Key Facts
- Hangul: 오래되다 (oraedoeda)
- Meaning: old (things)
- Part of speech: adjective (형용사)
- Level: A2
- Stem: 오래되
- Class: regular
What Does 오래되다 Mean?
오래되다 is the everyday word for old when the subject is an object: 오래된 집 is a house that has stood for many years. It does not describe a person's age. For that meaning, use 늙다 or 나이가 많다; 오래된 친구 instead describes a long friendship. Because the idea is 'a long time has passed', Korean usually speaks of the present state with the past form 오래됐어요, and the thing described takes 이/가.
How Do You Pronounce 오래되다?
Nothing in the dictionary form is tricky: the spelling is the sound. Contracted forms are the ones to hear. The stem 오래되 plus the polite ending shortens to 오래돼요, and in the past tense 오래됐어요 is [오래돼써요]. The formal present 오래됩니다 is said [오래됨니다], with the ㅂ turning into an m sound before the ㄴ.
How Do You Use 오래되다 in a Sentence?
이 집은 아주 오래됐어요.
This house is very old.
이 집은 아주 오래됐어요 uses the past form to state how things are now, the normal way to say 'it is old'. 아주 intensifies it.
오래된 책을 읽어요.
I read an old book.
오래된 책을 읽어요 shows the modifier. 오래된 looks like a past form, but it is simply the present modifier of this word.
오래돼서 고장 났어요.
It is old, so it broke down.
오래돼서 고장 났어요 gives a reason with the ending 서: the old age is the cause of the breakdown.
How Does Oraedoeda Conjugation Work?
오래되다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 오래돼요 | ||
| Polite past | 오래됐어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 오래될 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 오래되겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 오래됩니다 | ||
| Formal past | 오래됐습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 오래될 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 오래돼 | ||
| Casual past | 오래됐어 | ||
| Casual future | 오래될 거야 | ||
| Because / and then | 오래돼서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 오래되면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 오래된 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 오래됐던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 오래될 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 오래돼요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 오래되지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 오래돼요 | — |
| Polite past | 오래됐어요 | [오래돼써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 오래될 거예요 | [오래될꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 오래되겠어요 | [오래되게써요] |
| Formal present | 오래됩니다 | [오래됨니다] |
| Formal past | 오래됐습니다 | [오래됃씀니다] |
| Formal future | 오래될 것입니다 | [오래될꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 오래돼 | — |
| Casual past | 오래됐어 | [오래돼써] |
| Casual future | 오래될 거야 | [오래될꺼야] |
| Because / and then | 오래돼서 | — |
| Conditional (if) | 오래되면 | — |
| Modifier, present | 오래된 | — |
| Modifier, past | 오래됐던 | [오래됃떤] |
| Modifier, future | 오래될 | — |
| Short negative | 안 오래돼요 | — |
| Long negative | 오래되지 않아요 | [오래되지 아나요] |
Is 오래되다 Regular or Irregular?
오래되다 is a regular word built from 오래 plus 되다. Its stem 오래되 ends in a vowel, so 어요 joins it and 되 + 어 contracts to 돼: 오래돼요. Before a consonant the stem stays whole, as in 오래되지 않아요. Since the stem does not change, the how to conjugate Korean verbs in the present tense lesson covers every cell in the table.
Common Mistake with 오래되다
Wrong: ✗ 오래되는 집
Correct: ✓ 오래된 집
Why: 오래되다 is an adjective, and adjectives take -(으)ㄴ before a noun, never -는. Its modifier is therefore 오래된, which only looks like a past form.
오래되다 Versus 늙다 and 낡다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 늙다 | 늙다 is for aging people and animals; 오래되다 is for things. |
| 낡다 | 낡다 means worn out. 오래되다 only says that something has existed for a long time, and it may still be in good shape. |
Looking at a Family Bookshelf
Jisu notices an old book at Minho’s home. The conversation concerns how long the book has existed, rather than the age of its reader.
Jisu
이 책은 오래됐어요?
I chaegeun oraedwaesseoyo?
Is this book old?
Minho
네, 아주 오래된 책이에요.
Ne, aju oraedoen chaegieyo.
