Key Facts
- Hangul: 입다 (ipda)
- Meaning: to wear (clothes)
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: A1
- Stem: 입
- Class: regular
- Polite present: 입어요
- Polite past: 입었어요
- Formal present: 입습니다
- Objects: transitive
What Does 입다 Mean?
- to wear (clothes). Used for putting on or wearing clothes: 옷을 입다, 바지를 입다.
Particles. The piece of clothing is the object and takes 을/를: 옷을 입다 (to put on clothes), 바지를 입다 (to put on trousers).
How Do You Pronounce 입다?
입다 is pronounced [입따], because the final ㅂ makes the following ㄷ tense. Its Revised Romanization is ipda.
Before a vowel the ㅂ moves into the next syllable; before ㄱ or ㅅ it makes that consonant tense (standard pronunciation rules of the 국립국어원):
- 입어요 sounds like [이버요]
- 입었어요 sounds like [이버써요]
- 입을 거예요 sounds like [이블꺼예요]
- 입겠어요 sounds like [입께써요]
- 입습니다 sounds like [입씀니다]
How Do You Use 입다 in a Sentence?
저는 청바지를 입어요.
I wear jeans.
Form shown: polite present (입어요).
오늘 코트를 입었어요.
I wore a coat today.
Form shown: polite past (입었어요).
예쁜 옷을 입고 싶어요.
I want to wear pretty clothes.
Form shown: want to, polite (입고 싶어요).
Ipda Conjugation: What Are the Forms of 입다?
입다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 입어요 | ||
| Polite past | 입었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 입을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 입겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 입습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 입었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 입을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 입어 | ||
| Casual past | 입었어 | ||
| Casual future | 입을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 입고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 입으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 입어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 입으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 입는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 입은 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 입을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 입어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 입지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 입어요 | [이버요] |
| Polite past | 입었어요 | [이버써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 입을 거예요 | [이블꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 입겠어요 | [입께써요] |
| Formal present | 입습니다 | [입씀니다] |
| Formal past | 입었습니다 | [이벋씀니다] |
| Formal future | 입을 것입니다 | [이블꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 입어 | [이버] |
| Casual past | 입었어 | [이버써] |
| Casual future | 입을 거야 | [이블꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 입고 싶어요 | [입꼬 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 입으세요 | [이브세요] |
| Because / and then | 입어서 | [이버서] |
| If (conditional) | 입으면 | [이브면] |
| Present modifier | 입는 | [임는] |
| Past modifier | 입은 | [이븐] |
| Future modifier | 입을 | [이블] |
| Short negative | 안 입어요 | [안 이버요] |
| Long negative | 입지 않아요 | [입찌 아나요] |
Is 입다 Regular or Irregular?
입다 is regular. Its stem ends in ㅂ, like ㅂ-irregular verbs, but the ㅂ never turns into a vowel: the forms are 입어요 and 입었어요, never 이워요. Lesson: regular verbs that look irregular. Tool: conjugator.
What Is the Most Common Mistake with 입다?
Wrong: ✗ 모자를 입어요
Correct: ✓ 모자를 써요
Why: Korean uses a different verb for each kind of item you wear. 입다 is for clothes on the body; hats and glasses use 쓰다.
How Is 입다 Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs from 입다 |
|---|---|
| 신다 | 신다 is for shoes and socks; 입다 is for clothes on the body. |
| 쓰다 | 쓰다 is for things on the head or face, such as hats and glasses; 입다 is for clothes on the body. |
| 벗다 | 벗다 is the opposite: to take off. |
Choosing Clothes for Tomorrow
Two coworkers are planning what to wear for a presentation. Listen for a future plan, a wish, and a question about yesterday.
Mina
내일 뭐 입을 거예요?
Naeil mwo ibeul geoyeyo?
What will you wear tomorrow?
Jisu
저는 파란 셔츠를 입고 싶어요.
Jeoneun paran syeocheureul ipgo sipeoyo.
I want to wear a blue shirt.
Mina
어제도 그 셔츠를 입었어요?
Eojedo geu syeocheureul ibeosseoyo?
Did you wear that shirt yesterday too?
Jisu
아니요. 어제는 흰 셔츠를 입었어요.
Aniyo. Eojeneun huin syeocheureul ibeosseoyo.
No. I wore a white shirt yesterday.
