Key Facts
- Hangul: 힘들다 (himdeulda)
- Meaning: hard/tiring
- Level: A1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 힘들
- Conjugation class: ㄹ-drop
- Grammar: Descriptive word; the hard thing takes 이/가 and the person takes 은/는 or 에게 (저는 일이 힘들어요).
- Usage: Very common A1-level word. ㄹ-irregular: 힘들어요 but 힘듭니다, 힘드세요. 힘이 들다 is the same idea.
What Does 힘들다 Mean?
힘들다 means hard in the sense of tough or tiring. 일이 힘들어요 says the work is tough, and 힘든 하루 is a hard day. The thing that is hard takes 이/가, and the person who feels it takes 은/는 or 에게: 저는 일이 힘들어요. 힘이 들다 is the same idea in a longer form.
How Do You Pronounce 힘들다?
힘들다 is read as written. Before a vowel ending the ㄹ moves onto the next syllable: 힘들어요 is [힘드러요] and 힘들었어요 is [힘드러써요]. Before ㄴ and ㅂ the ㄹ drops, so the formal present 힘듭니다 is [힘듬니다]. The future 힘들 거예요 is spoken [힘들꺼예요].
How Do You Use 힘들다 in a Sentence?
오늘 일이 너무 힘들어요.
Today's work is so hard.
오늘 일이 is the subject, and 너무 shows how tough the work is.
힘든 하루였어요.
It was a tough day.
힘든 is the present modifier, formed from 힘들 + ㄴ, and goes before 하루였어요.
힘들어서 일찍 잤어요.
I was tired, so I slept early.
힘들어서 gives the reason, and 일찍 잤어요 is the result.
They show the polite present 힘들어요, the shortened modifier 힘든 and the because-form 힘들어서.
How Does Himdeulda Conjugation Work?
힘들다 is a ㄹ-drop adjective. The ㄹ drops before ㄴ, ㅂ, ㅅ, so you get 힘듭니다, 힘드세요 and the modifier 힘든. Before other endings the ㄹ stays: 힘들어요, 힘들었어요, 힘들어서. In the future, the endings attach to 힘들 as 힘들 거예요 and 힘들겠어요. The rule behind this class is in the lesson on ㄹ-irregular verbs and adjectives.
힘들다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 힘들어요 | ||
| Polite past | 힘들었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 힘들 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 힘들겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 힘듭니다 | ||
| Formal past | 힘들었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 힘들 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 힘들어 | ||
| Casual past | 힘들었어 | ||
| Casual future | 힘들 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 힘드세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 힘들어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 힘들면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 힘든 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 힘들었던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 힘들 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 힘들어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 힘들지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 힘들어요 | [힘드러요] |
| Polite past | 힘들었어요 | [힘드러써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 힘들 거예요 | [힘들꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 힘들겠어요 | [힘들게써요] |
| Formal present | 힘듭니다 | [힘듬니다] |
| Formal past | 힘들었습니다 | [힘드럳씀니다] |
| Formal future | 힘들 것입니다 | [힘들꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 힘들어 | [힘드러] |
| Casual past | 힘들었어 | [힘드러써] |
| Casual future | 힘들 거야 | [힘들꺼야] |
| Because / and then | 힘들어서 | [힘드러서] |
| Past modifier | 힘들었던 | [힘드럳떤] |
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 힘들어요 | [안 힘드러요] |
| Long negative | 힘들지 않아요 | [힘들지 아나요] |
Common Mistake with 힘들다
Wrong: ✗ 힘들은 일
Correct: ✓ 힘든 일
Why: ㄹ verbs drop the ㄹ before ㄴ: 힘들 + ㄴ becomes 힘든, so say 힘든 일, not 힘들은 일. The forms 힘듭니다 and 힘드세요 follow the same rule.
힘들다 Versus 어렵다 and 피곤하다
힘들다 is a very common A1-level word. 어렵다 is for something hard to understand or do, such as a test. 힘들다 is for something exhausting or demanding, physically or emotionally. 피곤하다 is simply tired, while 힘들다 can mean tired or hard to bear.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 힘들다?
| Word | How to tell it from 힘들다 |
|---|---|
| 어렵다 | 어렵다 is difficult to understand or do (a test); 힘들다 is exhausting or demanding physically or emotionally. |
| 피곤하다 | 피곤하다 is simply tired; 힘들다 can be tiring or hard to bear. |
If a test is hard to solve, it is 어렵다. If a long workday wears you out, it is 힘들다.
Taking a Break on a Hill
A walking partner notices that Jisu is struggling on a steep path. They use a respectful question, a present answer, and a reason for slowing down.
Alex
많이 힘드세요?
Mani himdeuseyo?
Are you finding it very tiring?
Jisu
네. 오늘은 좀 힘들어요.
Ne. Oneureun jom himdeureoyo.
Yes. It is a little tough for me today.
Alex
그럼 여기서 쉬어요.
Geureom yeogiseo swieoyo.
Then let us rest here.
Jisu
고마워요. 힘들어서 천천히 가고 싶어요.