Yes, it’s a very old book.
Jisu
오래돼서 종이가 노래요.
Oraedwaeseo jongiga noraeyo.
The paper is yellow because it’s old.
오래됐어요 describes the book’s age now, 오래된 puts that description before 책, and 오래돼서 gives a reason. The past wording in the question does not mean the book has stopped being old.
Which Combinations Are Useful beyond Old Objects?
오래된 건물 means an old building, while 오래된 전통 means a long-standing tradition. 오래되다 concerns the time that something has existed, so its subject need not be a physical object. A custom, story or relationship can have a long history too.
오래된 친구 means a long-time friend: someone you have known for a long time. It describes the length of the friendship, rather than saying the person is elderly. This combination appears in the National Institute of Korean Language’s 오래되다 entry. For the person’s age, choose an age expression instead.
만난 지 오래됐어요 means it has been a long time since meeting. The phrase measures the time since an event, rather than calling an object old. Keep 지 separate here: 만난 지. This is a useful pattern when talking about how long it has been since seeing a friend.
Where Will You Hear 오래되다?
When viewing a home or buying a used item, 오래됐어요 can describe age without making a complete judgment about condition. A building can be old and well maintained; a newer item can already be damaged. The example about something breaking gives a possible consequence of age, rather than part of the definition.
In a museum or a travel account, 오래된 may introduce a building, tradition or object with a long history. The word itself does not tell you an exact date. If the age matters, look for a year or a separate explanation rather than treating 오래된 as a precise historical category.
Among friends, 오래된 친구 can sound warm because it points to a shared history. Calling someone old in age needs different wording and can be sensitive; 나이가 많다 states that a person is older, while an appropriate respectful expression depends on the situation. 오래되다 offers no shortcut for politely describing a person’s age.
Spacing and 되 Versus 돼
오래되다 is one dictionary word, so keep 오래 attached to 되다 in 오래됐어요 and 오래된. The related adverb 오래 can stand separately with another verb, such as 오래 기다리다, “to wait a long time”. That expression describes waiting for a long time rather than the age of the waiting person.
되 is the stem spelling; 돼 represents 되어. This gives 오래되면 with 되 before 면, but 오래돼서 with 돼 before 서. The plain present 오래돼요 is a valid form, even though a statement about an object’s existing age more often uses 오래됐어요. A table lists possible forms; a conversation also needs the form that fits the intended meaning.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 오래 | for a long time | An adverb used with actions such as waiting. |
| 낡다 | to be worn / shabby | Describes condition rather than age alone. |
| 새롭다 | to be new / fresh | Can contrast with something familiar or long established. |
| 전통 | tradition | Something abstract that can be 오래된. |
The opposites vocabulary lesson helps separate contrasts in age, condition and newness.
Mini Drill: a Long History
- Describe an old house in a complete polite sentence using the common past form.
- Put 오래되다 before 책.
- Give the connecting form meaning “because it is old”.
- Give the conditional form from the table.
Show drill answers
- 이 집은 아주 오래됐어요.
- 오래된 책.
- 오래돼서.
- 오래되면. Keep 되 before 면.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 오래된 guarantee that an object is worn out?
- Does 오래된 친구 necessarily mean an elderly friend?
- Is 오래되다 written with a space inside it?
Show answers
- No. 낡다 describes worn condition more directly.
- No. It means a friend you have known for a long time.
- No. It is one word.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is 오래됐어요 Used for 'It Is Old'?
The idea is that a long time has passed, so Korean reports the result with the past form. The present 오래돼요 is also grammatical but less common for a plain description.
Can I Call a Person 오래되다?
For a person's age, use 늙다 or 나이가 많다. 오래된 친구 is possible, but it means a long-time friend, not an elderly friend.
Does 오래된 Mean the Thing Is Worn Out?
No. That is 낡다. An 오래된 책 may be a valued antique.
Which Dictionary Class Is 오래되다?
The dictionary lists it as an adjective, so 오래된 is its normal modifier before a noun.
Which Words Are Related to 오래되다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 늙다 next to see how Korean talks about aging people, then compare 새롭다 as the opposite and 젊다 and 어리다 for young. The Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest of the family.