Key Facts
- Hangul: 묻다 (mutda)
- Meaning: to ask
- Level: A2
- Stem: 묻
- Class: ㄷ-irregular
- Object marking: transitive
- Dictionary form sounds like: [묻따]
What Does 묻다 Mean?
- to ask. Used for asking someone something, such as directions or a reason: 길을 묻다 (to ask the way).
Another verb has the same spelling: 묻다 meaning to bury or to get stained. That verb is regular (묻어요). Only the 'ask' verb changes to 물어요.
How Is 묻다 Used?
묻다 is transitive. What is asked takes 을/를, and the person asked takes 에게/한테. In speech, 물어보다 (to ask, to try asking) is very frequent.
To ask a senior politely, use the humble verb 여쭙다 or 여쭈다. See the humble forms guide.
How Do You Pronounce 묻다?
묻다 is romanized mutda and pronounced [묻따]: the final ㄷ makes the next ㄷ tense. In the irregular forms the new ㄹ links to the vowel, so 물어요 is read [무러요]. Before ㄴ the ㄷ becomes [ㄴ]: 묻는 is read [문는].
Example Sentences
저는 길을 물어요.
I ask for directions.
This is the polite present form. 길을 물어요 uses the changed stem 물, because the ending starts with a vowel.
친구에게 이유를 물었어요.
I asked my friend the reason.
This is the polite past form. The person asked, 친구, takes 에게, and the thing asked, 이유 (the reason), takes 를.
묻는 말에 대답해 주세요.
Please answer the question I am asking.
This is the present modifier form. In 묻는 말에 (to the question being asked), the stem stays 묻 because 는 starts with a consonant.
Mutda Conjugation: What Are the Forms of 묻다?
묻다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 물어요 | ||
| Polite past | 물었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 물을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 묻겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 묻습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 물었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 물을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 물어 | ||
| Casual past | 물었어 | ||
| Casual future | 물을 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 묻고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 물으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 물어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 물으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 묻는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 물은 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 물을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 물어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 묻지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 물어요 | [무러요] |
| Polite past | 물었어요 | [무러써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 물을 거예요 | [무를꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 묻겠어요 | [묻께써요] |
| Formal present | 묻습니다 | [묻씀니다] |
| Formal past | 물었습니다 | [무럳씀니다] |
| Formal future | 물을 것입니다 | [무를꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 물어 | [무러] |
| Casual past | 물었어 | [무러써] |
| Casual future | 물을 거야 | [무를꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 묻고 싶어요 | [묻꼬 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 물으세요 | [무르세요] |
| Because / and then | 물어서 | [무러서] |
| If (conditional) | 물으면 | [무르면] |
| Modifier, present | 묻는 | [문는] |
| Modifier, past | 물은 | [무른] |
| Modifier, future | 물을 | [무를] |
| Short negative | 안 물어요 | [안 무러요] |
| Long negative | 묻지 않아요 | [묻찌 아나요] |
Is 묻다 Regular or Irregular?
묻다 is ㄷ-irregular: the ㄷ at the end of the stem turns into ㄹ before a vowel ending, but stays ㄷ before a consonant. That gives 물어요 and 물었어요, but 묻습니다 and 묻는. The ㄷ irregular lesson explains the full rule.
Common Mistake with 묻다
Wrong: ✗ 길을 묻어요 (when you mean 'I ask the way')
Correct: ✓ 길을 물어요
Why: 묻다 'to ask' is ㄷ-irregular and changes to 물- before a vowel. 묻어요 belongs to the other 묻다, so 길을 묻어요 sounds like 'I bury the road'.
Similar Words
| Word | How it differs from 묻다 |
|---|---|
| 질문하다 | 질문하다 is to ask a question formally; 묻다 is a simple 'ask'. |
| 묻다 | The other 묻다 means to bury or to get stained, and is regular (묻어요); only the 'ask' sense is irregular (물어요). |
Asking for the Way out of a Station
Two travelers are looking for the correct station exit. Alex has asked someone already, but Jisu needs more information. They use the past, a future plan and a polite instruction.
Jisu
역무원에게 길을 물었어요?
Yeongmuwonege gireul mureosseoyo?
Did you ask the station employee for directions?
Alex
네. 출구 번호를 물었어요.