Gomawoyo. Himdeureoseo cheoncheonhi gago sipeoyo.
Thank you. I am finding it tiring, so I want to go slowly.
힘드세요 asks respectfully about the other person, and 힘들어요 reports the speaker’s own experience. 힘들어서 connects the strain to the wish to slow down. In the final line, 싶어요 belongs to 가다, “go”: Jisu wants to go slowly, rather than wanting the strain itself.
Phrases for Effort and Emotional Strain
힘든 하루 is a tough day, and 힘든 시간 is a difficult period. The second phrase can concern grief, money worries, or pressure at work. A speaker describing a 힘든 시간 may be talking about emotional strain, so translating every use as physical tiredness can miss the point.
견디기 힘들다 means “hard to bear”. The part 견디기 names the act of enduring, and 힘들다 says that enduring it is demanding. Use the same pattern to understand 하기 힘들다, “hard to do”. The activity before 기 explains what takes effort; 힘들다 alone leaves that activity to the context.
힘이 들다 is a related phrase meaning that something takes effort. Keep the spacing when the particle 이 is present: 힘이 들다. The single adjective 힘들다 has no space. The two expressions are close in meaning, but you should preserve the written shape of whichever one you use.
Where Will You Hear 힘들어요?
During a workout, a long walk, or a busy shift, 힘들어요 describes the effort a person is experiencing. It can refer to physical strain even when the task is easy to understand. Carrying boxes all afternoon may be 힘들다 without involving a difficult problem to solve.
In a private conversation, 요즘 힘들어요 can mean “I am having a hard time these days”. The difficulty might be emotional or practical. A friend who says this has not necessarily said they need sleep. 피곤하다 points more directly to tiredness; 힘들다 leaves room for a wider burden.
At work, saying that a deadline is 힘들어요 can suggest it will be difficult to meet. That indirect response may signal a problem rather than a firm agreement to proceed. Ask about the timing or workload before treating the sentence as a simple complaint about tiredness.
힘드시겠어요 is a sympathetic response meaning “That must be hard for you”. It combines respect for the person with the speaker's judgement about their situation. Use sympathy after hearing what happened; an automatic “cheer up” can feel abrupt when the person is explaining a serious problem. The core word remains about the burden they are carrying.
Words for Talking about a Hard Day
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 힘 | strength / energy | The noun inside the related phrase 힘이 들다. |
| 피곤하다 | to be tired | Focuses on tiredness rather than the whole demanding situation. |
| 스트레스 | stress | Useful for naming pressure at work or school. |
| 쉬다 | to rest | The response in the walking dialogue. |
The feelings phrase collection gives ways to express tiredness, stress, and other personal states.
Where Does the ㄹ Disappear?
Compare 힘들어요 with 힘드세요. 힘들어요 keeps ㄹ; 힘드세요 loses it before 시. In 힘듭니다, the formal ending also triggers the loss. These changes belong to conjugation and must be written. By contrast, the linking sound in 힘들어요 does not change the spelling.
힘든 is the adjective form before a noun, so 힘든 일 means demanding work. 힘들었던 looks back on a past experience, such as a difficult period remembered later. Choosing the longer past modifier adds that looking-back perspective; it is not necessary every time the English noun phrase contains “hard”.
힘들지 않아요 says that something is not demanding. It can reassure someone about a short walk or a manageable task.
Mini Drill: Choose the Right Form
- Give the polite present for “It is tiring”.
- Complete “a tough day”: ____ 하루.
- Ask respectfully “Is it hard?” using the table’s honorific form.
- Give the connector meaning “because it is tiring”.
Show drill answers
- 힘들어요. Keep ㄹ.
- 힘든 하루. Drop ㄹ before ㄴ.
- 힘드세요? Drop ㄹ before 시.
- 힘들어서. The vowel ending keeps ㄹ.
Quick Self-Test
- Can 힘들다 describe emotional strain?
- Which word focuses on a problem being difficult to understand: 힘들다 or 어렵다?
- How do you space the phrase containing the subject marker 이: 힘이들다 or 힘이 들다?
Show answers
- Yes. It can describe a difficult period or a personal burden.
- 어렵다.
- 힘이 들다. The single adjective is 힘들다.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say 'Today's Work Is so Hard'?
오늘 일이 너무 힘들어요.
Is 힘들은 일 Correct?
No. Use 힘든 일. The ㄹ drops before ㄴ.
What Is the Formal Present?
힘듭니다, and the honorific is 힘드세요.
What Is the Difference between 힘들다 and 어렵다?
어렵다 is hard to understand or do; 힘들다 is exhausting or demanding.
How Is 힘들어요 Pronounced?
It is spoken [힘드러요].
Which Words Are Related to 힘들다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 어렵다 and 피곤하다 to separate the three kinds of hard and tired, and 바쁘다 and 쉽다 as neighbours. Once you know how to say "hard/tiring", put another word through the Korean verb conjugator to compare the pattern, or browse more entries in the Korean verb dictionary.