Key Facts
- Hangul: 조심하다 (josimhada)
- Meaning: to be careful
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: verb
- Stem: 조심하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: A verb of care; the thing to watch out for is often named before it, as in 길 조심하세요.
- Usage: Very common in warnings and farewells.
What Does 조심하다 Mean?
조심하다 means to take care to avoid danger or mistakes, as in 길 조심하세요 or 감기 조심하세요. The thing you should look out for comes right before the verb.
It is very common in warnings and farewells: 조심해요 and 조심히 가세요 (go safely).
How Do You Pronounce 조심하다?
The dictionary form is read as spelled. The polite past 조심했어요 is [조심해써요], the formal present 조심합니다 is [조심함니다], and 조심하고 싶어요 is [조심하고 시퍼요].
How Do You Use 조심하다 in a Sentence?
운전할 때 조심해요.
I am careful when I drive.
운전할 때 sets the situation, and 조심해요 says the speaker takes care.
길이 미끄러워서 조심하세요.
The road is slippery, so be careful.
길이 미끄러워서 gives the reason; 조심하세요 is the polite command.
저는 어제 조심했어요.
I was careful yesterday.
어제 means 'yesterday', so the past 조심했어요 reports earlier care.
How Does Josimhada Conjugation Work?
조심하다 is a 하다 verb: 조심해요, 조심했어요, 조심해서. Unlike the adjectives, it has the want-to form 조심하고 싶어요. The present modifier is 조심하는 and the past modifier is 조심한. Do not mix them up.
조심하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 조심해요 | ||
| Polite past | 조심했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 조심할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 조심하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 조심합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 조심했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 조심할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 조심해 | ||
| Casual past | 조심했어 | ||
| Casual future | 조심할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 조심하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 조심하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 조심해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 조심하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 조심하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 조심한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 조심할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 조심 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 조심하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 조심했어요 | [조심해써요] |
| Polite future | 조심할 거예요 | [조심할꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 조심하겠어요 | [조심하게써요] |
| Formal present | 조심합니다 | [조심함니다] |
| Formal past | 조심했습니다 | [조심핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 조심할 것입니다 | [조심할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 조심했어 | [조심해써] |
| Casual future | 조심할 거야 | [조심할꺼야] |
| Want to | 조심하고 싶어요 | [조심하고 시퍼요] |
| Long negative | 조심하지 않아요 | [조심하지 아나요] |
조심하다 Forms to Reach for First
- Politely (to be careful): 조심해요
- Earlier, in the past (to be careful): 조심했어요
- Giving the reason (to be careful): 조심해서
- If the condition holds (to be careful): 조심하면
- Before a noun (to be careful): 조심하는, or 조심한 for the past
- Denying it (to be careful): 조심하지 않아요
- Honorific, about a respected person (to be careful): 조심하세요
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 제가 조심하실게요
Correct: ✓ 제가 조심할게요
Why: The honorific -시- shows respect for the subject, so never use it about yourself. Say 조심할게요 for your own promise, and 조심하세요 when telling someone else to be careful.
When Does 조심하다 Fit Best?
Use 조심하다 for warnings, farewells and advice. To describe the thing that might hurt you, use 위험하다. Warnings usually put the danger first and 조심하세요 last: 길 조심하세요 for the road, 감기 조심하세요 for a cold. In these short warnings the danger is a plain noun with no particle, and with 를 it is also correct, as in 감기를 조심해요.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 조심하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 조심하다 |
|---|---|
| 위험하다 | 위험하다 describes something dangerous; 조심하다 is the action you take in response. |
| 안전하다 | 안전하다 describes a safe state; 조심하다 is what you do to stay safe. |
Walking down Slippery Steps
A visitor is leaving a building after rain. A neighbor gives a warning, the visitor explains their care, and the exchange ends with a familiar farewell.
Neighbor
계단이 미끄러워요. 조심하세요.
Gyedani mikkeureowoyo. Josimhaseyo.
The steps are slippery. Be careful.
Visitor
네. 아까도 조심해서 내려왔어요.
Ne. Akkado josimhaeseo naeryeowasseoyo.
Yes. I came down carefully earlier too.
Neighbor
밖에서도 조심하세요.
Bakkeseodo josimhaseyo.
Be careful outside too.
Visitor
고마워요. 조심히 가세요.
Gomawoyo. Josimhi gaseyo.
Thank you. Get home safely.
