Key Facts
- Hangul: 적다 (jeokda)
- Meaning: few/little
- Level: A2
- Stem: 적
- Conjugation class: regular
- Particles: The thing that is few takes 이/가, as in 눈이 적게 와요.
- Spoken as: [적따]
What Does 적다 Mean?
적다 describes small quantity. For countable things it means few, as in 사람이 적다. For amounts it means little, as in 돈이 적다. The thing described takes 이/가, and the adverb is 적게, as in 눈이 적게 와요. It never describes size. For that, use 작다. The verb 적다, to write down, shares the spelling but is a different word, as in 메모를 적다.
How Do You Pronounce 적다?
The dictionary form has 2 syllables and is spoken [적따], with a tense ㄸ after the ㄱ batchim, just as in 작다. Revised Romanization writes jeokda. Before a vowel the ㄱ slides across, so 적어요 is [저거요] and 적어서 is [저거서].
How Do You Use 적다 in a Sentence?
우리 반은 학생이 적어요.
Our class has few students.
우리 반은 makes our class the topic, and 학생이 적어요 says the students are few.
월급이 적어서 걱정이에요.
My salary is small, so I am worried.
월급이 적어서 gives the reason with 서. 걱정이에요 states the worry.
적은 돈으로 여행했어요.
I traveled with little money.
적은 돈으로 uses the modifier 적은 with 으로 meaning with. 여행했어요 then reports the trip.
How Does Jeokda Conjugation Work?
적다 is regular. The ending after ㅓ is 어: 적어요, 적었어요, 적어서. The modifier is 적은. Adjectives do not take -고 싶다. Plain written style, common in reports, keeps the dictionary form for the present (적다) and uses 적었다 for the past.
적다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 적어요 | ||
| Polite past | 적었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 적을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 적겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 적습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 적었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 적을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 적어 | ||
| Casual past | 적었어 | ||
| Casual future | 적을 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 적으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 적어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 적으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 적은 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 적었던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 적을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 적어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 적지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 적어요 | [저거요] |
| Polite past | 적었어요 | [저거써요] |
| Plan future | 적을 거예요 | [저글꺼예요] |
| Guess future | 적겠어요 | [적께써요] |
| Formal present | 적습니다 | [적씀니다] |
| Formal past | 적었습니다 | [저걷씀니다] |
| Formal future | 적을 것입니다 | [저글꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 적어 | [저거] |
| Casual past | 적었어 | [저거써] |
| Casual future | 적을 거야 | [저글꺼야] |
| Honorific | 적으세요 | [저그세요] |
| Because | 적어서 | [저거서] |
| If | 적으면 | [저그면] |
| Present modifier | 적은 | [저근] |
| Past modifier | 적었던 | [저걷떤] |
| Future modifier | 적을 | [저글] |
| Short negative | 안 적어요 | [안 저거요] |
| Long negative | 적지 않아요 | [적찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 적은 사람이다 (meaning "a small person")
Correct: ✓ 작은 사람 / 키가 작은 사람
Why: 적은 사람이다 does not describe a small person. 적다 refers to number or amount, so a small body is 작은 사람 or 키가 작은 사람.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it apart |
|---|---|
| 작다 | 작다 means small in size. 적다 means small in number or amount. |
| 쓰다 | 쓰다 is a verb for writing. 적다 as a verb also means to write down, a different word with the same spelling. |
Choosing a Quiet Time at a Café
Two friends compare the number of customers today and yesterday. They use the present, past, and a reason ending while deciding where to sit.
Mina
오늘은 사람이 적어요.
Oneureun sarami jeogeoyo.
There aren’t many people today.
Alex
어제도 적었어요.
Eojedo jeogeosseoyo.
There weren’t many yesterday either.
Mina
사람이 적어서 조용해요.
Sarami jeogeoseo joyonghaeyo.
It’s quiet because there aren’t many people.
사람이 적어요 describes the number of customers, not their body size. The second line leaves out 사람이 because that subject remains clear. 적어서 links the small number of people to the quiet atmosphere; it gives a reason rather than another time reference.
