Key Facts
- Hangul: 끼다 (kkida)
- Meaning: to wear (gloves/rings)
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: B1
- Stem: 끼
- Class: regular
- Object marking: transitive
What Does 끼다 Mean?
- to wear (gloves, rings, glasses). Used for items that fit tightly on a body part: 반지를 끼다, 장갑을 끼다.
- to be stuck; to fit between. Also means to be wedged or to join in: 줄에 끼다.
The main sense is to wear things that fit snugly on a body part: 반지를 끼다 (to wear a ring), 장갑을 끼다 (to wear gloves), and also 이어폰 (earphones). In this sense the item takes the object particle 을/를.
The second sense is to get stuck between things or to squeeze in and join, as in 줄에 끼다 (to join a queue).
For glasses (안경), Koreans say both 안경을 쓰다 and 안경을 끼다 in everyday speech; 쓰다 is the more common choice.
How Do You Pronounce 끼다?
끼다 starts with the tense consonant ㄲ, said with no puff of air. The past 꼈어요 is read [껴써요], the formal present 낍니다 is read [낌니다] because ㅂ before ㄴ is pronounced [ㅁ], and the future plan 낄 거예요 is read [낄꺼예요].
How Do You Use 끼다 in a Sentence?
저는 반지를 껴요.
I wear a ring.
반지를 (a ring) is the object, and 껴요 is the polite present. The sentence describes a habit or a current state.
추워서 장갑을 꼈어요.
It was cold, so I wore gloves.
추워서 (because it was cold) gives the reason first, then 장갑을 (gloves) and the past 꼈어요.
새 반지를 끼고 싶어요.
I want to wear a new ring.
새 반지를 means 'a new ring', and 끼고 싶어요 expresses a wish.
How Does Kkida Conjugation Work?
The stem 끼 ends in ㅣ, and with 어 it contracts to 껴: 껴요, 꼈어요, 껴서. The formal present is 낍니다, and the modifier before a noun is 끼는. The negative is 안 껴요.
끼다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 껴요 | ||
| Polite past | 꼈어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 낄 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 끼겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 낍니다 | ||
| Formal past | 꼈습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 낄 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 껴 | ||
| Casual past | 꼈어 | ||
| Casual future | 낄 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 끼고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 끼세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 껴서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 끼면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 끼는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 낀 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 낄 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 껴요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 끼지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 껴요 | as written |
| Polite past | 꼈어요 | [껴써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 낄 거예요 | [낄꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 끼겠어요 | [끼게써요] |
| Formal present | 낍니다 | [낌니다] |
| Formal past | 꼈습니다 | [껻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 낄 것입니다 | [낄꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 껴 | as written |
| Casual past | 꼈어 | [껴써] |
| Casual future | 낄 거야 | [낄꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 끼고 싶어요 | [끼고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 끼세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 껴서 | as written |
| If (conditional) | 끼면 | as written |
| Modifier, present | 끼는 | as written |
| Modifier, past | 낀 | as written |
| Modifier, future | 낄 | as written |
| Negative, short | 안 껴요 | as written |
| Negative, long | 끼지 않아요 | [끼지 아나요] |
The rule is taught in the polite present recipe.
Common Mistake with 끼다
Wrong: ✗ 장갑을 입어요
Correct: ✓ 장갑을 껴요
Why: 입다 is only for clothes on the body. Gloves and rings take 끼다 because they fit snugly onto the hand.
끼다 Versus Similar Verbs
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 입다 | 입다 is for clothes; 끼다 is for rings, gloves and glasses that fit tightly. |
| 쓰다 | 쓰다 is for hats, and also for glasses (안경을 쓰다); 끼다 is mainly for rings and gloves. |
Getting Ready for a Cold Walk
Two coworkers are leaving the office on a cold day. Jisu notices Alex's bare hands. Their exchange moves from a question about a habit to a past action and a polite suggestion.
Jisu
장갑 안 껴요?
Janggap an kkyeoyo?
Aren’t you wearing gloves?
Alex
아침에는 꼈어요. 지금은 가방에 있어요.
Achimeneun kkyeosseoyo. Jigeumeun gabange isseoyo.
I wore them this morning. They’re in my bag now.
