Key Facts
- Hangul: 늙다 (neukda)
- Meaning: old (aging)
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: B1
- Stem: 늙
- Class: regular
- Spoken as: [늑따]
What Does 늙다 Mean?
늙다 is a dictionary verb for growing old, and it is used for people and animals that have aged, as in 늙은 개 (an old dog). To say that someone is old now, Korean uses the past 늙었어요, because the state is the result of ageing; 늙어요 on its own describes the change under way. The word is direct and can sound rude about a person, so for elders Koreans prefer the honorific 연세가 많으시다, and 나이가 많다 is gentler for anyone else. A surprising use is 늙은 호박, the name for an old pumpkin.
How Do You Pronounce 늙다?
Before ㄷ, ㅅ and ㅈ, only the ㄱ of the final cluster ㄺ is heard, so 늙다 is [늑따], 늙습니다 is [늑씀니다] and 늙지 않아요 is [늑찌 아나요]. When a vowel follows, the ㄱ moves across: 늙어요 is [늘거요], the past 늙었어요 is [늘거써요] and the modifier 늙은 is [늘근]. The present modifier 늙는 is said [능는].
How Do You Use 늙다 in a Sentence?
할아버지가 많이 늙었어요.
Grandfather has gotten very old.
할아버지가 많이 늙었어요 uses the past form to report how Grandfather is now. 많이 is 'a lot'.
늙은 고양이를 키워요.
I keep an old cat.
늙은 고양이를 키워요 places the past-looking modifier 늙은 before the animal. The verb 키워요 means to raise or keep a pet.
늙으면 시골에서 살고 싶어요.
When I get old, I want to live in the countryside.
In 늙으면 시골에서 살고 싶어요 the conditional 늙으면 means 'when I get old', and 살고 싶어요 states a wish in the main clause.
How Does Neukda Conjugation Work?
늙다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 늙어요 | ||
| Polite past | 늙었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 늙을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 늙겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 늙습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 늙었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 늙을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 늙어 | ||
| Casual past | 늙었어 | ||
| Casual future | 늙을 거야 | ||
| Because / and then | 늙어서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 늙으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 늙는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 늙은 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 늙을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 늙어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 늙지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 늙어요 | [늘거요] |
| Polite past | 늙었어요 | [늘거써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 늙을 거예요 | [늘글꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 늙겠어요 | [늘께써요] |
| Formal present | 늙습니다 | [늑씀니다] |
| Formal past | 늙었습니다 | [늘걷씀니다] |
| Formal future | 늙을 것입니다 | [늘글꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 늙어 | [늘거] |
| Casual past | 늙었어 | [늘거써] |
| Casual future | 늙을 거야 | [늘글꺼야] |
| Because / and then | 늙어서 | [늘거서] |
| Conditional (if) | 늙으면 | [늘그면] |
| Modifier, present | 늙는 | [능는] |
| Modifier, past | 늙은 | [늘근] |
| Modifier, future | 늙을 | [늘글] |
| Short negative | 안 늙어요 | [안 늘거요] |
| Long negative | 늙지 않아요 | [늑찌 아나요] |
Is 늙다 Regular or Irregular?
늙다 is regular. The stem 늙 ends in a double consonant and never changes: 늙 + 어요 gives 늙어요 and the conditional is 늙으면. As a verb it forms its modifiers differently from an adjective: 늙는 means 'who is ageing', while the past 늙은 describes the finished state and is the one you use before a noun. The present-tense recipe covers the endings.
Common Mistake with 늙다
Means something else: 우리 개는 늙어요 ('my dog is getting older')
Correct for 'my dog is old': ✓ 우리 개는 늙었어요
Why: 늙다 is a verb meaning 'grow old', so the present 늙어요 says the dog is still ageing. To say it is old now, use the past: 늙었어요.
늙다 Versus 젊다 and 나이가 많다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 젊다 | 젊다 is the opposite, young in the prime of adulthood. |
| 나이가 많다 | 나이가 많다 is a more polite way to say a person is old in age. |
Talking about an Ageing Pet
Mina is describing the family cat to a friend. The scene uses 늙었어요 for a present result, 늙은 before a noun and 늙으면 when imagining the future.
Mina
우리 고양이가 많이 늙었어요.
Uri goyangiga mani neulgeosseoyo.
Our cat has gotten very old.
Jisu
늙은 고양이는 돌보기가 힘들어요?
Neulgeun goyangineun dolbogiga himdeureoyo?
Is it hard to care for an old cat?
Mina
네, 그래도 같이 늙으면 좋겠어요.
