Key Facts
- Hangul: 질문하다 (jilmunhada)
- Meaning: to ask a question
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: A2
- Stem: 질문하
- Class: 하다 type
- Polite present: 질문해요
- Polite past: 질문했어요
- Formal present: 질문합니다
- Objects: transitive
What Does 질문하다 Mean?
- to ask a question. Used for asking a question, especially in class or formal settings: 선생님께 질문하다.
Particles. The person you ask takes 에게, or the honorific 께 for a teacher or senior. 질문 can also be split off as an object with 을/를: 질문을 하다.
How Do You Pronounce 질문하다?
질문하다 is read as written, and its Revised Romanization is jilmunhada. Sound changes appear only in some endings (standard pronunciation rules of the 국립국어원):
- 질문했어요 sounds like [질문해써요]
- 질문할 거예요 sounds like [질문할꺼예요]
- 질문하겠어요 sounds like [질문하게써요]
- 질문합니다 sounds like [질문함니다]
- 질문했습니다 sounds like [질문핻씀니다]
How Do You Use 질문하다 in a Sentence?
학생이 선생님께 질문해요.
The student asks the teacher a question.
The student is the subject, the teacher takes the honorific particle 께, and 질문해요 is the polite present.
수업 중에 질문했어요.
I asked a question during class.
수업 중에 means 'during class', and 질문했어요 is the polite past.
궁금하면 질문하세요.
If you are curious, please ask.
궁금하면 (if you are curious) sets the condition, and the honorific polite 질문하세요 invites people to ask, as a teacher might at the end of a lesson.
Jilmunhada Conjugation: What Are the Forms of 질문하다?
질문하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 질문해요 | ||
| Polite past | 질문했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 질문할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 질문하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 질문합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 질문했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 질문할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 질문해 | ||
| Casual past | 질문했어 | ||
| Casual future | 질문할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 질문하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 질문하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 질문해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 질문하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 질문하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 질문한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 질문할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 질문 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 질문하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 질문해요 | as written |
| Polite past | 질문했어요 | [질문해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 질문할 거예요 | [질문할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 질문하겠어요 | [질문하게써요] |
| Formal present | 질문합니다 | [질문함니다] |
| Formal past | 질문했습니다 | [질문핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 질문할 것입니다 | [질문할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 질문해 | as written |
| Casual past | 질문했어 | [질문해써] |
| Casual future | 질문할 거야 | [질문할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 질문하고 싶어요 | [질문하고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 질문하세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 질문해서 | as written |
| If (conditional) | 질문하면 | as written |
| Present modifier | 질문하는 | as written |
| Past modifier | 질문한 | as written |
| Future modifier | 질문할 | as written |
| Short negative | 질문 안 해요 | as written |
| Long negative | 질문하지 않아요 | [질문하지 아나요] |
Is 질문하다 Regular or Irregular?
질문하다 is a regular 하다 verb: before an ending that starts with 아/어, 하 becomes 해, giving 질문해요 and 질문했어요. Lesson: 하다 to 해요. Tool: conjugator.
What Is the Most Common Mistake with 질문하다?
Wrong: ✗ 선생님을 질문해요
Correct: ✓ 선생님께 질문해요
Why: English 'ask the teacher' has a direct object, but in Korean the person you ask takes 에게, or 께 for someone you respect, never 을/를.
Related lesson: negating 하다 verbs.
How Is 질문하다 Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs from 질문하다 |
|---|---|
| 묻다 | 묻다 is the plain verb 'ask'; 질문하다 is to ask a formal or specific question. |
| 대답하다 | 대답하다 is the opposite: to answer. |
Asking about a Word during Class
A student wants to clarify a word in a reading passage. 질문하고 싶어요 expresses the wish to ask, and 질문하세요 is the teacher’s invitation.
Student
선생님, 질문하고 싶어요.
Seonsaengnim, jilmunhago sipeoyo.
Teacher, I’d like to ask a question.
Teacher
네. 궁금하면 질문하세요.
Ne. Gunggeumhamyeon jilmunhaseyo.
Yes. If you’re curious, please ask.
Student
이 단어는 무슨 뜻이에요?
I daneoneun museun tteusieyo?
What does this word mean?
Teacher
여기서 약속은 만날 계획이라는 뜻이에요.
Yeogiseo yaksogeun mannal gyehoegiraneun tteusieyo.
Here, yaksok means a plan to meet.
The student names the unknown word’s meaning as the problem. The teacher’s reply explains 약속 in this particular passage. 여기서, “here”, refers to the context in the text. A useful question can be short while still pointing clearly to what you need explained.
