Sseuda conjugation follows the ㅡ-drop pattern: the stem's ㅡ disappears before 아 or 어.
Key Facts
- Hangul: 쓰다 (sseuda)
- Meaning: to write; to use; to wear (hat); to spend (money)
- Level: A1
- Stem: 쓰
- Class: ㅡ-drop
- Polite present / past: 써요 / 썼어요
- Honorific polite: 쓰세요
What Does 쓰다 Mean?
Korean dictionaries group these uses into three senses:
- to write. Put words on paper or a screen, as in 편지를 쓰다.
- to use. Use something, as in 컴퓨터를 쓰다; also to wear a hat or glasses (모자를 쓰다).
- to spend (money). Spend money, as in 돈을 쓰다.
In every sense the object takes 을/를 (편지를 써요, 모자를 써요). Glasses and masks also go with 쓰다, because they sit on the face. The adjective 쓰다 (bitter) is a different word that happens to share the spelling, and it is not covered here.
How Do You Pronounce 쓰다?
In Revised Romanization the verb is written sseuda, and the dictionary form is read as spelled. The ss is the tense ㅆ, with no puff of air, and the vowel ㅡ is unrounded: spread the lips slightly and keep the tongue high.
These conjugated forms sound different from their spelling:
- 썼어요 [써써요]
- 쓸 거예요 [쓸꺼예요]
- 쓰겠어요 [쓰게써요]
- 씁니다 [씀니다]
- 썼습니다 [썯씀니다]
- 쓸 것입니다 [쓸꺼심니다]
- 썼어 [써써]
- 쓸 거야 [쓸꺼야]
- 쓰고 싶어요 [쓰고 시퍼요]
- 쓰지 않아요 [쓰지 아나요]
How Do You Use 쓰다 in a Sentence?
저는 일기를 써요.
I keep a diary.
The object 일기를 is a diary, so this is the writing sense, and the polite present 써요 reports a habit. (써요)
어제 친구에게 편지를 썼어요.
I wrote a letter to a friend yesterday.
Past tense 썼어요 with 편지를 and a named recipient: the writing sense again, now finished. (썼어요)
새 모자를 쓰고 싶어요.
I want to wear a new hat.
Here the want-to ending sits on the hat sense: 모자를 쓰고 싶어요 says you want to put a hat on your head, not write one. (쓰고 싶어요)
How Does Sseuda Conjugation Work? (19 forms)
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 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 쓰고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 쓰세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 써서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 쓰면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 쓰는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 쓴 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 쓸 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 써요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 쓰지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 써요 | as written |
| Polite past | 썼어요 | [써써요] |
| Polite future | 쓸 거예요 | [쓸꺼예요] |
| Formal present | 씁니다 | [씀니다] |
| Casual present | 써 | as written |
| Honorific | 쓰세요 | as written |
| Because | 써서 | as written |
| If | 쓰면 | as written |
| Modifier now | 쓰는 | as written |
| Long negative | 쓰지 않아요 | [쓰지 아나요] |
Is 쓰다 Regular or Irregular?
쓰다 belongs to the ㅡ-drop (으-irregular) class: the stem-final ㅡ drops before 아/어. In longer stems the vowel of the previous syllable decides between 아 and 어; a one-syllable stem like 쓰 always takes 어, giving 써요. Before consonant endings the stem stays whole: 쓰는, 쓰세요. To see the rule across many verbs, read the lesson on ㅡ-drop verbs and adjectives.
What Is the Most Common Mistake with 쓰다?
Wrong: ✗ 쓰어요
Correct: ✓ 써요
Why: ㅡ-irregular: the ㅡ drops before 어 and 쓰 + 어 becomes 써, so 쓰어요 is wrong.
Because the stem 쓰 ends in ㅡ, adding 어 does not give a two-syllable form. The ㅡ vanishes and the 어 fuses into the same syllable, leaving the single block 써. 쓰어요 leaves the stem and ending unfused, which Korean spelling does not allow.
How Is 쓰다 Different from 입다 and 사용하다?
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 입다 | 쓰다 is for things on the head or face (hat, glasses); 입다 is for clothes on the body. |
| 사용하다 | 쓰다 (use) is the everyday spoken word; 사용하다 is more formal or written. |
Head and face items (hat, glasses) go with 쓰다; shirts, trousers and coats go with 입다.
Between friends 쓰다 is the normal choice for using a computer; 사용하다 sounds like a manual or an announcement.
Borrowing a Pen at Reception
A visitor is completing a form at a reception desk. The visitor uses polite questions; the receptionist gives a polite instruction. The object changes from a pen to a name, so 쓰다 shifts naturally between “use” and “write”.
Visitor
이 펜을 써요?
I peneul sseoyo?
Do I use this pen?
