Key Facts
- Hangul: 이상하다 (isanghada)
- Meaning: strange
- Part of speech: adjective (형용사)
- Level: A2
- Stem: 이상하
- Class: 하다 type
What Does 이상하다 Mean?
이상하다 flags something that does not seem right. 이상한 소리 means "a strange sound", and 이 맛이 조금 이상해요 says that a taste is slightly off. The strange thing takes 이/가 or 은/는, as in 소리가 이상해요. The tone is doubtful or uneasy, not positive, which is how it differs from a word of wonder.
How Do You Pronounce 이상하다?
The stem is read as written. The formal 이상합니다 is [이상함니다], and the past 이상했어요 is [이상해써요]. The planned future 이상할 거예요 reads [이상할꺼예요], and the guess form 이상하겠어요 reads [이상하게써요].
How Do You Use 이상하다 in a Sentence?
이 맛이 조금 이상해요.
This taste is a bit strange.
조금 softens the remark, and 이 맛이 points to a specific taste. It is a polite way to say that food seems wrong.
이상한 소리가 들려요.
I hear a strange sound.
The modifier 이상한 sits before 소리가, and 들려요 means that the sound can be heard. The sentence reports what you notice.
이상하지 않아요?
Isn't it strange?
The long negative 이상하지 않아요, turned into a question, asks for agreement: do you not find it strange too?
Usage Notes for 이상하다
이상하네요 is the usual reaction when something seems off. Be careful about people: saying that a person is 이상해요 can be rude. Aim the word at situations, sounds, tastes and stories instead. When a thing is different in a good way, 특별하다 is the better word. 이상 alone is not an adjective here, so the modifier 이상한 must come before a noun.
How Does Isanghada Conjugation Work?
이상하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 이상해요 | ||
| Polite past | 이상했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 이상할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 이상하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 이상합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 이상했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 이상할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 이상해 | ||
| Casual past | 이상했어 | ||
| Casual future | 이상할 거야 | ||
| Because / and then | 이상해서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 이상하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 이상한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 이상했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 이상할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 이상해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 이상하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 이상해요 | — |
| Polite past | 이상했어요 | [이상해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 이상할 거예요 | [이상할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 이상하겠어요 | [이상하게써요] |
| Formal present | 이상합니다 | [이상함니다] |
| Formal past | 이상했습니다 | [이상핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 이상할 것입니다 | [이상할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 이상해 | — |
| Casual past | 이상했어 | [이상해써] |
| Casual future | 이상할 거야 | [이상할꺼야] |
| Because / and then | 이상해서 | — |
| Conditional (if) | 이상하면 | — |
| Modifier, present | 이상한 | — |
| Modifier, past | 이상했던 | [이상핻떤] |
| Modifier, future | 이상할 | — |
| Short negative | 안 이상해요 | — |
| Long negative | 이상하지 않아요 | [이상하지 아나요] |
Is 이상하다 Regular or Irregular?
Nothing irregular happens in 이상하다. The stem 이상하 switches 하 to 해 before 아 or 어 endings: 이상해요, 이상해서 and 이상했어요. Before -ㅂ니다 and -면 the stem stays whole, giving 이상합니다 and 이상하면. The same stem pattern works for the whole 하다 family. This lesson on the 해요 ending lists more words of the same type.
Common Mistake with 이상하다
Wrong: ✗ 이상 사람
Correct: ✓ 이상한 사람
Why: A noun needs the modifier form 이상한. Using 이상 alone means "abnormal" or "above", so it does not describe a person.
이상하다 Versus 신기하다 and 특별하다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 신기하다 | 신기하다 is a positive wonder. 이상하다 is odd or wrong in a negative or uneasy way. |
| 특별하다 | 특별하다 is special in a good way. 이상하다 is unusual in a doubtful way. |
A Strange Noise in the Kitchen
Two housemates are checking a noisy fridge. The first line describes the sound now, the second asks about yesterday, and the third puts “strange” before a noun.
Jisu
냉장고 소리가 이상해요.
Naengjanggo soriga isanghaeyo.
The fridge sounds strange.
Alex
어제도 이상했어요?
Eojedo isanghaesseoyo?
Did it sound strange yesterday too?
Jisu
네. 이상한 소리가 계속 나요.
Ne. Isanghan soriga gyesok nayo.
Yes. It keeps making a strange sound.
