Key Facts
- Hangul: 사귀다 (sagwida)
- Meaning: to date
- Level: B1
- Part of speech: verb
- Stem: 사귀
- Conjugation class: regular
- Grammar: The person you date or befriend takes 을/를 or 와/과 (친구를 사귀다, 그와 사귀다).
- Usage: Say 사귀는 사람이 있어요 (I am seeing someone). It is the usual verb for being in a relationship.
What Does 사귀다 Mean?
It covers dating (남자 친구를 사귀다) and making friends (친구를 사귀다). The person you date or befriend takes 을/를 or 와/과, as in 그와 사귀다. 사귀는 사람이 있어요 is the usual way to say I am seeing someone.
Senses:
- to date: Be in a relationship with someone, as in 남자 친구를 사귀다.
- to make friends: Get to know people, as in 친구를 사귀다.
How Do You Pronounce 사귀다?
사귀다 is read as spelled. The formal present 사귑니다 is [사귐니다], with ㅂ turning into [ㅁ] before ㄴ. The past 사귀었어요 is [사귀어써요], where the ㅆ moves to the front of the last syllable.
How Do You Use 사귀다 in a Sentence?
저는 새 친구를 많이 사귀고 싶어요.
I want to make many new friends.
저는 새 친구를 많이 사귀고 싶어요 uses the want-to form with 많이 for many.
두 사람은 일 년 전부터 사귀어요.
The two have been dating for a year.
두 사람은 일 년 전부터 사귀어요 gives the length of the relationship with 일 년 전부터.
학교에서 좋은 친구를 사귀었어요.
I made a good friend at school.
학교에서 좋은 친구를 사귀었어요 reports that a friendship formed at school. The past is [사귀어써요].
How Does Sagwida Conjugation Work?
사귀다 is regular. The stem 사귀 ends in ㅟ, and before 어 the polite present is written 사귀어요 and the past 사귀었어요. Endings that begin with a consonant attach to the bare stem: 사귀고, 사귀면, 사귀세요. The past modifier is 사귄.
사귀다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 사귀어요 | ||
| Polite past | 사귀었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 사귈 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 사귀겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 사귑니다 | ||
| Formal past | 사귀었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 사귈 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 사귀어 | ||
| Casual past | 사귀었어 | ||
| Casual future | 사귈 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 사귀고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 사귀세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 사귀어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 사귀면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 사귀는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 사귄 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 사귈 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 사귀어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 사귀지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 사귀었어요 | [사귀어써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 사귈 거예요 | [사귈꺼예요] |
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 사귀겠어요 | [사귀게써요] |
| Formal present | 사귑니다 | [사귐니다] |
| Formal past | 사귀었습니다 | [사귀얻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 사귈 것입니다 | [사귈꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 사귀었어 | [사귀어써] |
| Casual future | 사귈 거야 | [사귈꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 사귀고 싶어요 | [사귀고 시퍼요] |
| Negative (long form) | 사귀지 않아요 | [사귀지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 사겨요 in formal writing (casual in speech, where speakers do contract it)
Correct: ✓ 사귀어요
Why: The stem ends in ㅟ, and Hangul has no single letter for ㅟ + ㅓ, so the standard spelling keeps both: 사귀어요. 사겨요 is how many people say it, but it is not standard in writing.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 사귀다?
| Word | How to tell it from 사귀다 |
|---|---|
| 만나다 | 만나다 is to meet; 사귀다 means to be in a steady relationship or friendship. |
| 결혼하다 | 결혼하다 is to marry; 사귀다 is the dating stage before that. |
만나다 is to meet, while 사귀다 is being in a steady relationship or friendship. 결혼하다 is to marry, and 사귀다 is the dating stage before that.
Where Does 사귀다 Turn Up?
헤어지다 is the word for breaking up, and 사랑하다 is loving someone. Together they cover the arc of a relationship.
Dialogue: Talking after the First Week of Class
Two classmates discuss settling into a new school. Here 사귀다 is about friendship throughout; neither speaker is asking about a romantic partner.
Mina:
새 친구를 사귀었어요?
Sae chingureul sagwieosseoyo?
Have you made any new friends?
Alex:
네, 같은 반 친구를 사귀었어요.
Ne, gateun ban chingureul sagwieosseoyo.
Yes, I made a friend in my class.
