Key Facts
- Hangul: 맡다 (matda)
- Meaning: to smell/take charge
- Level: B1
- Stem: 맡
- Conjugation class: regular
- Polite present: 맡아요
- Object marking: transitive
What Does 맡다 Mean?
맡다 is spelled and pronounced the same way for both meanings, and both are common:
- to smell: 꽃 냄새를 맡다 (to smell the flowers);
- to take charge of, to be in charge of: 일을 맡다 (to take on a job), 책임을 맡다 (to take responsibility).
In each, the object takes 을/를, so the noun in front is your clue: a smell word means the nose, and a job or duty word means responsibility. The person smelling or taking charge is the subject.
How Do You Pronounce 맡다?
Before a consonant the final ㅌ is said as a ㄷ sound and tenses what follows: 맡다 is read [맏따] and 맡고 싶어요 [맏꼬 시퍼요]. Before a vowel the full ㅌ moves across, so 맡아요 sounds like [마타요]. Before ㄴ it turns nasal: 맡는 is [만는].
How Do You Use 맡다 in a Sentence?
Two examples use the smelling sense and one the taking-charge sense.
꽃 냄새를 맡아요.
I smell the flowers.
The noun 냄새 makes this the smelling sense.
제가 그 일을 맡았어요.
I took charge of that job.
The noun 일을 makes this the taking-charge sense, and 제가 stresses who took it.
냄새를 맡으면 배가 고파져요.
When I smell it, I get hungry.
The conditional 맡으면 gives a smell-triggered result.
Useful Patterns with 맡다
For the nose, 냄새를 맡다 is the set phrase; Korean names the smell (냄새) as the object rather than the thing that smells. For responsibility, 일을 맡다 and 책임을 맡다 are the set phrases. If you hand a duty or an item over to someone else, the verb is 맡기다 (to entrust), and the formal word for being in charge is 담당하다.
How Does Matda Conjugation Work?
맡다 is regular. The stem's vowel is ㅏ, so it takes 아: 맡아요, 맡았어요. Because the stem ends in a consonant, (으) endings keep the 으: the honorific is 맡으세요 and the conditional 맡으면. The final ㅌ always stays in the spelling, even where it is said as ㄷ or ㄴ.
맡다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 맡아요 | ||
| Polite past | 맡았어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 맡을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 맡겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 맡습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 맡았습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 맡을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 맡아 | ||
| Casual past | 맡았어 | ||
| Casual future | 맡을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 맡고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 맡으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 맡아서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 맡으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 맡는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 맡은 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 맡을 | ||
| Short negative | 안 맡아요 | ||
| Long negative | 맡지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 맡아요 | [마타요] |
| Polite future | 맡을 거예요 | [마틀꺼예요] |
| Formal past | 맡았습니다 | [마탇씀니다] |
| Casual present | 맡아 | [마타] |
| Want to | 맡고 싶어요 | [맏꼬 시퍼요] |
| Because | 맡아서 | [마타서] |
| Past modifier | 맡은 | [마튼] |
| Long negative | 맡지 않아요 | [맏찌 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 냄새가 맡아요
Correct: ✓ 냄새를 맡아요
Why: 맡다 is transitive, so the smell takes 을/를. Learners mix it up with 냄새가 나요, where the smell is the subject because something is giving it off. With 맡다, the person who smells is the subject.
How It Differs from Similar Words
| Word | How to tell it from 맡다 |
|---|---|
| 냄새가 나다 | Something gives off a smell; 맡다 is the person smelling. |
| 맡기다 | To entrust something to someone. |
| 담당하다 | A more formal word for being in charge. |
Dividing the Work for a Class Presentation
Two classmates decide who will present their group’s work. 맡다 has the responsibility meaning throughout, with present, future and past forms.
Mina
이번 발표는 누가 맡아요?
Ibeon balpyoneun nuga matayo?
Who is handling this presentation?
Alex
제가 맡을 거예요.
Jega mateul geoyeyo.
I’m going to handle it.
Mina
지난번에도 맡았어요?
Jinanbeonedo matasseoyo?
Did you handle it last time, too?
Alex
네. 자료도 있어요.
Ne. Jaryodo isseoyo.
Yes. I have the materials, too.