The housemates name the appliance before judging it. 소리가 이상해요 reports an unusual sound without diagnosing the fault. 이상했어요 asks about an earlier observation; it does not mean the fridge has stopped making the noise. 이상한 소리 can refer to one sound or a repeated noise, so 계속, “continuously”, supplies the detail here.
Which Combinations Go with 이상하다?
| Combination | Meaning | What the speaker notices |
|---|---|---|
| 맛이 이상하다 | to taste strange | Food tastes different from what was expected. |
| 냄새가 이상하다 | to smell strange | A smell seems unusual or unpleasant. |
| 기분이 이상하다 | to feel strange | The speaker has an odd or unsettled feeling. |
| 이상한 소리 | a strange sound / strange talk | The context decides between an actual noise and something someone says. |
These combinations usually keep the literal idea of something being outside expectations. 기분이 이상하다 does not necessarily mean “I am sick”. Someone might feel unsettled after a surprising reunion or an awkward conversation. Likewise, 이상한 소리 may question the sense of someone's words rather than the quality of their voice.
조금, “a little”, in the existing taste example reduces the strength of the criticism. 너무, “too” or “very”, would strengthen it. A polite ending does not remove that criticism: 이상해요 still says something seems wrong, even though the sentence is polite to the listener.
Where Will You Hear 이상하다?
In a mystery drama, 이상하다 can signal that a character has spotted an inconsistency. Listen for the thing being judged: a sound, a person's behaviour, or part of an explanation. The word alone expresses suspicion or puzzlement; it does not establish that anyone is guilty.
At home, the same word can flag an unexpected smell from food or an odd noise from a machine. Naming the observation makes the report more useful. The fridge dialogue describes a sound, while the original food example describes a taste. Neither sentence proves that the object is dangerous or broken.
이상해 is a direct casual reaction among close friends. 이상합니다 suits a formal report, but it can also sound firm when delivered as a judgment. If someone has chosen unusual clothes, calling them 이상해요 may feel insulting. 특별하다 or 다르다 can help when your intended meaning is “special” or simply “different”.
Why Is 이상한 Different from 이용하는?
Both words end in 하다, but 이상하다 describes a quality and 이용하다 names an action. For a strange sound, use the adjective modifier 이상한. For a person who uses something, 이용하다 takes 이용하는. Sharing the 해요 contraction does not give the two words the same noun-modifying ending.
The future form 이상할 거예요 predicts that something will seem strange. A strange taste is a condition, so the table's “plan” label is not an instruction to plan an action. The form's meaning follows the kind of word being conjugated.
Words for Describing What Seems Off
| Korean | Meaning | Useful next step |
|---|---|---|
| 소리 | sound | Identify a noise before describing it. |
| 냄새 | smell | Use for an unusual odour rather than a taste. |
| 맛 | taste | Name the flavour you are reacting to. |
| 기분 | mood / feeling | Describe your own unsettled reaction. |
The emotions vocabulary lesson develops the feeling words around 기분, including ways to describe a reaction more precisely.
Mini Drill: Describe the Odd Thing
- Give the polite past: 이상하다 → ____.
- Complete “a strange sound”: ____ 소리.
- Use the conditional form: 이상하다 → ____.
- Choose the noun marker for “the taste is strange”: 맛이 or 맛을?
Show drill answers
- 이상했어요.
- 이상한 소리.
- 이상하면.
- 맛이. The taste is the thing being described.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 이상해요 usually express positive wonder?
- Does 기분이 이상하다 always report illness?
- Why might 이상해요 hurt when said about someone's appearance?
Show answers
- No. 신기하다 is the nearby word for wonder.
- No. It can describe an odd emotional reaction.
- It suggests that something about the person seems wrong, even with 요.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say This Is Strange?
Say 이상해요. For something that seems off, 이상하네요 is natural.
Can I Call a Person 이상해요?
It can be rude. Use the word for situations, tastes or sounds.
How Do I Ask Isn't It Strange?
Say 이상하지 않아요? with the long negative.
What Is the Modifier before a Noun?
It is 이상한, as in 이상한 소리.
Which Words Are Related to 이상하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next study 신기하다 and its ending 하다 for positive wonder and 특별하다 for special, then 다르다 to say different and 궁금하다 to wonder. Type any other stem into the Korean verb conjugator to compare, and find the rest of the family in the Korean verb dictionary.