Key Facts
- Hangul: 싫다 (silta)
- Meaning: disliked
- Level: A1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 싫
- Conjugation class: regular
- Grammar: The disliked thing takes 이/가: 저는 매운 음식이 싫어요.
- Usage: Direct and strong, and also a plain refusal.
What Does 싫다 Mean?
싫다 means that a thing or person is disliked or unwanted, as in 저는 비가 싫어요 (I dislike rain). It is direct and strong.
싫어요 can also be a plain refusal. To soften it, Korean uses 별로 좋아하지 않아요.
How Do You Pronounce 싫다?
The final ㅎ changes the sounds around it. The dictionary form is [실타], the formal 싫습니다 is [실씀니다], and the negative 싫지 않아요 is [실치 아나요]. Before a vowel the ㅎ falls silent, so 싫었어요 is [시러써요].
How Do You Use 싫다 in a Sentence?
저는 매운 음식이 싫어요.
I dislike spicy food.
저는 is the topic and 매운 음식이 is the disliked thing with 이.
일찍 일어나는 것이 싫었어요.
I hated getting up early.
일찍 일어나는 것이 turns an action into a noun phrase; 싫었어요 is the past feeling.
비 오는 날은 싫지 않아요.
I don't mind rainy days.
비 오는 날은 is the topic, and 싫지 않아요 means 'I don't mind'.
How Does Silta Conjugation Work?
싫다 is regular. The stem 싫- takes 어 and no change: 싫어요, 싫었어요, 싫어서. After a consonant, 으 appears: 싫으면, 싫은, 싫으세요. The negative is 싫지 않아요.
싫다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 싫어요 | ||
| Polite past | 싫었어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 싫을 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 싫겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 싫습니다 | ||
| Formal past | 싫었습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 싫을 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 싫어 | ||
| Casual past | 싫었어 | ||
| Casual future | 싫을 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 싫으세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 싫어서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 싫으면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 싫은 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 싫었던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 싫을 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 싫어요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 싫지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary form | 싫다 | [실타] |
| Polite present | 싫어요 | [시러요] |
| Polite past | 싫었어요 | [시러써요] |
| Polite future | 싫을 거예요 | [시를꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 싫겠어요 | [실케써요] |
| Formal present | 싫습니다 | [실씀니다] |
| Formal past | 싫었습니다 | [시럳씀니다] |
| Formal future | 싫을 것입니다 | [시를꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 싫어 | [시러] |
| Casual past | 싫었어 | [시러써] |
| Casual future | 싫을 거야 | [시를꺼야] |
| Honorific polite | 싫으세요 | [시르세요] |
| Because | 싫어서 | [시러서] |
| Conditional | 싫으면 | [시르면] |
| Present modifier | 싫은 | [시른] |
| Past modifier | 싫었던 | [시럳떤] |
| Future modifier | 싫을 | [시를] |
| Short negative | 안 싫어요 | [안 시러요] |
| Long negative | 싫지 않아요 | [실치 아나요] |
싫다 Forms to Reach for First
- Politely (disliked): 싫어요
- Earlier, in the past (disliked): 싫었어요
- Giving the reason (disliked): 싫어서
- If the condition holds (disliked): 싫으면
- Before a noun (disliked): 싫은, or 싫었던 for the past
- Denying it (disliked): 싫지 않아요
- Honorific, about a respected person (disliked): 싫으세요
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 저는 비를 싫어요
Correct: ✓ 저는 비가 싫어요 / 저는 비를 싫어해요
Why: 싫다 is an adjective, so the disliked thing takes 이/가. The object marker 을/를 belongs with the verb 싫어하다.
When Does 싫다 Fit Best?
Use 싫다 for a direct reaction. Use 싫어하다 with an object when you want the verb pattern; how strong it sounds also depends on the situation and tone.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 싫다?
| Word | How to tell it from 싫다 |
|---|---|
| 싫어하다 | 싫어하다 is a verb with an object (비를 싫어해요); 싫다 is an adjective with the disliked thing as 이/가 subject. |
| 좋다 | The opposite: 좋다 means good or liked, while 싫다 means disliked. |
Choosing Dinner without Spicy Food
Two friends are deciding what to eat. One dislikes spicy food, so the other suggests a different dish rather than trying to persuade them.
Jisu
매운 음식은 싫어요?
Maeun eumsigeun sireoyo?
Do you dislike spicy food?
Alex
네. 어릴 때도 싫었어요.
Ne. Eoril ttaedo sireosseoyo.
Yes. I disliked it as a child too.
Jisu
싫으면 다른 걸 먹어요.
Sireumyeon dareun geol meogeoyo.
If you don’t like it, let’s eat something else.
Alex
좋아요. 김밥은 싫지 않아요.
Joayo. Gimbabeun silchi anayo.
Okay. I don’t mind gimbap.
