Key Facts
- Hangul: 수리하다 (surihada)
- Meaning: to repair
- Level: B1
- Stem: 수리하
- Class: 하다 type
- Polite present / past: 수리해요 / 수리했어요
- Honorific polite: 수리하세요
What Does 수리하다 Mean?
Sense:
- to repair. Repair machines, buildings or equipment, often by a shop: 차를 수리하다.
It takes an object with 을/를, as in 차를 수리해요. When someone else does the repair, Koreans often say 수리 맡기다 (leave something for repair) or 수리를 받다 (get it repaired).
How Do You Pronounce 수리하다?
In Revised Romanization, 수리하다 is written surihada. The dictionary form is read as spelled.
These conjugated forms of 수리하다 sound different from the spelling:
- 수리했어요 [수리해써요]
- 수리할 거예요 [수리할꺼예요]
- 수리하겠어요 [수리하게써요]
- 수리합니다 [수리함니다]
- 수리했습니다 [수리핻씀니다]
- 수리할 것입니다 [수리할꺼심니다]
- 수리했어 [수리해써]
- 수리할 거야 [수리할꺼야]
- 수리하고 싶어요 [수리하고 시퍼요]
- 수리하지 않아요 [수리하지 아나요]
How Do You Use 수리하다 in a Sentence?
정비소에서 차를 수리해요.
They repair the car at the garage.
The place (정비소, a car repair shop) takes 에서, and the car takes 를. (수리해요)
컴퓨터를 수리했어요.
I had the computer repaired.
In everyday Korean, 컴퓨터를 수리했어요 often means the speaker had it repaired by a shop, not that they did the work. (수리했어요)
내일 집을 수리할 거예요.
We will repair the house tomorrow.
수리할 거예요 uses the plan future with 내일, so the repair is scheduled. (수리할 거예요)
How Does Surihada Conjugation Work? (19 forms)
수리하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 수리해요 | ||
| Polite past | 수리했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 수리할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 수리하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 수리합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 수리했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 수리할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 수리해 | ||
| Casual past | 수리했어 | ||
| Casual future | 수리할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 수리하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 수리하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 수리해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 수리하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 수리하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 수리한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 수리할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 수리 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 수리하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 수리해요 | as written |
| Polite past | 수리했어요 | [수리해써요] |
| Polite future | 수리할 거예요 | [수리할꺼예요] |
| Formal present | 수리합니다 | [수리함니다] |
| Casual present | 수리해 | as written |
| Honorific | 수리하세요 | as written |
| Because | 수리해서 | as written |
| If | 수리하면 | as written |
| Modifier now | 수리하는 | as written |
| Long negative | 수리하지 않아요 | [수리하지 아나요] |
Is 수리하다 Regular or Irregular?
Here the noun 수리 stays the same and 하 + 여 contracts to 해: 수리해요, and the past 수리했어요. The pattern is taught in 하다 to 해요.
Which Mistake Do Learners Make with 수리하다?
Wrong: ✗ 버릇을 수리해요.
Correct: ✓ 버릇을 고쳐요.
Why: 수리하다 is only for physical things like machines or buildings; for habits or mistakes use 고치다.
English "fix" covers both machines and habits, but 수리하다 handles only physical objects. Habits and mistakes use 고치다.
수리하다 Versus 고치다 and 바꾸다
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 고치다 | 고치다 is more general and everyday, also for mistakes and habits; 수리하다 is for physical repair. |
| 바꾸다 | 바꾸다 replaces something; 수리하다 restores the same item. |
At a Bicycle Repair Shop
A customer asks about a broken bicycle. The mechanic describes the service, then explains when the work will happen.
Customer
여기서 자전거를 수리해요?
Yeogiseo jajeongeoreul surihaeyo?
Do you repair bicycles here?
Mechanic
네. 자전거를 수리합니다.
Ne. Jajeongeoreul surihamnida.
Yes. We repair bicycles.
Customer
언제 수리할 거예요?
Eonje surihal geoyeyo?
When are you going to repair it?
Mechanic
내일 수리할 거예요.
Naeil surihal geoyeyo.
We’re going to repair it tomorrow.
여기서 is a conversational shortened form of 여기에서, “here”. The customer marks the bicycle as the object with 를. Once the item is established, both speakers can omit it. The formal 합니다 ending suits a service explanation, while 해요 is also polite and natural in the same shop.
