Key Facts
- Hangul: 놀라다 (nollada)
- Meaning: to be surprised
- Level: A2
- Stem: 놀라
- Class: regular
- Object marking: intransitive
What Does 놀라다 Mean?
놀라다 describes being startled or surprised: 소리에 놀라다 means to be startled by a sound. The reaction is sudden, and that separates it from the calm interest of 신기하다.
English uses 'be' plus an adjective here (be surprised), but in Korean 놀라다 is a verb. The related adjective is 놀랍다, which describes a surprising thing: 놀라운 소식 means surprising news.
Sense:
- to be surprised. Used for being startled or surprised: 소리에 놀라다.
How Is 놀라다 Used?
놀라다 is intransitive. The person takes 이/가, and the cause takes 에: 소식에 놀라다. A common intensifier is 깜짝 놀라다 (be startled).
The formal present is 놀랍니다: the stem 놀라 ends in a vowel, so it takes the ending -ㅂ니다.
How Do You Pronounce 놀라다?
놀라다 is romanized nollada. The two ㄹ sounds in 놀 + 라 join into one long l, so the word sounds like nol-la-da. In the past 놀랐어요 [놀라써요] the ㅆ moves into the next syllable, and in the formal 놀랍니다 [놀람니다] the ㅂ before ㄴ is pronounced [ㅁ].
Example Sentences
저는 자주 놀라요.
I am often surprised.
This is the polite present form. With 자주 (often), it describes a personal tendency.
큰 소리에 놀랐어요.
I was startled by the loud noise.
This is the polite past form. 큰 소리에 (at the loud noise) gives the cause with 에.
그 소식을 듣고 놀라서 말을 못 했어요.
I heard the news and was so surprised that I couldn't speak.
This is the because / and then form. 소식을 듣고 means 'hearing the news', and 놀라서 links the shock to its result, 말을 못 했어요 (I couldn't speak).
Nollada Conjugation: What Are the Forms of 놀라다?
놀라다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 놀라요 | ||
| Polite past | 놀랐어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 놀랄 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 놀라겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 놀랍니다 | ||
| Formal past | 놀랐습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 놀랄 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 놀라 | ||
| Casual past | 놀랐어 | ||
| Casual future | 놀랄 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 놀라고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 놀라세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 놀라서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 놀라면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 놀라는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 놀란 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 놀랄 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 놀라요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 놀라지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 놀라요 | - |
| Polite past | 놀랐어요 | [놀라써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 놀랄 거예요 | [놀랄꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 놀라겠어요 | [놀라게써요] |
| Formal present | 놀랍니다 | [놀람니다] |
| Formal past | 놀랐습니다 | [놀랃씀니다] |
| Formal future | 놀랄 것입니다 | [놀랄꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 놀라 | - |
| Casual past | 놀랐어 | [놀라써] |
| Casual future | 놀랄 거야 | [놀랄꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 놀라고 싶어요 | [놀라고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 놀라세요 | - |
| Because / and then | 놀라서 | - |
| If (conditional) | 놀라면 | - |
| Modifier, present | 놀라는 | - |
| Modifier, past | 놀란 | - |
| Modifier, future | 놀랄 | - |
| Short negative | 안 놀라요 | - |
| Long negative | 놀라지 않아요 | [놀라지 아나요] |
Is 놀라다 Regular or Irregular?
놀라다 is regular. Do not confuse the ㄹ in the stem with the ㄹ-irregular class; nothing drops here, and the forms 놀라요 and 놀랐어요 follow the ordinary pattern.
놀라다 is a common verb. Its most frequent partner is the adverb 깜짝: 깜짝 놀랐어요 means 'I was startled'.
Common Mistake with 놀라다
Wrong: ✗ 소식을 놀랐어요
Correct: ✓ 소식에 놀랐어요
Why: 놀라다 is intransitive, so it cannot take an object with 을/를. The thing that surprises you takes 에, much like English 'surprised at the news'.
Similar Words
| Word | How it differs from 놀라다 |
|---|---|
| 무섭다 | 무섭다 is to be scary or afraid; 놀라다 is to be startled or surprised. |
| 신기하다 | 신기하다 is to find something amazing; 놀라다 is a sudden shock. |
A Sudden Noise in the Hallway
Two neighbors hear a loud crash outside an apartment. The first reaction reports a completed shock; the next line describes a usual tendency, and the answer explains the cause.
Jisu
깜짝 놀랐어요!
Kkamjjak nollasseoyo!
That startled me!
Alex
저도요. 저는 큰 소리에 자주 놀라요.
Jeodoyo. Jeoneun keun sorie jaju nollayo.
