changes. For more words built this way, see the lesson on how 하다 becomes 해요.
Common Mistake with 궁금하다
Wrong: ✗ 결과를 궁금해요
Correct: ✓ 결과가 궁금해요
Why: 궁금하다 is an adjective, so the thing you wonder about takes 이/가. Using 을/를 would need the verb 궁금해하다.
궁금하다 Versus 신기하다 and 이상하다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 신기하다 | 신기하다 is wonder at something new or marvelous. 궁금하다 is wanting to know an answer. |
| 이상하다 | 이상하다 is strange. 궁금하다 is wondering, not judging as odd. |
Asking about a Class Timetable
A student is reading a course notice at a language school. The receptionist invites a question. The student first uses a modifier to introduce the question and then names the information they want.
Student
궁금한 점이 있어요.
Gunggeumhan jeomi isseoyo.
I have a question.
Receptionist
뭐가 궁금해요?
Mwoga gunggeumhaeyo?
What would you like to know?
Student
수업 시간이 궁금해요.
Sueop sigani gunggeumhaeyo.
I would like to know the class times.
Receptionist
수업 시간이 궁금하면 이 안내문을 보세요.
Sueop sigani gunggeumhamyeon i annaemuneul boseyo.
If you want to know the class times, please look at this notice.
궁금한 introduces a point, 궁금해요 states the question, and 궁금하면 makes a condition. The receptionist’s final line directs the student to written information. In English, “I have a question” or “I would like to know” often sounds more natural here than a literal “I am curious”.
Phrases That Help You Ask a Useful Question
궁금한 점 means a point you want to know about. 점 literally means a point, so the phrase works well in class or at an information desk. It does not imply that you disagree or have found an error. You can use it simply because one detail is missing from your understanding.
궁금한 게 있는데요 is a gentle opener: “There is something I would like to ask.” 게 is the shortened form of 것이. The ending leaves room for the listener to respond, after which you can ask the actual question. Used alone, it announces your curiosity but does not tell the listener what information to give you.
결과가 궁금해요 means “I wonder about the result.” 결과 names the unknown information and 가 marks it. 결말이 궁금해요 shifts the focus to the ending of a story. Both are literal expressions of wanting to know; neither says the result or ending is strange.
Where Will You Hear 궁금하다?
Teachers and reception staff ask what a learner wants to know. A website or brochure may invite questions about a service. In these settings, 궁금한 점 refers to the reader’s unanswered questions rather than curiosity as a personality trait.
Among friends watching a drama, 궁금해요 can express eagerness to find out what happens next. The unknown answer is the centre of the feeling. 신기해요 instead reacts with wonder to something unusual or impressive that the speaker has encountered; it need not involve an unanswered question.
In a work email, 궁금합니다 gives a more formal statement of interest in a specific detail. The word itself is neutral. Naming the topic, such as 수업 시간, makes a request easier to answer than only saying you are curious. For private topics, a polite ending softens the wording but does not automatically make the question welcome.
What Changes When a Question Becomes Part of a Sentence?
언제 시작하는지 궁금해요 means “I wonder when it starts.” The embedded question 언제 시작하는지 supplies the missing information. Instead of putting a question directly to the listener, the speaker states what they want to know. This is useful for a class, a film or an event whose starting time has not been announced.
With a noun, keep the existing pattern 결과가 궁금해요. Wrong: 결과를 궁금해요. Correct: 결과가 궁금해요. The object marker 을/를 belongs with a verb such as 궁금해하다. That related verb describes someone showing or experiencing curiosity, and is especially useful when reporting another person’s reaction.
Spacing also matters in 궁금한 점 and 궁금한 게: the modifier and the following noun are separate. By contrast, 궁금해요 is one conjugated word. The question starter is therefore a phrase built around the adjective, rather than a longer dictionary headword.
Related Words for Questions and Reactions
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 질문 | question | Names what you ask, rather than the feeling. |
| 호기심 | curiosity | Names curiosity as a noun, including a general interest in things. |
| 신기하다 | to be fascinating; amazing | Reacts with wonder to something unusual. |
| 걱정되다 | to be worried | Adds concern about what may happen. |
The feelings adjective lesson helps separate wanting information from feeling amazed, happy or worried.
Mini Drill: Choose the Form
- Politely state curiosity now: 궁금하다 → ___.
- Put the adjective before 점: ___ 점.
- Give the reason form “because I was curious”: ___ (use the connecting form).
- Say “if you are curious”: ___.
Show drill answers
- 궁금해요. 하 contracts to 해.
- 궁금한 점. The adjective modifier is 한.
- 궁금해서. This connecting form can give the reason for a past action.
- 궁금하면. 하 stays before 면.
Quick Self-Test
- Which marker belongs in 결과___ 궁금해요?
- Does 궁금하다 mean that something is odd?
- What should follow 궁금한 게 있는데요 in a real conversation?
Show self-test answers
- 가: 결과가 궁금해요.
- No. It means wanting to know; 이상하다 describes something odd.
- The actual question, once the listener is ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Ask What Someone Is Curious About?
Say 뭐가 궁금해요? The question word takes 가.
How Do I Politely Start a Question?
Say 궁금한 게 있는데요. It means you have something to ask.
Can I Say 결과를 궁금해요?
No. Use 결과가 궁금해요, because 궁금하다 is an adjective.
What Is the past Tense?
The polite past is 궁금했어요, said [궁금해써요].
Which Words Are Related to 궁금하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 신기하다 (a 하다 adjective) and 이상하다 next, since all three react to something new, then 걱정되다 (built with 되다) and 생각하다. Further stems are one step away in the Korean verb conjugator, and the Korean verb dictionary has a page for each.