Who Actually Does the Repair?
수리하다 names the repair work, but a sentence about your possession can leave the practical arrangement unstated. If you want to make it clear that a shop will do the work, 수리를 맡기다 means to leave something for repair. 맡기다 focuses on entrusting the job to someone else.
수리를 받다 means to receive repair service or get something repaired. The owner receives the service; they are not necessarily holding the tools. 직접 수리하다, “repair it oneself”, makes personal involvement clear. 직접 is useful when explaining that you did the work rather than paying a technician.
The noun 수리 can take a particle separately, as in 수리를 하다. The compact verb 수리하다 is written together. Both describe repair, while 수리 안 해요 puts the short negative between the noun part and 해요. Keep the spaces so the negative is easy to read.
Signs, Estimates and Repair Notices
수리 중 means “under repair”. It reports an ongoing status, often without naming the worker. It does not promise a completion time. A machine or facility carrying that notice may be unavailable, so look for separate information about reopening or an alternative to use.
수리비 means repair cost. 무료 수리 means free repair, and 유료 수리 means paid repair. These phrases describe payment for the service; they do not explain all conditions. On a shop notice or service document, the surrounding text tells you which faults and items the offer covers.
수리 기간 means the repair period: how long the work takes. 수리 비용 means repair expense or cost. Asking about time and cost addresses two different concerns. A price estimate does not by itself tell you when the item will be ready, and a completion date does not specify the bill.
A repair bill may separate 부품비, the cost of parts, from 공임, the labour charge. These are components of the total cost rather than names for different repairs. Recognising both words helps you understand whether an estimate includes the replacement part and the work needed to fit it.
Repair or Replace?
수리하다 suggests restoring the existing item so it works again. 교체하다 means to replace a part or item, and 바꾸다 is the wider everyday word for changing or replacing. Repairing a bicycle might involve replacing a part, so the actions can occur within the same job.
고장 means a fault or breakdown. 고장 나다 describes something breaking down; 수리하다 describes work to fix it. A faulty item does not have to be visibly smashed. A computer that will not turn on can need repair even if its case looks undamaged.
수리하다 is specific enough for a service counter, but it is not reserved for professionals. Someone repairing equipment at home can use it too. With habits, wording or a wrong answer, 고치다 is the useful verb because those are corrections rather than physical repair jobs.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 고장 | breakdown / fault | Names the problem with a device or machine. |
| 부품 | part / component | Something a repair may involve replacing. |
| 수리비 | repair cost | Useful when discussing the bill. |
| 정비소 | repair garage | Especially useful for vehicle maintenance and repairs. |
The tools vocabulary lesson teaches names of equipment used for practical jobs around the home.
Mini Drill: Describe the Repair
- Give the polite past of 수리하다.
- Give the future plan form.
- Choose the particle for the thing repaired: 차가 or 차를?
- Make 수리해요 negative with 안.
Show drill answers
- 수리했어요.
- 수리할 거예요.
- 차를.
- 수리 안 해요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 수리 중 promise that the job is finished?
- Which word names the cost: 수리비 or 부품?
- Which expression makes clear that someone else is entrusted with the repair?
Show answers
- No. The item is under repair.
- 수리비. 부품 means a part or component.
- 수리를 맡기다.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 수리하다 a Regular or Irregular Verb?
It follows the regular 하다 pattern: 하 + 여 contracts to 해, so every ending that starts with 아/어 becomes 해-.
What Is the Polite Present of 수리하다?
수리해요, as in 정비소에서 차를 수리해요 (they repair the car at the garage). The past is 수리했어요 and the plan future is 수리할 거예요.
Does 수리하다 Take an Object?
Yes. The thing repaired takes 을/를, as in 차를 수리해요.
How Do I Say I Took Something in for Repair?
Use 수리 맡기다 (leave it for repair) or 수리를 받다 (get it repaired).
Is 수리하다 Formal?
It is fairly formal. In casual speech, 고치다 is the more common verb for fixing things.
Which Words Are Related to 수리하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Go on to 고치다 for everyday fixing and 바꾸다 for replacing something. The Korean verb conjugator shows any form of 수리하다, and the verb dictionary lists related verbs.