Key Facts
- Hangul: 특별하다 (teukbyeolhada)
- Meaning: special
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 특별하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: 이/가 marks the special thing, as in 이 선물은 저한테 특별해요.
- Usage: Frequent with 날 and 선물; the adverb 특별히 (especially) as in 특별히 좋아해요.
What Does 특별하다 Mean?
특별하다 marks something as distinct from the ordinary. 특별한 날 is a special day, and a gift can be 특별해요 to one person.
Unlike 이상하다, which is strange and often negative, 특별하다 is usually positive. It says special, not important.
How Do You Pronounce 특별하다?
The lemma is read [특뼐하다]: ㄱ followed by ㅂ makes the ㅂ tense. In the polite present the contraction gives [특뼐해요], and the formal 특별합니다 is spoken [특뼐함니다].
How Do You Use 특별하다 in a Sentence?
오늘은 특별한 날이에요.
Today is a special day.
오늘은 is the topic, and 특별한 날이에요 uses the modifier 특별한 before 날 plus the copula 이에요.
이 선물은 저한테 특별해요.
This gift is special to me.
저한테 means to me, so the gift is special for the speaker personally.
특별하면 더 비싸요.
If it's special, it costs more.
특별하면 is the conditional, and 더 비싸요 gives the consequence.
The examples move from a special day (특별한) to a personal feeling about a gift (특별해요) and a practical consequence (특별하면).
How Does Teukbyeolhada Conjugation Work?
특별하다 is a 하다 adjective, so 하 + 여 contracts to 해: 특별해요 and 특별했어요. The modifier is 특별한. The tensed ㅂ remains throughout, so 특별해서 is spoken [특뼐해서].
To say something is not special, put 안 in front for 안 특별해요 or use the long negative 특별하지 않아요. The because-form is 특별해서, the if-form 특별하면, and the modifiers are 특별한 (now), 특별했던 (earlier) and 특별할 (later); the honorific polite form is 특별하세요.
특별하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 특별해요 | ||
| Polite past | 특별했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 특별할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 특별하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 특별합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 특별했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 특별할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 특별해 | ||
| Casual past | 특별했어 | ||
| Casual future | 특별할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 특별하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 특별해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 특별하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 특별한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 특별했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 특별할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 특별해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 특별하지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 특별해요 | [특뼐해요] |
| Polite past | 특별했어요 | [특뼐해써요] |
| Polite future | 특별할 거예요 | [특뼐할꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 특별하겠어요 | [특뼐하게써요] |
| Formal present | 특별합니다 | [특뼐함니다] |
| Formal past | 특별했습니다 | [특뼐핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 특별할 것입니다 | [특뼐할꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 특별해 | [특뼐해] |
| Casual past | 특별했어 | [특뼐해써] |
| Casual future | 특별할 거야 | [특뼐할꺼야] |
| Honorific | 특별하세요 | [특뼐하세요] |
| Because form | 특별해서 | [특뼐해서] |
| Conditional | 특별하면 | [특뼐하면] |
| Present modifier | 특별한 | [특뼐한] |
| Past modifier | 특별했던 | [특뼐핻떤] |
| Future modifier | 특별할 | [특뼐할] |
| Short negative | 안 특별해요 | [안 특뼐해요] |
| Long negative | 특별하지 않아요 | [특뼐하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 특별하어요
Correct: ✓ 특별해요
Why: 특별하어요 comes from adding 어요 to the full stem. A 하다 adjective contracts to 해, so 특별해요 is the correct form.
Special Days and Special Gifts
Birthdays and anniversaries pair naturally with 날, and gifts take 선물. 특별히 is the adverb. Importance is a separate idea (중요하다), as is strangeness (이상하다).
What Is Easy to Confuse with 특별하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 특별하다 |
|---|---|
| 중요하다 | 중요하다 is important; 특별하다 is special or out of the ordinary. |
| 이상하다 | 이상하다 is strange or weird, often negative, whereas 특별하다 is positive. |
Talking about an Anniversary Gift
Two friends are discussing a small gift for an anniversary. Its personal meaning matters more than its price.
Mina
오늘은 특별한 날이에요.
Oneureun teukbyeolhan narieyo.
Today is a special day.
Alex
이 선물도 특별해요?
I seonmuldo teukbyeolhaeyo?
Is this gift special too?
Mina
네, 직접 만들어서 특별해요.
Ne, jikjeop mandeureoseo teukbyeolhaeyo.
Yes, it is special because I made it myself.
