Key Facts
- Hangul: 쓰러지다 (sseureojida)
- Meaning: to collapse
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: B2
- Stem: 쓰러지
- Class: regular
- Objects: intransitive
What Does 쓰러지다 Mean?
쓰러지다 describes a person, tree or structure losing its upright position and going down. The subject takes 이/가 and there is no object. It is the verb for fainting or sudden illness, often with 갑자기 (suddenly) in front: 갑자기 쓰러지다. It is a B2 word, so expect it in news, stories and health talk more than in beginner dialogue.
Senses:
- to collapse. Fall down from weakness, illness or shock: 쓰러지다.
How Do You Pronounce 쓰러지다?
The four syllables are sseu-reo-ji-da, and the dictionary form is read as written. Before vowels the contracted forms change their sound: the polite present 쓰러져요 is said [쓰러저요], and the past 쓰러졌어요 is said [쓰러저써요]. The formal present 쓰러집니다 is said [쓰러짐니다], with ㅂ turning into ㅁ before ㄴ, and the plan form 쓰러질 거예요 is said [쓰러질꺼예요].
How Do You Use 쓰러지다 in a Sentence?
그 사람이 길에서 쓰러졌어요.
That person collapsed in the street.
그 사람이 길에서 쓰러졌어요 marks the person with 이 and the place with 에서. The past 쓰러졌어요 reports that the collapse happened; it does not say whether the person has recovered.
길에서 쓰러지면 위험해요.
It is dangerous if you collapse on the street.
길에서 쓰러지면 위험해요 is a general warning. 쓰러지면 turns the event into a condition, and the main clause gives the consequence.
나무가 쓰러지는 소리가 났어요.
There was the sound of a tree falling.
나무가 쓰러지는 소리가 났어요 uses the present modifier 쓰러지는 to describe 소리 (sound). This is how the verb attaches to a noun: 'the sound of a tree falling'.
How Does Sseureojida Conjugation Work?
쓰러지다 is regular: the stem 쓰러지 stays whole and only contracts when a vowel ending follows. 지 + 어 becomes 져, so you get 쓰러져요, 쓰러졌어요 and 쓰러져서. Before consonant endings the stem is untouched: 쓰러지면, 쓰러지는, 쓰러집니다. One cell is missing from the table because the subject does not control the event, so -고 싶다 is not normally used.
쓰러지다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 쓰러져요 | ||
| Polite past | 쓰러졌어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 쓰러질 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 쓰러지겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 쓰러집니다 | ||
| Formal past | 쓰러졌습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 쓰러질 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 쓰러져 | ||
| Casual past | 쓰러졌어 | ||
| Casual future | 쓰러질 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 쓰러지세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 쓰러져서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 쓰러지면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 쓰러지는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 쓰러진 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 쓰러질 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 쓰러져요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 쓰러지지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 쓰러져요 | [쓰러저요] |
| Polite past | 쓰러졌어요 | [쓰러저써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 쓰러질 거예요 | [쓰러질꺼예요] |
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 쓰러지겠어요 | [쓰러지게써요] |
| Formal present | 쓰러집니다 | [쓰러짐니다] |
| Formal past | 쓰러졌습니다 | [쓰러젇씀니다] |
| Formal future | 쓰러질 것입니다 | [쓰러질꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 쓰러져 | [쓰러저] |
| Casual past | 쓰러졌어 | [쓰러저써] |
| Casual future | 쓰러질 거야 | [쓰러질꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | No standard form | The subject does not control this event, so -고 싶다 is not normally used. |
| Honorific polite | 쓰러지세요 | — |
| Because / and then | 쓰러져서 | [쓰러저서] |
| Conditional (if) | 쓰러지면 | — |
| Modifier, present | 쓰러지는 | — |
| Modifier, past | 쓰러진 | — |
| Modifier, future | 쓰러질 | — |
| Short negative | 안 쓰러져요 | [안 쓰러저요] |
| Long negative | 쓰러지지 않아요 | [쓰러지지 아나요] |
Is 쓰러지다 Regular or Irregular?
쓰러지다 follows the standard regular pattern, as the stem ending in 지 contracts with 어 in every polite form. There is no consonant change and no dropped letter. The only skill needed is the 지 + 어 contraction, which the polite present recipe shows step by step.
Common Mistake with 쓰러지다
Wrong: ✗ 쓰러지어요. (unnatural)
Correct: ✓ 쓰러져요.
Why: In everyday speech and writing, 지 and 어 merge into 져, so the polite present is 쓰러져요 and the past is 쓰러졌어요. The unmerged 쓰러지어요 sounds stiff and bookish, and learners produce it when they add 어요 to the stem without contracting.
쓰러지다 Compared with 넘어지다 and 떨어지다
Three Korean verbs translate as 'fall', and each one starts from a different picture of how the fall happens.
