Key Facts
- Hangul: 내려가다 (naeryeogada)
- Meaning: to go down
- Level: A2
- Stem: 내려가
- Class: regular
- Object marking: intransitive
What Does 내려가다 Mean?
내려가다 means to move downward or to a lower place, as in 아래층으로 내려가다. In Korea it is also the usual verb for travelling from Seoul to the regions, especially the south, as in 부산에 내려가다.
The 가다 part signals motion away from the speaker, so the verb is the downward partner of 올라가다. Its sibling 내려오다 describes the same descent coming toward the speaker.
Meanings:
- to go down. Move downward or to a lower place, as in 아래층으로 내려가다; also to go south in Korea (부산에 내려가다).
How Is 내려가다 Used?
내려가다 is intransitive. The goal takes 에 or (으)로, as in 아래로 내려가요. The thing descended can take 을/를: 계단을 내려가요 is fine.
The Seoul-to-the-regions use is a habit of speech rather than a strict rule of geography; the trip back up to Seoul is usually 올라가다.
How Do You Pronounce 내려가다?
내려가다 is romanized naeryeogada. Most forms are read as written; the past 내려갔어요 is read [내려가써요] and the formal present 내려갑니다 is read [내려감니다].
Example Sentences
저는 계단으로 내려가요.
I go down by the stairs.
This is the polite present form. The route is shown with 으로 (계단으로), and the verb closes the sentence in the polite present.
주말에 부산에 내려갔어요.
I went down to Busan on the weekend.
This is the polite past form. 주말에 gives the time and 부산에 the destination. This is the Seoul-to-the-south use.
엘리베이터로 내려가고 싶어요.
I want to go down by elevator.
This is the want to (polite) form. 엘리베이터로 names the means, then 내려가고 싶어요 expresses a wish.
Naeryeogada Conjugation: What Are the Forms of 내려가다?
The stem 내려가 ends in ㅏ, so the endings merge and the polite present is 내려가요. The past is 내려갔어요. The stem is long, but it does not change.
내려가다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 내려가요 | ||
| Polite past | 내려갔어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 내려갈 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 내려가겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 내려갑니다 | ||
| Formal past | 내려갔습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 내려갈 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 내려가 | ||
| Casual past | 내려갔어 | ||
| Casual future | 내려갈 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 내려가고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 내려가세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 내려가서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 내려가면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 내려가는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 내려간 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 내려갈 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 내려가요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 내려가지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 내려가요 | - |
| Polite past | 내려갔어요 | [내려가써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 내려갈 거예요 | [내려갈꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 내려가겠어요 | [내려가게써요] |
| Formal present | 내려갑니다 | [내려감니다] |
| Formal past | 내려갔습니다 | [내려갇씀니다] |
| Formal future | 내려갈 것입니다 | [내려갈꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 내려가 | - |
| Casual past | 내려갔어 | [내려가써] |
| Casual future | 내려갈 거야 | [내려갈꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 내려가고 싶어요 | [내려가고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 내려가세요 | - |
| Because / and then | 내려가서 | - |
| If (conditional) | 내려가면 | - |
| Modifier, present | 내려가는 | - |
| Modifier, past | 내려간 | - |
| Modifier, future | 내려갈 | - |
| Short negative | 안 내려가요 | - |
| Long negative | 내려가지 않아요 | [내려가지 아나요] |
Is 내려가다 Regular or Irregular?
내려가다 is regular. Each syllable stays in place, and only the usual contraction applies.
Common Mistake with 내려가다
Wrong: ✗ 버스에서 내려가요
Correct: ✓ 버스에서 내려요
Why: 내려가다 is moving down to a lower place; getting off a vehicle belongs to 내리다, so say 버스에서 내려요.
Similar Words
| Word | How it differs from 내려가다 |
|---|---|
| 올라가다 | 내려가다 is to go down; 올라가다 is to go up. |
| 내려오다 | 내려가다 moves down away from the speaker; 내려오다 moves down toward the speaker. |
To choose between 내려가다 and 내려오다, ask where the speaker is: at the top, people go down (내려가다); at the bottom, people come down (내려오다).
Finding an Exhibition Downstairs
A visitor and a staff member are on an upper floor. The visitor wants to reach an exhibition below them.
Visitor
전시실은 아래층에 있어요?
Jeonsisireun araecheunge isseoyo?
Is the exhibition room downstairs?
Staff
네, 계단으로 내려가세요.
Ne, gyedaneuro naeryeogaseyo.
Yes, please go down the stairs.
Visitor
저는 엘리베이터로 내려가고 싶어요.
Jeoneun ellibeiteoro naeryeogago sipeoyo.
I would like to go down by elevator.
