Key Facts
- Hangul: 뚱뚱하다 (ttungttunghada)
- Meaning: fat
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 뚱뚱하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: Descriptive word; the subject takes 이/가 or 은/는 (고양이가 뚱뚱해요).
- Usage: Direct and can be rude about people. 통통하다 (plump) is often softer; 살이 쪘어요 describes weight gained. Both can still be sensitive comments.
What Does 뚱뚱하다 Mean?
뚱뚱하다 means fat. 뚱뚱한 고양이 is a fat cat, and 고양이가 뚱뚱해요 says the cat is fat. It is an A2 word and the subject takes 이/가 or 은/는. It is also direct: said about a person, it can be rude.
How Do You Pronounce 뚱뚱하다?
뚱뚱하다 is read as written. 하 and 여 contract to 해, keeping ㅎ in the spelling, so you get 뚱뚱해요 and 뚱뚱했어요, the second spoken [뚱뚱해써요]. In the formal style the ㅂ of 합 turns into ㅁ before ㄴ: 뚱뚱합니다 is [뚱뚱함니다], and the formal past 뚱뚱했습니다 is [뚱뚱핻씀니다].
How Do You Use 뚱뚱하다 in a Sentence?
우리 고양이는 뚱뚱해요.
Our cat is fat.
우리 고양이는 is the topic, so the cat is the thing described.
뚱뚱한 곰이 나무에 올라갔어요.
A fat bear climbed the tree.
뚱뚱한 is the present modifier and goes before 곰이, the subject of 올라갔어요.
저는 뚱뚱하지 않아요.
I am not fat.
뚱뚱하지 않아요 is the long negative, and 저는 makes the speaker the topic.
The set shows the polite present 뚱뚱해요, the modifier 뚱뚱한 and the long negative 뚱뚱하지 않아요.
How Does Ttungttunghada Conjugation Work?
뚱뚱하다 is a 하다 adjective, so 하 + 여 contracts to 해: 뚱뚱해요, 뚱뚱했어요, 뚱뚱해서. The present modifier is 뚱뚱한, and the if-form is 뚱뚱하면. The long negative 뚱뚱하지 않아요 is the one the third example uses. The rule behind this class is in the lesson on how 하다 becomes 해요.
뚱뚱하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 뚱뚱해요 | ||
| Polite past | 뚱뚱했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 뚱뚱할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 뚱뚱하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 뚱뚱합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 뚱뚱했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 뚱뚱할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 뚱뚱해 | ||
| Casual past | 뚱뚱했어 | ||
| Casual future | 뚱뚱할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 뚱뚱하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 뚱뚱해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 뚱뚱하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 뚱뚱한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 뚱뚱했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 뚱뚱할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 뚱뚱해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 뚱뚱하지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 뚱뚱했어요 | [뚱뚱해써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 뚱뚱할 거예요 | [뚱뚱할꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 뚱뚱하겠어요 | [뚱뚱하게써요] |
| Formal present | 뚱뚱합니다 | [뚱뚱함니다] |
| Formal past | 뚱뚱했습니다 | [뚱뚱핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 뚱뚱할 것입니다 | [뚱뚱할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 뚱뚱했어 | [뚱뚱해써] |
| Casual future | 뚱뚱할 거야 | [뚱뚱할꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 뚱뚱했던 | [뚱뚱핻떤] |
| Long negative | 뚱뚱하지 않아요 | [뚱뚱하지 아나요] |
Common Mistake with 뚱뚱하다
Wrong: ✗ 뚱뚱하는 고양이
Correct: ✓ 뚱뚱한 고양이
Why: 뚱뚱하다 is an adjective, so before a noun it takes -한: 뚱뚱한 고양이 (a fat cat). The -하는 modifier is only for verbs.
Being Direct about Weight
뚱뚱하다 is direct, so it suits animals and general statements better than comments on a person. 통통하다 means plump and is often softer. 살이 쪘어요 tells of weight gained rather than naming a body shape. Neither phrase guarantees a tactful comment about another person.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 뚱뚱하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 뚱뚱하다 |
|---|---|
| 날씬하다 | The opposite: 날씬하다 means slim. |
| 마르다 | 마르다 means thin; 뚱뚱하다 means heavy and round. |
마르다 is thin; 뚱뚱하다 is heavy and round. 날씬하다 is slim and sounds kind.
Choosing a Picture Book: Identify the Bear
Two adults are looking at a picture book in a shop. They use the adjective to identify a fictional character, then compare two illustrations.
Mina
뚱뚱한 곰이 나오는 책이에요?
Ttungttunghan gomi naoneun chaegieyo?
Is it the book with the fat bear in it?
Jisu
네, 이 곰은 뚱뚱해요.
Ne, i gomeun ttungttunghaeyo.
