Key Facts
- Hangul: 운동하다 (undonghada)
- Meaning: to exercise
- Level: A1
- Stem: 운동하
- Class: 하다 type (regular)
- Polite present / past: 운동해요 / 운동했어요
- Honorific polite: 운동하세요
What Does 운동하다 Mean?
- to exercise. Used for working out or doing sports: 매일 운동하다 (to exercise every day).
운동하다 is a very common verb used without an object. The split form 운동을 하다 is equally correct. The noun 운동 also appears in everyday words such as 운동화 (sneakers) and 운동장 (sports ground, school field).
How Do You Pronounce 운동하다?
운동하다 is romanized undonghada and read as spelled. Its sound changes all come from the endings. In the past 운동했어요 [운동해써요], the ㅆ moves into the next syllable. In the formal 운동합니다 [운동함니다], ㅂ before ㄴ is pronounced [ㅁ]. In the future 운동할 거예요 [운동할꺼예요], ㄱ after -ㄹ becomes tense. In total, 10 of the forms in the table below have a reading that differs from the spelling.
How Do You Use 운동하다 in a Sentence?
저는 매일 아침 운동해요.
I exercise every morning.
매일 아침 (every morning) makes this a daily habit.
어제 공원에서 운동했어요.
I exercised in the park yesterday.
공원에서 (in the park) gives the place, and 운동했어요 is the polite past.
요즘 운동하고 싶어요.
These days I want to exercise.
With 요즘 (these days), 운동하고 싶어요 expresses a current wish.
How Does Undonghada Conjugation Work? (19 forms)
운동하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 운동해요 | ||
| Polite past | 운동했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 운동할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 운동하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 운동합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 운동했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 운동할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 운동해 | ||
| Casual past | 운동했어 | ||
| Casual future | 운동할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 운동하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 운동하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 운동해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 운동하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 운동하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 운동한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 운동할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 운동 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 운동하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 운동해요 | as written |
| Polite past | 운동했어요 | [운동해써요] |
| Polite future | 운동할 거예요 | [운동할꺼예요] |
| Formal present | 운동합니다 | [운동함니다] |
| Casual present | 운동해 | as written |
| Honorific | 운동하세요 | as written |
| Because | 운동해서 | as written |
| If | 운동하면 | as written |
| Modifier now | 운동하는 | as written |
| Long negative | 운동하지 않아요 | [운동하지 아나요] |
Is 운동하다 Regular or Irregular?
운동하다 is regular. Like every 하다 verb, it changes 하 to 해 before an ending that starts with 아 or 어: 운동해요 in the polite present and 운동했어요 in the past. The rule is taught in 하다 to 해요.
What Is the Most Common Mistake with 운동하다?
Wrong: ✗ 축구를 운동해요
Correct: ✓ 축구를 해요
Why: 운동하다 means exercising in general and cannot take a particular sport as its object. With the name of a sport, use plain 하다: 축구를 해요 (I play football).
How Is 운동하다 Different from Similar Words?
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 하다 | 하다 is used with sports names (축구를 하다); 운동하다 is general exercise. |
| 수영하다 | 수영하다 is to swim, one kind of exercise. |
Making Plans at the Gym
Two gym members compare their routines and decide when to meet. They use polite speech while talking about a habit, a completed workout, and a future plan.
Jisu
보통 여기서 운동해요?
Botong yeogiseo undonghaeyo?
Do you usually work out here?
Alex
네. 어제도 여기서 운동했어요.
Ne. Eojedo yeogiseo undonghaesseoyo.
Yes. I worked out here yesterday too.
Jisu
내일도 운동할 거예요?
Naeildo undonghal geoyeyo?
Are you going to work out tomorrow too?
Alex
네, 아침에 만나요.
Ne, achime mannayo.
Yes, let’s meet in the morning.
여기서 is a conversational shortening of 여기에서, “here”, marking the place where the workout happens. 어제도 and 내일도 add “too” to different days. The dialogue never specifies weight training or running: 운동하다 leaves the kind of exercise open.
Which Combinations Describe an Exercise Routine?
꾸준히 운동하다 means to exercise consistently. 꾸준히 describes keeping up the activity over time, rather than how hard one session feels. 규칙적으로 운동하다 means to exercise regularly, with an orderly routine. 매일 운동하다 is more precise about frequency: every day. Someone can exercise regularly without exercising daily.
