Key Facts
- Hangul: 사다 (sada)
- Meaning: to buy
- Level: A1
- Stem: 사
- Class: regular
- Objects: transitive
- Honorific polite: 사세요
What Does 사다 Mean?
사다 means to buy: to get something by paying, as in 옷을 사다. It is one of the most frequent verbs in Korean. It is transitive, and the thing bought takes 을/를 (옷을 사요). Common objects are 물건 and 선물.
In brief:
- to buy. Get something by paying, as in 옷을 사다.
To buy something for another person, add 주다: 사 주다 means to buy for someone. The honorific polite form is 사세요.
How Do You Pronounce 사다?
The dictionary form and the polite present are read as written. The past 샀어요 is read [사써요]: the ㅆ written under 사 is pronounced at the start of the next syllable as a tense ss. The formal present 삽니다 is read [삼니다], and the want-to form 사고 싶어요 is read [사고 시퍼요].
How the main forms sound:
- 샀어요 [사써요]
- 살 거예요 [살꺼예요]
- 사겠어요 [사게써요]
- 삽니다 [삼니다]
- 샀습니다 [삳씀니다]
- 살 것입니다 [살꺼심니다]
- 샀어 [사써]
- 살 거야 [살꺼야]
- 사고 싶어요 [사고 시퍼요]
- 사지 않아요 [사지 아나요]
How Do You Use 사다 in a Sentence?
저는 시장에서 과일을 사요.
I buy fruit at the market.
시장에서 marks where the buying happens, and 과일을 marks the thing bought. The routine is expressed with 저는 and the polite present. (사요)
어제 새 신발을 샀어요.
I bought new shoes yesterday.
새 신발을 gives the thing as new shoes. 어제 sets the time, and 샀어요 is the past. (샀어요)
가방을 사고 싶어요.
I want to buy a bag.
The want-to ending 사고 싶어요 attaches directly to the stem. The thing wanted, 가방을, still takes 을/를. (사고 싶어요)
How Does Sada Conjugation Work?
사다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 사요 | ||
| Polite past | 샀어요 | ||
| Polite future | 살 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (guess) | 사겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 삽니다 | ||
| Formal past | 샀습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 살 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 사 | ||
| Casual past | 샀어 | ||
| Casual future | 살 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 사고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 사세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 사서 | ||
| Conditional | 사면 | ||
| Present modifier | 사는 | ||
| Past modifier | 산 | ||
| Future modifier | 살 | ||
| Short negative | 안 사요 | ||
| Long negative | 사지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 사요 | as written |
| Polite past | 샀어요 | [사써요] |
| Polite future | 살 거예요 | [살꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 사겠어요 | [사게써요] |
| Formal present | 삽니다 | [삼니다] |
| Formal past | 샀습니다 | [삳씀니다] |
| Formal future | 살 것입니다 | [살꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 사 | as written |
| Casual past | 샀어 | [사써] |
| Casual future | 살 거야 | [살꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 사고 싶어요 | [사고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 사세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 사서 | as written |
| Conditional | 사면 | as written |
| Present modifier | 사는 | as written |
| Past modifier | 산 | as written |
| Future modifier | 살 | as written |
| Short negative | 안 사요 | as written |
| Long negative | 사지 않아요 | [사지 아나요] |
Is 사다 Regular or Irregular?
사다 is regular. The stem 사 ends in ㅏ, so the ending 아 merges into it and the polite present is 사요. The past 샀어요 adds a final ㅆ to the same syllable. The explanation is on the polite present recipe page.
Which Mistake Do Learners Make with 사다, to Buy?
Wrong: ✗ 사았어요
Correct: ✓ 샀어요
Why: 사 + 았어요 merges to 샀어요; the stem vowel ㅏ is not repeated.
Learners build the past by stacking the ending on the stem: 사았어요. The vowels join, so 사 + 았어요 becomes 샀어요 and the ㅏ is not repeated.
How Does 사다, to Buy, Differ from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 팔다 | 팔다 is the other half of the transaction. 사다 is to buy and 팔다 is to sell, and one sentence about a market might use both. |
| 살다 | 살다 looks and sounds similar, since 살아요 is to live and 사요 is to buy. Check the final consonant of the dictionary form: 사다 has none, 살다 ends in ㄹ. |
Choosing a Present with a Friend
Two friends are shopping for a birthday present. They use polite speech with each other while deciding what to buy and comparing an earlier purchase.
