Key Facts
- Hangul: 솔직하다 (soljikada)
- Meaning: honest
- Level: B1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 솔직하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: Describes someone's way of speaking or acting; often with 솔직하게.
- Usage: Positive, but 너무 솔직하다 can mean tactlessly blunt.
What Does 솔직하다 Mean?
솔직하다 describes someone who speaks or acts without hiding the truth, as in 솔직한 사람 or 솔직하게 말하다. It is a compliment for people who say what they really think.
It is very common as the adverb 솔직히 (honestly) in conversation. Used with 너무, it can mean someone is tactlessly blunt.
How Do You Pronounce 솔직하다?
The ㄱ at the end of 직 meets ㅎ and becomes an aspirated ㅋ, so the dictionary form is [솔지카다]. The same ㅋ appears in 솔직해요, [솔지캐써요] in the past, and [솔지캄니다] in the formal present.
How Do You Use 솔직하다 in a Sentence?
제 친구는 항상 솔직해요.
My friend is always honest.
제 친구는 is the topic; 항상 stresses that this is a stable trait.
솔직하면 마음이 편해요.
If you are honest, your heart is at ease.
솔직하면 is conditional: if you are honest, 마음이 편해요 follows.
솔직한 의견을 말해 주세요.
Please tell me your honest opinion.
솔직한 modifies 의견을; 말해 주세요 is a polite request.
How Does Soljikada Conjugation Work?
솔직하다 is a 하다 adjective: 솔직해요, 솔직했어요, 솔직해서. The modifier is 솔직한, and the conditional is 솔직하면. The adverb is 솔직하게, and the negative is 솔직하지 않아요.
솔직하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 솔직해요 | ||
| Polite past | 솔직했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 솔직할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 솔직하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 솔직합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 솔직했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 솔직할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 솔직해 | ||
| Casual past | 솔직했어 | ||
| Casual future | 솔직할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 솔직하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 솔직해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 솔직하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 솔직한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 솔직했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 솔직할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 솔직해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 솔직하지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary form | 솔직하다 | [솔지카다] |
| Polite present | 솔직해요 | [솔지캐요] |
| Polite past | 솔직했어요 | [솔지캐써요] |
| Polite future | 솔직할 거예요 | [솔지칼꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 솔직하겠어요 | [솔지카게써요] |
| Formal present | 솔직합니다 | [솔지캄니다] |
| Formal past | 솔직했습니다 | [솔지캗씀니다] |
| Formal future | 솔직할 것입니다 | [솔지칼꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 솔직해 | [솔지캐] |
| Casual past | 솔직했어 | [솔지캐써] |
| Casual future | 솔직할 거야 | [솔지칼꺼야] |
| Honorific polite | 솔직하세요 | [솔지카세요] |
| Because | 솔직해서 | [솔지캐서] |
| Conditional | 솔직하면 | [솔지카면] |
| Present modifier | 솔직한 | [솔지칸] |
| Past modifier | 솔직했던 | [솔지캗떤] |
| Future modifier | 솔직할 | [솔지칼] |
| Short negative | 안 솔직해요 | [안 솔지캐요] |
| Long negative | 솔직하지 않아요 | [솔지카지 아나요] |
솔직하다 Forms to Reach for First
- Politely (honest): 솔직해요
- Earlier, in the past (honest): 솔직했어요
- Giving the reason (honest): 솔직해서
- If the condition holds (honest): 솔직하면
- Before a noun (honest): 솔직한, or 솔직했던 for the past
- Denying it (honest): 솔직하지 않아요
- Honorific, about a respected person (honest): 솔직하세요
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 솔직히 사람이에요
Correct: ✓ 솔직한 사람이에요
Why: Learners reach for the adverb 솔직히 before a noun. Before 사람 you need the modifier form 솔직한.
When Does 솔직하다 Fit Best?
Use 솔직하다 for frankness in words and feelings. For reliability in work, 성실하다 is the better fit.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 솔직하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 솔직하다 |
|---|---|
| 성실하다 | 성실하다 is faithfulness and diligence in work; 솔직하다 is being frank and open about what you think or feel. |
| 용감하다 | 용감하다 is courage in action; 솔직하다 is the courage to say things plainly, but it is about words, not danger. |
Asking for Feedback on a Presentation
Two coworkers have just finished a practice presentation. One wants useful feedback rather than a polite compliment.
Mina
솔직한 의견을 듣고 싶어요.
Soljikan uigyeoneul deutgo sipeoyo.
I would like to hear your honest opinion.
Alex
설명이 조금 길었어요.
