Key Facts
- Hangul: 넓다 (neolda)
- Meaning: wide
- Part of speech: adjective (형용사)
- Level: A2
- Stem: 넓
- Class: regular
- Spoken as: [널따]
What Does 넓다 Mean?
넓다 describes area or breadth: 방이 넓다 (the room is spacious), 길이 넓다 (the road is wide). The thing described takes 이/가. It also stretches to character, so 마음이 넓다 means a generous, broad-minded person. Use 넓다 for roominess and 크다 for overall size, and 좁다 for the opposite.
In house listings and daily talk it praises rooms, parks and streets. Said of a person, 마음이 넓다 is a compliment about a generous, tolerant nature.
How Do You Pronounce 넓다?
The two-letter final ㄼ is the surprise. Before a consonant only the ㄹ is heard, and the next consonant becomes tense, so the dictionary form is said [널따]. Before a vowel the ㅂ returns, so the polite present 넓어요 is said [널버요], the past 넓었어요 is said [널버써요], and the modifier 넓은 is said [널븐]. The formal present 넓습니다 is said [널씀니다].
How Do You Use 넓다 in a Sentence?
우리 거실은 아주 넓어요.
Our living room is very wide.
우리 거실은 is the topic and 아주 (very) adds degree. The polite present 넓어요 describes the room.
새 집이 넓어서 좋아요.
The new house is spacious, so I like it.
The ending 넓어서 gives the reason for liking the house. 새 집이 is the subject.
넓은 공원에서 산책했어요.
I took a walk in a wide park.
The modifier 넓은 sits before 공원에서, and the sentence ends with 산책했어요, a past action.
How Does Neolda Conjugation Work?
넓다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 넓어요 | ||
| Polite past | 넓었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 넓을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 넓겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 넓습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 넓었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 넓을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 넓어 | ||
| Casual past | 넓었어 | ||
| Casual future | 넓을 거야 | ||
| Because / and then | 넓어서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 넓으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 넓은 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 넓었던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 넓을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 넓어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 넓지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 넓어요 | [널버요] |
| Polite past | 넓었어요 | [널버써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 넓을 거예요 | [널블꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 넓겠어요 | [널께써요] |
| Formal present | 넓습니다 | [널씀니다] |
| Formal past | 넓었습니다 | [널벋씀니다] |
| Formal future | 넓을 것입니다 | [널블꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 넓어 | [널버] |
| Casual past | 넓었어 | [널버써] |
| Casual future | 넓을 거야 | [널블꺼야] |
| Because / and then | 넓어서 | [널버서] |
| Conditional (if) | 넓으면 | [널브면] |
| Modifier, present | 넓은 | [널븐] |
| Modifier, past | 넓었던 | [널벋떤] |
| Modifier, future | 넓을 | [널블] |
| Short negative | 안 넓어요 | [안 널버요] |
| Long negative | 넓지 않아요 | [널찌 아나요] |
Is 넓다 Regular or Irregular?
넓다 is regular, which can be surprising because its stem looks complicated. The stem 넓 stays the same in every form and only vowel harmony picks the ending: ㅓ in the stem takes 어, giving 넓어요 and 넓었어요. Consonant-initial endings attach directly, as in 넓습니다. The silent ㅂ in speech is only a sound matter, not a spelling change. The lesson on how to conjugate Korean verbs in the present tense explains the full pattern.
Common Mistake with 넓다
Wrong: ✗ 널어요
Correct: ✓ 넓어요
Why: Because the dictionary form is said [널따], learners spell the polite form without the ㅂ. The ㅂ stays in the spelling in every form, so write 넓어요. Written without the ㅂ, 널어요 is a different word altogether: it means hanging out washing.
넓다 Versus 크다 and 좁다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 크다 | 크다 means big overall; 넓다 means broad or roomy in area. |
| 좁다 | 좁다 is the opposite: narrow or cramped. |
Viewing a Flat with a Housemate
Two prospective housemates compare a flat with the one they saw earlier. The exchange uses a present description, a past comparison and a reason ending.
Mina
이 거실은 정말 넓어요.
I geosireun jeongmal neolbeoyo.
This living room is really spacious.
Alex
아까 본 집도 넓었어요.
Akka bon jipdo neolbeosseoyo.
The flat we saw earlier was spacious too.
Mina
여기는 부엌도 넓어서 좋아요.
Yeogineun bueokdo neolbeoseo joayo.
I like this place because the kitchen is spacious too.
거실 and 부엌 identify different rooms, so the speakers compare usable space rather than the building's height. 도 means “too”, adding the kitchen to the features they like. 넓어서 connects that roominess to a positive evaluation. The final line explains why this particular flat appeals to the speaker.