발표 is the presentation someone takes responsibility for. Mina uses 는 to make it the topic, rather than repeating a full object-marked phrase. Alex’s 제가 identifies the person taking the role. The form of 맡다 does not change just because the meaning is responsibility instead of smelling.
Which Nouns Tell You What 맡다 Means?
냄새를 맡다 means to smell an odor. 향기를 맡다 means to smell a fragrance. The person uses their nose, while 냄새 or 향기 names what they detect. 향기 usually suggests a pleasant scent; 냄새 is broader and can describe pleasant or unpleasant smells.
일을 맡다 means to take on work, and 역할을 맡다 means to take a role. In a drama interview, the role can be a character played by an actor. In a group assignment, it can be a part of the shared task. The role noun supplies the detail; 맡다 says who takes it on.
책임을 맡다 means to take responsibility. 사회를 맡다 means to act as the host or moderator of an event. Here 사회 concerns conducting the event, not “society”, another meaning of the same noun. An introduction before a ceremony makes the intended meaning clear.
Where Will You Hear Each Meaning?
In everyday sensory talk, 맡다 appears when people smell food, flowers, smoke or an unfamiliar odor. It describes detecting a smell and can also describe intentionally sniffing. The verb alone does not tell you whether the person wanted to notice the smell.
At school or work, 맡다 comes up when dividing duties or reporting who is responsible. 맡았어요 can announce that someone has taken a job on; it does not say the job is finished. The completed event is accepting or assuming the responsibility, not necessarily completing the whole project.
In film coverage, 역할을 맡다 connects an actor to a character. In event introductions, 사회를 맡다 identifies the person leading the program. These are neutral expressions that work in conversation and reporting. A formal ending such as 맡습니다 suits a public introduction.
What Makes 맡다 Different from 맡기다?
With 맡다, the subject takes the task. With 맡기다, the subject hands something over to another person to handle. If you are explaining a division of work, identify who accepts the role and who assigns or entrusts it. The extra 기 changes the direction of the action; it is not a politeness ending.
For a smell, keep the same distinction between detecting and producing. 냄새를 맡다 has the smell as an object. 냄새가 나다 has the smell as a subject and describes its presence or emission. Changing only 를 to 가 without changing the verb will not express that second meaning.
The final ㅌ remains in every written form. Before a vowel, its sound links across, as in 맡아요 [마타요]. Before ㄴ, 맡는 is pronounced [만는]. That nasal sound is regular pronunciation, not permission to change the spelling to match what you hear.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 냄새 | smell / odor | The object in the basic smelling phrase. |
| 향기 | fragrance | Common for pleasant scents. |
| 역할 | role | Names the part someone takes on. |
| 책임 | responsibility | Names the duty someone accepts. |
The cooking vocabulary lesson gives situations for smelling food. The office vocabulary lesson helps you name duties and roles when 맡다 means taking responsibility.
Mini Drill: Identify the Object and Keep ㅌ
- Give the polite past of 맡다.
- Give its present modifier before a noun.
- Choose the particle for detecting a smell: 냄새가 or 냄새를.
- Choose the verb when you accept a task: 맡다 or 맡기다.
Show drill answers
- 맡았어요.
- 맡는.
- 냄새를, as in 냄새를 맡아요.
- 맡다.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 일을 맡았어요 say the work is finished?
- What meaning does 역할 point to?
- Does the sound [만는] change the spelling of 맡는?
Show answers
- No. It says someone took responsibility for the work.
- Taking a role, including a role played by an actor.
- No. Keep the written ㅌ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Two Meanings of 맡다?
Smelling something with your nose (냄새를 맡다) and taking charge of a task or role (일을 맡다). The object noun tells you which one is meant.
How Do I Say That Something Smells?
Use 냄새가 나다, with the smell as the subject, for the thing giving off the smell. 맡다 is only for the person doing the smelling.
How Is 맡다 Different from 맡기다?
맡기다 means to entrust something to someone else. With 맡다, you are the one taking it on.
Is There a More Formal Word for Being in Charge?
Yes, 담당하다, which you will see in job titles and official notices.
Which Words Are Related to 맡다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 맛보다 and 만지다 for the other sense verbs, then 담당하다 for formal duties. The 아/어 choice is explained in how to conjugate Korean verbs in the present tense. You can check other forms in the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.