Ne, geuraedo gachi neulgeumyeon jokesseoyo.
Yes, but I still hope we grow old together.
Jisu
정말 가족 같네요.
Jeongmal gajok ganneyo.
Your cat really is like family.
우리 고양이 is the family’s cat; 우리 is common when referring to something shared by a household. 많이 늙었어요 says that the cat has aged noticeably. 같이 늙으면 좋겠어요 expresses a wish to grow old together, so the verb describes a shared future rather than only a current appearance.
Ageing, Looking Older and Old Objects
늙다 concerns living things growing old. 오래되다 concerns something having existed for a long time, so it suits an old building, an old photo or an object you have owned for years. An old chair has not aged in the biological sense expressed by 늙다. Choose the word by what kind of “old” you mean.
많이 늙었어요 can describe a noticeable change since the speaker last saw someone. It is more loaded than stating their age: it draws attention to ageing or its visible effects. In a family conversation it may express concern, but saying it directly to someone can still hurt.
늙은 고양이 describes a cat that is already old. 늙는 고양이 focuses on a cat in the process of ageing. Both place the verb before a noun, but the completed-state modifier and the process modifier offer different views. English often uses “old” for the first and “ageing” for the second.
Phrases You May Hear about Growing Old
같이 늙다 means “to grow old together”. It can be affectionate between partners or close companions. The literal meaning remains visible: the people share the passing years. The dialogue applies that wish to a beloved pet rather than limiting it to a romantic couple.
늙으면 means “if I get old” or, in an expected life sequence, “when I get old”. Korean does not need a separate future ending inside this conditional. In 늙으면 시골에서 살고 싶어요, the countryside wish makes the future reading clear.
늙은 호박 is a familiar food term for a mature pumpkin. In a market or a recipe, the phrase identifies the ingredient. It is not an insult to the vegetable, and it does not mean that the pumpkin has spoiled. This is a set use worth recognising separately from descriptions of people and animals.
Why Does ㄺ Sound Different across the Forms?
The spelling 늙 remains in every form, but the sounds depend on the ending. Before a vowel, both parts of ㄺ are heard across the syllables: 늙어요 is [늘거요]. Before ㄴ, the cluster reduces and the remaining sound becomes nasal: 늙는 is [능는].
There is an exception to the simple “ㄺ becomes ㄱ before consonants” shortcut. Before an ending beginning with ㄱ, the ㄹ is heard: 늙고 is [늘꼬]. The National Institute of Korean Language’s dictionary entry lists that pronunciation alongside 늙습니다 and 늙지. The written cluster stays intact through all these sound changes.
More Precise Words for Age
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 나이 | age | Names a person's age without judging appearance. |
| 연세 | age, honorific | Refers respectfully to an older person's age. |
| 젊다 | to be young | Commonly describes youthful adulthood. |
| 오래되다 | to be old; longstanding | Suits things with a long history. |
The Korean age lesson explains asking and giving ages. For an elder, the existing expression 연세가 많으시다 keeps the focus on their age and adds respect; 늙었어요 foregrounds the ageing itself.
Mini Drill: Process, Result and Sound
- Give the polite past form used to report that a pet is old now.
- Complete “an old cat”: ____ 고양이.
- Complete “when I get old”: ____.
- Give the pronunciation of 늙고.
Show drill answers
- 늙었어요.
- 늙은 고양이.
- 늙으면.
- [늘꼬]. The ㄹ is heard before the ㄱ ending.
Quick Self-Test
- Which verb suits an old building: 늙다 or 오래되다?
- Does 늙은 호박 mean a spoiled pumpkin?
- Is 많이 늙었어요 a neutral way to ask someone's age?
Show answers
- 오래되다.
- No. It identifies a mature pumpkin.
- No. It comments on noticeable ageing and can sound blunt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Koreans Say 늙었어요 for 'Is Old'?
Because being old is the result of ageing, so the past form reports the present state. 늙어요 points to the process.
Is 늙다 a Verb or an Adjective?
The standard dictionary lists it as a verb. That is why it has the modifier 늙는 as well as 늙은.
Is 늙다 Polite to Use about a Person?
Not really. It is blunt. For elders, use the honorific 연세가 많으시다, and for anyone else 나이가 많다 is gentler.
What Is 늙은 호박?
It is the Korean name for an old, fully ripened pumpkin, a good example of 늙은 used for things.
Which Words Are Related to 늙다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 젊다 and 어리다 to cover the other end of age, then 죽다 for the end of life. 오래되다 handles old things instead. The Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest of the family.