The colour word stays with 셔츠, “shirt”, while the ending on 입다 tells you whether the speaker means tomorrow or yesterday. 그 셔츠 means “that shirt”: once the item is clear, you can refer back to it without describing the colour again.
Putting Clothes on or Already Wearing Them?
입어요 can describe a habit, a choice, or the action of getting dressed. The opening example about jeans can mean that jeans are what you usually wear. A question about tomorrow instead makes clothing choice the focus. Time words help you understand which reading fits.
입고 있어요 describes the resulting state: the clothes are already on your body. If you are identifying someone in a photograph, this is a useful way to describe their outfit. English “wearing” may look like an action in progress, but the Korean expression can describe someone simply sitting in a coat.
입었어요 says that someone put clothes on or wore them. It does not by itself tell you that the person has since taken them off. If someone has just arrived wearing a new coat, the past form can refer to getting dressed earlier.
Clothing Combinations beyond a Single Garment
옷을 입다 is the broad expression for getting dressed. 옷 means clothes, so you can use this when the exact garment does not matter. 옷을 갈아입다 means to change clothes; the compound 갈아입다 focuses on replacing one outfit with another.
따뜻하게 입다 means to dress warmly. 따뜻하게 describes how you dress, rather than naming an object. You hear this in weather advice and from family members before you leave home. 옷을 따뜻하게 입다 includes both the clothes and the advice about warmth.
교복을 입다 means to wear a school uniform, and 정장을 입다 means to wear a suit or formal attire. These are literal clothing combinations. They are useful when discussing a school rule, an interview, or an event with a dress code.
Where Will You Meet 입다 outside Clothing Talk?
In everyday conversation, 입다 is neutral: a child, friend, or shop assistant can use it. At a clothing shop, 입어 보세요 means “try it on”. The separate 보세요 adds the idea of trying the action; it is an invitation to check the fit, rather than an instruction to buy the item.
News reports also use 피해를 입다, “to suffer damage”, and 부상을 입다, “to suffer an injury”. These are established combinations with an abstract meaning. In a report about an accident, the object 피해 or 부상 tells you that the sentence is about harm.
Build a Useful Clothing Vocabulary
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 셔츠 | shirt | Use 입다 for this upper-body garment. |
| 바지 | trousers / pants | Also takes 입다, even though trousers cover the legs. |
| 교복 | school uniform | The clothing word in 교복을 입다. |
| 정장 | suit / formal attire | Useful for interviews and formal occasions. |
The clothing vocabulary lesson brings garments and their wearing verbs together.
Mini Drill: Keep the ㅂ
- Give the polite present of 입다.
- Change 입다 to the conditional “if you wear”.
- Choose 입다 or 신다 for trousers.
- Say “I don’t wear it” with 안.
Show drill answers
- 입어요. The ㅂ stays in the stem.
- 입으면.
- 입다. Shoes and socks use 신다.
- 안 입어요, with a space after 안.
Quick Self-Test
- Which expression makes it clear that the clothes are already on: 입어요 or 입고 있어요?
- What is a shop assistant offering with 입어 보세요?
- In 피해를 입다, is 입다 about clothing?
Show answers
- 입고 있어요 describes the state of wearing them.
- A chance to try the clothing on.
- No. The phrase means to suffer damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 입다 Regular or Irregular?
입다 is regular. The stem 입 does not change, so the polite present is 입어요 and the polite past is 입었어요.
How Do You Say "I Wear Jeans" in Korean?
Say 저는 청바지를 입어요. The verb is in the polite present form, 입어요, and 청바지 (jeans) takes the object particle 를.
How Do You Make 입다 Negative?
There are two ways. The short negative puts 안 in front of the verb: 안 입어요 (I don't wear it). The long negative is 입지 않아요.
How Do You Say "I Want to Wear" with 입다?
Add 고 싶어요 to the stem: 입고 싶어요. For example, 예쁜 옷을 입고 싶어요 means 'I want to wear pretty clothes'.
Which Particles Go with 입다?
The piece of clothing is the object and takes 을/를: 코트를 입었어요 (I wore a coat).
What Is the Difference between 입다 and 신다?
신다 is for shoes and socks; 입다 is for clothes on the body, such as shirts, trousers and coats.
Which Words Are Related to 입다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next, learn 신다 for shoes and socks, then 벗다 for taking clothes off. Or browse the verb dictionary.