Key Facts
- Hangul: 소개하다 (sogaehada)
- Meaning: to introduce
- Level: A1
- Part of speech: verb
- Stem: 소개하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: The introduced person takes 을/를; the listener takes 에게/한테: 친구를 부모님께 소개해요.
- Usage: A1 word; 자기소개 is the set phrase. 소개해 주세요 asks for an introduction.
What Does 소개하다 Mean?
It is an A1 word because self-introductions come in the first lesson. The person introduced takes 을/를, and the listener takes 에게/한테, as in 친구를 부모님께 소개해요.
Senses:
- to introduce: Introduce a person or thing to someone: 친구를 소개하다.
How Do You Pronounce 소개하다?
소개하다 is read as spelled. The formal present 소개합니다 is [소개함니다], because the ㅂ of 합 turns into [ㅁ] before ㄴ. In the past, 소개했어요 is [소개해써요], and the ㅆ is carried over to the front of the last syllable.
How Do You Use 소개하다 in a Sentence?
제가 친구를 소개할 거예요.
I will introduce my friend.
제가 친구를 소개할 거예요 uses the plan form, [소개할꺼예요] in speech. 제가 is the humble way to say I as a subject.
저를 소개합니다.
I introduce myself.
저를 소개합니다 is the formal present and is typical of presentations or the start of a speech. The object is the speaker, so 저를 takes 을/를.
친구가 좋은 식당을 소개해요.
My friend recommends a good restaurant.
친구가 좋은 식당을 소개해요 shows that the verb also works for places. The restaurant is the object, and the friend is the one doing the introducing.
How Does Sogaehada Conjugation Work?
소개하다 is a 하다 verb. 하 and 여 contract to 해 before 아 or 어, so you get 소개해요 and 소개했어요. Endings that begin with a consonant keep 하, as in 소개하면 and 소개하세요.
소개하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 소개해요 | ||
| Polite past | 소개했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 소개할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 소개하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 소개합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 소개했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 소개할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 소개해 | ||
| Casual past | 소개했어 | ||
| Casual future | 소개할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 소개하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 소개하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 소개해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 소개하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 소개하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 소개한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 소개할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 소개 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 소개하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 소개했어요 | [소개해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 소개할 거예요 | [소개할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 소개하겠어요 | [소개하게써요] |
| Formal present | 소개합니다 | [소개함니다] |
| Formal past | 소개했습니다 | [소개핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 소개할 것입니다 | [소개할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 소개했어 | [소개해써] |
| Casual future | 소개할 거야 | [소개할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 소개하고 싶어요 | [소개하고 시퍼요] |
| Negative (long form) | 소개하지 않아요 | [소개하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 제 소개해요.
Correct: ✓ 저를 소개해요 / 자기소개를 해요.
Why: 제 cannot work as the object here. The person introduced takes 을/를, so myself becomes 저를 and the sentence is 저를 소개해요. For the set phrase meaning to introduce myself, use 자기소개를 하다.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 소개하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 소개하다 |
|---|---|
| 설명하다 | 설명하다 explains; 소개하다 presents someone or something for the first time. |
| 인사하다 | 인사하다 is greeting; 소개하다 is introducing someone to others. |
설명하다 is to explain, while 소개하다 presents someone or something for the first time. 인사하다 is greeting, whereas 소개하다 brings someone to others. A person can 인사하다 without ever being introduced.
Where Does 소개하다 Turn Up?
자기소개 is the set phrase for a self-introduction, and 소개해 주세요 asks for an introduction. You may also meet 만나다 right afterwards, because an introduction is usually followed by a meeting.
Dialogue: Introducing a Friend at a Club Meeting
A club member brings a friend to a meeting. Another member asks for an introduction before everyone starts talking.
Hana:
친구를 소개해 주세요.
Chingureul sogaehae juseyo.
Please introduce your friend.
Tom:
네, 제 친구를 소개할 거예요.
Ne, je chingureul sogaehal geoyeyo.
Yes, I will introduce my friend.
Hana:
다른 회원들에게도 소개했어요?
Dareun hoewondeuregedo sogaehaesseoyo?
Did you introduce your friend to the other members too?
Tom:
네, 아까 소개했어요.
Ne, akka sogaehaesseoyo.
Yes, I introduced my friend earlier.
소개해 주세요 requests an introduction, 소개할 거예요 announces the plan, and 소개했어요 reports a completed introduction. 다른 회원들에게도 means “to the other members too.” Korean leaves out the introduced person in the final two lines because the friend is already the topic.
