Key Facts
- Hangul: 똑똑하다 (ttokttokada)
- Meaning: smart
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 똑똑하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: The smart person or animal takes 이/가 or 은/는.
- Usage: A very common compliment for children, students and pets.
What Does 똑똑하다 Mean?
똑똑하다 describes someone who learns fast or thinks well, as in 똑똑한 학생 (a smart student). It is the everyday word for smart or bright.
It is a common compliment for children, students and pets. With 척 it turns teasing: 똑똑한 척하다 means to act smart.
How Do You Pronounce 똑똑하다?
The second syllable already starts with the tense ㄸ, so nothing changes there. The change comes at the end, where the final ㄱ meets ㅎ and the two merge into ㅋ. The dictionary form is therefore [똑또카다]. The same ㅋ sound runs through 똑똑해요, [똑또캐써요] in the past, and [똑또캄니다] in the formal present.
How Do You Use 똑똑하다 in a Sentence?
제 동생은 아주 똑똑해요.
My younger sibling is very smart.
제 동생은 gives the topic; 아주 means 'very'.
똑똑한 학생이 질문했어요.
A smart student asked a question.
똑똑한 modifies 학생이; 질문했어요 says what the student did.
그 개는 똑똑하지 않아요.
That dog is not smart.
그 개는 makes the dog the topic, and 똑똑하지 않아요 is the long negative.
How Does Ttokttokada Conjugation Work?
똑똑하다 is a 하다 adjective, so 똑똑해요, 똑똑했어요 and 똑똑해서 use the contracted 해. The modifier is 똑똑한, the honorific is 똑똑하세요, and the negative is 똑똑하지 않아요.
똑똑하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 똑똑해요 | ||
| Polite past | 똑똑했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 똑똑할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 똑똑하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 똑똑합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 똑똑했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 똑똑할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 똑똑해 | ||
| Casual past | 똑똑했어 | ||
| Casual future | 똑똑할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 똑똑하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 똑똑해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 똑똑하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 똑똑한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 똑똑했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 똑똑할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 똑똑해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 똑똑하지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary form | 똑똑하다 | [똑또카다] |
| Polite present | 똑똑해요 | [똑또캐요] |
| Polite past | 똑똑했어요 | [똑또캐써요] |
| Polite future | 똑똑할 거예요 | [똑또칼꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 똑똑하겠어요 | [똑또카게써요] |
| Formal present | 똑똑합니다 | [똑또캄니다] |
| Formal past | 똑똑했습니다 | [똑또캗씀니다] |
| Formal future | 똑똑할 것입니다 | [똑또칼꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 똑똑해 | [똑또캐] |
| Casual past | 똑똑했어 | [똑또캐써] |
| Casual future | 똑똑할 거야 | [똑또칼꺼야] |
| Honorific polite | 똑똑하세요 | [똑또카세요] |
| Because | 똑똑해서 | [똑또캐서] |
| Conditional | 똑똑하면 | [똑또카면] |
| Present modifier | 똑똑한 | [똑또칸] |
| Past modifier | 똑똑했던 | [똑또캗떤] |
| Future modifier | 똑똑할 | [똑또칼] |
| Short negative | 안 똑똑해요 | [안 똑또캐요] |
| Long negative | 똑똑하지 않아요 | [똑또카지 아나요] |
똑똑하다 Forms to Reach for First
- Politely (smart): 똑똑해요
- Earlier, in the past (smart): 똑똑했어요
- Giving the reason (smart): 똑똑해서
- If the condition holds (smart): 똑똑하면
- Before a noun (smart): 똑똑한, or 똑똑했던 for the past
- Denying it (smart): 똑똑하지 않아요
- Honorific, about a respected person (smart): 똑똑하세요
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 똑똑이 해요
Correct: ✓ 똑똑해요
Why: Learners confuse the adjective with the adverb 똑똑히 (clearly), and then add an extra syllable. The adjective simply conjugates as 똑똑해요.
When Does 똑똑하다 Fit Best?
Use 똑똑하다 for general brightness. When you want a more formal, sharper word for quick wit, 영리하다 is the alternative.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 똑똑하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 똑똑하다 |
|---|---|
| 영리하다 | 영리하다 is more formal and stresses quick wit and cleverness; 똑똑하다 is the everyday word for smart or bright. |
| 멍청하다 | 멍청하다 is the blunt opposite, meaning dull or stupid, and can be insulting. |
At a Dog-Training Class: a Quick Learner
A visitor watches a dog respond to a new cue. The trainer recalls its progress in earlier lessons.
Visitor
이 개는 정말 똑똑해요.
I gaeneun jeongmal ttokttokaeyo.
This dog is really smart.
