Key Facts
- Hangul: 무례하다 (muryehada)
- Meaning: rude
- Level: B1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 무례하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: Describes a person, word or act; the topic takes 은/는 or 이/가.
- Usage: Fairly strong and formal criticism.
What Does 무례하다 Mean?
무례하다 describes behaviour or speech that lacks proper manners and respect, as in 무례한 말 (rude words). It is a fairly strong, formal criticism.
It goes with 말, 행동 and 태도. To apologise politely for something you did, Korean uses 실례합니다 rather than this word.
How Do You Pronounce 무례하다?
The dictionary form is read as spelled. The diphthong in 례 is ye, so 무례 sounds like mu-rye. The formal present 무례합니다 is [무례함니다] and the formal past is [무례핻씀니다].
How Do You Use 무례하다 in a Sentence?
그 사람은 너무 무례해요.
That person is too rude.
너무 intensifies 무례해요, and 그 사람은 makes the person the topic.
무례한 질문을 받았어요.
I received a rude question.
무례한 질문 is a question that crosses a line, and 받았어요 means the speaker received it.
무례해서 대답하기 싫었어요.
He was rude, so I didn't want to answer.
무례해서 is the reason, and 대답하기 싫었어요 is the speaker's reaction.
How Does Muryehada Conjugation Work?
무례하다 is a 하다 adjective: 무례해요, 무례했어요, 무례해서. The modifier is 무례한, and the negative is 무례하지 않아요.
무례하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 무례해요 | ||
| Polite past | 무례했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 무례할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 무례하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 무례합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 무례했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 무례할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 무례해 | ||
| Casual past | 무례했어 | ||
| Casual future | 무례할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 무례하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 무례해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 무례하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 무례한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 무례했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 무례할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 무례해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 무례하지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 무례했어요 | [무례해써요] |
| Polite future | 무례할 거예요 | [무례할꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 무례하겠어요 | [무례하게써요] |
| Formal present | 무례합니다 | [무례함니다] |
| Formal past | 무례했습니다 | [무례핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 무례할 것입니다 | [무례할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 무례했어 | [무례해써] |
| Casual future | 무례할 거야 | [무례할꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 무례했던 | [무례핻떤] |
| Long negative | 무례하지 않아요 | [무례하지 아나요] |
무례하다 Forms to Reach for First
- Politely (rude): 무례해요
- Earlier, in the past (rude): 무례했어요
- Giving the reason (rude): 무례해서
- If the condition holds (rude): 무례하면
- Before a noun (rude): 무례한, or 무례했던 for the past
- Denying it (rude): 무례하지 않아요
- Honorific, about a respected person (rude): 무례하세요
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 그 사람은 무례를 해요
Correct: ✓ 그 사람은 무례해요
Why: 무례 is a noun, so learners attach 를 해요 as they would to a noun-plus-하다 verb. The word is an adjective and conjugates directly as 무례해요.
When Does 무례하다 Fit Best?
Use 무례하다 for a clear breach of manners. For something merely bad, 나쁘다 is the general word. The word works best as a judgement after the fact: 무례한 질문, 무례한 말, 무례한 태도. Because it is strong, keep it for clear cases rather than small slips.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 무례하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 무례하다 |
|---|---|
| 예의 바르다 | The opposite: 예의 바르다 means well-mannered, while 무례하다 means lacking manners. |
| 나쁘다 | 나쁘다 means bad in general; 무례하다 is specifically about disrespectful manners or words. |
After Asking a Personal Question
Mina has asked a coworker about their salary. After the conversation, she asks Jisu whether the question crossed a line.
Mina
아까 제 질문이 무례했어요?
Akka je jilmuni muryehaesseoyo?
Was my question earlier rude?
Jisu
네, 좀 무례한 질문이었어요.
Ne, jom muryehan jilmunieosseoyo.
Yes, it was a rather rude question.
Mina
무례해서 죄송해요.
Muryehaeseo joesonghaeyo.
I’m sorry I was rude.
Jisu
괜찮아요. 다음에는 조심해 주세요.
Gwaenchanayo. Daeumeneun josimhae juseyo.