Me too. I often get startled by loud noises.
Jisu
너무 놀라서 말을 못 했어요.
Neomu nollaseo mareul mot haesseoyo.
I was so startled that I couldn’t speak.
놀랐어요 reports what just happened; 놀라요 describes a repeated reaction with 자주. 놀라서 then joins the surprise to its effect. The speaker is reporting their own reaction, so no honorific is needed even though both neighbors use polite endings.
Surprise Is Not Always Fear
깜짝 놀라다 adds a sudden jolt. A dropped pan, an unexpected visitor or a birthday surprise can all cause that reaction. 깜짝 describes how abruptly the surprise hits; it does not decide whether the event is welcome or unpleasant.
소식에 놀라다 means to be surprised at news. 소식 is the information received, and 에 marks the cause of the reaction. A promotion announcement may be surprising in a happy way, while bad news may be upsetting. The verb itself leaves that emotional judgment open.
놀란 얼굴 is “a surprised face”. The person’s reaction is visible in the expression. Compare 놀라운 소식, “surprising news”: the news causes surprise. Keeping the person who reacts separate from the thing that causes the reaction helps you choose between 놀라다 and 놀랍다.
Where Will You Encounter 놀라다?
In dramas and everyday conversation, 깜짝 놀랐어요 can follow someone appearing unexpectedly or making a sudden sound. It often reports a reaction that has already happened, even if English naturally uses “You startled me” in that moment.
In interviews and personal accounts, 놀라다 also introduces an unexpected discovery. A speaker may explain what they heard or saw before describing their surprise. That is why the existing example joins “heard the news” to 놀라서: the cause and the reaction are separate parts of the story.
News headlines and entertainment captions also use the adjective 놀랍다 to label a result as remarkable or surprising. A headline describing a surprising result is doing a different job from a witness reporting that they were startled. Look at what the Korean sentence is describing before choosing an English translation.
Why Does the ㄹ Stay?
놀라다 has the stem 놀라, ending in the vowel ㅏ. Its ㄹ sounds sit inside the stem; the stem does not end in ㄹ. That makes it different from 놀다, whose stem is 놀. The formal present 놀랍니다 adds ㅂ to 라 without deleting either written ㄹ.
The ordinary polite form is 놀라요, with no extra 아 syllable. For the past, 놀랐어요 adds ㅆ to 라. When the verb describes a person before a noun, 놀란 gives a completed reaction, while 놀라는 can show the person reacting. These modifiers come from 놀라다; they are not forms of 놀랍다.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful connection |
|---|---|---|
| 소리 | sound; noise | A common cause marked with 에. |
| 소식 | news | Information that can bring good or bad surprises. |
| 표정 | facial expression | Helps describe how someone’s surprise looks. |
| 충격 | shock; impact | A stronger noun, often for a serious emotional shock. |
The emotions vocabulary lesson helps separate surprise from fear, happiness and worry when you describe a reaction more precisely.
Mini Drill: Describe the Reaction
- Give the polite past of 놀라다.
- Which particle follows 큰 소리 when the noise causes the surprise?
- Change 놀라다 to the formal present.
- Complete “I was startled, so…” with the connecting form of 놀라다.
Show drill answers
- 놀랐어요.
- 큰 소리에. The noise causes the reaction.
- 놀랍니다. The stem ends in a vowel.
- 놀라서. The following clause gives the result.
Quick Self-Test
- Can a pleasant birthday surprise cause someone to 놀라다?
- Does 놀라다 belong to the ㄹ-drop class?
- Which describes the news itself: 놀란 소식 or 놀라운 소식?
Show answers
- Yes. Surprise does not automatically mean fear.
- No. The stem is 놀라, ending in a vowel.
- 놀라운 소식. 놀랍다 describes the surprising thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Particle Marks What Surprised Me?
Use 에: 큰 소리에 놀랐어요 (I was startled by the loud noise). Do not use 을/를.
Is 놀라다 an Adjective?
No. 놀라다 is a verb, even though English says 'be surprised', so its polite present is 놀라요. The adjective 'surprising' is 놀랍다.
What Is 놀랍다?
놀랍다 is the adjective for something surprising. Before a noun it becomes 놀라운, as in 놀라운 소식 (surprising news).
What Does 깜짝 놀라다 Mean?
It means to be startled or to jump with surprise. 깜짝 adds the idea of a sudden shock.
Which Words Are Related to 놀라다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 무섭다 to separate fear from surprise, then 신기하다 for amazement, or browse the Korean verb dictionary.
Class lesson: How to Conjugate Korean Verbs in the Present Tense. Tool: Korean verb conjugator.