운동을 시작하다 means to start exercising, and 운동을 쉬다 means to take a break from exercise. In both phrases 운동 is a noun followed by 을 and a separate verb. Switching the final verb lets you talk about starting, maintaining, or pausing a routine without pretending that 운동하다 itself contains those meanings.
운동 부족 means a lack of exercise. It is a noun phrase you may meet in lifestyle discussions. 운동 기구 means exercise equipment, while 운동복 means workout clothes. These are literal word combinations, so there is no hidden idiomatic meaning to learn; their value is recognizing the exercise-related nouns around the verb.
Where Will You Hear 운동하다?
At a gym, 운동해요 can cover many activities in one question about someone's habits. In a park, the same verb can describe working out outdoors. It does not by itself mean lifting weights, joining a gym, or competing in a sport. Use a more specific verb such as 수영하다 when swimming is the point of the sentence.
In everyday talk, 운동하세요? can politely ask whether someone exercises. With a different situation and intonation, 운동하세요 can also be a suggestion or instruction to exercise. A trainer speaking to a member may use that request sense. The honorific ending refers to the person exercising; your own routine is 운동해요.
Forms and notices at sports facilities may use 운동 시간 for exercise time and 운동 시설 for sports facilities. These noun phrases do not have tense or politeness endings. Recognizing 운동 as the noun helps you read the label without looking for a complete sentence.
한 시간 운동하다 means to exercise for one hour. The duration 한 시간 measures the workout, while 한 시에 gives a starting time, one o'clock. This distinction helps when someone asks about the length of your session rather than your schedule.
What Makes Spacing and Negatives Tricky?
운동해요 is one verb, while 운동을 해요 contains the noun plus its object marker and a separate verb. Both describe exercising. The space follows the whole noun phrase 운동을; it does not split a syllable off the noun. A named sport uses its own noun phrase, such as 축구를 해요.
The table's short negative is 운동 안 해요. 안 sits before 해요 and is written separately. 운동하지 않아요 is the longer negative, with a space before 않아요. Neither negative says that exercise is impossible: a person may simply choose a rest day. To say you did not exercise on a past rest day, add past tense as well as negation.
Words You Need at a Gym
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 헬스장 | gym | A common place to 운동하다. |
| 근력 운동 | strength training | Names a kind of workout, rather than exercise in general. |
| 유산소 운동 | aerobic exercise / cardio | Useful when distinguishing parts of a workout. |
| 스트레칭 | stretching | Often discussed before or after other exercise. |
The gym and fitness vocabulary lesson covers this set in more detail.
Mini Drill: Talking about Workouts
- Put 운동하다 in the polite past.
- Add the location marker: 공원____ 운동해요.
- Write the short negative with spaces.
- Choose the sentence for playing football: 축구를 해요 or 운동해요?
Show drill answers
- 운동했어요.
- 에서: 공원에서 운동해요.
- 운동 안 해요.
- 축구를 해요 specifies football; 운동해요 leaves the activity open.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 꾸준히 운동하다 necessarily mean exercising every day?
- What is the difference between 운동하다 and 운동을 하다?
- Which noun means exercise equipment?
Show answers
- No. It means maintaining the activity consistently.
- They have the same basic meaning; the second uses a separate noun and verb.
- 운동 기구.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 운동하다 a Regular or Irregular Verb?
운동하다 is a regular 하다 verb: 하 becomes 해 before 아/어 endings, giving 운동해요 and 운동했어요.
What Is the Polite Present Form of 운동하다?
It is 운동해요, as in 저는 매일 아침 운동해요 (I exercise every morning). The past is 운동했어요, the future is 운동할 거예요, and the honorific polite form is 운동하세요.
Does 운동하다 Take an Object?
No. It is used without an object. For a particular sport, use 하다 instead: 축구를 해요.
Is 운동을 하다 Acceptable?
Yes. 운동을 하다 and 운동하다 are both correct and mean the same thing.
Which Words Share the Root 운동?
운동화 means sneakers and 운동장 means a sports ground or school field.
Which Words Are Related to 운동하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next, learn 달리다 for running, then 쉬다 for the rest that comes after. The Korean verb conjugator shows any form of 운동하다, and the verb dictionary has more everyday verbs.