Ne. Chulgu beonhoreul mureosseoyo.
Yes. I asked for the exit number.
Jisu
저는 엘리베이터 위치를 물을 거예요.
Jeoneun ellibeiteo wichireul mureul geoyeyo.
I’ll ask where the elevator is.
Alex
그럼 저분에게 물으세요.
Geureom jeobunege mureuseyo.
Then ask that person over there.
역무원에게 names the person asked, while 길을 and 출구 번호를 name the information requested. The dialogue keeps both roles visible. 물으세요 is a polite instruction to Jisu; 저분 is a respectful way to refer to the other person.
Common Combinations for Asking
길을 묻다 means to ask for directions, literally to ask the way. It does not mean asking permission to use a road. The traveler wants information about how to reach a destination. This is a useful phrase for explaining what you did, even when the actual question was a much longer sentence.
이유를 묻다 means to ask the reason. 이유 is the thing requested, so it takes 를. 안부를 묻다 means to ask how someone is doing. 안부 concerns a person's well-being; this combination often appears when someone describes keeping in touch with family or friends.
다시 묻다 means to ask again. 다시 signals repetition without changing the verb's grammar. If the first answer was unclear, the phrase can explain why someone repeats a question. 묻다 describes requesting information; whether the repeated question is friendly or impatient depends on its wording and tone.
Where Will You Hear 묻다?
A narration or news report may use 묻다 to describe an interviewer's question. Everyday conversations also use the related 물어보다, especially when suggesting that someone ask another person. Both concern asking, rather than automatically meaning an exam or a formal interview.
At a service counter, the question itself may contain no form of 묻다: a traveler can simply ask where the exit is. 묻다 becomes useful for reporting the action afterward or explaining who you will ask next. Learning the verb therefore helps with conversations about questions as well as questions themselves.
For asking a teacher or senior, 여쭙다 and 여쭈다 show humility toward the person you ask. 물으세요 has a different role: it honors the person who will do the asking. Choosing a humble verb and adding a polite ending solve different parts of the social situation.
Words That Complete a Question Scene
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 질문 | question | The noun in 질문하다. |
| 대답 | answer / reply | What the other person gives. |
| 이유 | reason | The object in 이유를 묻다. |
| 출구 | exit | Useful information to ask for in a station. |
The directions phrases lesson supplies questions for the travel situation above.
질문하다 works in everyday conversation too. Its focus is explicitly asking a question, so it is useful in classroom or interview settings. 묻다 is shorter and also fits fixed combinations such as 길을 묻다 and 안부를 묻다.
Mini Drill: Choose 묻 or 물
- Give the polite past of 묻다 “ask.”
- Add 는 for the present modifier.
- Give the formal present.
- Give the conditional “if someone asks.”
Show drill answers
- 물었어요.
- 묻는. ㄷ stays before the consonant ㄴ.
- 묻습니다. ㄷ stays before ㅅ.
- 물으면. The vowel at the start of the ending triggers ㄷ → ㄹ.
물어요 also belongs to 물다, “to bite.” A direction question and a biting animal give very different contexts, so the conjugated form alone does not always identify the dictionary entry. Use the object and situation to identify the intended verb.
Quick Self-Test
- In 친구에게 이유를 물었어요, who was asked?
- What does 길을 묻다 request?
- Does 물으세요 make the person being asked the honored subject?
Show answers
- The friend; 에게 marks the person asked.
- Directions or the way to a place.
- No. It honors the person doing the asking; a humble verb can show respect toward the person asked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is the Polite Present 물어요?
묻다 'to ask' is ㄷ-irregular: the final ㄷ becomes ㄹ before a vowel ending, so 묻 + 어요 becomes 물어요.
What Is the Other 묻다?
It means to bury or to get stained. That verb is regular, so its polite present is 묻어요.
How Do I Ask a Senior Politely?
Use the humble verb 여쭙다 or 여쭈다 instead of 묻다 when the person you ask is older or senior to you.
What Is 물어보다?
물어보다 means to ask, or to try asking. It is built on 묻다 and is very common in speech.
Which Words Are Related to 묻다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read the ㄷ irregular lesson, then 질문하다, or browse the Korean verb dictionary.
Class lesson: Korean ㄷ Irregular Verbs. Tool: Korean verb conjugator.