조심하세요 warns the other person. 조심해서 connects taking care with the movement that follows. In the final line, 조심히 describes how to go, so the farewell wishes the neighbor a safe journey rather than warning about one particular step.
Everyday Phrases with 조심
감기 조심하세요 is a seasonal wish: “Take care not to catch a cold”. The bare noun names what the listener should watch out for. It often expresses care at the end of a conversation, rather than suggesting that the person is already ill.
차 조심하세요 means “Watch out for cars”. Parents may say it before a child crosses a road. The noun 차 names the danger. 길 조심하세요 is broader: take care on the way. The listener uses the immediate situation to work out what kind of caution is needed.
말을 조심하다 means to be careful about what you say. It can concern wording, secrets or the risk of offending someone. A direct warning to watch your words can sound stern. 조심하다 covers social mistakes as well as physical danger; the noun before it tells you which kind.
불조심 means “fire prevention” or “beware of fire”. You may see this short form on notices without a complete verb ending. The warning is about preventing a fire, so translating it simply as “careful fire” misses its purpose.
How Do Signs Differ from Spoken Warnings?
Written notices often use brief nouns such as 조심 or 주의. A full spoken warning normally adds an ending, such as 조심하세요. You may also see 발조심 near a step or a hazard underfoot. The sign leaves the reader to connect the short warning with the visible danger.
주의 is common in official notices and instructions. 조심 is especially familiar in everyday speech, although the two overlap. A friend saying 조심해 can sound caring; a supervisor saying it after a mistake may sound corrective. The same word does not guarantee the same tone.
조심히 가세요 and 조심해서 가세요 both wish someone a safe trip. Neither specifies a destination. The go verb places the departing person’s movement at the center of the farewell, while 조심히 or 조심해서 adds the care. This is useful when a visitor leaves your home or office.
What Should You Check before Choosing an Ending?
English “be careful” looks like an adjective description, but Korean 조심하다 is a verb. That is why its present modifier is 조심하는, with 는. 조심하는 사람 is someone who takes care; 조심한 describes care already taken. Keep the action-versus-description distinction in mind when comparing it with 안전하다.
조심해서 can express the manner of an action, as in the visitor’s careful descent. Translating every 해서 as “because” makes that line awkward. Read the two actions together: taking care and coming down the steps. The natural English result is “came down carefully”.
조심하세요 directs care toward another person. 조심할게요 responds with your own promise, “I’ll be careful”. The promise form does not contain the honorific 시. You can show respect to the listener without honoring yourself as the person taking care.
Also keep 조심하다 as one word. In the short negative 조심 안 해요, 안 separates the noun portion from 해요. The long negative 조심하지 않아요 keeps the main verb together before 지. These are useful for describing someone’s lack of care, rather than issuing a positive warning.
Words around Warnings and Safe Travel
| Korean | Meaning | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| 주의 | caution; attention | Common in formal warnings and notices. |
| 위험 | danger | Names the hazard rather than your response. |
| 안전 | safety | Names the desired condition or goal. |
| 서행 | slow driving | A road instruction that tells drivers what action to take. |
The road signs vocabulary lesson shows 주의, 위험 and 서행 in the notices you encounter while traveling.
Mini Drill: Warnings and Responses
- Give a polite “Be careful”.
- Correct the promise: Wrong: 제가 조심하실게요.
- Fill the present modifier: ____ 사람, “a person who takes care”.
- Complete “Go safely”: 조심히 ____.
Show caution drill answers
- 조심하세요.
- Correct: 제가 조심할게요. Remove the subject honorific 시.
- 조심하는 사람.
- 조심히 가세요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 감기 조심하세요 mean the listener already has a cold?
- Can 조심하다 concern speech as well as physical danger?
- What is the difference between 위험하다 and 조심하다?
Show answers
- No. It is a wish or warning to avoid catching one.
- Yes. 말을 조심하다 means to watch what you say.
- 위험하다 describes danger; 조심하다 describes taking care in response.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 조심하다?
조심해요.
How Do I Say 'Be Careful' Politely?
조심하세요.
How Do I Say 'Go Safely'?
조심히 가세요.
What Is the Present Modifier?
조심하는. The past modifier is 조심한.
Which Words Are Related to 조심하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 조심하다 with 위험하다 and 안전하다, then read 준비하다 and 확인하다 for other careful actions. The pattern is explained in how 하다 words become 해요. Then run another word through the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.