Key Facts
- Hangul: 사용하다 (sayonghada)
- Meaning: to use
- Level: A2
- Stem: 사용하
- Class: 하다 type
- Objects: transitive
- Honorific polite: 사용하세요
What Does 사용하다 Mean?
- to use. Used for using tools, services or things: 컴퓨터를 사용하다 (to use a computer).
사용하다 is transitive, so the thing you use takes the object particle 을/를. It is fairly formal and common on signs, in manuals and in polite speech; the noun phrase 사용 방법 means 'how to use' or 'instructions for use'. In casual conversation Koreans often say 쓰다 instead.
How Do You Pronounce 사용하다?
The spelling is read as written, and the main sound changes are in the endings. The past 사용했어요 is read [사용해써요]. The formal present 사용합니다 is read [사용함니다]. The plan form 사용할 거예요 is read [사용할꺼예요].
All forms with a sound change:
- 사용했어요 [사용해써요]
- 사용할 거예요 [사용할꺼예요]
- 사용하겠어요 [사용하게써요]
- 사용합니다 [사용함니다]
- 사용했습니다 [사용핻씀니다]
- 사용할 것입니다 [사용할꺼심니다]
- 사용했어 [사용해써]
- 사용할 거야 [사용할꺼야]
- 사용하고 싶어요 [사용하고 시퍼요]
- 사용하지 않아요 [사용하지 아나요]
How Do You Use 사용하다 in a Sentence?
저는 매일 컴퓨터를 사용해요.
I use a computer every day.
컴퓨터를 is the thing used, and 매일 gives the frequency. The polite present 사용해요 sounds a little more careful than the same sentence with 쓰다.
이 방을 사용합니다.
We use this room.
The formal present 사용합니다 fits an announcement or a formal speaker. 이 방을 (this room) is the object.
이 펜을 사용하세요.
Please use this pen.
사용하세요 is the honorific polite form, used for a polite request. 이 펜을 (this pen) points at a pen the speaker is offering.
How Does Sayonghada Conjugation Work?
사용하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 사용해요 | ||
| Polite past | 사용했어요 | ||
| Polite future | 사용할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (guess) | 사용하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 사용합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 사용했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 사용할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 사용해 | ||
| Casual past | 사용했어 | ||
| Casual future | 사용할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 사용하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 사용하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 사용해서 | ||
| Conditional | 사용하면 | ||
| Present modifier | 사용하는 | ||
| Past modifier | 사용한 | ||
| Future modifier | 사용할 | ||
| Short negative | 사용 안 해요 | ||
| Long negative | 사용하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 사용해요 | as written |
| Polite past | 사용했어요 | [사용해써요] |
| Polite future | 사용할 거예요 | [사용할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 사용하겠어요 | [사용하게써요] |
| Formal present | 사용합니다 | [사용함니다] |
| Formal past | 사용했습니다 | [사용핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 사용할 것입니다 | [사용할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 사용해 | as written |
| Casual past | 사용했어 | [사용해써] |
| Casual future | 사용할 거야 | [사용할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 사용하고 싶어요 | [사용하고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 사용하세요 | as written |
| Because / and then | 사용해서 | as written |
| Conditional | 사용하면 | as written |
| Present modifier | 사용하는 | as written |
| Past modifier | 사용한 | as written |
| Future modifier | 사용할 | as written |
| Short negative | 사용 안 해요 | as written |
| Long negative | 사용하지 않아요 | [사용하지 아나요] |
Is 사용하다 Regular or Irregular?
사용하다 is a 하다 word built on the noun 사용. Like every 하다 verb, it changes 하 to 해 before any 아/어 ending: 사용해요, 사용했어요, 사용해서. The step is explained on the 하다 to 해요 page. For negatives, see the negating 하다 verbs page.
What Mistake Do Learners Make with 사용하다?
Wrong: ✗ 컴퓨터가 사용해요
Correct: ✓ 컴퓨터를 사용해요
Why: 사용하다 is transitive, so the thing you use is the object and takes 을/를, not the subject particle 이/가. 컴퓨터가 사용해요 would make the computer the one doing the using.
How Is 사용하다 Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 쓰다 | 쓰다 is the everyday word for 'use', and it can also mean 'spend' (money) or 'write'. 사용하다 is a bit more formal and has only the one meaning. |
| 이용하다 | 이용하다 often describes using a service or facility. 사용하다 focuses on using things, including objects, rooms and equipment. |
At a Shared Office: Choosing a Computer
A visitor asks a receptionist which computer is available. The same verb appears as a polite present question, a polite instruction and a past-tense report.
