Key Facts
- Hangul: 피곤하다 (pigonhada)
- Meaning: tired
- Level: A1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 피곤하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: As a descriptive word, the person who is tired takes 이/가 or 은/는, as in 저는 피곤해요.
- Usage: Very common daily word; an honorific equivalent is just 피곤하세요. The modifier 피곤한 얼굴 (a tired face) is common.
What Does 피곤하다 Mean?
The person who is tired takes 이/가 or 은/는, as in 저는 피곤해요. It is an A1 word you will use every day. Before a noun it becomes 피곤한, as in 피곤한 얼굴 (a tired face).
Senses:
- tired: Feeling physically or mentally worn out, as in 오늘 많이 피곤해요.
How Do You Pronounce 피곤하다?
피곤하다 is read as spelled. The ㄴ at the end of 곤 and the ㅎ of 하 sit side by side without merging, so Revised Romanization keeps the h: pigonhada. The formal present 피곤합니다 is [피곤함니다]. The past modifier 피곤했던 is [피곤핻떤].
How Do You Use 피곤하다 in a Sentence?
오늘 일이 많아서 너무 피곤해요.
I have a lot of work today, so I am very tired.
오늘 일이 많아서 너무 피곤해요 gives the cause first with 많아서 and the result second. 너무 means very.
어제는 많이 피곤했어요.
I was very tired yesterday.
어제는 많이 피곤했어요 uses the past [피곤해써요] and the topic marker 은/는.
피곤해서 일찍 자고 싶어요.
I am tired, so I want to sleep early.
피곤해서 일찍 자고 싶어요 joins the tiredness to a wish by 피곤해서, the because-form.
How Does Pigonhada Conjugation Work?
피곤하다 is a 하다 adjective. 하 and 여 contract to 해, so you get 피곤해요 and 피곤했어요. Before a noun, use 피곤한. There is no want-to form for it, because -고 싶다 attaches to verbs and not to descriptive words. The honorific 피곤하세요 is just 하다 plus 세요.
피곤하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 피곤해요 | ||
| Polite past | 피곤했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 피곤할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 피곤하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 피곤합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 피곤했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 피곤할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 피곤해 | ||
| Casual past | 피곤했어 | ||
| Casual future | 피곤할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 피곤하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 피곤해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 피곤하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 피곤한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 피곤했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 피곤할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 피곤해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 피곤하지 않아요 |
Form left out on purpose (Want to (polite)): -고 싶다 attaches to verbs, not to descriptive words like this one.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 피곤했어요 | [피곤해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 피곤할 거예요 | [피곤할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 피곤하겠어요 | [피곤하게써요] |
| Formal present | 피곤합니다 | [피곤함니다] |
| Formal past | 피곤했습니다 | [피곤핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 피곤할 것입니다 | [피곤할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 피곤했어 | [피곤해써] |
| Casual future | 피곤할 거야 | [피곤할꺼야] |
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 피곤했던 | [피곤핻떤] |
| Negative (long form) | 피곤하지 않아요 | [피곤하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 피곤한해요
Correct: ✓ 피곤해요
Why: Learners keep the 한 of the modifier. The polite present of a 하다 adjective is 해요, so 피곤하 becomes 피곤해요.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 피곤하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 피곤하다 |
|---|---|
| 졸리다 | 졸리다 means sleepy and wanting to sleep; 피곤하다 means worn out, which may not make you sleepy. |
| 힘들다 | 힘들다 means hard or tough, either a task or your state; 피곤하다 only describes being tired. |
졸리다 means sleepy and wanting to sleep. 피곤하다 means worn out, which may not make you sleepy. 힘들다 means hard or tough, either a task or your state, while 피곤하다 only describes being tired.
Where Does 피곤하다 Turn Up?
피곤하다 sits next to 아프다 and 건강하다 in the health vocabulary. It is the usual word after a long day of work or study.
At Home after a Long Shift
Jisu has just come home from work. Alex asks about her condition, then Jisu explains why she wants an early night. The scene uses the present, past and reason forms.
Alex
오늘 많이 피곤해요?
Oneul mani pigonhaeyo?
Are you very tired today?
Jisu
네, 어제도 피곤했어요.
Ne, eojedo pigonhaesseoyo.
Yes, I was tired yesterday too.
Alex
오늘은 일찍 자요.
Oneureun iljjik jayo.
Go to bed early tonight.
Jisu
네, 피곤해서 쉬고 싶어요.