Alex
작년 선물도 특별했어요.
Jangnyeon seonmuldo teukbyeolhaesseoyo.
Last year’s gift was special too.
특별한 describes the day before the noun, 특별해요 evaluates the gift now, and 특별했어요 recalls an earlier gift. 직접 means personally or oneself. The speaker gives a reason for the gift’s significance instead of relying on its cost to explain why it is special.
Special Occasions, Treatment and Circumstances
특별한 날 is a special day, such as an anniversary or a personally meaningful occasion. It does not have to be a public holiday. The adjective can reflect the speaker’s private experience, so someone else may need an explanation of why an ordinary date matters.
특별한 이유 means “a special reason” or “a particular reason.” It often appears when someone asks why an exception is needed or why a choice was made. The phrase does not necessarily praise the reason. In this use, 특별하다 sets the reason apart from the usual circumstances.
특별히 means “especially,” “particularly” or “specially,” according to the sentence. It can mark extra attention, a particular preference or something done for a specific occasion. The phrase 특별히 좋아해요 expresses particular liking. Before a noun such as 선물, use 특별한 instead of substituting the adverb.
특별 대우 means special treatment. Here 특별 is used as a noun-like element before 대우, “treatment,” and the phrase is written as two words. Learn the full expression as you meet it; it does not mean that you can remove 한 from every adjective modifier.
Where Does 특별하다 Appear?
Gift messages, birthday conversations and descriptions of meaningful experiences often use 특별하다. With 저한테, “to me,” the speaker identifies whose perspective makes the object special. A handmade card can be 특별하다 to its recipient without being rare, famous or expensive.
Advertisements also use 특별 to draw attention to an offer, event or edition. In that setting, “special” is the seller’s description. It does not by itself tell you whether an item is cheaper or better than another item. Look for the actual product detail or price alongside the label.
The negative 특별하지 않아요 can simply say that something is ordinary. Context decides whether that sounds disappointed or neutral. Describing an unremarkable daily routine is different from telling someone that their carefully chosen gift is not special. The grammar is the same, but the social effect changes.
To make personal meaning clear, name the connection: who gave the gift, when you received it or what occasion it recalls. 특별하다 leaves that explanation open; 저한테 identifies the person who values it.
Which Form Belongs before a Noun?
특별한 describes a currently special thing; 특별했던 looks back at a past experience. The present sentence 특별해요 ends a description. Choose according to the sentence’s job, rather than adding the dictionary form 특별하다 directly before 날 or 선물.
Keep 특별 as one root when the 하다 ending contracts. 특별해요 and 특별해서 are single words, while the future 특별할 거예요 has a space before 거예요. The sound change in the first part of the word does not alter its spelling. Keep the written ㅂ even when you hear the tense sound.
특별하다 and 중요하다 can overlap, but they answer different questions. A routine medical appointment may be important without feeling special. A small keepsake may be special because of a memory even though it has little practical importance. When describing a gift, explain whether you mean emotional distinction, usefulness or public recognition.
| Related word | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 기념일 | anniversary / commemorative day | A date that may be personally special. |
| 선물 | gift | Can be special because of the giver or memory. |
| 중요하다 | important | Describes significance or priority. |
| 유명하다 | famous | Describes being widely known. |
See birthdays and celebrations for the occasion phrases that surround 특별한 날.
Mini Drill: Build the Right Form
- Complete “a special gift”: ____ 선물.
- Give the polite past of 특별하다.
- Choose the adverb meaning “especially”: 특별한 or 특별히.
- Give the because-form.
Show drill answers
- 특별한 선물.
- 특별했어요.
- 특별히.
- 특별해서.
Quick Self-Test
- Must 특별한 날 be a public holiday?
- Does 특별하다 guarantee a high price?
- Which word directly means “important”: 특별하다 or 중요하다?
Show self-test answers
- No. It can be a personally meaningful date.
- No. A low-cost handmade gift can be special.
- 중요하다.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Is 특별하다 Pronounced?
[특뼐하다].
What Is a Special Day?
특별한 날.
What Does 특별히 Mean?
Especially, as in 특별히 좋아해요.
What Is the Polite Present?
특별해요.
Which Words Are Related to 특별하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare it with 중요하다 and 이상하다. Apart from the tensed [뼐], 특별하다 conjugates exactly as how 하다 becomes 해요 describes. Compare it with 이상하다 in the Korean verb conjugator, or look for more describing words in the Korean verb dictionary.