Key Facts
- Hangul: 쓰다 (sseuda)
- Meaning: bitter
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 쓰
- Conjugation class: ㅡ-drop
- Grammar: Takes 이/가 for the thing that tastes bitter.
- Usage: Same spelling as 쓰다 (write), 써요 is ambiguous without context: 약이 써요 (bitter) vs 편지를 써요 (write).
What Does 쓰다 Mean?
The thing that tastes bitter takes 이/가: 이 약은 너무 써요 says this medicine is too bitter, and 쓴 약 is bitter medicine. Coffee, herbal medicine and some vegetables are the usual cases.
Because the verb 쓰다 (to write or to wear) gives the same 써요, only context decides: 약이 써요 is bitter, while 편지를 써요 is a different verb. This page covers only the taste.
Senses:
- bitter: Describes a bitter taste, e.g. 쓴 약 (bitter medicine).
How Do You Pronounce 쓰다?
쓰다 is read as spelled, [쓰다]. The past 썼어요 is [써써요], and 썼습니다 is [썯씀니다], because the doubled ㅆ is a plain stop at the end of a syllable. The formal present 씁니다 is [씀니다].
How Do You Use 쓰다 in a Sentence?
이 약은 너무 써요.
This medicine is too bitter.
이 약은 너무 써요 pairs 약 with 너무 for 'too', and 써요 shows the ㅡ having dropped.
커피가 써서 설탕을 넣었어요.
The coffee was bitter, so I added sugar.
커피가 써서 설탕을 넣었어요 gives the cause with 써서 and then the remedy, adding sugar.
쓴 맛이 싫어요.
I dislike the bitter taste.
쓴 맛이 싫어요 uses the modifier 쓴 before 맛 and states a dislike.
How Does Bitter in Korean Change with 쓰다 Conjugation?
쓰다 is a ㅡ-drop adjective. Before 아/어 the ㅡ of 쓰 disappears and the remaining ㅆ joins the ending: 쓰 + 어요 becomes 써요, and 쓰 + 었어요 becomes 썼어요. With consonant endings and 으 endings the ㅡ stays: 쓰면, 쓰세요, 쓴, 씁니다. The ending vowel is 어 because ㅡ is not a bright vowel.
쓰다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 써요 | ||
| Polite past | 썼어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 쓸 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 쓰겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 씁니다 | ||
| Formal past | 썼습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 쓸 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 써 | ||
| Casual past | 썼어 | ||
| Casual future | 쓸 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 쓰세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 써서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 쓰면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 쓴 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 썼던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 쓸 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 써요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 쓰지 않아요 |
For a word meaning 'bitter', -고 싶다 has no cell, because that ending attaches to action verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 썼어요 | [써써요] |
| Polite future | 쓸 거예요 | [쓸꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 쓰겠어요 | [쓰게써요] |
| Formal present | 씁니다 | [씀니다] |
| Formal past | 썼습니다 | [썯씀니다] |
| Formal future | 쓸 것입니다 | [쓸꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 썼어 | [써써] |
| Past modifier | 썼던 | [썯떤] |
| Long negative | 쓰지 않아요 | [쓰지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 쓰어요
Correct: ✓ 써요
Why: ㅡ-stems drop the ㅡ before 어, so 쓰 + 어 = 써. Learners keep the ㅡ and add 어요; the ㅡ has to drop first.
Where Does 쓰다 Turn up in Daily Talk?
The word comes up around medicine, coffee and food. 달다 is the opposite taste, and 시다, 짜다 and 맵다 name the others. When a sentence is ambiguous, the nouns around it settle which 쓰다 you mean.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 쓰다?
| Word | How to tell it from 쓰다 |
|---|---|
| 쓰다 (to write) | 쓰다 also means to write or to wear; here only the bitter taste sense is covered. |
| 달다 | 달다 is sweet, the opposite taste. |
Choosing Coffee at a Cafe
Two friends are discussing a coffee they have just tried. One remembers yesterday’s drink and asks for a different taste.
Mina
이 커피는 너무 써요.
I keopineun neomu sseoyo.
This coffee is too bitter.
Alex
어제 커피도 썼어요.
Eoje keopido sseosseoyo.
Yesterday’s coffee was bitter too.
Mina
저는 쓴 커피가 싫어요.
Jeoneun sseun keopiga sireoyo.
I do not like bitter coffee.
Alex
그럼 라테를 마셔요.
Geureom ratereul masyeoyo.
Then let’s have a latte.