It’s okay. Please be more careful next time.
The first line asks about a completed incident with 무례했어요. Jisu uses 무례한 to describe the question rather than labelling Mina as a rude person. Mina then uses 무례해서 to give the reason for her apology. This makes the apology specific: she accepts that her behaviour was rude.
Criticise the Words or the Person?
무례한 질문, 무례한 말 and 무례한 행동 focus on a question, remark or action. Calling someone 무례한 사람, “a rude person”, extends the judgement to their character. If you want to address one incident, naming the behaviour keeps your meaning narrower. A direct 그 사람은 무례해요 can sound like a broad assessment of that person.
무례한 태도 means a disrespectful attitude or manner. 태도 can cover how someone listens, responds or behaves, so the criticism need not concern a particular sentence. 너무 무례해요, “that is too rude”, adds the sense that the behaviour has gone beyond an acceptable limit. None of these combinations is a hidden idiom; each keeps the basic idea of lacking respect.
The person receiving the disrespect can take 에게. In 어른에게 무례해요, “is rude to an elder”, 어른 is the target of the behaviour, rather than the person being described as rude. The sentence can leave out the subject when everyone knows whose behaviour is being discussed.
Where Will You Hear 무례하다?
In a workplace disagreement or a drama argument, 무례하다 names a breach of respect. In a written complaint, 무례한 태도 points to someone's manner of dealing with another person. The word is usable in ordinary conversation, but it carries more weight than simply saying that an interaction felt unpleasant.
Polite grammar does not soften the accusation very much. 무례하세요 contains an honorific ending for the person described, yet still calls that person rude. Treat the honorific row as a grammatical form, not a ready-made way to disagree tactfully with your boss.
실례합니다 is the familiar “excuse me” used when interrupting or entering someone's space. 무례해서 죄송해요 admits actual rudeness after a breach of manners. Choose by the situation: getting someone's attention and apologising for an intrusive question are different social acts.
무례한 or 무례했던?
무례한 질문 describes a question as rude. 무례했던 질문 recalls a question that was rude in a past situation. The present modifier can still appear in a past sentence: 무례한 질문을 받았어요 means the receiving happened in the past. You do not need to make every word in the sentence carry a past ending.
무례해서 also leaves tense to the surrounding sentence. In 무례해서 대답하기 싫었어요, the final 싫었어요 locates the reaction in the past. The reason form connects the ideas without repeating that tense marking.
Words for Manners and Reactions
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 예의 | manners; etiquette | Names the standard of respectful behaviour. |
| 실례 | discourtesy; an imposition | Appears in the routine expression 실례합니다. |
| 말투 | way of speaking; tone | Lets you identify how something was said. |
| 태도 | attitude; manner | Covers behaviour as well as words. |
The personality and appearance vocabulary lesson expands the words for describing people's character. A person's tone or one rude question gives you a more precise topic than a general judgement of their personality.
Mini Drill: Describe the Breach of Manners
- Complete “a rude question”: ____ 질문.
- Change 무례해요 to the polite past.
- Give the reason form meaning “because it was rude”.
- Deny the description with the long negative: 무례하다 → ____.
Show drill answers
- 무례한 질문. The adjective's present modifier ends in 한.
- 무례했어요.
- 무례해서. The surrounding sentence establishes the past time.
- 무례하지 않아요. Keep a space before 않아요.
Quick Self-Test
- Which is broader criticism: 무례한 질문 or 무례한 사람?
- Does 무례하세요 stop being critical because it contains an honorific ending?
- Which routine expression means “excuse me” when interrupting?
Show answers
- 무례한 사람 judges the person; 무례한 질문 identifies one question.
- No. The word still describes rudeness.
- 실례합니다.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 무례하다?
무례해요.
Is It a Verb That Needs 를?
No. It is a descriptive word, so say 그 사람은 무례해요.
How Does It Differ from 나쁘다?
나쁘다 means bad in general; 무례하다 is specifically about disrespectful manners or words.
What Is the Opposite?
예의 바르다, meaning well-mannered.
Which Words Are Related to 무례하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 예의 바르다 next for the opposite, and 친절하다 for friendly behaviour. 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.