Key Facts
- Hangul: 합격하다 (hapgyeokada)
- Meaning: to pass (an exam)
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: B1
- Stem: 합격하
- Class: 하다 type
- Object marking: intransitive
What Does 합격하다 Mean?
- to pass (an exam). Succeed in an exam or audition: 시험에 합격하다.
합격하다 means to pass an exam, or to succeed in an audition or selection: 시험에 합격하다. It is intransitive. The exam takes 에, and the person is the subject with 이/가 or 은/는. The opposite is 불합격하다 or 시험에 떨어지다, and the phrase 합격 축하해요 congratulates someone.
Grammar. The exam takes 에: 시험에 합격하다. The person is the subject with 이/가 or 은/는.
Usage note. The opposite is 불합격하다 or 시험에 떨어지다. Congratulate with 합격 축하해요.
How Do You Pronounce 합격하다?
Two sound changes combine. The ㄱ of 격 is tensed after ㅂ, and the final ㄱ merges with the ㅎ of 하 into ㅋ: 합격해요 is read [합껴캐요] and 합격했어요 is [합껴캐써요].
How Do You Use 합격하다 in a Sentence?
동생이 시험에 합격했어요.
My younger sibling passed the exam.
동생이 (younger sibling) is the subject, and the exam takes 에: 시험에.
열심히 하면 합격할 거예요.
If you work hard, you will pass.
Encouragement: 열심히 하면 means if you work hard, and 합격할 거예요 predicts the result.
합격하고 싶어요.
I want to pass.
A wish. The subject, the speaker, is understood from context.
How Does Hapgyeokada Conjugation Work?
Only the 하다 ending conjugates: 합격하 plus 여 gives 합격해, so 합격해요, 합격했어요, 합격해서. The want-to form 합격하고 싶어요 is [합껴카고 시퍼요].
합격하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 합격해요 | ||
| Polite past | 합격했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 합격할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 합격하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 합격합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 합격했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 합격할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 합격해 | ||
| Casual past | 합격했어 | ||
| Casual future | 합격할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 합격하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 합격하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 합격해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 합격하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 합격하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 합격한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 합격할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 합격 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 합격하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 합격해요 | [합껴캐요] |
| Polite past | 합격했어요 | [합껴캐써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 합격할 거예요 | [합껴칼꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 합격하겠어요 | [합껴카게써요] |
| Formal present | 합격합니다 | [합껴캄니다] |
| Formal past | 합격했습니다 | [합껴캗씀니다] |
| Formal future | 합격할 것입니다 | [합껴칼꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 합격해 | [합껴캐] |
| Casual past | 합격했어 | [합껴캐써] |
| Casual future | 합격할 거야 | [합껴칼꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 합격하고 싶어요 | [합껴카고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 합격하세요 | [합껴카세요] |
| Because / and then | 합격해서 | [합껴캐서] |
| If (conditional) | 합격하면 | [합껴카면] |
| Modifier, present | 합격하는 | [합껴카는] |
| Modifier, past | 합격한 | [합껴칸] |
| Modifier, future | 합격할 | [합껴칼] |
| Negative, short | 합격 안 해요 | [합껴간 해요] |
| Negative, long | 합격하지 않아요 | [합껴카지 아나요] |
The pattern for this verb is explained in 하다 to 해요.
Common Mistake with 합격하다
Wrong: ✗ 시험을 합격했어요. (heard in casual speech, but non-standard)
Correct: ✓ 시험에 합격했어요.
Why: 합격하다 takes 에 for the exam, not 을/를.
English "pass the exam" has a direct object, so learners use 을/를. You will hear this in casual speech, but standard Korean marks the exam with 에, and that is what to use in writing and exams.
합격하다 Versus Similar Verbs
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 졸업하다 | 졸업하다 is finishing school; 합격하다 is passing a test or selection. |
| 성공하다 | 성공하다 is success in general; 합격하다 is passing a specific exam. |
졸업하다 is finishing school. 합격하다 is passing a test or selection.
성공하다 is success in general. 합격하다 is passing a specific exam.
Talking about Driving-Test Results
Two friends discuss a driving test. One reports a result, then encourages the friend who is still preparing.
Yuna
운전면허 시험에 합격했어요?
Unjeonmyeonheo siheome hapgyeokaesseoyo?
Did you pass the driving test?
Alex
네. 드디어 합격했어요.
Ne. Deudieo hapgyeokaesseoyo.
Yes. I finally passed.
Yuna
저도 합격하고 싶어요.
Jeodo hapgyeokago sipeoyo.
I want to pass too.
