Key Facts
- Hangul: 누르다 (nureuda)
- Meaning: to press
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: verb
- Stem: 누르
- Conjugation class: 르
- Grammar: What is pressed takes 을/를 (버튼을 눌러요).
- Usage: Common for buttons, bells and doorbells. 르 irregular: 눌러요, 눌렀어요.
What Does 누르다 Mean?
누르다 means pushing down on something with a finger or hand. What is pressed takes 을/를, as in 버튼을 눌러요. This page covers the press meaning, which is a 르 verb. The spelling 누르다 also exists as an adjective meaning yellow (golden), which conjugates differently as 누르러요, so context matters.
Senses:
- to press: Press a button, bell or key: 버튼을 누르다.
How Do You Pronounce 누르다?
In the formal present, 누릅니다 is [누름니다], because the ㅂ of 릅 turns into [ㅁ] before ㄴ. The past 눌렀어요 is [눌러써요]. The doubled ㄹ in 눌러요 is the long l-sound you hear in the 르 pattern.
How Do You Use 누르다 in a Sentence?
엘리베이터 버튼을 눌러요.
I press the elevator button.
엘리베이터 버튼을 눌러요 is a daily action. The button is the object and the 르 verb gives 눌러요.
벨을 눌렀어요.
I pressed the bell.
벨을 눌렀어요 is the past, [눌러써요], about a bell or doorbell.
이 버튼을 누르면 문이 열려요.
If you press this button, the door opens.
이 버튼을 누르면 문이 열려요 uses 누르면, in which no ㄹ doubles because 면 starts with a consonant.
How Does Nureuda Conjugation Work?
누르다 is a 르 verb. Before 아 or 어 the ㅡ of 르 drops and ㄹ doubles, so 누르 + 어요 becomes 눌러요 and the past is 눌렀어요. Before endings that start with a consonant, and before 으-endings, the stem stays regular, as in 누르면, 누르는 and 누르세요.
누르다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 눌러요 | ||
| Polite past | 눌렀어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 누를 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 누르겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 누릅니다 | ||
| Formal past | 눌렀습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 누를 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 눌러 | ||
| Casual past | 눌렀어 | ||
| Casual future | 누를 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 누르고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 누르세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 눌러서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 누르면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 누르는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 누른 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 누를 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 눌러요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 누르지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 눌렀어요 | [눌러써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 누를 거예요 | [누를꺼예요] |
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 누르겠어요 | [누르게써요] |
| Formal present | 누릅니다 | [누름니다] |
| Formal past | 눌렀습니다 | [눌럳씀니다] |
| Formal future | 누를 것입니다 | [누를꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 눌렀어 | [눌러써] |
| Casual future | 누를 거야 | [누를꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 누르고 싶어요 | [누르고 시퍼요] |
| Negative (long form) | 누르지 않아요 | [누르지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 누르어요
Correct: ✓ 눌러요
Why: 누르다 is a 르 verb: ㄹ doubles before 어, giving 눌러요. Learners attach 어요 to the whole stem and keep the ㅡ, which does not happen in the 르 pattern.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 누르다?
밀다 is to push away, while 누르다 is pressing down or inward. 만지다 is simply touching. 클릭하다 is to click with a mouse. 누르다 is the right word for a physical button, a bell or a key.
Where Does 누르다 Turn Up?
Buttons, bells and doorbells are the usual objects. After 누르다 you often meet 입력하다 for typing in information.
A Dialogue at an Entrance Panel
A visitor reaches a building entrance with several buttons. A staff member explains which one opens the door, so the conversation moves from a question to an instruction and then a report of the action.
Visitor
어느 버튼을 눌러요?
Eoneu beoteuneul nulleoyo?
Which button do I press?
Staff member
이 버튼을 누르세요.
I beoteuneul nureuseyo.
Please press this button.
Visitor
눌렀어요. 이제 문이 열려요.
Nulleosseoyo. Ije muni yeollyeoyo.
I pressed it. Now the door is opening.
Staff member
네. 안으로 들어가세요.
Ne. Aneuro deureogaseyo.
Yes. Please go inside.