Visitor
이 컴퓨터를 사용해요?
I keompyuteoreul sayonghaeyo?
Do I use this computer?
Receptionist
네. 이 컴퓨터를 사용하세요.
Ne. I keompyuteoreul sayonghaseyo.
Yes. Please use this computer.
Visitor
어제도 이 컴퓨터를 사용했어요.
Eojedo i keompyuteoreul sayonghaesseoyo.
I used this computer yesterday too.
The first line checks an instruction rather than asking about a habit. The visitor points to a machine, so 이 identifies the computer under discussion. In the last line, 도 attaches to 어제: “yesterday too”. It adds an earlier occasion without changing the object 컴퓨터를.
What Do 사용 Signs and Labels Mean?
사용 중 means “in use”. You may see it beside an occupied room or a piece of equipment. 중 presents an ongoing state; it does not say who is using the thing or when they will finish. 사용 금지 means “use prohibited”. 금지 makes the notice a restriction, so it is much stronger than a suggestion to choose another machine.
사용 가능 means “available for use” or “usable”. On a shared device, this can describe availability. In a product description, it can describe compatibility or whether something can be used at all. Read the nearby noun: the same short label can answer different practical questions.
사용 방법 literally means “use method”, and naturally translates as “how to use”. 사용 설명서 is an instruction manual. These phrases use the noun 사용, so there is no 해요 ending. Korean headings and labels often name the topic with a noun rather than write a complete sentence.
Which Combinations Are Useful beyond Computers?
휴대폰을 사용하다 means to use a mobile phone. It leaves the exact activity open: the person could be calling, reading or opening an app. If you need to explain what you did, name the action as well. 사용하다 alone tells the listener that the device was used, not which feature was involved.
일회용 means “single-use” or “disposable”. 재사용 means “reuse”. Recognising 사용 inside these words helps with packaging and recycling instructions. A disposable item is intended for one use; 재사용 refers to using an item again. Neither word tells you by itself how to dispose of the item.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 기기 | device | A general word for equipment in instructions. |
| 전원 | power | Often labels the power control on a device. |
| 버튼 | button | Names the control you press, physically or on screen. |
| 설명서 | manual | Gives instructions for the product. |
The technology vocabulary lesson gives the wider set for discussing devices.
Keep the Noun and the Verb Ending Straight
사용해요 is one word, while the split expression 사용을 해요 has a noun, its particle and the verb. The short negative in the table, 사용 안 해요, places 안 before 해요 and keeps spaces. 사용하지 않아요 keeps 사용하지 together and puts a space before 않아요.
The contrast with 이용하다 is a useful tendency, not a strict wall: 사용하다 can also describe using a room or service. For choosing a beginner sentence, think of a tool and its operation with 사용하다, or access to a service with 이용하다. The existing room example shows why “objects only” would be too narrow.
Mini Drill: Instructions and Use
- Change 사용하다 to the polite past.
- Give the polite instruction form from the table.
- Make 사용해요 negative using 안.
- Choose the object marker: 컴퓨터가 or 컴퓨터를?
Show drill answers
- 사용했어요.
- 사용하세요.
- 사용 안 해요.
- 컴퓨터를, because the computer is being used.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 사용 중 mean the equipment is free?
- Which phrase identifies instructions: 사용 방법 or 사용 금지?
- Can 사용하다 describe using a room?
Show answers
- No. It means “in use”.
- 사용 방법. 사용 금지 prohibits use.
- Yes. The range includes rooms and other things you use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 사용하다 Formal?
Fairly. It is common on signs, in manuals and in polite speech, while 쓰다 is the usual choice in casual conversation.
What Object Particle Does 사용하다 Take?
It takes 을/를, because the thing you use is the object: 컴퓨터를 사용해요 (I use a computer).
How Do I Ask Someone to Use Something?
Use the honorific polite form 사용하세요, as in 이 펜을 사용하세요 (Please use this pen).
How Is It Different from 이용하다?
이용하다 often describes making use of a service or facility, such as a library or the subway. 사용하다 focuses on using things such as a pen or computer, but can also apply to rooms and services.
Which Words Are Related to 사용하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 쓰다 for the casual alternative and 이용하다 for services. 만들다 covers making things, and 필요하다 (to be needed) often comes up in the same situations. The Korean verb conjugator checks any form of 사용하다; the whole Korean verb dictionary lists the other entries, and the class rule is on the 하다 to 해요 page.