Key Facts
- Hangul: 크다 (keuda)
- Meaning: big
- Level: A1
- Stem: 크
- Conjugation class: ㅡ-drop
- Polite present: 커요
What Does 크다 Mean?
크다 has three senses, and in each the thing described is the subject with 이/가:
- big in size: 집이 크다 (the house is big);
- loud: 소리가 크다 (the sound is loud);
- major or serious: 큰 문제 (a big problem).
For people, 키가 크다 means "to be tall"; Korean does not use 높다 for a person’s height. The modifier 큰 is very common: 큰 소리 is a loud voice and 큰일 is serious trouble. 표준국어대사전 also lists 크다 as a verb meaning "to grow", used for children; this page covers the adjective. For the change into something bigger, Korean uses 커지다.
How Do You Pronounce 크다?
Several forms change their sound. 컸어요 is read [커써요], 큽니다 is [큼니다], 클 거예요 is [클꺼예요], and 컸던 is [컫떤]. The long negative 크지 않아요 is read [크지 아나요].
How Do You Use 크다 in a Sentence?
The examples describe a house, clothes that do not fit and a bag you need.
우리 집은 별로 크지 않아요.
Our house is not very big.
The long negative 크지 않아요 says the house is not very big.
이 옷은 저한테 너무 커요.
This clothing is too big for me.
너무 커요 marks something that does not fit, with 저한테 naming who it is too big for.
큰 가방이 필요해요.
I need a big bag.
The modifier 큰 sits directly before the noun 가방.
Useful Patterns with 크다
The opposite adjective is 작다. For roomy spaces such as a living room or a road, 넓다 (wide) is usually the better choice than 크다. When you want to say something became bigger, switch to 커지다, and when a child or plant grows up, 자라다.
How Does Keuda Conjugation Work?
크다 is a ㅡ-drop word. The vowel ㅡ is dropped before 아/어, and the remaining syllable takes the vowel: 크 + 어요 becomes 커요, and the past is 컸어요. Before consonants the stem stays: 크지 않아요, 크겠어요. The honorific is 크세요, as when you say a respected person is tall, and the modifier is 큰 for the present and 컸던 for the past. As an adjective, 크다 does not take -고 싶다, so that form is not in the table.
크다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 커요 | ||
| Polite past | 컸어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 클 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 크겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 큽니다 | ||
| Formal past | 컸습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 클 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 커 | ||
| Casual past | 컸어 | ||
| Casual future | 클 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 크세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 커서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 크면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 큰 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 컸던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 클 | ||
| Short negative | 안 커요 | ||
| Long negative | 크지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 컸어요 | [커써요] |
| Polite future | 클 거예요 | [클꺼예요] |
| Polite guess | 크겠어요 | [크게써요] |
| Formal present | 큽니다 | [큼니다] |
| Formal future | 클 것입니다 | [클꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 컸어 | [커써] |
| Casual future | 클 거야 | [클꺼야] |
| Long negative | 크지 않아요 | [크지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 크어요
Correct: ✓ 커요
Why: 크다 is a ㅡ-stem, so the ㅡ drops before 어 and 크 + 어요 becomes 커요. Learners who add 어요 to the stem without dropping anything end up with an extra syllable; the past works the same way, 컸어요.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it from 크다 |
|---|---|
| 자라다 | 자라다 is a verb meaning to grow up; 크다 is an adjective for being big, though 키가 크다 means tall. |
| 넓다 | 넓다 describes wide space like a room or road; 크다 is for overall size. |
Trying on a Jacket
A customer is choosing a jacket in a clothing shop. The exchange uses 커요 to judge the fit, 컸어요 to compare the previous jacket and 큰 before a noun.
Customer
이 옷은 저한테 너무 커요.
I oseun jeohante neomu keoyo.
This is too big for me.
Assistant
아까 옷도 컸어요?
Akka otdo keosseoyo?
Was the earlier one too big as well?
Customer
네. 큰 옷은 불편해요.
Ne. Keun oseun bulpyeonhaeyo.
Yes. Large clothes are uncomfortable.
Assistant
그럼 작은 사이즈를 보여 드릴게요.
Geureom jageun saijeureul boyeo deurilgeyo.
Then I’ll show you a smaller size.