눌러요 uses the contracted 르 form. 누르세요 keeps 누르 because the ending does not begin with 아 or 어. 눌렀어요 returns to the changed stem for the past. These three forms belong to the same “press” verb, even though their written stems look different.
Common Phrases for Pressing
- 버튼을 누르다 — press a button. This applies to a physical button and also to a button shown on a screen. The action need not involve pushing a heavy object.
- 초인종을 누르다 — ring the doorbell. English names the resulting sound; Korean can name the pressing action. 초인종 identifies a doorbell specifically, while 벨 is broader.
- 꾹 누르다 — press firmly. 꾹 adds the sense of firm pressure. In device instructions, context can suggest pressing and holding rather than giving a quick light tap.
- 살짝 누르다 — press lightly. 살짝 limits the force or extent of the action. It is useful when a control responds without much pressure.
The modifiers change how you press, not the verb's conjugation. A button may need light pressure, firm pressure or a longer press; choose the modifier that matches the instruction rather than assuming 누르다 itself specifies the force.
Where Will You Hear or See 누르다?
누르다 appears in elevator instructions, entrance systems, kiosks and phone menus. A recorded phone menu may tell you which number to press. On a touchscreen, 누르세요 can instruct you to select a visible button even though there is no mechanical key moving inward.
누르세요 is a polite instruction. 눌러요 can be a statement or, with question intonation and a question mark, a question about what to press. In the dialogue, 어느 버튼 asks “which button,” so the speaker is seeking directions rather than reporting a habit.
The verb also reaches beyond controls. 화를 누르다 means to hold back anger, using the image of pressing an emotion down. The learner dictionary entry for 누르다 includes this sense of restraining feelings. Nothing physical has to be pressed; the emotional noun signals the figurative reading.
Which Stem Belongs before the Ending?
Use 눌러 before the familiar 아/어 family of endings: 눌러요, 눌렀어요 and 눌러서. The ㄹ appears at the end of the preceding syllable, and 르 loses its ㅡ. It is a specific spelling pattern, not an instruction to double ㄹ everywhere you see this verb.
With 누르면, 누르는 and 누르세요, keep 누르. The future 누를 거예요 needs particular care: the modifier ending ㄹ attaches under 르, giving 를 in the final syllable. Keep the space before 거예요. Comparing 누를 with 눌러 helps you avoid copying the present-tense stem into every form.
Also check the object. 누르다 focuses on pressure at a point or against a surface. 밀다 describes pushing something away or along, such as moving a door. 만지다 describes touching and does not by itself say that the contact activated anything. For a button, 누르다 usually gives the action more precisely.
Related Words for Controls and Screens
| Korean | Meaning | Useful detail |
|---|---|---|
| 버튼 | button | A control on a device or screen. |
| 초인종 | doorbell | What you press to announce your arrival. |
| 화면 | screen | Where an on-screen button appears. |
| 입력하다 | enter / input | Names entering information rather than the press itself. |
See smartphone and app vocabulary for words used in screen instructions.
Mini Drill: Choose 누르 or 눌러
- Give the polite present of 누르다.
- Give the polite instruction form from the table.
- Give the conditional form.
- Change 눌러요 to the polite past.
Show drill answers
- 눌러요.
- 누르세요.
- 누르면.
- 눌렀어요.
Quick Self-Test
- Can 누르다 describe selecting a touchscreen button?
- Does 꾹 suggest a light or firm press?
- In 화를 누르다, is someone pressing a physical object?
Show answers
- Yes. It is also used for screen controls.
- A firm press.
- No. It means holding back anger.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say Press the Button?
버튼을 눌러요, with the button as the object.
Why Does 누르다 Become 눌러요?
It is a 르 verb: ㅡ drops and ㄹ doubles before 어.
Is the Yellow 누르다 the Same Word?
No. It is a different adjective meaning yellow (golden), and its polite form is 누르러요.
How Is 누르다 Different from 클릭하다?
클릭하다 is to click with a mouse, while 누르다 is pressing a physical button or key.
Which Words Are Related to 누르다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 밀다 and 만지다, then 클릭하다 and 입력하다. The rule behind 눌러요 (to press) is in 르-irregular verbs and adjectives, and the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems. 누르다 (to press) sits beside 밀다 and 클릭하다 in the Korean verb dictionary.