써요 evaluates the drink now, 썼어요 refers to the earlier coffee, and 쓴 describes coffee before the noun. The final line suggests another drink; it does not guarantee a particular latte’s sweetness. Adding milk can change the taste without adding sugar.
Bitter Tastes and Bitter Experiences
쓴맛 is the noun “bitterness” or “bitter taste.” It is written as one word when naming the taste itself. The example 쓴 맛 uses an adjective followed by 맛; in vocabulary lists, packaging and discussions of flavor, learn the established noun 쓴맛 as well.
쓴맛을 보다 literally means “to taste bitterness.” It can describe an unpleasant experience, especially failure after expecting success. In sports reporting, a team may experience the bitterness of defeat. The phrase does not mean anyone ate bitter food. The event supplies the figurative meaning.
쓴소리 literally combines “bitter” with “sound,” but means a harsh or unwelcome criticism, often intended as advice. A friend or senior colleague can offer 쓴소리 when someone needs to hear an uncomfortable truth. It describes the effect of the words, not their volume or an actual flavor.
Where Will You Meet the Taste Sense?
Coffee discussions, food reviews and comments about medicine are common places to hear 써요. 너무 써요 says the bitterness is excessive for the speaker. The adjective alone does not say that food has spoiled or that a drink has been made incorrectly. Some people enjoy the bitter taste of unsweetened coffee.
Food descriptions may name 쓴맛 alongside sweetness, sourness and saltiness. A drink can have more than one taste. Calling coffee bitter does not prevent you from also noticing sourness. Use the taste word that matches the sensation you mean rather than treating all strong flavors as 쓰다.
When someone says 약이 써요, 약 is the medicine that tastes bitter. In 편지를 써요, 편지를 is the letter being written. Both sentences end in the same sound and spelling, so listening for the nearby noun and its particle is more useful than trying to distinguish two pronunciations of 써요.
Which Endings Keep ㅡ?
The ㅡ disappears in 써요, 써서 and 썼어요 because those endings involve 어. It stays in 쓰면, 쓴 and 씁니다. Do not remove it from every form after learning the present tense. The before-a-noun form 쓴 keeps the stem vowel and adds ㄴ as the final consonant.
Because 쓰 is a one-syllable stem, there is no earlier vowel to choose 아 or 어 after ㅡ drops; the form takes 어. This is the useful reason for 써요. Longer ㅡ-stems need a separate look at the preceding vowel, as the linked ㅡ-drop lesson explains.
The homograph “to write” has the same polite present and past, but a different present noun modifier. For bitter medicine, choose 쓴 약. The taste adjective describes a quality; the writing verb describes an action. Decide which meaning the sentence needs before choosing a modifier.
| Related word | Meaning | Taste distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 맛 | taste | The general noun in descriptions of flavor. |
| 달다 | sweet | Sugar commonly adds this taste. |
| 시다 | sour | Describes acidity rather than bitterness. |
| 떫다 | astringent | Describes a puckering, drying sensation, as with an unripe persimmon. |
Compare these sensations in Korean taste adjectives before using one English word, “strong,” for several different flavors.
Mini Drill: Build the Right Form
- Give the polite present of the taste adjective 쓰다.
- Complete “bitter medicine”: ____ 약.
- Give the conditional “if it is bitter.”
- Give the polite past for a drink you tried yesterday.
Show drill answers
- 써요.
- 쓴 약.
- 쓰면.
- 썼어요.
Quick Self-Test
- What clue separates “bitter” from “write” in a sentence ending 써요?
- Does 쓴맛을 보다 always involve food?
- Is sourness the same taste as bitterness?
Show self-test answers
- The surrounding nouns, particles and situation.
- No. It can mean experiencing failure or disappointment.
- No. Sour is 시다; bitter is 쓰다.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say "It Is Bitter"?
써요. For medicine: 이 약은 너무 써요.
Why Is It 써요 and Not 쓰어요?
쓰다 is a ㅡ-drop word. The ㅡ drops before 어, giving 써.
Is This the Same Word as "to Write"?
It is spelled the same, and 써요 is the same in both. The nouns decide: 약이 써요 is bitter, 편지를 써요 is a different verb.
What Is the Opposite of 쓰다?
달다 is the opposite taste.
Which Words Are Related to 쓰다?
The entries closest to 쓰다 (bitter) are 달다 (sweet), 시다 (sour), 짜다 (salty), 맵다 (spicy).
What Should You Learn Next?
달다 is the opposite taste, and 시다, 짜다 and 맵다 complete the set. To see why 'bitter' takes the form 써요, read ㅡ-drop verbs and adjectives; the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest of the family.