Alex
다음에는 합격할 거예요.
Daeumeneun hapgyeokal geoyeyo.
You’ll pass next time.
합격했어요 reports a known result. 합격하고 싶어요 expresses a wish, and 합격할 거예요 makes an encouraging prediction. The last sentence is reassurance between friends, not a guarantee about the test result. Only the first question needs to name the exam.
Passing Is a Result, Not Taking the Test
시험에 합격하다 means meeting the standard for a pass. 시험을 보다 means taking an exam. Someone can take a test without passing it, so the two phrases describe different events. Keep the particles with each phrase: 에 with 합격하다, and 을 with 시험을 보다.
합격하다 also appears in selection processes such as interviews and auditions. 면접에 합격하다 means passing an interview stage. It does not always mean that every stage of recruitment is finished. A notice may refer only to the written test or the first interview.
최종 합격 means final acceptance or passing the final selection. 최종 supplies the “final” part. Without it, 합격 can refer to one stage, so read the name of the stage before deciding what the result allows you to do next.
Useful Result-Day Expressions
| Expression | Literal idea | Meaning in use |
|---|---|---|
| 합격 발표 | announcement of passing | Publication of results or successful candidates. |
| 합격자 | person who passed | A successful candidate. |
| 합격 통지 | notification of passing | A notice telling someone they passed or were accepted. |
| 합격 축하해요 | congratulations on passing | A warm response to someone's good result. |
These are practical result words rather than idioms. The noun 합격 combines with another noun, so notices often omit 하다 altogether. On a results page, 합격 may simply be the status beside an applicant's name or number.
시험에 떨어지다 is a common conversational opposite. The literal image is “falling,” but in this setting it means failing the exam. 불합격 is the more compact label you may see on an official result screen. Neither expression tells you the actual score.
Where Will You Hear or See 합격하다?
School admissions notices, recruitment announcements, and qualification results use the 합격 word family. A friend sharing good news will often use the past 합격했어요. Formal announcements may use 합격했습니다. The formal ending changes the style of the report, while the successful result stays the same.
In dramas, parents and friends may celebrate a student's acceptance. Passing an entrance selection and enrolling are still separate steps: 합격하다 reports success in selection, while 입학하다 concerns entering the school. 졸업하다 belongs at the other end of the school journey.
Why Is the Negative Sometimes Awkward?
The table's 합격 안 해요 is a grammatical negative. When reporting an unsuccessful result, however, 불합격 or 시험에 떨어지다 usually communicates the situation more directly. A bare present negative can sound as though you are talking about a habit, expectation, or choice rather than one completed result.
합격할 거예요 is a future prediction. Because passing depends on assessment, calling it a “plan” is less precise here than it is for a voluntary action such as studying. The same ending can express an expectation even when the result is outside the speaker's control.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 시험 | exam | Mark it with 에 when using 합격하다. |
| 면접 | interview | Passing may concern one selection stage. |
| 점수 | score | A number, rather than the pass/fail result itself. |
| 합격자 | successful candidate | Often appears in lists and announcement headings. |
The exams and grades lesson teaches the result vocabulary around this verb.
Mini Drill: Report the Result
- Choose 시험에 or 시험을 before 합격했어요.
- Give the polite past of 합격하다.
- Complete “I want to pass”: 합격____ 싶어요.
- Which word adds “final” to 합격: 최종 or 점수?
Show drill answers
- 시험에 합격했어요.
- 합격했어요.
- 합격하고 싶어요.
- 최종: 최종 합격.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 시험을 보다 prove that someone passed?
- Does passing one interview always mean final acceptance?
- What does 합격자 name?
Show answers
- No. It means taking the exam.
- No. There may be further stages.
- A successful candidate or someone who passed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Particle Marks the Exam?
The exam takes 에, as in 시험에 합격했어요. The person who passes is the subject, with 이/가 or 은/는.
What Is the Opposite of 합격하다?
불합격하다 (to fail), or more commonly 시험에 떨어지다 (to fail the exam, literally "fall").
How Do I Congratulate Someone Who Passed?
Say 합격 축하해요 (congratulations on passing).
How Is 합격해요 Pronounced?
It is read [합껴캐요]: the ㄱ after ㅂ is tensed, and the final ㄱ merges with ㅎ into ㅋ.
Is 합격하다 Transitive?
No. It is intransitive, so in standard Korean the exam takes 에, not 을/를.
Which Words Are Related to 합격하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
See 떨어지다, 졸업하다 and 입학하다. Once 합격하다 feels familiar, compare it with other entries in the verb dictionary or check a form in the conjugator.