싫어요 states a current dislike, 싫었어요 recalls a past preference, and 싫으면 makes the next suggestion conditional. 싫지 않아요 softens the final response to “I don’t mind it”. It is weaker than saying the food is a favorite. The topic marker 은 contrasts the two food choices.
Phrases for Dislike and Unwillingness
싫어요 can answer an offer or suggestion with “I don’t want to” or “No, I don’t like that”. The missing subject is supplied by the conversation. The form is polite in grammar, but the refusal is still direct. You can use it when you need a clear boundary; for an ordinary unwanted offer, a softer refusal may fit better.
하기 싫다 means “not to want to do it”. The action 하다 becomes the noun-like 하기, and 싫다 describes that action as unwanted. The same idea appears in the existing example 일찍 일어나는 것이 싫었어요, where getting up early is the thing the speaker disliked. This pattern is about unwillingness, not inability.
싫은 소리 literally suggests “unwelcome words” and commonly means criticism or something unpleasant to hear. It does not simply describe an annoying sound. The noun 소리 can refer to what someone says, so this phrase may concern a reprimand even when the person speaks quietly.
싫지 않아요 means “I don’t dislike it”. In a conversation about preferences, that can be a reserved acceptance: you are open to the suggestion without praising it strongly. Listen to the tone and the rest of the answer. The negative of a dislike does not always amount to enthusiasm.
Who Dislikes What?
저는 비가 싫어요 has two roles: 저는 identifies the person whose feeling we are talking about, and 비가 identifies the thing disliked. English puts “I” before “dislike” and “rain” after it. Korean uses an adjective here, so copying the English object structure produces the mistake shown above.
저는 비를 싫어해요 uses the verb 싫어하다 instead, and 비를 is its object. The basic feeling can be the same. 싫어하다 is especially useful when reporting another person’s preferences as an observation, rather than speaking directly from that person’s feelings. The adjective-versus-verb distinction matters more than assuming one word is always gentler.
With a person as the disliked thing, 싫어요 can sound personal and hurtful. Disliking a dish and telling someone you dislike them are very different social situations even though the grammar is similar. Naming the particular activity or proposal often makes your intended limit clearer.
Where Will You Hear 싫다?
Everyday decisions about food, plans, and chores often bring out 싫다. In dramas, a short 싫어! can be an emotional refusal, especially between close speakers. Copying that delivery into a polite conversation can sound much stronger than the English subtitle “no” suggests.
싫다 gives a person’s reaction. 나쁘다 judges something as bad, and the two do not automatically agree. You can dislike a perfectly good food or a reasonable plan. If the reason is simply your preference, 싫다 says that directly without needing a claim about quality.
Same Sound, Different Spelling: 싫어요 and 실어요
The ㅎ in 싫어요 is silent before the vowel ending, giving the sound shown in the table. 실어요, from 싣다, can sound the same but means “load”. Keep the ㅎ when writing dislike. Luggage and a vehicle suggest loading; an unwanted food or proposal suggests dislike.
싫다 is regular in its written conjugation even though its sounds change. Before 다, the ㅎ helps produce the aspirated sound in [실타]. Before a vowel, the sound disappears, but the spelling keeps 싫-. Compare 싫어요, 싫으면, and 싫은 rather than deleting ㅎ from your written stem.
Related Words for Stating a Preference
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 싫어하다 | to dislike | Uses 을/를 for the disliked object. |
| 좋다 | good / liked | The adjective counterpart for a positive reaction. |
| 좋아하다 | to like | A verb with an object, like 싫어하다. |
| 취향 | taste / preference | Names someone’s personal preferences. |
The feeling-verbs lesson explains the related adjective and verb patterns, including how to talk about someone else’s feelings.
Mini Drill: Mark the Disliked Thing
- Complete 저는 비____ 싫어요.
- Give the polite past of 싫다.
- Describe something unwanted before a noun: ____ 일.
- Give the long negative meaning “I don’t dislike it”.
Show drill answers
- 가: 저는 비가 싫어요.
- 싫었어요.
- 싫은 일.
- 싫지 않아요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 요 make 싫어요 a gentle refusal in every situation?
- Which takes an object with 를: 싫다 or 싫어하다?
- Which spelling describes dislike: 싫어요 or 실어요?
Show answers
- No. The refusal can still sound direct.
- 싫어하다.
- 싫어요, with ㅎ in the written stem.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 싫다?
싫어요.
How Do I Say 'I Dislike Rain'?
저는 비가 싫어요.
What Is the Difference from 싫어하다?
싫어하다 is a verb with an object (비를 싫어해요); 싫다 is an adjective with the disliked thing as 이/가 subject.
What Is the Opposite?
좋다, meaning good or liked.
Which Words Are Related to 싫다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 싫다 with 싫어하다 and 좋다 to see the adjective-verb pair. The pattern is explained in the present-tense conjugation recipe. Then run another word through the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.