Mina:
저도 친구를 많이 사귀고 싶어요.
Jeodo chingureul mani sagwigo sipeoyo.
I want to make lots of friends too.
Alex:
동아리에서 친구를 사귀어요.
Dongarieseo chingureul sagwieoyo.
I make friends through a club.
사귀었어요 reports a friendship already formed. 사귀고 싶어요 expresses a wish, while the final 사귀어요 describes a way of making friends. 같은 반 means “the same class,” and 동아리 is a school or university club. Those details make the friendship meaning clear without a separate explanation.
Which Phrases Go with 사귀다?
- 친구를 사귀다 — to make friends. The literal idea is forming friendships, rather than manufacturing a friend. 새 친구를 사귀다 adds “new.” This works when talking about a new school, a club, or moving to another town.
- 사귀는 사람 — someone you are dating. Literally “a person one dates,” this is a useful way to refer to a partner without saying boyfriend or girlfriend. In a question about someone's private life, the romantic meaning is usually understood.
- 오래 사귀다 — to date for a long time. 오래 describes the length of the relationship. With a friendship context, it can also describe knowing someone as a friend for a long time.
The object helps you choose the meaning. 친구를 사귀다 normally means making friends. 두 사람이 사귀다, with two people as the subject, often means they are dating. A single outing is 데이트; it does not by itself establish that two people are a couple.
Where Will You Hear It, and How Personal Is It?
사귀다 comes up in school introductions, advice about making friends, and conversations about relationships. In a romance drama, a question about whether two characters 사귀다 usually asks whether they are officially together. It asks about their relationship, rather than simply whether they have met.
The verb itself is neutral. A polite ending makes the wording polite, but a dating question can still feel personal. With someone you have just met, a question about hobbies or work is usually an easier opening than asking about a partner. Close friends may discuss the same topic very directly.
만나다 can also mean dating when the context is romantic. The difference is clearest with no context: “meet someone” can describe one encounter, whereas 사귀다 points to a relationship. The past 사귀었어요 in a dating conversation often suggests a former relationship; add clear time context if the relationship continues.
What Makes 사귀다 Tricky in Writing?
Keep 귀 in every form. 사귄 puts the past noun modifier ending ㄴ under 귀, and 사귈 puts the future modifier ending ㄹ there. Neither changes the stem into a different verb. Compare 사귀는 사람, a current partner, with 사귄 사람, someone you dated.
The negative 안 사귀어요 needs a space after 안. In a romantic context, it denies being together. It does not mean “I dislike that person,” and it does not explain whether the people are friends. Friendship, attraction, and dating are separate facts that the surrounding words need to express.
Relationship Words to Learn Next
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 친구 | friend | Names a friendship unless other context changes the reading. |
| 애인 | romantic partner | Refers to a partner without specifying gender. |
| 연애 | dating; romance | Names romantic involvement as an activity or experience. |
| 데이트 | date | A planned outing with romantic intent. |
The Korean dating vocabulary lesson puts these words alongside introductions, couples, and breakups.
Mini Drill: Keep the 귀 Stem
- Change 사귀다 to the polite past.
- Complete “a person I am dating”: ___ 사람.
- Write the polite short negative with 안.
- Choose the expression for making friends: 친구를 사귀다 or 데이트.
Show drill answers
- 사귀었어요.
- 사귀는 사람. The relationship is current.
- 안 사귀어요. Keep 안 separate.
- 친구를 사귀다. 데이트 refers to a romantic outing.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 친구를 사귀다 necessarily mean dating?
- Which word can describe one meeting: 만나다 or 사귀다?
- What does 사귀는 사람이 있어요 tell you in a dating conversation?
Show answers
- No. It normally means making friends.
- 만나다.
- The speaker is seeing someone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say I Am Seeing Someone?
사귀는 사람이 있어요.
Which Particle Marks the Person I Date?
을/를 or 와/과.
Is 사겨요 Correct?
사겨요 is a common spoken contraction, but it is not standard spelling. Write 사귀어요.
Does 사귀다 Also Mean Making Friends?
Yes. 친구를 사귀다 means to make friends.
Which Words Are Related to 사귀다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 만나다 and 결혼하다, then 헤어지다. The rule behind 사귀어요 (to date) is in polite present recipe, and the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems. 사귀다 (to date) sits beside 만나다 and 헤어지다 in the Korean verb dictionary.