Key Facts
- Hangul: 샤워하다 (syawohada)
- Meaning: to shower
- Part of speech: verb (동사)
- Level: A1
- Stem: 샤워하
- Class: 하다 type
- Objects: intransitive
What Does 샤워하다 Mean?
샤워하다 is the everyday way to say you take a shower. It is built from the loanword 샤워 plus 하다, so the polite present is 샤워해요. The verb is intransitive and normally takes no object, though you can also split it as 샤워를 하다 when you want a noun, for example to add a time or a description. Phrases like 샤워하고 나왔어요 (I came out after showering) are everyday speech. It is an A1 word, so it appears in the first chapters of most courses.
Senses:
- to shower. Wash your body in a shower, as in 아침에 샤워하다.
How Do You Pronounce 샤워하다?
The word has four syllables: sya-wo-ha-da. 샤 starts with the sound 'sh' followed by a quick 'a', and 워 is a 'wo' glide. The polite past 샤워했어요 is said [샤워해써요], and the formal present 샤워합니다 is said [샤워함니다], with ㅂ turning into ㅁ before ㄴ. The plan form 샤워할 거예요 is said [샤워할꺼예요].
How Do You Use 샤워하다 in a Sentence?
저는 매일 아침에 샤워해요.
I take a shower every morning.
저는 매일 아침에 샤워해요 sets the habit with 매일 아침에 (every morning), and 저는 marks the speaker as the topic. 샤워해요 needs no object.
운동한 다음에 샤워했어요.
I showered after exercising.
운동한 다음에 샤워했어요 shows the order of events: 운동한 다음에 means 'after exercising', and 샤워했어요 is the polite past.
샤워하고 싶어요.
I want to take a shower.
샤워하고 싶어요 is the 'want to' form. 고 싶어요 attaches to the stem 샤워하, keeping 하 rather than contracting it to 해.
How Does Syawohada Conjugation Work?
샤워하다 follows the 하다 pattern: 하 and 여 merge into 해, so every ending that starts with 아/어 becomes 해-. That gives 샤워해요, 샤워했어요 and 샤워해서. The other endings keep 하: 샤워하면, 샤워하는, 샤워한, 샤워할 and 샤워합니다. The short negative is spoken with 안 after the noun part: 샤워 안 해요. The long negative is 샤워하지 않아요.
샤워하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 샤워해요 | ||
| Polite past | 샤워했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 샤워할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 샤워하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 샤워합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 샤워했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 샤워할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 샤워해 | ||
| Casual past | 샤워했어 | ||
| Casual future | 샤워할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 샤워하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 샤워하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 샤워해서 | ||
| Conditional (if) | 샤워하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 샤워하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 샤워한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 샤워할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 샤워 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 샤워하지 않아요 |
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sound if different |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 샤워해요 | — |
| Polite past | 샤워했어요 | [샤워해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 샤워할 거예요 | [샤워할꺼예요] |
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 샤워하겠어요 | [샤워하게써요] |
| Formal present | 샤워합니다 | [샤워함니다] |
| Formal past | 샤워했습니다 | [샤워핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 샤워할 것입니다 | [샤워할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 샤워해 | — |
| Casual past | 샤워했어 | [샤워해써] |
| Casual future | 샤워할 거야 | [샤워할꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 샤워하고 싶어요 | [샤워하고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 샤워하세요 | — |
| Because / and then | 샤워해서 | — |
| Conditional (if) | 샤워하면 | — |
| Modifier, present | 샤워하는 | — |
| Modifier, past | 샤워한 | — |
| Modifier, future | 샤워할 | — |
| Short negative | 샤워 안 해요 | — |
| Long negative | 샤워하지 않아요 | [샤워하지 아나요] |
Is 샤워하다 Regular or Irregular?
샤워하다 is a regular 하다-type verb. Because 하다 is on the end, every form follows the same pattern as other 하다 verbs. See 하다 verbs in the polite present for the rule, and negating 하다 verbs for where 안 goes.
Common Mistake with 샤워하다
Wrong: ✗ 샤워를 씻어요
Correct: ✓ 샤워해요 / 샤워를 해요
Why: English speakers say 'take a shower' and sometimes reach for 씻다 to follow it. In Korean the verb is 하다: 샤워해요, or 샤워를 해요 if you want a noun. 씻다 is to wash anything, such as hands, face or dishes, and it does not combine with 샤워.
샤워하다 Compared with 씻다 and 목욕하다
Korean splits washing into three: a general wash, a quick shower, and a bath. Pick by what is being cleaned and where.