Receptionist
네, 이름을 쓰세요.
Ne, ireumeul sseuseyo.
Yes, please write your name.
Visitor
이름을 썼어요.
Ireumeul sseosseoyo.
I have written my name.
Receptionist
감사합니다.
Gamsahamnida.
Thank you.
펜을 써요 concerns using a tool, while 이름을 쓰세요 concerns the text entered on the form. 썼어요 reports that the writing is finished. The ending alone cannot tell you which sense of 쓰다 is intended; look at the object.
Set Phrases That Go beyond Writing
신경을 쓰다 means “to pay attention” or “to take care over something”. A word-for-word translation about “using nerves” misses the everyday meaning. The phrase can concern looking after a guest, choosing your words carefully, or paying attention to a detail.
마음을 쓰다 means to give thought or care to someone or something. 마음 is “mind” or “heart”, so the phrase carries a sense of personal concern. Unlike 편지를 쓰다, it does not involve writing words down. Learn 마음 and 신경 as signals that 쓰다 may be figurative.
돈을 쓰다 is literal spending. The verb is neutral about whether the spending was sensible or wasteful. The amount, the purchase, or another expression supplies that judgement.
Where Will You See and Hear 쓰다?
On forms, 이름을 쓰세요 asks for a name. In a classroom, 일기를 쓰다 concerns keeping a diary, while 글을 쓰다 covers writing a piece of text more broadly. Typing on a screen still counts as writing; the verb does not require a pencil.
At home, 컴퓨터를 쓰다 concerns using a computer. A manual may choose 사용하다 for the same general idea. Everyday 쓰다 works for borrowing or sharing equipment too, so the object is a useful clue when the topic suddenly changes from homework to the device used for it.
When getting ready to go out, 모자를 쓰다 means putting on a hat. 안경을 쓰다 and 마스크를 쓰다 extend this clothing use to the face. These combinations are worth learning together because translating English “wear” with one Korean verb will not work for every item.
Why Does 쓰 Keep Returning in Other Forms?
The vowel drops specifically before 아/어 endings. 써요 and 썼어요 therefore start with 써, but 쓰는, 쓰면, and 쓰세요 keep ㅡ. The future 쓸 거예요 also keeps ㅡ and adds ㄹ under 쓰. A learner who memorizes only 써요 may wrongly assume that every form starts with 써.
In 쓰고 싶어요, keep a space before 싶어요. The verb stem stays 쓰 because 고 begins with a consonant. In a writing exercise, checking both the stem and the space helps distinguish a conjugation error from a spacing error.
Words to Pair with 쓰다
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 편지 | letter | Something you write, often with a recipient marked by 에게. |
| 펜 | pen | A tool you use to write. |
| 모자 | hat | Something you put on your head with 쓰다. |
| 입다 | to wear clothes | Use for shirts and coats rather than hats. |
For the clothing choices, the clothing vocabulary lesson groups items by what you wear.
Mini Drill: Choose the Right Form
- Give the polite present of 쓰다.
- Complete “I wrote a letter”: 편지를 ___.
- Make the conditional “if someone uses/writes”: 쓰다 → ___.
Show answers
- 써요.
- 편지를 썼어요.
- 쓰면. The ㅡ stays before 면.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 이름을 쓰세요 ask you to do?
- Does 신경을 쓰다 mean to write something?
- Which form keeps ㅡ: 써요 or 쓰세요?
Show answers
- Write your name.
- No. It means to pay attention or take care.
- 쓰세요 keeps ㅡ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 쓰다 a Regular or Irregular Verb?
Learner grammars list 쓰다 in the ㅡ-drop (으-irregular) class: the ㅡ of the stem drops before 아/어, so 쓰 + 어요 becomes 써요. Korean school grammar counts this drop as a regular, predictable rule, but the forms are the same either way.
What Is the Polite Present Form of 쓰다?
써요, as in 저는 일기를 써요. (I keep a diary.) The past is 썼어요 and the future is 쓸 거예요; the honorific polite form is 쓰세요.
Does 쓰다 Take an Object?
Yes. In every sense the object takes 을/를 (편지를 써요, 모자를 써요).
Does 쓰다 Also Mean Bitter?
Yes, but that is a separate adjective that shares the spelling. It conjugates the same way, so 써요 can also mean "it is bitter". This entry covers only the verb: write, use, wear on the head and spend.
Which Meaning of 쓰다 Does 돈을 쓰다 Show?
It is the spending sense: the object is money, and the sentence means to spend it rather than to write it.
Which Words Are Related to 쓰다?
What Should You Learn Next?
When the four uses of 쓰다 feel natural, sort a few objects of your own into write, use, wear and spend. To compare 써요 with other verbs, use the Korean verb conjugator or browse the verb dictionary.