Key Facts
- Hangul: 잡다 (japda)
- Meaning: to catch/hold
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: A2
- Stem: 잡
- Class: regular
- Polite present: 잡아요
- Polite past: 잡았어요
- Formal present: 잡습니다
- Objects: transitive
What Does 잡다 Mean?
- to catch; to hold; to grab. Used when you take hold of something with your hand or catch something that is moving: 손을 잡다, 택시를 잡다, 물고기를 잡다.
Particles. The thing you hold or catch takes the object particle 을/를: 손을 잡아요 (I hold a hand).
How Do You Pronounce 잡다?
잡다 is pronounced [잡따], because the final ㅂ makes the following ㄷ tense. Its Revised Romanization is japda.
The final ㅂ behaves in three ways (standard pronunciation rules of the 국립국어원). Before a vowel it moves into the next syllable; before ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅅ or ㅈ it makes that consonant tense; before ㄴ or ㅁ it becomes [ㅁ]:
- 잡아요 sounds like [자바요]
- 잡았어요 sounds like [자바써요]
- 잡을 거예요 sounds like [자블꺼예요]
- 잡겠어요 sounds like [잡께써요]
- 잡습니다 sounds like [잡씀니다]
How Do You Use 잡다 in a Sentence?
아이가 엄마 손을 잡아요.
The child holds mom's hand.
Form shown: polite present (잡아요).
어제 택시를 잡았어요.
I caught a taxi yesterday.
Form shown: polite past (잡았어요).
여기를 잡으세요.
Please hold onto this.
Form shown: honorific polite (잡으세요).
Japda Conjugation: What Are the Forms of 잡다?
잡다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 잡아요 | ||
| Polite past | 잡았어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 잡을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 잡겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 잡습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 잡았습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 잡을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 잡아 | ||
| Casual past | 잡았어 | ||
| Casual future | 잡을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 잡고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 잡으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 잡아서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 잡으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 잡는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 잡은 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 잡을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 잡아요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 잡지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 잡아요 | [자바요] |
| Polite past | 잡았어요 | [자바써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 잡을 거예요 | [자블꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 잡겠어요 | [잡께써요] |
| Formal present | 잡습니다 | [잡씀니다] |
| Formal past | 잡았습니다 | [자받씀니다] |
| Formal future | 잡을 것입니다 | [자블꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 잡아 | [자바] |
| Casual past | 잡았어 | [자바써] |
| Casual future | 잡을 거야 | [자블꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 잡고 싶어요 | [잡꼬 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 잡으세요 | [자브세요] |
| Because / and then | 잡아서 | [자바서] |
| If (conditional) | 잡으면 | [자브면] |
| Present modifier | 잡는 | [잠는] |
| Past modifier | 잡은 | [자븐] |
| Future modifier | 잡을 | [자블] |
| Short negative | 안 잡아요 | [안 자바요] |
| Long negative | 잡지 않아요 | [잡찌 아나요] |
Is 잡다 Regular or Irregular?
잡다 is regular. Its stem ends in ㅂ, but unlike ㅂ-irregular verbs such as 'to pick up' or 'to help', the ㅂ of 잡 never turns into a vowel. You simply add the ending: 잡아요, 잡았어요, 잡으면. Lesson: regular verbs that look irregular. Tool: conjugator.
What Is the Most Common Mistake with 잡다?
Wrong: ✗ 택시를 탔어요 (when you mean 'I hailed a taxi')
Correct: ✓ 택시를 잡았어요
Why: Hailing or catching a taxi on the street is 택시를 잡다. 택시를 탔어요 is good Korean, but it means 'I got in a taxi' or 'I rode in a taxi', not that you flagged one down.
How Is 잡다 Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs from 잡다 |
|---|---|
| 들다 | 들다 is to lift or carry; 잡다 is to grip or grab. |
| 받다 | 받다 is to receive something given to you; 잡다 is to catch it yourself. |
Finding a Taxi after Dinner
Two coworkers are trying to get home. The conversation moves from checking the past result to suggesting a place and stating a future plan.
Mina
택시를 잡았어요?
Taeksireul jabasseoyo?
Did you get a taxi?
Jisu
아니요. 택시가 없어요.
Aniyo. Taeksiga eopseoyo.
No. There aren’t any taxis.
Mina
그럼 큰길에서 택시를 잡아요.
Geureom keungireseo taeksireul jabayo.
Then let’s hail one on the main road.
Jisu
네. 제가 잡을 거예요.
Ne. Jega jabeul geoyeyo.
Okay. I’ll get one.
잡았어요 asks whether someone has secured a taxi. It does not say that they are already riding in it. 큰길에서 identifies where they will try: on the main road. In this situation, 잡아요 works as “let’s catch one”, because Mina is proposing their next action.
