Key Facts
- Hangul: 화내다 (hwanaeda)
- Meaning: to get angry
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: B1
- Stem: 화내
- Class: regular
- Polite present: 화내요
- Polite past: 화냈어요
- Formal present: 화냅니다
- Objects: intransitive
What Does 화내다 Mean?
- to get angry. Used for showing anger at someone: 동생에게 화내다.
Particles. 화내다 does not take a direct object. The person you are angry with takes 에게 or 한테 (동생에게 화내다, to get angry at your younger sibling), and the reason takes 때문에.
How Do You Pronounce 화내다?
화내다 is read as written, and its Revised Romanization is hwanaeda. Sound changes appear only in some endings (standard pronunciation rules of the 국립국어원):
- 화냈어요 sounds like [화내써요]
- 화낼 거예요 sounds like [화낼꺼예요]
- 화내겠어요 sounds like [화내게써요]
- 화냅니다 sounds like [화냄니다]
- 화냈습니다 sounds like [화낻씀니다]
How Do You Use 화내다 in a Sentence?
엄마가 자주 화내요.
Mom often gets angry.
Form shown: polite present (화내요).
아빠가 어제 화냈어요.
Dad got angry yesterday.
Form shown: polite past (화냈어요).
저는 화내지 않아요.
I don't get angry.
Form shown: long negative (화내지 않아요).
Hwanaeda Conjugation: What Are the Forms of 화내다?
화내다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 화내요 | ||
| Polite past | 화냈어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 화낼 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 화내겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 화냅니다 | ||
| Formal past | 화냈습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 화낼 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 화내 | ||
| Casual past | 화냈어 | ||
| Casual future | 화낼 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 화내고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 화내세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 화내서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 화내면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 화내는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 화낸 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 화낼 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 화내요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 화내지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 화내요 | as written |
| Polite past | 화냈어요 | [화내써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 화낼 거예요 | [화낼꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 화내겠어요 | [화내게써요] |
| Formal present | 화냅니다 | [화냄니다] |
| Formal past | 화냈습니다 | [화낻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 화낼 것입니다 | [화낼꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 화내 | as written |
| Casual past | 화냈어 | [화내써] |
| Casual future | 화낼 거야 | [화낼꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 화내고 싶어요 | [화내고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 화내세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 화내서 | as written |
| If (conditional) | 화내면 | as written |
| Present modifier | 화내는 | as written |
| Past modifier | 화낸 | as written |
| Future modifier | 화낼 | as written |
| Short negative | 안 화내요 | as written |
| Long negative | 화내지 않아요 | [화내지 아나요] |
Is 화내다 Regular or Irregular?
화내다 is regular. The stem 화내 ends in the vowel ㅐ, and the ending 어 merges into it: 화내요, 화냈어요. Lesson: polite present recipe. Tool: conjugator.
What Is the Most Common Mistake with 화내다?
Wrong: ✗ 친구를 화내요 (when you mean 'I get angry at my friend')
Correct: ✓ 친구에게 화내요
Why: 화내다 does not take an object, so the person you are angry with cannot take the object particle 를. Use 에게 or, in casual speech, 한테.
How Is 화내다 Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs from 화내다 |
|---|---|
| 화나다 | 화나다 is to be or become angry (a state, with 이/가); 화내다 is to show anger toward someone. |
| 짜증 나다 | 짜증 나다 is to be annoyed; 화내다 is stronger and directed at someone. |
After Snapping at a Younger Sibling
Two friends discuss an argument from the previous day. One asks what happened; the other regrets showing anger and apologizes.
Jisu
어제 동생한테 화냈어요?
Eoje dongsaenghante hwanaesseoyo?
Did you get angry at your younger sibling yesterday?
Alex
네. 숙제 때문에 화냈어요.
Ne. Sukje ttaemune hwanaesseoyo.
Yes. I got angry because of the homework.
Jisu
동생도 속상했어요.
Dongsaengdo soksanghaesseoyo.
Your sibling was upset too.
Alex
알아요. 동생에게 화내서 미안해요.
Arayo. Dongsaengege hwanaeseo mianhaeyo.
I know. I’m sorry I got angry at my sibling.
동생한테 names the person the anger was directed at. 숙제 때문에 names the reason. 화냈어요 reports the past outburst, while 화내서 connects that behavior to the apology. The final line gives the reason for being sorry. It does not promise that the speaker will never feel angry again.
Feeling Angry and Showing Anger
화나다 can describe anger building inside you. 화내다 focuses on expressing it. Someone might feel angry but speak calmly, so the feeling alone does not prove that they showed anger toward another person.