Which Phrases Go beyond Physical Width?
| Phrase | Literal picture | Meaning in context |
|---|---|---|
| 방이 넓다 | a room is wide | The room is spacious. |
| 마음이 넓다 | the heart is wide | Someone is generous or tolerant. |
| 발이 넓다 | the feet are wide | Someone knows many people. |
| 시야가 넓다 | the field of vision is wide | A wide view, or a broad outlook. |
마음이 넓다 praises a person's willingness to understand or forgive. It does not describe the physical size of their heart. 발이 넓다 concerns social connections: the person has a wide circle of acquaintances. The two compliments highlight different qualities, so knowing many people does not automatically make someone generous.
시야가 넓다 can be literal when discussing what someone can see, or figurative when discussing how widely they consider an issue. The surrounding topic decides. A room with an open view and a person who considers many perspectives can both invite this phrase, but the “width” belongs to different things.
Where Will You Hear 넓다?
Estate agents and people viewing homes use 넓다 for rooms, kitchens, balconies and other spaces. A place can feel roomy because of its layout even when the conversation gives no exact floor area. 넓어요 is an assessment of space; it does not replace a measurement when you need to compare actual dimensions.
In directions or travel descriptions, a wide road or open park can also be 넓다. English often uses “big park”, but Korean 넓은 공원 directs attention to the area available for walking or playing. 큰 공원 focuses more generally on size. Both can describe the same park from different angles.
In personal conversations, 마음이 넓다 is a compliment, while 발이 넓다 points to a social network. A drama character may ask a well-connected friend for an introduction. In that scene, the phrase explains access to people rather than roominess or physical appearance.
Why Is 넓다 Regular despite Its Final Cluster?
The final ㄼ contains two written consonants. Their pronunciation depends on what follows, but neither disappears from the spelling of the stem. 넓어요 keeps both letters; before a vowel, the ㅂ is heard in the next syllable. 넓습니다 also keeps both, although its spoken form simplifies the cluster.
Do not treat the written ㅂ as the ending of a ㅂ-irregular adjective. In 넓다, it is part of ㄼ, and the regular vowel ending produces 넓어요. There is no 우 added to the stem. The practical test is to compare the three familiar forms 넓다, 넓어요 and 넓은: their shared written stem is always 넓.
The modifier 넓은 goes directly before a noun: 넓은 방 identifies a spacious room. 넓어요 belongs at the end of a polite statement. In the negative 넓지 않아요, keep a space before 않아요. The ㄼ still stays in 넓지 even though the spoken cluster is simplified before ㅈ.
Words for Comparing Spaces
| Korean | Meaning | Useful next step |
|---|---|---|
| 거실 | living room | Often compared when viewing a flat. |
| 부엌 | kitchen | Roominess may matter for cooking and storage. |
| 면적 | area | Use when discussing measured surface or floor area. |
| 공간 | space | Names the available room rather than a specific room. |
The housing and renting vocabulary lesson supplies words for viewing and comparing homes. For objects inside the room, the furniture lesson helps you say what needs to fit. A wide room, a long table and a high shelf each call for a different dimension word.
Mini Drill: Keep Both Letters in ㄼ
- Give the polite present of 넓다.
- Complete “a spacious room”: ____ 방.
- Add the reason ending: 넓다 → ____.
- Which adjective describes overall size rather than specifically breadth: 크다 or 넓다?
Show drill answers
- 넓어요. Keep ㄼ in the spelling.
- 넓은 방.
- 넓어서.
- 크다. 넓다 focuses on width or area.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 발이 넓다 usually describe the size of someone's feet?
- Is the ㅂ in 넓어요 replaced with 우?
- What personal quality does 마음이 넓다 praise?
Show answers
- No. It means the person knows many people.
- No. 넓다 is regular and keeps the written cluster.
- Generosity, tolerance or broad-mindedness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is 넓다 Said [널따]?
The final cluster ㄼ cannot be fully pronounced before a consonant, so only the ㄹ is heard and the following ㄷ becomes tense. Before a vowel both letters are heard: 넓어요 [널버요].
Can 넓다 Describe a Person?
Yes. 마음이 넓다 means generous or broad-minded.
Should I Use 넓다 or 크다 for a Room?
For a roomy, spacious room, 넓다 is the natural choice: 방이 넓다. 크다 is about overall size and is used for objects such as a house or a bag.
What Is the Opposite of 넓다?
좁다, narrow or cramped.
Which Words Are Related to 넓다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 넓다 with 좁다 first, then add 길다 (long) and 깊다 (deep) to describe places. You can check other forms in the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.