Yes, this bear is fat.
Mina
다른 그림에서는 더 뚱뚱했어요.
Dareun geurimeseoneun deo ttungttunghaesseoyo.
It was fatter in the other picture.
Jisu
맞아요. 그림이 달라요.
Majayo. Geurimi dallayo.
That’s right. The pictures are different.
뚱뚱한 identifies the character before 곰, 뚱뚱해요 describes the current picture, and 뚱뚱했어요 refers to the earlier depiction. 더 means “more”, so it makes the comparison stronger. The speakers are describing drawings; they are not using the adjective to address someone in the shop.
Common Combinations and What They Actually Say
뚱뚱한 사람 means a fat person. 뚱뚱한 고양이 means a fat cat. Both are literal descriptions of body shape. The adjective itself does not explain the cause, amount or timing of a weight change. It also does not tell you anything about someone’s personality, habits or fitness.
뚱뚱한 몸매 refers to a heavy body shape. The noun 몸매 focuses on the body’s outline or build. In contrast, 살이 찌다 means to gain weight: it describes a change. Someone can have gained weight without fitting the description 뚱뚱하다, and someone’s body shape can remain the same over time.
통통하다 means plump or chubby and often sounds softer. It still comments on body size. 살이 쪘어요, “has gained weight”, can also be unwelcome when aimed at another person. None of these expressions is a universally polite way to start talking about a stranger’s body.
Where Will You Hear 뚱뚱하다?
Stories and cartoons may describe a round animal character as 뚱뚱한 곰 or 뚱뚱한 고양이. The adjective helps distinguish that character from others in the picture. In conversation about real people, it is more sensitive because the description can become a judgment or an insult.
In a drama, a character may use 뚱뚱하다 in an argument or speak anxiously about their own appearance. The line tells you how the character is talking; it does not show that the expression is a friendly greeting. Notice who is speaking, who is being described, and whether anyone objects.
The polite ending in 뚱뚱해요 makes the sentence polite to its listener. It does not make the body-size comment considerate. The honorific 뚱뚱하세요 likewise changes grammar without guaranteeing a kind effect. For identifying someone in a crowd, a coat color or location often gives clearer information without judging their body.
Body Size, Weight Change, and Health
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 통통하다 | plump; chubby | Usually softer, but still a comment on appearance. |
| 살이 찌다 | to gain weight | Describes a change, without specifying a final body shape. |
| 몸무게 | body weight | A measurement rather than an appearance adjective. |
| 건강하다 | healthy | Describes health, which appearance alone cannot establish. |
The personality and appearance vocabulary lesson teaches the broader descriptive set. Choose the feature you actually mean: 몸무게 for weight, a body-shape adjective for appearance, or 건강하다 for health.
The Adjective Modifier Is 한, Not 하는
뚱뚱하다 belongs to the descriptive 하다 group. Before a noun it becomes 뚱뚱한, as in the bear dialogue. An action such as 운전하다 instead gives 운전하는 before a noun. The shared 하다 dictionary ending therefore does not guarantee the same noun-modifying ending.
The negative 뚱뚱하지 않아요 denies the description. It does not say that someone is thin; there is room between those two descriptions. Likewise, 뚱뚱했어요 places the description in the past, but the wider conversation determines whether the person or character has changed since then.
Mini Drill: Choose the Right Form
- Complete “a fat cat”: ____ 고양이.
- Give the polite past.
- Give the long negative for “is not fat”.
- Choose the conditional from the table: “if [someone] is fat”.
Show drill answers
- 뚱뚱한 고양이.
- 뚱뚱했어요.
- 뚱뚱하지 않아요.
- 뚱뚱하면.
Quick Self-Test
- Does adding 요 make a comment on someone’s body considerate?
- Which expression describes gaining weight?
- Does 뚱뚱하지 않아요 necessarily mean “is thin”?
Show answers
- No. It changes the speech level, not the social effect of the comment.
- 살이 찌다.
- No. It only denies the description “fat”.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Say 'Our Cat Is Fat'?
우리 고양이는 뚱뚱해요.
How Do You Say 'I Am Not Fat'?
저는 뚱뚱하지 않아요.
Is 뚱뚱하다 Rude?
It is direct and can be rude about people. 통통하다 is often softer, while 살이 쪘어요 describes weight gained. Both can still be sensitive comments.
What Is the Polite Past?
뚱뚱했어요, spoken [뚱뚱해써요].
What Is the Opposite of 뚱뚱하다?
The opposite is 날씬하다, which means slim.
Which Words Are Related to 뚱뚱하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Learn 날씬하다 and 마르다 to cover the other body-shape words, and 건강하다 for healthy. Once you know how to say "fat", put another word through the Korean verb conjugator to compare the pattern, or browse more entries in the Korean verb dictionary.