Jisu
생일 선물로 뭘 사요?
Saengil seonmullo mwol sayo?
What are you buying as a birthday present?
Alex
책을 살 거예요.
Chaegeul sal geoyeyo.
I’m going to buy a book.
Jisu
작년에도 책을 샀어요?
Jangnyeonedo chaegeul sasseoyo?
Did you buy a book last year too?
Alex
아니요. 작년에는 가방을 샀어요.
Aniyo. Jangnyeoneneun gabangeul sasseoyo.
No. Last year I bought a bag.
사요 asks about the current shopping decision, 살 거예요 states the plan, and 샀어요 places a purchase in the past. 선물로 means “as a present”. The object 책을 names what Alex will buy; the purpose of buying it is already clear from Jisu’s question.
Buying, Treating and Buying for Someone
선물을 사다 means to buy a present. It does not yet say who will receive it. A phrase such as 친구에게 줄 선물, “a present to give a friend”, supplies that missing information. Buying and giving are related actions, but 사다 alone only names the purchase.
사 주다 means to buy something for someone. Keep the words separate in this learning pattern. 주다 adds the benefit to another person: the speaker is doing more than simply reporting a shopping trip. The thing bought still takes 을/를.
밥을 사다 can mean to treat someone to a meal. In a conversation about meeting for lunch, the speaker may be offering to pay rather than buying uncooked rice. 커피를 사다 works similarly when someone offers to pay for coffee. The situation tells you whether it is a treat or an ordinary purchase.
돈으로 사다 means to buy with money. The particle 으로 marks the means of payment. Compare the item with 을/를 and the shop with 에서: the three phrases answer what you buy, where you buy it and how you pay.
Where Will You Hear 사다?
In shops and market conversations, 사다 describes a purchase from the customer's side. A seller can use 사세요 to invite someone to buy. Its grammar honors the buyer, but it is still a sales invitation, so the tone may be energetic rather than formal.
삽니다 appears in notices from people or businesses offering to buy things, especially used goods. Compare it with 팝니다, “for sale”. The first notice seeks an item; the second offers one. This short difference can reverse the meaning of an online listing.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 가격 | price | The amount you check before buying. |
| 선물 | present / gift | A common object of 사다. |
| 영수증 | receipt | Records a completed purchase. |
| 환불 | refund | Concerns getting money back after buying. |
The shopping vocabulary lesson teaches these words with other shop and payment terms.
When Buying Looks Like Living
사는, 산 and 살 can come from either 사다 or 살다. A noun such as 곳 often points to living, while an item being purchased points to buying. Some short phrases remain ambiguous until you read the surrounding sentence.
The polite present and past give a clearer contrast: 사요 and 샀어요 refer to buying; 살아요 and 살았어요 refer to living. Keep the ㄹ in the living forms rather than guessing from a shared modifier such as 사는.
Mini Drill: Complete the Purchase
- Change 사요 to the polite past.
- Give the planned future of 사다.
- Give the formal form used in a buying notice.
- Write the short negative “I don't buy”.
Show drill answers
- 샀어요.
- 살 거예요.
- 삽니다.
- 안 사요.
Quick Self-Test
- A notice says 삽니다. Is the writer offering an item for sale?
- What does 사 주다 add to the meaning of buying?
- In a lunch invitation, what can 밥을 사다 mean?
Show answers
- No. The writer wants to buy something.
- The purchase is for someone else's benefit.
- To treat someone to a meal or pay for their meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say I Bought It?
샀어요. The example 어제 새 신발을 샀어요 means I bought new shoes yesterday.
What Does 사 주다 Mean?
To buy something for someone. 사 is the connecting form of 사다, and 주다 adds that the purchase is for another person.
Is 사다 the Same as 살다?
No. 사다 is to buy and 살다 is to live. The two share a first syllable, and 살다 is an ㄹ-irregular verb, so some of its forms drop the ㄹ and look very close to forms of 사다.
What Is the Honorific Polite Form?
사세요. It is the honorific polite form in the table.
Which Words Are Related to 사다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 팔다 for the seller's side. 주문하다 covers ordering, 계산하다 covers paying, and 쇼핑하다 is the wider word for shopping. The Korean verb conjugator checks any form of to buy; the whole Korean verb dictionary lists the other entries, and the class rule is on the polite present recipe page.