Key Facts
- Hangul: 수영하다 (suyeonghada)
- Meaning: to swim
- Level: A2
- Stem: 수영하
- Class: 하다 type (regular)
- Polite present / past: 수영해요 / 수영했어요
- Honorific polite: 수영하세요
What Does 수영하다 Mean?
- to swim. Used for swimming: 수영장에서 수영하다 (to swim in a pool).
수영하다 is a common verb used without an object; the place where you swim takes 에서. The split form 수영을 하다 is also correct. Two related nouns are useful: 수영장 (swimming pool) and 수영복 (swimsuit).
How Do You Pronounce 수영하다?
수영하다 is romanized suyeonghada. The stem is read as spelled, with ㅇ at the end of 영 said as 'ng'. The changes all sit in the endings:
- 수영했어요 is read [수영해써요], because ㅆ moves into the next syllable.
- 수영합니다 is read [수영함니다], because ㅂ before ㄴ becomes [ㅁ].
- 수영하고 싶어요 is read [수영하고 시퍼요], because ㅍ moves into 어.
The table further down gives the reading of every form.
How Do You Use 수영하다 in a Sentence?
저는 주말에 수영해요.
I swim on weekends.
주말에 (at the weekend) makes this a regular habit.
바다에서 수영했어요.
I swam in the sea.
바다에서 (in the sea) marks the place with 에서, and 수영했어요 is the polite past.
여름에 수영하고 싶어요.
I want to swim in summer.
여름에 (in summer) ties the wish 수영하고 싶어요 to a season.
How Does Suyeonghada Conjugation Work? (19 forms)
수영하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 수영해요 | ||
| Polite past | 수영했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 수영할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 수영하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 수영합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 수영했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 수영할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 수영해 | ||
| Casual past | 수영했어 | ||
| Casual future | 수영할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 수영하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 수영하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 수영해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 수영하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 수영하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 수영한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 수영할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 수영 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 수영하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 수영해요 | as written |
| Polite past | 수영했어요 | [수영해써요] |
| Polite future | 수영할 거예요 | [수영할꺼예요] |
| Formal present | 수영합니다 | [수영함니다] |
| Casual present | 수영해 | as written |
| Honorific | 수영하세요 | as written |
| Because | 수영해서 | as written |
| If | 수영하면 | as written |
| Modifier now | 수영하는 | as written |
| Long negative | 수영하지 않아요 | [수영하지 아나요] |
Is 수영하다 Regular or Irregular?
수영하다 is a regular 하다 verb. Before any ending that begins with 아 or 어, 하 turns into 해, so you get 수영해요 and 수영했어요. The rule is taught in 하다 to 해요.
What Is the Most Common Mistake with 수영하다?
Wrong: ✗ 바다를 수영해요 (when you mean 'I swim in the sea')
Correct: ✓ 바다에서 수영해요
Why: 수영하다 takes no object, so the sea is a location, not something you swim. The place takes 에서, not 을/를.
How Is 수영하다 Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 운동하다 | 운동하다 is exercise in general; 수영하다 is one specific activity. |
| 놀다 | 놀다 is to play; 물놀이 is the word for playing in the water. |
Making a Plan at the Pool
Two friends have arrived at a swimming pool. They compare their swimming habits before one decides to rest first.
Mina
여기서 자주 수영해요?
Yeogiseo jaju suyeonghaeyo?
Do you swim here often?
Alex
네. 어제도 수영했어요.
Ne. Eojedo suyeonghaesseoyo.
Yes. I swam yesterday too.
Mina
저는 조금 쉬고 수영할 거예요.
Jeoneun jogeum swigo suyeonghal geoyeyo.
I’m going to rest a little and then swim.
자주 asks about frequency, so the first line concerns a habit rather than what is happening at that moment. 어제도 adds yesterday as another occasion. In the final line, 쉬고 connects resting to swimming in sequence; only 수영할 거예요 carries the future ending.
Swimming, Being Able to Swim and Learning to Swim
수영해요 says that you swim. 수영을 잘해요 means that you swim well, adding an assessment of skill. Someone may swim regularly without claiming to be good at it. 자주 describes frequency, while 잘 describes how well the activity is performed.