From Taking Hold to Securing an Opportunity
손을 잡다 can describe holding another person’s hand. 손잡이를 잡다 means to grip a handle or handrail. In a vehicle, the second expression concerns physical support. In a drama, the first can show affection, reassurance, or help; the phrase alone does not tell you which relationship the people have.
기회를 잡다 means to seize an opportunity. The opportunity is not a physical object, but the idea of securing something remains. This is a common expression in career talk and stories about a person getting a chance.
날을 잡다 means to set a date. It is often used when arranging an event or meeting. 약속을 잡다 similarly means to arrange an appointment or plan to meet. The noun tells you what is being secured: a date or arrangement.
자리를 잡다 can mean to settle into a place or become established. A person may settle into a new home, while a business or practice may become established. In a busy café, talk about getting a seat can be much more literal. Read the surrounding sentence before deciding which English meaning fits.
What Makes 잡다 Tricky?
The ㅂ stays in 잡아요 and 잡으면. The vowel ㅏ in 잡 selects 아, giving 잡아요 rather than a form with 어요. In 입다, by contrast, the stem vowel selects 어: 입어요. Both verbs keep their final ㅂ, but they choose different vowel endings.
잡는 is written with ㅂ even though the nasal sound before ㄴ gives [잠는]. 잡은 keeps the same written stem and links the ㅂ to the next syllable. These sound differences are predictable pronunciation changes.
잡으세요 can be a polite instruction to hold on. It is useful when someone points out a safe grip, as in the earlier 여기를 잡으세요. A sign may use a more formal instruction ending, but the action is still grasping the support.
Where Will You Hear the Different Meanings?
In transport talk, 택시를 잡다 concerns obtaining a taxi, while 타다 concerns boarding or riding. On a fishing trip, 물고기를 잡다 means catching fish. The English verb “catch” happens to fit both, but the action and object are different.
In news or crime dramas, 범인을 잡다 means to catch the culprit. This use concerns capture. It gives 잡다 a different setting from gently holding someone’s hand, while keeping the basic idea of taking hold or gaining control.
At work, a request to arrange a meeting may use 약속을 잡다 or 날을 잡다. You do not need a physical “holding” interpretation for either expression. Learn each with its noun so that you can recognize the meaning quickly.
Words for Holding and Arranging
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 손잡이 | handle / handrail | The part you grip for support or to open something. |
| 택시 | taxi | 잡다 covers securing one; 타다 covers riding. |
| 기회 | opportunity | The object in “seize an opportunity”. |
| 놓다 | to let go / put down | Useful when the grip ends. |
The taxi and transport phrases put hailing and riding into a fuller journey.
Mini Drill: Follow the Object
- Give the polite present of 잡다.
- Give its conditional form.
- Choose 잡다 or 타다 for hailing a taxi.
- Complete “the hand someone held”: ____ 손.
Show drill answers
- 잡아요; the stem vowel selects 아.
- 잡으면.
- 잡다.
- 잡은 손.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 기회를 잡다 mean?
- Does 택시를 잡았어요 prove the speaker has boarded?
- Does a changed sound in 잡는 make 잡다 irregular?
Show answers
- To seize an opportunity.
- No. It says they secured a taxi.
- No. The written stem stays 잡.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 잡다 Regular or Irregular?
잡다 is regular. The stem 잡 does not change, so the polite present is 잡아요 and the polite past is 잡았어요.
How Do You Say "the Child Holds Mom's Hand" in Korean?
Say 아이가 엄마 손을 잡아요. The verb is in the polite present form, 잡아요, and 손 (hand) takes the object particle 을.
How Do You Make 잡다 Negative?
There are two ways. The short negative puts 안 in front of the verb: 안 잡아요 (I don't hold it). The long negative adds 지 않아요 to the stem: 잡지 않아요.
How Do You Say "I Want to Hold It" with 잡다?
Add 고 싶어요 to the stem: 잡고 싶어요, pronounced [잡꼬 시퍼요]. For example, 손을 잡고 싶어요 means 'I want to hold your hand'.
Which Particles Go with 잡다?
The thing you hold or catch takes the object particle 을/를: 손을 잡다 (hold a hand), 택시를 잡다 (catch a taxi).
What Is the Difference between 잡다 and 들다?
들다 is to lift or carry something; 잡다 is to grip or grab it. You 잡다 a handrail, but you 들다 a heavy bag.
Which Words Are Related to 잡다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next, learn 들다 (to lift or carry), then 놓다, which is what you do when you let go of something you were holding. Or browse the verb dictionary.