Key Facts
- Hangul: 헤어지다 (heeojida, 4 syllables)
- Meaning: to part or to break up
- Level: A2
- Stem: 헤어지
- Conjugation class: regular
- What it takes: The other person takes 와/과 or 하고 (친구와 헤어지다), not 을/를.
What Does 헤어지다 Mean?
헤어지다 means to say goodbye and separate, as in 친구와 헤어지다, and to break up, as in 남자 친구와 헤어지다. The other person takes 와/과 or 하고, never 을/를.
Both neutral partings and break-ups use it, so 오늘 헤어졌어요 can be either one; context decides.
- to part: Say goodbye and separate, as in 친구와 헤어지다.
- to break up: End a romantic relationship, as in 남자 친구와 헤어지다.
How Do You Pronounce 헤어지다?
Four syllables, and the verb stays close to its spelling. The past 헤어졌어요 is [헤어저써요]; the formal 헤어집니다 is [헤어짐니다]. Revised Romanization is heeojida.
Use the audio above to compare the dictionary form with its polite, formal, and casual forms.
How Do You Use 헤어지다 in a Sentence?
친구와 역 앞에서 헤어졌어요.
I parted from my friend in front of the station.
A neutral parting: the place and the friend, in the past.
그 커플은 곧 헤어질 거예요.
That couple will break up soon.
A future guess about a couple, formed with 거예요.
헤어지면 많이 보고 싶을 거예요.
If we part, I will miss you a lot.
The -면 ending expresses missing someone in advance.
How Does Heeojida Conjugation Work?
헤어지다 is regular. The stem ends in 지, and 지 plus 어 contracts to 져, so you get 헤어져요, 헤어졌어요 and 헤어져서. Before a consonant the stem is unchanged: 헤어집니다 and 헤어지는.
The pattern behind 헤어지다 is taught step by step in the polite present recipe.
헤어지다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 헤어져요 | ||
| Polite past | 헤어졌어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 헤어질 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (guess) | 헤어지겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 헤어집니다 | ||
| Formal past | 헤어졌습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 헤어질 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 헤어져 | ||
| Casual past | 헤어졌어 | ||
| Casual future | 헤어질 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 헤어지고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 헤어지세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 헤어져서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 헤어지면 | ||
| Present modifier | 헤어지는 | ||
| Past modifier | 헤어진 | ||
| Future modifier | 헤어질 | ||
| Short negative | 안 헤어져요 | ||
| Long negative | 헤어지지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 헤어져요 | [헤어저요] |
| Polite past | 헤어졌어요 | [헤어저써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 헤어질 거예요 | [헤어질꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 헤어지겠어요 | [헤어지게써요] |
| Formal present | 헤어집니다 | [헤어짐니다] |
| Formal past | 헤어졌습니다 | [헤어젇씀니다] |
| Formal future | 헤어질 것입니다 | [헤어질꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 헤어져 | [헤어저] |
| Casual past | 헤어졌어 | [헤어저써] |
| Casual future | 헤어질 거야 | [헤어질꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 헤어지고 싶어요 | [헤어지고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 헤어지세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 헤어져서 | [헤어저서] |
| If (conditional) | 헤어지면 | as written |
| Present modifier | 헤어지는 | as written |
| Past modifier | 헤어진 | as written |
| Future modifier | 헤어질 | as written |
| Short negative | 안 헤어져요 | [안 헤어저요] |
| Long negative | 헤어지지 않아요 | [헤어지지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 남자 친구를 헤어졌어요
Correct: ✓ 남자 친구와 헤어졌어요
Why: English 'break up with' maps to 와/과 in Korean, not the object marker 을/를.
How Does 헤어지다 Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | How to tell it from 헤어지다 |
|---|---|
| 이혼하다 | A legal divorce. 헤어지다 is any separation or break-up, including dating. |
| 떠나다 | To leave a place. 헤어지다 is to separate from a person. |
After an Evening at the Cinema
Two classmates are walking toward different bus stops after a film. They use polite speech with each other. The destination and tomorrow’s plans make this an ordinary goodbye.
Mina
여기서 헤어져요. 저는 버스를 탈 거예요.
Yeogiseo heeojyeoyo. Jeoneun beoseureul tal geoyeyo.
Let’s part here. I’m going to take the bus.
Alex
네. 내일 또 만나요.
Ne. Naeil tto mannayo.
Okay. See you again tomorrow.
Mina
지난번에도 여기서 헤어졌어요.
Jinanbeonedo yeogiseo heeojyeosseoyo.
We parted here last time too.
Alex
맞아요. 헤어지면 문자 보내요.