Common Combinations for Small Amounts
사람이 적다 means there are few people. 시간이 적다 means there is little time, and 돈이 적다 means there is little money. English chooses “few” for countable items and “little” for an amount. Korean uses the same adjective for both, so choose 적다 by the idea of quantity rather than the English translation alone.
수가 적다 explicitly describes a small number, while 양이 적다 describes a small amount or portion. At a restaurant, 양이 적어요 can comment on how much food was served. A bowl can be physically large while containing only a small amount; the container’s size and its contents need different descriptions.
적게 describes how an action is done: 적게 먹다 means to eat little or eat a small amount. 조금 is another useful quantity word, but it can soften a request as “a little”. 적게 makes the small amount central. The two may overlap in a situation without carrying exactly the same emphasis.
Where Will You Hear 적다?
적다 appears in comments about crowds, wages, portions, available time, and expenses. A café can have 사람이 적어요 during a quiet hour and 사람이 많아요 during a rush. The adjective describes the situation at the relevant time; it does not establish a fixed customer count.
In comparisons, 보다 introduces the reference point and 더 can mark “more” of the quality. Because the quality here is small quantity, 더 적어요 translates as “fewer” or “less”, not “more”. This is useful when comparing two class sizes, two bills, or the amount of food in two portions.
적지 않아요 literally means “not little” or “not few”. In context it can suggest a considerable amount. It does not have to mean an exact large number, so check the speaker’s comparison before treating it as a precise quantity. Ordinary 적어요 can also sound like a complaint when the amount is less than expected.
Which 적다 Are You Reading?
This page teaches the adjective meaning “few” or “little”. The separate verb 적다 means to write down. Both give 적어요 in polite present speech. A noun with 을/를 often helps identify the writing action, as in 메모를 적다; a quantity being described normally takes 이/가.
Before a noun, the adjective uses 적은 for a present quality: 적은 돈 is a small amount of money. The writing verb uses 적는 for its present action. Wrong: 적는 돈, for “a small amount of money”. Correct: 적은 돈. The ending identifies the adjective meaning that this page teaches.
The honorific cell 적으세요 needs particular care. In an instruction to fill in a name or a number, that same form normally belongs to the writing verb: “please write it down”. Read the object and the situation to identify the meaning. This page’s 적다 is a description of quantity, so its future form predicts an amount rather than an intended action.
적은 돈 does not tell you whether the speaker has enough for the task. A small budget may be sufficient for a short trip and insufficient for a larger purchase. To understand a complaint, look for the expected amount and the purpose, rather than assuming 적다 always means “not enough”.
Quantity Words to Learn Next
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 많다 | many / much | The direct opposite of 적다. |
| 수 | number | Makes a count explicit. |
| 양 | amount / quantity | Useful for portions and material amounts. |
| 조금 | a little | Can name a small amount or soften a request. |
The quantity words lesson expands this set. Keep 작다 for physical size and 적다 for the amount or number you are comparing.
Mini Drill
- Give the polite past of 적다.
- Put the adjective before 돈.
- Write the long negative.
- Give the form meaning “if there are few”.
Show drill answers
- 적었어요.
- 적은 돈.
- 적지 않아요.
- 적으면.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 적다 change between countable people and an amount of money?
- What does 더 적어요 mean in a comparison?
- Which meaning of 적다 fits an instruction to write a phone number?
Show answers
- No. It can describe both.
- Fewer or less.
- The separate verb meaning “write down”.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say There Are Few Students?
Say 학생이 적어요.
Is 적다 Ever about Size?
No. Use 작다 for size.
What Is the Adverb Form?
적게.
Is There Another 적다?
Yes, the verb to write down, as in 메모를 적다.
Which Words Are Related to 적다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 많다 as the opposite, and compare 작다, 줄다 and 늘다. The pattern behind 적다 is covered in how to conjugate Korean verbs in the present tense; to check any other form, open the Korean verb conjugator, or browse the Korean verb dictionary.