Staff
그럼 저 엘리베이터로 내려가면 돼요.
Geureom jeo ellibeiteoro naeryeogamyeon dwaeyo.
Then you can go down in that elevator.
The staff member’s 내려가세요 gives a polite direction. The visitor’s 내려가고 싶어요 states a preference, and 내려가면 introduces a condition: taking that elevator will solve the problem. All three retain the stem 내려가. The route changes from stairs to elevator, but the downward movement remains the same.
Which Particles Go with 내려가다?
| Phrase | What it identifies | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 계단을 내려가다 | Path traversed | Go down the stairs. |
| 계단으로 내려가다 | Route taken | Go down by the stairs rather than another route. |
| 아래층에 내려가다 | Destination | Go down to the floor below. |
| 아래층으로 내려가다 | Direction / destination | Head down to the lower floor. |
Although the verb is called intransitive, a path such as 계단 can take 을. The stairs are not an object being moved; they are the path the person travels. This explains why 계단을 내려가요 is correct without changing the meaning to “lower the stairs”.
으로 and 로 select their shape from the preceding noun. 계단 ends in a consonant, so 계단으로 has 으로. 엘리베이터 ends in a vowel, so 엘리베이터로 has 로. These endings belong to the route or means of travel, while 내려가요 supplies the action.
Downward Movement beyond Stairs
기온이 내려가다 describes the temperature dropping. 물가가 내려가다 describes prices falling. Neither expression requires something to travel downstairs: a lower point on a scale is enough. These uses are listed under 내려가다 in the National Institute of Korean Language’s learner dictionary.
The subject is the thing decreasing. This makes a weather report or a price discussion different from the ticket-hall dialogue: people descend physically, while temperature or prices decrease. The same conjugated forms work in both contexts; the subject tells you which reading fits.
Travel talk also uses 부산에 내려가다 for going down to Busan. Treat that as a familiar perspective on travel from Seoul, rather than a rule that every journey must be classified by compass direction. If you are explaining a trip without emphasizing this perspective, the simpler 가다 can state that you are going.
What Should Learners Watch in the Forms?
내려가다 is written as one word. Keep 내려 and 가 together in its ordinary forms, including 내려가요 and 내려갔어요. The negative 안 is separate: 안 내려가요. In 내려갈 거예요, the space comes before 거예요, while the final ㄹ attaches to the verb stem.
The contraction happens at the end of the stem. 내려가 plus 아요 gives 내려가요, and adding the past produces 내려갔어요. Do not add an extra 아 syllable after 가. The first part 내려 stays in place throughout the table.
For directions, keep the distinction between going down and coming down. If a staff member upstairs sends you to a lower exhibition, 내려가세요 fits that viewpoint. A person downstairs calling you toward them would choose the coming-down verb 내려오다 instead. The difference concerns the movement’s relation to the speaker’s location, not whether stairs or an elevator are used.
Related Words for Routes and Floors
| Korean | Meaning | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| 계단 | stairs | Names the path or route. |
| 아래층 | floor below / downstairs | Names a lower destination. |
| 엘리베이터 | elevator | Names another means of changing floors. |
| 내리다 | get off / lower | Use it when leaving a bus or train. |
See directions and position vocabulary for the location words used when giving these instructions.
Mini Drill: Choose the Downward Form
- Change 내려가요 to the polite past.
- Give a polite direction using the table’s honorific form.
- Say “I don’t go down” with 안.
- Give the future form ending in 거예요.
Show drill answers
- 내려갔어요.
- 내려가세요.
- 안 내려가요.
- 내려갈 거예요. Keep the space before 거예요.
Quick Self-Test
- Can 계단을 내려가요 mean going down the stairs?
- Which verb describes getting off a bus: 내리다 or 내려가다?
- In 기온이 내려가다, is someone moving to another floor?
Show answers
- Yes. 계단을 marks the path traversed.
- 내리다.
- No. The temperature is decreasing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 내려가다?
It is 내려가요.
Can I Use It for Getting off a Bus?
No. For leaving a vehicle use 내리다, as in 버스에서 내려요.
Why Do Koreans Say 내려가다 for Going to Busan?
Travel from Seoul to the regions is usually described as going 'down', and the trip back to Seoul as going 'up'. Busan is far to the south, so 부산에 내려가다 is the natural phrase.
What Particle Marks the Goal?
Use 에 or (으)로.
Is the Object Marked with 을/를?
The thing descended can take 을/를, as in 계단을 내려가요.
Which Words Are Related to 내려가다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next read 내리다 to separate going down from getting off, then 올라가다 for the opposite direction.
Class lesson: How to Conjugate Korean Verbs in the Present Tense. Tool: Korean verb conjugator.