That distinction also changes how an English translation reads. “Dad got angry” could mean that he became upset or that he visibly lost his temper. 화냈어요 favors the outward reaction. The surrounding scene may show raised voices or sharp words, but the verb itself does not specify shouting.
화를 내다 is the expanded form. 화 is the noun “anger,” and 를 marks it as the object of 내다. In the one-word 화내다 pattern, the target person still takes 에게 or 한테. Switching to the expanded phrase does not make the person a direct object.
Common Combinations around an Argument
| Korean | Literal idea | Meaning in use |
|---|---|---|
| 버럭 화내다 | get angry suddenly | Flare up or snap in anger. |
| 괜히 화내다 | get angry for no good reason | Show anger the speaker sees as needless. |
| 자주 화내다 | often show anger | Describe a recurring behavior. |
| 화를 참다 | hold back anger | Restrain the feeling or its expression. |
버럭 adds suddenness. It is more specific than simply saying someone 화냈어요. 괜히 adds the speaker's judgment that the anger was unnecessary or misdirected. It does not establish objectively that there was no reason; another person in the scene may see it differently.
화를 참다 contrasts with showing anger. It does not mean that the feeling disappeared. This is useful in a story where a character stays quiet despite being upset: their silence and their emotional state can be different.
Where Will You Hear 화내다?
In family conversations, 화내다 appears when people discuss scolding, irritation, or an argument. A parent describing a repeated habit may use 자주 화내요. An apology afterward will more naturally refer to the past event with 화냈어요 or connect the anger to the apology.
In dramas, a character may ask why another person is showing anger. The question can sound caring, defensive, or confrontational depending on tone. The verb names the behavior; it does not by itself tell you whether the anger is justified.
In a workplace, describing a colleague as someone who 자주 화내요 can sound critical. Being polite to the listener does not make a comment about another person's temper neutral. Naming a specific incident can be less sweeping than describing the person's whole character.
What Makes the Endings Easy to Misread?
화내요 and 화내 are regular forms. The vowel ㅐ is already part of the stem 화내, so the polite form does not need an extra syllable. 화냈어요 adds past tense to that same stem. 화내면 means “if someone gets angry”; 화내는 describes someone showing anger before a following noun.
Keep 안 화내요 separate from the expanded 화를 내다 pattern. The one-word verb takes 안 before it. The long negative 화내지 않아요 is especially useful when you want to keep the verb clearly recognizable.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 화 | anger | The noun in 화를 내다 and 화를 참다. |
| 짜증 | annoyance | Often concerns irritation rather than a major outburst. |
| 속상하다 | to feel upset / distressed | Describes hurt feelings after an argument. |
| 사과하다 | to apologize | Useful when repairing the relationship afterward. |
The emotions vocabulary lesson teaches the wider set for describing feelings and reactions.
Mini Drill: Describe the Anger
- Give the polite past of 화내다.
- Choose 친구에게 or 친구를 before 화내요.
- Write the short negative of 화내요.
- Which word adds “suddenly”: 버럭 or 자주?
Show drill answers
- 화냈어요.
- 친구에게 화내요.
- 안 화내요.
- 버럭; 자주 means “often.”
Quick Self-Test
- Does 화내다 necessarily mean shouting?
- Which phrase means holding back anger?
- Does 화나다 always imply that someone expressed the feeling?
Show answers
- No. It describes showing anger without specifying how.
- 화를 참다.
- No. It describes being or becoming angry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 화내다 Regular or Irregular?
화내다 is regular. The stem 화내 does not change, so the polite present is 화내요 and the polite past is 화냈어요.
How Do You Say "Mom Often Gets Angry" in Korean?
Say 엄마가 자주 화내요. The verb is in the polite present form, 화내요, and 자주 means 'often'.
How Do You Make 화내다 Negative?
There are two ways. The short negative puts 안 in front of the verb: 안 화내요. The long negative is 화내지 않아요, as in 저는 화내지 않아요 (I don't get angry).
Which Particles Go with 화내다?
화내다 takes no direct object. The person you are angry with takes 에게 or 한테, and the reason takes 때문에.
What Is the Difference between 화내다 and 화나다?
화나다 is the feeling of being or becoming angry, used with 이/가; 화내다 is showing that anger, usually toward someone.
Which Words Are Related to 화내다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next, learn 화나다 for the feeling of being angry, then 짜증 나다 for milder annoyance. Or browse the verb dictionary.