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 씻다 | 씻다 is to wash anything, such as hands, face or dishes; 샤워하다 is specifically to wash the whole body in a shower. Washing hands is 씻다 and showering is 샤워하다. |
| 목욕하다 | 목욕하다 means to bathe in a tub or bathhouse; 샤워하다 is a quick shower. A long soak or a visit to a bathhouse is 목욕하다. |
Sharing a Bathroom before Work
Two housemates need the bathroom before leaving. One asks whether the other has already showered so they can decide who goes next.
Jisu
벌써 샤워했어요?
Beolsseo syawohaesseoyo?
Have you showered already?
Alex
아니요. 아침에 샤워 안 해요.
Aniyo. Achime syawo an haeyo.
No. I don’t shower in the morning.
Jisu
그럼 제가 먼저 샤워할 거예요.
Geureom jega meonjeo syawohal geoyeyo.
Then I’ll shower first.
Alex
네. 저는 저녁에 샤워해요.
Ne. Jeoneun jeonyeoge syawohaeyo.
Okay. I shower in the evening.
벌써 means “already”, and 먼저 means “first”. The question uses the past to check a completed action, while the final 샤워해요 describes a routine. 아침에 in the negative limits the statement: Alex is saying they do not shower in the morning, rather than claiming never to shower at all.
Phrases for a Shower Routine
샤워를 하다 and 샤워하다 describe the same activity. In the first, 샤워 is a noun with 를 and 하다 is a separate verb. In the second, they form one verb. The noun version is useful when you want to put another word beside 샤워, rather than treating the entire expression as one word.
샤워하고 나서 means “after taking a shower”. The phrase puts showering before another action, such as getting dressed. 샤워하고 by itself can link activities, while 나서 makes the sequence explicit. The tense of the whole sentence normally appears on the final verb, so this phrase does not need a past ending of its own.
샤워 중 means “in the middle of a shower” or “showering”. You may see it in a short message explaining why someone cannot answer the phone. 중 names an activity in progress; it is not a conjugated present form of 하다. Write a space before 중.
찬물로 샤워하다 means to take a cold shower. 로 identifies what you shower with: cold water. 따뜻한 물로 샤워하다 specifies warm water instead. These phrases describe the water, whereas 아침에 and 저녁에 describe the time. Both details can fit the same routine.
Where Does the Word Appear outside Conversation?
At a gym or swimming pool, 샤워실 names the shower room or shower area. This is a place word, not an instruction to shower. You can recognize 샤워 inside it even before you know the full sign. A label ending in 실 often names a room, but the full word is what identifies this particular facility.
In messages between housemates, 샤워했어요 can explain that the bathroom is now available. 샤워할 거예요 announces a plan, so it can matter when arranging bathroom use. Neither form gives the shower’s duration. Add a separate time expression if a schedule depends on how long it will take.
What Needs Care in Writing and Polite Requests?
Write 샤워해요 as one word and 샤워를 해요 with the noun and verb separated. The short negative 샤워 안 해요 also separates 안 from 해요. The negative word goes between the noun part and 하다; it is not attached to the front of the combined spelling.
샤워하세요 can be an ordinary polite instruction in a suitable setting, such as explaining how to use a facility. Addressed to someone without context, an instruction to shower may sound personal or critical. A polite ending softens the address, but the listener still hears a request concerning their body.
Bathroom Words to Learn Next
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 샤워실 | shower room | Look for this on facility signs. |
| 수건 | towel | A useful item to ask for at a gym or accommodation. |
| 샴푸 | shampoo | The product, rather than the action of showering. |
| 비누 | soap | Can be used for washing hands as well as the body. |
The personal care vocabulary lesson adds the washing and grooming words for the rest of the routine.
Mini Drill
- Give the polite past of 샤워하다.
- Make the polite present negative with 안.
- Give the plan form for showering later.
- Complete the conditional: 샤워하다 → ____.
Show drill answers
- 샤워했어요.
- 샤워 안 해요.
- 샤워할 거예요, with a space before 거예요.
- 샤워하면, keeping 하 before 면.
Quick Self-Test
- What does 샤워실 name?
- Does 샤워 중 say the shower is finished?
- In 찬물로 샤워하다, what does 로 identify?
Show answers
- A shower room or shower area.
- No. It describes showering in progress.
- The water used: cold water.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say 'I Took a Shower'?
Say 샤워했어요. It is the polite past of 샤워하다.
Can I Say 샤워를 하다?
Yes. 샤워를 하다 and 샤워하다 mean the same thing, and the first form is useful when you need a noun.
Where Does 안 Go?
In the short negative it sits after 샤워: 샤워 안 해요.
Does 샤워하다 Take an Object?
No. It is intransitive and normally takes no object.
Which Words Are Related to 샤워하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next, add other daily-routine verbs: 면도하다, 화장하다 and 청소하다. Try other 하다 verbs in the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.