Jisu
밖이 추워요. 장갑을 끼세요.
Bakki chuwoyo. Janggabeul kkiseyo.
It’s cold outside. Put on your gloves.
The question leaves out 을 after 장갑, as conversation often does when the item is obvious. 안 껴요 asks about not wearing the gloves; 꼈어요 reports putting them on earlier. The final 끼세요 is advice to the other person, rather than a statement about the speaker's own clothes.
Phrases beyond Rings and Gloves
팔짱을 끼다 means to fold your arms or link arms with someone. The action depends on who is involved: a person waiting alone might fold their arms, while two friends walking together might link arms. The phrase describes the position, so an English translation needs the surrounding scene.
사이에 끼다 means to be caught or wedged between things. 사이 means the space between. This is a useful extension of the close-fit idea: something occupies a narrow gap. Unlike 반지를 끼다, where someone wears an object, this use can describe what happens to the trapped thing itself.
줄에 끼다 means squeezing into a queue. It can suggest entering among people already waiting, so it is not a safe general translation for politely joining the back of a line. For simply standing in line, 줄을 서다 is the useful phrase. The particle changes too: 에 marks the line entered, while 을 belongs to the set expression with 서다.
Where Will You Hear 끼다?
In a jewelry shop, 반지를 끼다 concerns trying on or wearing a ring. In a kitchen or during cleaning, 장갑을 끼다 concerns putting on gloves. Neither setting changes the verb's register: 끼다 is neutral, and the ending makes the sentence casual or polite.
Drama scenes often include 팔짱을 끼다 in descriptions of someone's posture. An English subtitle might say “crossed her arms” rather than “wore” anything. Recognizing the whole noun-and-verb combination helps you follow this meaning without forcing the clothing translation onto it.
Which Clothing Words Belong with 끼다?
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 반지 | ring | A snug item worn with 끼다. |
| 장갑 | gloves | Also uses 끼다, even though gloves are clothing. |
| 이어폰 | earphones | 끼다 describes placing them in the ears. |
| 모자 | hat | Usually pairs with 쓰다 instead. |
The clothing vocabulary lesson teaches these items alongside the other wearing verbs.
For removing a ring, 빼다 is useful: 반지를 빼다 means to take a ring off. Gloves usually pair with 벗다 when you take them off. The reverse action therefore depends on the item, just as the wearing verb does.
Mini Drill: Keep the Tense Consonant
- Give the polite present of 끼다.
- Change that form to the polite past.
- Complete the formal present: 끼다 → ____.
- Write “I don't wear gloves” using 장갑을 and the short negative.
Show drill answers
- 껴요.
- 꼈어요.
- 낍니다. This is the same verb, despite the different-looking first syllable.
- 장갑을 안 껴요. Keep a space after 안.
The contraction 끼 + 어 gives 껴. It does not remove the doubled consonant ㄲ. The formal 낍니다 also keeps that tense initial sound; its spelling follows the assembly of 끼 and ㅂ니다 into one syllable.
Quick Self-Test
- Which verb normally goes with a hat: 끼다 or 쓰다?
- Must 팔짱을 끼다 involve two people?
- Which phrase simply means standing in a queue?
Show answers
- 쓰다.
- No. One person can fold their own arms.
- 줄을 서다.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Verb Is Used for Gloves?
Use 끼다, as in 장갑을 껴요, because gloves fit snugly on the hand. 입다 is only for clothes.
Can I Use 끼다 for Glasses?
Yes, in everyday speech both 안경을 끼다 and 안경을 쓰다 are heard. 쓰다 is the more common choice.
What Is the Second Meaning of 끼다?
It also means to get stuck between things or to squeeze in and join, as in 줄에 끼다 (to join a queue).
What Is the Polite Past?
It is 꼈어요, read [껴써요]. For example, 추워서 장갑을 꼈어요 means 'It was cold, so I wore gloves'.
What Is the Difference between 끼다 and 입다?
입다 is for clothes on the body; 끼다 is for rings, gloves and other items that fit snugly.
Which Words Are Related to 끼다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 입다, 신다 and 벗다 to see which verb goes with which item. Once 끼다 feels familiar, compare it with other entries in the verb dictionary or check a form in the conjugator.