Which Phrases Use 소개하다?
- 자기소개를 하다 — to introduce yourself. Literally “do a self-introduction,” this is the familiar phrase for a class, meeting, or interview opening. The noun 자기소개 refers to the introduction itself.
- 친구를 소개하다 — to introduce a friend. The friend takes 를. Add the listener with 에게 or 한테 when the audience is not obvious.
- 책을 소개하다 — to present a book. A presenter might give its title, subject, and a short description. 소개하다 does not require introducing a person.
- 소개를 받다 — to receive an introduction. This reverses the viewpoint: someone else arranges or provides the introduction for you. It does not mean that you are doing the introducing.
소개하다 can present something favorably, but it does not always mean recommending it. A program can introduce a town or an author simply to make viewers familiar with them. 추천하다 more directly expresses a recommendation that the listener choose or try something.
Where Will You Hear or See 소개하다?
Teachers ask students for self-introductions, hosts introduce guests, and colleagues introduce new team members. A website's 회사 소개 section is a company introduction or profile. A video described as a product introduction may show what a product is and how it works before offering an opinion about it.
Formal introductions often use 소개합니다 or 소개하겠습니다. The latter announces that the speaker will now introduce someone or something. A friendly conversation may use 소개해요, and 소개해 주세요 asks someone else to make the introduction. Choose the ending for the situation rather than assuming introductions always need a formal speech.
For the first greeting, people usually give a name and a short relevant detail. 소개하다 names the act of introducing; you do not have to say the verb every time you meet someone. In a club, explaining that the newcomer is your friend can be enough to start the exchange.
What Makes 소개하다 Tricky?
There are two people to keep track of: the person being introduced and the person hearing the introduction. 친구를 부모님께 소개해요 introduces a friend to one's parents. 친구 takes 를, while 부모님 takes the respectful recipient marker 께. Reversing those roles changes who is being presented to whom.
제 친구를 소개해요 is correct because 제 modifies 친구: “my friend.” The existing mistake 제 소개해요 lacks the noun 친구 and does not mark “me” as the object. 저를 소개해요 uses 저 with the object marker instead. 자기소개를 해요 offers another way to express a self-introduction.
When introducing someone to a senior person, 소개해 드리다 is a considerate expression for doing the introduction for them. It shows regard for the recipient. Introducing a professor to a class is a different relationship between participants, so identify who is receiving the introduction before adding respectful wording mechanically.
Keep 소개하다 as one verb. 자기소개를 하다 is spaced because 자기소개를 is a separate noun with a particle. In 소개해 주세요, 주세요 is written separately here. These patterns help you recognize the same act even when its noun and verb parts appear in different structures.
Words for Introductions and First Meetings
| Korean | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 자기소개 | self-introduction | A common opening task in classes and interviews. |
| 이름 | name | Usually part of an introduction. |
| 직업 | occupation | Relevant when people meet through work. |
| 취미 | hobby | A natural detail in a class or club introduction. |
The Korean introductions lesson gives the greeting and personal details that can follow an introduction.
Mini Drill: Who Is Introduced to Whom?
- Complete “introduce a friend to my parents”: 친구___ 부모님___ 소개해요.
- Write the polite past of 소개하다.
- Choose the phrase for “my friend”: 제 친구 or 저를 친구.
- Write “I will introduce” using the plan form.
Show drill answers
- 친구를 부모님께 소개해요.
- 소개했어요.
- 제 친구.
- 소개할 거예요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 책을 소개하다 introduce a person?
- Who does the introducing in 소개를 받다: the subject or someone else?
- What does 회사 소개 usually label on a website?
Show answers
- No. It presents a book.
- Someone else provides the introduction.
- The company introduction or profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Introduce Myself?
Use 저를 소개합니다 in a formal setting or 자기소개를 해요 as a set phrase.
Which Particle Goes on the Person Introduced?
The person introduced takes 을/를, and the listener takes 에게/한테 or 께 for someone senior.
What Does 소개해 주세요 Mean?
It asks someone politely to introduce a person or thing to you.
Can I Introduce a Restaurant with 소개하다?
Yes. 좋은 식당을 소개해요 means recommending or presenting a place.
Which Words Are Related to 소개하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 설명하다 and 인사하다, then 만나다 for the meeting that follows an introduction. The rule behind 소개해요 (to introduce) is in 하다 to 해요, and the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems. For the negative of 소개하다 (to introduce), see negating 하다 verbs. 소개하다 (to introduce) sits beside 인사하다 and 설명하다 in the Korean verb dictionary.