Seolmyeongi jogeum gireosseoyo.
The explanation was a little long.
Mina
솔직해서 좋아요.
Soljikaeseo joayo.
I like that you are honest.
Alex
다음에도 솔직할 거예요.
Daeumedo soljikal geoyeyo.
I will be honest next time too.
솔직한 describes the requested opinion, 솔직해서 gives the reason for appreciation, and 솔직할 거예요 promises future openness. 조금 softens the criticism without removing the specific problem. The feedback concerns the length of the explanation, so the listener has something concrete to change.
솔직히, 솔직하게 and 솔직한
솔직히 말해서 means “to be honest” or “frankly speaking.” It often introduces a personal opinion that might surprise or disappoint the listener. The literal wording is about speaking honestly; its conversational job is to prepare the listener for a frank remark. It is not a guarantee that the remark will be gentle.
솔직히 말하다 and 솔직하게 말하다 both describe speaking honestly. 솔직히 is a short adverb; 솔직하게 uses the adjective with -게 to describe how someone speaks. For a learner, both are useful with 말하다. Neither can replace 솔직한 before the noun 의견, “opinion.”
솔직한 마음 means one’s honest feelings or true feelings. A person may have hidden those feelings out of embarrassment rather than because of deliberate lying. This is why 솔직하다 fits personal confessions and conversations about relationships as well as factual truth.
Where Does Frankness Sound Welcome?
You will hear 솔직하다 in interviews, conversations between friends and scenes where someone admits a feeling. A host may invite a 솔직한 answer because the guest has been giving safe, conventional replies. In a drama, 솔직히 can signal that a confession or a difficult disagreement is coming next.
A request for a 솔직한 의견 invites candor, but the surrounding relationship still matters. At work, identify the issue clearly and keep the criticism about the work. The dialogue uses a specific observation about the explanation. Calling a coworker “too honest” may instead comment on that person’s lack of tact.
솔직해요 is polite toward the listener, while 솔직해 is casual. Neither ending makes a blunt remark considerate by itself. 너무 솔직하다 can criticize excessive bluntness, so 너무 does not simply make the compliment stronger. Compare praising openness with complaining that someone says every negative thought aloud.
What Should You Watch in the Spelling?
The sound of ㄱ plus ㅎ can make 솔직해요 difficult to recognize by ear. The pronunciation changes, but the spelling keeps 솔직. Write the same root in 솔직한, 솔직하면 and 솔직합니다. The aspirated sound is not a reason to replace the root’s final ㄱ with ㅋ.
There are three different jobs to choose from: finish a description with 솔직해요, describe a noun with 솔직한, or describe speaking with 솔직히. Decide what comes next in the sentence before selecting the form. The common mistake above puts an adverb directly before 사람, which needs the noun modifier instead.
성실하다 praises diligence and dependable effort. A worker can be 성실하다 while feeling too shy to state an unpopular opinion. 용감하다 praises bravery, including actions in danger. 솔직하다 specifically concerns openness about thoughts, facts or feelings; courage may help, but it is not the word’s whole meaning.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 의견 | opinion | Something you can ask someone to give honestly. |
| 마음 | heart / feelings | Points to feelings that may be hard to reveal. |
| 성실하다 | diligent / sincere | Praises steady effort and responsibility. |
| 착하다 | kind / good-hearted | Describes character rather than frankness alone. |
See personality adjectives for descriptions that help you distinguish honesty, kindness and diligence.
Mini Drill: Build the Right Form
- Choose the form before 의견: 솔직한 or 솔직히.
- Give the polite past of 솔직하다.
- Give the because-form for “because someone is honest.”
- Make the long negative of 솔직해요.
Show drill answers
- 솔직한 의견.
- 솔직했어요.
- 솔직해서.
- 솔직하지 않아요.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 솔직히 말해서 prepare the listener for?
- Does 너무 솔직하다 always praise someone?
- Which adjective best praises dependable work: 솔직하다 or 성실하다?
Show self-test answers
- A frank personal opinion or admission.
- No. It can mean that the person is tactlessly blunt.
- 성실하다.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 솔직하다?
솔직해요.
How Do I Say 'an Honest Person'?
솔직한 사람.
Is 솔직히 the Same Word?
It is the adverb 'honestly'; it cannot modify a noun.
How Does It Differ from 용감하다?
용감하다 is courage in action; 솔직하다 is the courage to say things plainly.
Which Words Are Related to 솔직하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 솔직하다 with 성실하다 and 용감하다, then use 확실하다 for certainty. The pattern is explained in how 하다 words become 해요. Then run another word through the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.