The customer’s 저한테 makes the judgment personal: the jacket is too big for this wearer. Large size alone is not a fault. 큰 옷 describes a category of clothes, while 커요 finishes a sentence about the item being tried on.
What Do Common Phrases with 크다 Mean?
키가 크다 means someone is tall. 키 names a person’s height, and 크다 describes it. 높다 suits things such as a high shelf or a high mountain; it is not the normal adjective for calling a person tall. Keeping 키 together with 크다 prevents a direct translation of English “high”.
소리가 크다 means a sound is loud. A large television can have quiet sound, and a small phone can have loud sound. The subject 소리 tells you which dimension is being judged. 목소리가 크다 similarly describes a loud voice, rather than the person’s physical size.
큰일 is written as one word when it means a serious matter or trouble. Literally its parts suggest a “big matter”. In a worried reaction, the meaning is that something has gone badly or needs urgent attention. It does not always describe a large amount of work. By contrast, 큰 가방 is an adjective followed by an ordinary noun, with a space.
큰 도움이 되다 means “to be a great help”. Here 큰 describes the importance of the help. This is useful in a thank-you message after someone explains a difficult task. The adjective can express positive importance just as readily as it can describe a serious problem.
Where Will You Hear 크다?
In shops, 커요 often concerns fit. 너무 커요 means “too big”, while 더 큰 asks for something bigger when placed before the item’s name. In housing conversations, 크다 describes overall size; 넓다 draws attention to usable space or width. A room can be described with either, depending on what the speaker wants to highlight.
In everyday comparisons, 더 means “more”, so 더 커요 means “is bigger”. The comparison point can take 보다, “than”. You do not need an English-style comparative ending on the adjective itself. The present remains 커요, and the noun being compared provides the context.
A weather forecast or a news report may describe a large difference with 차이가 크다. This evaluates how large the difference is now. 차이가 커지다 instead reports that the gap is increasing. Listen for 지 when deciding whether the speaker is describing size or a change.
Why Does 큰 Mean “Big”, Not “Was Big”?
The adjective 크다 uses 큰 before a noun in the present. The ㄴ here does not mark past time in the way it often does with action verbs. 큰 가방 is simply “a big bag”. For a bag that used to be big, the table gives the past-looking modifier 컸던.
The ㅡ drop belongs to vowel endings: 커요, 컸어요 and 커서. It does not mean every form starts with 커. Keep the stem vowel in 크면, 크지 않아요 and 큽니다. The one-syllable stem has no earlier vowel to choose 아, so the polite present uses 어 and becomes 커요.
As a descriptive word, 크다 already contains the idea “be big”. A sentence ending in 커요 does not need a separate word meaning “is”. That is why the same form can describe a house, a sound or a problem once the subject is clear.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 작다 | to be small | The direct size opposite. |
| 넓다 | to be wide / spacious | Focuses on width or available space. |
| 높다 | to be high | Useful for shelves, mountains and levels. |
| 커지다 | to become bigger | Adds change to a size description. |
The size adjectives lesson groups these descriptions with useful contrasts.
Mini Drill: Keep or Drop ㅡ
- Give the polite present of 크다.
- Complete “a big bag”: ____ 가방.
- Give the conditional “if it is big”.
- Put 크다 in the formal present.
Show drill answers
- 커요.
- 큰 가방.
- 크면. The vowel stays before this ending.
- 큽니다.
Quick Self-Test
- Which phrase means a person is tall?
- Does 소리가 크다 describe physical size?
- What does 큰 도움이 되다 mean?
Show answers
- 키가 크다.
- No. It describes loudness.
- To be a great help.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Is 크다 Different from 자라다?
자라다 is a verb meaning to grow up, used for children and plants over time. 크다 is the adjective for being big.
How Is 크다 Different from 넓다?
넓다 describes a wide, roomy space such as a room or a road. 크다 is about overall size.
How Do I Say Someone Is Tall?
Say 키가 크다, literally "height is big": 키가 커요. Korean does not use 높다 for a person's height.
Does 크다 Also Mean to Grow?
Yes. 표준국어대사전 also lists 크다 as a verb meaning to grow, used for children. This page covers the more common adjective, big.
Which Words Are Related to 크다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 작다 next as the opposite, then 커지다 for the change. The ㅡ drop in 커요 is explained in Korean ㅡ irregular verbs. You can check other forms in the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.