Opening a Question and Asking It
질문이 있어요 means “I have a question”. 질문 is a noun and takes the subject marker 이. This expression gets the listener’s attention before you ask the actual question. It does not yet tell them which information you need.
질문하다 names the act of asking. 질문을 하다 separates the noun and verb, with 을 marking the question as an object. Both constructions are natural. In 질문이 있어요, by contrast, 있어요 says that a question exists or is on your mind.
질문 하나 means “one question”. The counter 하나 can help you signal that you have a single point to clarify. 추가 질문 means an additional or follow-up question, useful when an answer leaves something unresolved.
A direct question such as 이 단어는 무슨 뜻이에요 can also stand on its own. You do not have to include the verb 질문하다 every time you ask something. In class, the opening expression helps you take a turn; the question itself does the work.
Asking Someone about Something
With 질문하다, the person who receives the question takes 에게, 한테, or respectful 께. The topic can be introduced with 에 대해: 수업에 대해 질문하다 means to ask about the class. The person and the topic play different roles in the sentence.
선생님께 질문하다 identifies the teacher as the person asked. 선생님을 질문하다 is wrong for this meaning. In English, “ask the teacher” uses a direct object, which makes this a common place to carry English grammar into Korean.
묻다 overlaps with 질문하다 in the sense “to ask”. 질문하다 makes the act of asking a question explicit and is especially useful in a classroom, interview, or discussion. Neither verb automatically means making a request for an object; asking someone for water is a different task from asking a question about water.
Common Expressions around Questions and Answers
질문에 답하다 means to answer a question. Notice 에 after 질문: the answer responds to the question. 질문을 하다 uses 을 because the question is being asked. The particle changes with the action.
질문을 받다 means to receive or take questions. At the end of a presentation, the speaker may move from giving information to taking questions. In an interview, the interviewee receives questions and gives answers, while the interviewer asks them.
질의응답 means questions and answers, often used as the label for a Q&A session. It is more formal than 질문이 있어요. You may see it in a conference program or meeting agenda even when participants use ordinary 질문하다 in speech.
Where Will You Hear 질문하다?
Teachers use 질문하세요 to invite questions. Reporters use 질문하다 when describing what was asked at a press conference. At work, it helps distinguish a request for clarification from giving an opinion or offering an answer.
The ending in 질문하세요 is polite and can invite the listener to ask. If you are the student asking a teacher, 선생님께 marks respect toward that teacher. The same verb works in both directions, but the particles and endings show who is doing what.
Words for a Classroom Exchange
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 질문 | question | Use 질문이 있어요 to open your turn. |
| 대답 | answer / reply | The response to a question. |
| 설명 | explanation | More detail that makes an answer clear. |
| 뜻 | meaning | The thing requested in a vocabulary question. |
The classroom vocabulary lesson teaches words for these learning exchanges.
Mini Drill: Question, Person, and Ending
- Add the respectful person marker: 선생님___ 질문해요.
- Give the polite past of 질문하다.
- Make the short negative with 안.
- Complete “I have a question”: 질문___ 있어요.
Show drill answers
- 선생님께 질문해요.
- 질문했어요.
- 질문 안 해요.
- 질문이 있어요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 질문이 있어요 contain the verb 질문하다?
- What does 질문을 받다 mean at a presentation?
- Which word in the dialogue asks for the meaning of a word?
Show answers
- No. It uses the noun 질문 with 있어요.
- To take or receive questions.
- 뜻, meaning “meaning”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 질문하다 Regular or Irregular?
질문하다 is a regular 하다 verb. The polite present is 질문해요 and the polite past is 질문했어요.
How Do You Say "the Student Asks the Teacher a Question" in Korean?
Say 학생이 선생님께 질문해요. The teacher takes the honorific particle 께, and the verb is in the polite present form, 질문해요.
How Do You Make 질문하다 Negative?
There are two ways. The short negative puts 안 between 질문 and 하다: 질문 안 해요. The long negative is 질문하지 않아요.
How Do You Say "I Want to Ask a Question" with 질문하다?
Add 고 싶어요 to the stem: 질문하고 싶어요. You can also say 질문이 있어요 (I have a question).
Which Particles Go with 질문하다?
The person you ask takes 에게, or 께 for a teacher or senior. 질문 itself can be split off as an object: 질문을 하다.
What Is the Difference between 질문하다 and 묻다?
묻다 is the plain, everyday verb 'ask'; 질문하다 is to ask a question, especially in class or another formal setting.
Which Words Are Related to 질문하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next, learn 묻다, the everyday verb for asking, and 대답하다, which is how the question gets answered. Or browse the verb dictionary.