Ne, pigonhaeseo swigo sipeoyo.
Yes, I am tired, so I want to rest.
피곤해서 gives the reason for wanting rest. The wish belongs to 쉬다, “to rest,” rather than to the adjective describing tiredness. 어제도 means “yesterday too,” so Jisu is saying that the tiredness has lasted beyond a single workday.
Natural Combinations for Everyday Tiredness
몸이 피곤하다 means that your body feels tired. It fits physical effort, travel or a long day standing up. 정신적으로 피곤하다 points to mental tiredness, such as feeling worn out after hours of concentrated work or a difficult conversation. The adjective itself covers both; the added words make the source clearer.
너무 피곤해요 often means “I’m so tired.” 너무 can mean “too,” but everyday speakers also use it to strengthen an adjective without making a precise claim that a limit has been crossed. 많이 피곤해요 is another natural way to describe a lot of tiredness. 조금 피곤해요 softens the degree to “a little tired.”
피곤한 하루 means “a tiring day.” English shifts from “tired” for a person to “tiring” for the day, while Korean can use 피곤한 in both kinds of description. 피곤한 얼굴 focuses on a face that shows tiredness. The noun following the modifier tells you whether the phrase describes a person’s appearance or an experience.
How Do You Ask Respectfully about Tiredness?
피곤하세요? asks whether someone you are honoring is tired. It is a question about their state, not a command to become tired. The same spelling can appear in the table’s honorific cell because 세요 has several uses; an adjective does not become an action verb when that ending is attached.
피곤해요? is a normal polite question to a coworker you know or another adult in an ordinary conversation. With a respected older person, 피곤하세요? also honors the person being discussed. Neither question needs a separate word meaning “are.” Korean puts the adjective directly at the end.
You will hear 피곤해 in close relationships and 피곤해요 in everyday polite conversation. In a drama, a short reply about tiredness can also explain why a character wants to end a conversation or leave a gathering. The surrounding action tells you whether the speaker is reporting physical exhaustion or signaling that they need a break.
Tiredness Words to Learn Next
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 피로 | fatigue | A noun used in descriptions of fatigue and products marketed for it. |
| 잠 | sleep | Names sleep itself, rather than the feeling of tiredness. |
| 휴식 | rest | A noun for taking a break or recovering. |
| 졸리다 | to be sleepy | Describes wanting to fall asleep. |
피로 회복 means “recovery from fatigue,” a phrase seen on packaging and in advertisements. It is a vocabulary expression, rather than a guarantee about a product. 피곤하다 is more useful when telling someone how you feel; 피로 names the condition as a noun. The health vocabulary lesson groups this language with other words for physical condition.
What Should Stay Separate in Writing?
Write 안 피곤해요 with a space after 안. The negative says you do not feel tired. Write 피곤하지 않아요 with the separate word 않아요 in the longer version. In contrast, 피곤해서 is one connected form: the reason ending belongs to the adjective.
Keep 피곤한 for a following noun and 피곤해요 for the end of a polite statement. That distinction solves the existing mistake 피곤한해요: the modifier and sentence ending fill different positions, so they are not stacked together.
Mini Drill: Describe the Tired Person
- Change 피곤하다 to the polite past.
- Complete “a tired face”: ____ 얼굴.
- Join “I’m tired” to a reason: ____ 일찍 자고 싶어요.
- Ask a respected older person whether they are tired.
Show drill answers
- 피곤했어요.
- 피곤한 얼굴.
- 피곤해서 일찍 자고 싶어요.
- 피곤하세요?
Quick Self-Test
- Can someone feel 피곤하다 without being 졸리다?
- Which is a noun: 피로 or 피곤하다?
- Does 피곤하세요? tell someone to become tired?
Show answers
- Yes. Feeling worn out does not always mean wanting to sleep.
- 피로.
- No. It asks respectfully about their condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say I Am Very Tired?
오늘 많이 피곤해요.
Why Is There No 고 싶어요 Form?
-고 싶다 attaches to verbs, and 피곤하다 is a descriptive word.
What Is the Difference between 피곤하다 and 졸리다?
졸리다 is sleepy, while 피곤하다 is worn out.
How Do I Say a Tired Face?
피곤한 얼굴.
Which Words Are Related to 피곤하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 졸리다 and 힘들다, then 아프다. The rule behind 피곤해요 (tired) is in 하다 to 해요, and the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems. 피곤하다 (tired) sits beside 졸리다 and 힘들다 in the Korean verb dictionary.