Majayo. Heeojimyeon munja bonaeyo.
Right. Text me after we part.
헤어져요 is a suggestion in the first line: the classmates choose where to go their separate ways. 헤어졌어요 recalls a completed parting, and 헤어지면 introduces what to do after they part. A present-tense form can propose an action when the speakers are deciding what to do together.
여기서 is the shorter conversational form of 여기에서, “here”. The place where the separation happens takes 에서. The person you separate from takes 와/과 or 하고. These answer different questions: where the parting happens and who is involved.
Does the Sentence Mean Goodbye or a Breakup?
A station, a bus stop, or the end of an outing usually points to a temporary parting. A reference to a couple, dating, or the end of a relationship points to a breakup. The verb itself supplies neither a reason nor a duration. A subtitle translating it as “break up” has used the surrounding scene to choose that meaning.
친구와 헤어졌어요 can simply report leaving a friend after meeting. 남자 친구와 헤어졌어요 will often be understood as ending a romantic relationship. A location can shift that reading toward an ordinary parting after a date. If the distinction matters, include what happened before or what will happen next.
A direct suggestion to part can sound much heavier during a relationship argument. Even a polite ending leaves that meaning intact. When watching a drama, listen for whether the speakers are arranging their journey home or discussing their future as a couple.
Phrases for Separation and Relationships
아쉽게 헤어지다 means to part with regret or reluctance. 아쉽게 adds the feeling that the meeting ended too soon; the verb still describes separation. It fits friends finishing a short visit without implying that their friendship has ended.
헤어진 남자 친구 means a former boyfriend, someone you have broken up with. The modifier 헤어진 describes a separation that has already happened. Compare 헤어지는, which presents the parting as happening, with 헤어진, which looks back on it. The ending helps you follow the timeline in a story.
만나고 헤어지다 pairs meeting and parting. It can describe the ordinary rhythm of encounters or the beginning and ending of relationships. English may use two different verbs for these situations, while Korean keeps the same pair and lets the surrounding nouns explain the relationship.
In song lyrics, 헤어지다 often appears beside 이별, “parting” or “farewell”. 이별 is a noun with an emotional association; it does not conjugate like 헤어지다. In everyday reports about a legal divorce, use the more specific 이혼하다 when the legal event is what matters.
Why Does 헤어지 Become 헤어져?
The change from 지 to 져 is vowel contraction, not an irregular stem change. Keep the full 헤어지 before consonant endings: 헤어지면 and 헤어지고 싶어요. Use the contracted sequence in 헤어져요 and 헤어졌어요. The dictionary form is written as one word throughout.
In pronunciation, 져 is heard like 저, as shown in the table. Keep ㅕ in the spelling even when the sound resembles ㅓ. Writing the sound alone would hide the connection between the stem 지 and the ending 어.
Words That Explain the Relationship
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 이별 | parting; farewell | A noun often heard in songs about separation. |
| 연인 | romantic partner; lovers | Makes a relationship context explicit. |
| 사귀다 | to date; form a friendship | With a romantic partner, describes being in a relationship. |
| 재회 | reunion | Names meeting again after a separation. |
The dating vocabulary lesson teaches the relationship words that help you interpret 헤어지다. A couple can quarrel without breaking up, so 싸우다 alone does not establish that a relationship has ended.
Mini Drill: Build the Parting Form
- Give the polite present of 헤어지다.
- Complete “parted with a friend”: 친구____ 헤어졌어요.
- Give the conditional form meaning “if we part”.
- Choose the completed modifier: 헤어지는 or 헤어진?
Show drill answers
- 헤어져요.
- 친구와 헤어졌어요. 하고 is another conversational option.
- 헤어지면.
- 헤어진, as in 헤어진 남자 친구.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 헤어졌어요 always report a romantic breakup?
- What marker identifies where people part?
- Which verb specifically names divorce?
Show answers
- No. It can describe an ordinary goodbye after meeting.
- 에서, as in the dialogue's 여기서.
- 이혼하다.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 헤어지다 Only Mean 'Break Up'?
No. It also means saying goodbye at the end of a meeting.
What Particle Marks the Other Person?
Use 와/과 or 하고, as in 친구와 헤어졌어요.
What Is the Polite Past?
It is 헤어졌어요.
How Is It Different from 이혼하다?
이혼하다 is a legal divorce; 헤어지다 covers any separation.
Which Words Are Related to 헤어지다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Look at 이혼하다 and 만나다 as its neighbours, then 싸우다 for what often comes before a break-up. To test another form of 헤어지다 ('to part, to break up'), open the Korean verb conjugator, or browse the Korean verb dictionary.