Trainer
네, 처음부터 똑똑했어요.
Ne, cheoeumbuteo ttokttokaesseoyo.
Yes, it was smart from the start.
Visitor
똑똑한 개네요.
Ttokttokan gaeneyo.
What a smart dog.
Trainer
새로운 것도 빨리 배워요.
Saeroun geotdo ppalli baewoyo.
It learns new things quickly too.
똑똑해요 praises the dog now, 똑똑했어요 looks back, and 똑똑한 puts the quality before 개. The trainer’s final line gives evidence for the compliment: the dog learns quickly. 처음부터 means “from the beginning”, so the past sentence does not imply that the dog has stopped being smart.
Phrases for Intelligence and Practical Judgment
똑똑한 아이 is a smart child, and 똑똑한 학생 is a bright student. These phrases describe an ability to understand, learn or think well. They do not say that the person is always well behaved. A bright child may still ignore an instruction, and a diligent student may work hard without learning unusually fast.
똑똑한 선택 means a smart choice. Here the adjective praises the judgment behind a decision, rather than assigning intelligence to an object. Product advertising also uses this phrase for a purchase presented as sensible. The surrounding explanation should tell you what makes the choice useful, such as cost or suitability.
똑똑한 척하다 means to act as though one is clever. The 척하다 part introduces pretense, so the phrase can criticize someone for showing off. It is sharper than simply calling someone 똑똑하다. Among close friends it may be teasing, but with a coworker it can sound openly dismissive.
Where Will You Hear 똑똑하다?
Parents and teachers use 똑똑해요 to praise a child’s understanding. Pet owners use it when an animal learns a cue or solves a problem. In each case, a concrete action helps explain the praise. Knowing someone’s age or exam result is not necessary for the adjective to fit.
In a workplace, 똑똑한 사람 can praise someone’s judgment. Saying 똑똑해요 directly to a senior can sound as though you are evaluating them from above, especially if the situation is formal. A specific compliment about their explanation or solution may fit the relationship better. The ending alone cannot decide the social tone.
A sarcastic voice can reverse a compliment. 똑똑하다 said after an obvious blunder may be ironic, just like English “very clever”. Watch the event and the speaker’s reaction before deciding whether a drama character is offering praise. The dictionary meaning remains “smart”; the scene supplies the sarcasm.
Words That Describe Different Strengths
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 영리하다 | clever; quick-witted | Emphasizes understanding and practical cleverness. |
| 성실하다 | diligent; conscientious | Praises effort and reliability rather than speed of thought. |
| 착하다 | kind; good-natured | Describes character and treatment of others. |
| 똑똑히 | clearly; distinctly | Useful with hearing or remembering, rather than a simple intelligence label. |
The personality vocabulary lesson teaches a wider range of traits. Pairing a trait with a specific behavior helps you choose between intelligence, diligence and kindness.
The 하다 Contraction and the Two Adverbs
The adjective keeps the full stem 똑똑하 before many endings, but 하 + 여 contracts to 해 in 똑똑해요. The aspirated sound comes from ㄱ meeting ㅎ; that pronunciation change does not remove 하 from the written stem. 똑똑한 is the adjective form before a noun, while 똑똑하는 would wrongly treat it as an action verb.
똑똑하게 can describe doing something intelligently. 똑똑히 commonly means clearly or distinctly, as in clearly hearing or remembering something. Their shared beginning is not a reason to swap them freely. Choose 똑똑해요 for “is smart”, rather than attaching 해요 to an adverb.
Mini Drill: Choose the Right Form
- Complete “a smart student”: ____ 학생.
- Give the polite past of 똑똑하다.
- Give the long negative.
- Use the table’s because-form.
Show drill answers
- 똑똑한 학생.
- 똑똑했어요.
- 똑똑하지 않아요.
- 똑똑해서.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 똑똑한 학생 necessarily mean a hardworking student?
- What does 척하다 add in 똑똑한 척하다?
- Can 똑똑하다 describe an animal?
Show answers
- No. 성실하다 describes diligence more directly.
- Pretense: acting as though one is clever.
- Yes, especially one that learns quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 똑똑하다?
똑똑해요.
How Do I Tease Someone for Acting Smart?
Use 척: 똑똑한 척하다.
Can I Use 똑똑하다 for Animals?
Yes. Dogs, cats and other pets are called 똑똑하다 when they learn quickly.
What Is the Opposite?
멍청하다, which is blunt and can be insulting.
Which Words Are Related to 똑똑하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 똑똑하다 with 영리하다 for formality, and keep 멍청하다 in mind as the word to recognise but use carefully. The pattern is explained in how 하다 words become 해요. Then run another word through the Korean verb conjugator or browse the Korean verb dictionary.