수영을 못해요 commonly means “I can’t swim” or “I’m not good at swimming”, depending on the conversation. At a pool, it is useful to clarify what you can actually do rather than rely on this one phrase to describe your exact skill. The expression itself does not give a distance, a stroke or a level.
수영을 배우다 means to learn to swim. Here 수영 is the thing being learned, so it takes 을 before 배우다. Compare that with 수영장에서 수영하다: the pool is where the activity takes place, and it takes 에서. The particle follows the role the noun has in that particular sentence.
Common Swimming Combinations
실내 수영장 is an indoor swimming pool and 야외 수영장 is an outdoor pool. Both contain 수영장, the place noun. 수영하다 is the activity; 수영장 is the facility. Keeping 장 in the place word helps you avoid treating the swimming pool itself as the thing you are doing.
자유 수영 means an open swim session, where you swim independently rather than follow a taught lesson. 수영 강습 means swimming instruction. On a schedule, these labels distinguish types of sessions. They do not by themselves tell you the admission price or whether a booking is needed.
물놀이 means playing in the water. It can include splashing and spending time in shallow water without swimming. 수영 specifically names swimming, so the choice tells the listener more about the activity. Going to a beach does not automatically mean that you spent the visit swimming.
Where Will You Hear or See 수영?
Pool timetables, sports-centre notices and class listings often use the noun 수영 beside times and levels. A timetable heading does not need the full verb 수영하다. In everyday conversation, 수영해요 is a natural polite answer about exercise or hobbies, without sounding like a formal sports report.
수영 금지 means “swimming prohibited”. You may see it beside water where swimming is not allowed. 금지 is a ban, rather than a statement that there are no swimming lessons. The phrase concerns entering the water to swim, not merely the existence of a nearby pool or beach.
The split form 수영을 하다 is natural alongside 수영하다. In 수영 안 해요, 안 goes before 해요. This usually says that you do not swim or are not going to swim in the situation. 못 adds inability or an obstacle, so choosing 안 or 못 changes the message.
What Makes the Conjugation Easy to Misread?
Keep the whole noun 수영 when adding endings. Only 하 changes to 해 in 수영해요 and 수영했어요. The 영 syllable ends in ㅇ, the “ng” sound; it does not turn into a separate g before 하. Written 수영할 거예요 has a space before 거예요, just like the plan forms in the table.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 수영장 | swimming pool | The location, rather than the activity. |
| 수영복 | swimsuit | Clothing worn for swimming. |
| 수모 | swimming cap | A useful word on pool equipment lists. |
| 물안경 | swimming goggles | Eye protection used in the water. |
The sports vocabulary lesson connects swimming with other activities and equipment.
Mini Drill: Activity or Place?
- Give the polite past of 수영하다.
- Choose the location phrase: 수영장을 or 수영장에서?
- Give the plan form “will swim”.
- Make 수영해요 negative using 안.
Show drill answers
- 수영했어요.
- 수영장에서, for swimming at the pool.
- 수영할 거예요.
- 수영 안 해요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 물놀이 necessarily mean swimming?
- What does 수영 금지 mean?
- Which word means swimsuit rather than swimming pool?
Show answers
- No. It also covers playing in the water.
- Swimming prohibited.
- 수영복.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 수영하다 a Regular or Irregular Verb?
수영하다 is a regular 하다 verb: 하 becomes 해 before 아/어 endings, giving 수영해요 and 수영했어요.
What Is the Polite Present Form of 수영하다?
It is 수영해요, as in 저는 주말에 수영해요 (I swim at the weekend). The past is 수영했어요, the future is 수영할 거예요, and the honorific polite form is 수영하세요.
Does 수영하다 Take an Object?
No. The place where you swim takes 에서: 바다에서 수영했어요 (I swam in the sea).
What Related Nouns Do I Need?
수영장 means a swimming pool and 수영복 means a swimsuit.
Can I Say 수영을 하다?
Yes. 수영을 하다 is the split form and means the same as 수영하다.
Which Words Are Related to 수영하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
After 수영하다, try 달리다 (to run) for another sport and 쉬다 (to rest) for afterwards. Every form of 수영하다 can be checked in the Korean verb conjugator, and more verbs are listed in the verb dictionary.