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 넘어지다 | 넘어지다 is tripping or falling over; 쓰러지다 is collapsing, often from illness. Think of someone tripping on a step. |
| 떨어지다 | 떨어지다 is dropping from a height; 쓰러지다 is falling from standing. A cup dropped from a table is 떨어지다; a person who blacks out in the street is 쓰러지다. |
A Tree Falls across the Path
Two neighbors are watching a tree during strong wind. The dialogue uses the verb for a prediction, a completed event, and a condition.
Jisu
저 나무가 쓰러질 거예요.
Jeo namuga sseureojil geoyeyo.
That tree is going to fall over.
Alex
정말이네요. 쓰러졌어요.
Jeongmarineyo. Sseureojyeosseoyo.
You’re right. It’s fallen over.
Jisu
나무가 쓰러지면 길이 막혀요.
Namuga sseureojimyeon giri makyeoyo.
When a tree falls over, it blocks the path.
Alex
다른 길로 가요.
Dareun gillo gayo.
Let’s take another path.
쓰러질 거예요 predicts an event here; the tree is not making a plan. 쓰러졌어요 then reports that the event happened. The conditional 쓰러지면 keeps 지 unchanged. Because a tree is the subject, English “fall over” is a better translation in this scene than language suggesting that a person has fainted.
Combinations That Explain a Collapse
갑자기 쓰러지다 means to collapse suddenly. 갑자기 describes the timing, not the cause. In a story about a person, the phrase leaves open why they fell and whether they lost consciousness. The verb alone gives less information than a diagnosis or a detailed account of what happened.
과로로 쓰러지다 means to collapse from overwork. The marker 로 introduces the cause. Compare that with 길에서 쓰러지다, where 에서 identifies the place. A single report can include both a cause and a place because those phrases answer different questions.
바람에 쓰러지다 means to fall over in the wind, as a tree or an upright object might. This is a physical use of the verb. The object begins upright and loses that position; nothing needs to fall from a shelf or other high starting point.
쓰러질 것 같아요 means “I think someone or something is going to collapse” or, about yourself, “I feel as if I’m going to collapse”. It can express exhaustion in everyday speech. The future-looking 쓰러질 describes a possible next event; it does not report a collapse that has already happened.
News Reports, Drama Scenes and Everyday Exaggeration
News reports may use 쓰러지다 for people, fallen trees or structures. Read the subject carefully. A report about a tree does not carry the illness meaning that a scene about a person may suggest. The cause and what happened afterward need their own words.
In dramas, a person who suddenly loses strength may 쓰러지다. 넘어지다 is a better starting point for a simple trip, while 떨어지다 fits a fall from a height. The choice describes the event’s shape. It does not automatically tell you the severity of any injury.
An exhausted friend may use the verb figuratively without having fallen down. The surrounding scene and an expression such as 것 같아요 make the intended meaning clearer. Avoid translating every mention as an actual loss of consciousness.
Words That Add Useful Detail
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 갑자기 | suddenly | Adds unexpected timing, without naming a cause. |
| 과로 | overwork | Can name the cause in 과로로 쓰러지다. |
| 기절하다 | to faint; lose consciousness | More specific about consciousness than 쓰러지다. |
| 일어나다 | to get up | Describes rising afterward, not the fall itself. |
See health vocabulary for words used when describing a person’s condition.
Mini Drill
- Give the polite past for a tree that has fallen over.
- Change the verb to “if it collapses”.
- Give the modifier for a collapse that already happened.
- Give the polite future form from the table.
Show drill answers
- 쓰러졌어요.
- 쓰러지면.
- 쓰러진, as in 쓰러진 나무, “a fallen tree”.
- 쓰러질 거예요. With a tree as subject, this is a prediction.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 갑자기 explain why someone collapsed?
- Which verb most directly describes tripping over: 넘어지다 or 쓰러지다?
- Does 쓰러지다 always imply loss of consciousness?
Show answers
- No. It means suddenly and describes timing.
- 넘어지다.
- No. It also applies to trees and can describe people without specifying consciousness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 쓰러지다 Only for People?
No. It is used for people, trees and buildings, anything that goes down from an upright position.
How Do I Say 'Suddenly Collapse'?
Put 갑자기 in front: 갑자기 쓰러지다.
Why Is There No 'Want to' Form?
The subject does not control the event, so -고 싶다 is not normally used with 쓰러지다.
What Is the Polite past of 쓰러지다?
It is 쓰러졌어요, said [쓰러저써요].
Which Words Are Related to 쓰러지다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next, compare the vocabulary around falling and hurting: 넘어지다, 아프다 and 다치다. The Korean verb conjugator can test any other verb, and the Korean verb dictionary lists them all.