Key Facts
- Hangul: 위험하다 (wiheomhada)
- Meaning: dangerous
- Level: A2
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 위험하
- Conjugation class: 하다 type
- Grammar: Describes risky things, roads, actions or objects; the topic takes 은/는 or 이/가.
- Usage: Frequent in warnings and signs.
What Does 위험하다 Mean?
위험하다 describes something that could cause harm, as in 위험한 곳 or 위험한 운전. It often goes with 길, 운전, 행동 and 물건.
You hear it in warnings and read it on signs. The exclamation 위험해요! is a direct call.
How Do You Pronounce 위험하다?
The dictionary form is read as spelled, and the 위 is a quick wi. The formal present 위험합니다 is [위험함니다], and the formal past is [위험핻씀니다].
How Do You Use 위험하다 in a Sentence?
밤에 혼자 걷는 것은 위험해요.
Walking alone at night is dangerous.
The whole phrase 밤에 혼자 걷는 것은 ('walking alone at night') is the topic, marked by 은.
위험한 곳에는 가지 마세요.
Don't go to dangerous places.
위험한 곳에는 가지 마세요 is a polite prohibition.
길이 위험해서 천천히 갔어요.
The road was dangerous, so I went slowly.
위험해서 gives the reason for 천천히 갔어요.
How Does Wiheomhada Conjugation Work?
위험하다 is a 하다 adjective: 위험해요, 위험했어요, 위험해서. The modifier is 위험한, and the negative is 위험하지 않아요.
위험하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 위험해요 | ||
| Polite past | 위험했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 위험할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 위험하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 위험합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 위험했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 위험할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 위험해 | ||
| Casual past | 위험했어 | ||
| Casual future | 위험할 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 위험하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 위험해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 위험하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 위험한 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 위험했던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 위험할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 위험해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 위험하지 않아요 |
No want-to row: -고 싶다 suits verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 위험했어요 | [위험해써요] |
| Polite future | 위험할 거예요 | [위험할꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 위험하겠어요 | [위험하게써요] |
| Formal present | 위험합니다 | [위험함니다] |
| Formal past | 위험했습니다 | [위험핻씀니다] |
| Formal future | 위험할 것입니다 | [위험할꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 위험했어 | [위험해써] |
| Casual future | 위험할 거야 | [위험할꺼야] |
| Past modifier | 위험했던 | [위험핻떤] |
| Long negative | 위험하지 않아요 | [위험하지 아나요] |
위험하다 Forms to Reach for First
- Politely (dangerous): 위험해요
- Earlier, in the past (dangerous): 위험했어요
- Giving the reason (dangerous): 위험해서
- If the condition holds (dangerous): 위험하면
- Before a noun (dangerous): 위험한, or 위험했던 for the past
- Denying it (dangerous): 위험하지 않아요
- Honorific, about a respected person (dangerous): 위험하세요
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 위험한 해요
Correct: ✓ 위험해요
Why: Learners split the word and write 위험한 해요. Use 위험한 before a noun and 위험해요 at the end of a sentence.
When Does 위험하다 Fit Best?
Use 위험하다 for real risk. For being scared, 무섭다 is the right word. Nouns that often follow 위험한 are 길, 운전, 행동 and 물건, so learning them as pairs makes the word easier to recall. In speech you add the ending, and 위험해요 works as a spoken warning. Together with 안전하다 it forms a pair you can use to judge any road, place or plan.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 위험하다?
| Word | How to tell it from 위험하다 |
|---|---|
| 안전하다 | The opposite: 안전하다 means safe, 위험하다 means dangerous or risky. |
| 무섭다 | 무섭다 is the feeling of being scared or something scary; 위험하다 means there is real danger of harm. |
Beside a Closed Trail: Choose Another Path
Two walkers reach a wet, narrow path. One notices the warning sign and suggests another route.
Mina
이 길은 위험해요.
I gireun wiheomhaeyo.
This path is dangerous.
Alex
어제도 위험했어요?
Eojedo wiheomhaesseoyo?
Was it dangerous yesterday too?
Mina
네, 위험한 길이에요. 다른 길로 가요.
Ne, wiheomhan girieyo. Dareun gillo gayo.
Yes, it’s a dangerous path. Let’s take another route.
Alex
좋아요. 저쪽으로 가요.
Joayo. Jeojjogeuro gayo.
Okay. Let’s go that way.
위험해요 gives the current assessment, 위험했어요 asks about an earlier condition, and 위험한 modifies 길. The speakers then choose an action: taking a different route. The word 위험하다 identifies a risk; it does not by itself tell someone exactly what to do about it.
Phrases for Danger and a Careful Response
위험한 길 means a dangerous road or path. 위험한 행동 means dangerous behavior. 위험한 물건 means a dangerous object. These are literal risk descriptions, but the kind of possible harm changes with the noun: a slippery path, an unsafe action and a sharp object call for different responses.
위험한 운전 describes dangerous driving. 조심하다 means to be careful and often supplies the response to a warning. A sentence identifying the danger can therefore be followed by 조심하세요, “please be careful”. One expression assesses the situation; the other asks the listener to act carefully.
위험에 처하다 means to be in danger. The noun 위험 combines with the particle 에 and another verb, rather than becoming 위험해요. 위험을 감수하다 means to accept or take a risk. You may meet these expressions in reports about people facing harm or choosing a risky course of action.
What Do Warning Signs Actually Say?
위험 is the noun “danger” and can stand alone on a warning sign. A sign does not need to use the dictionary form 위험하다 or the polite sentence 위험해요. The short noun label identifies the hazard category, while nearby words or symbols explain the specific warning.
출입 금지 means no entry. 추락 위험 means a danger of falling. 감전 위험 means a danger of electric shock. These labels perform different jobs: the first prohibits entry, while the latter two name hazards. Recognizing 위험 inside a longer label helps you read beyond the general idea that something is unsafe.
In conversation, 위험해요 can warn someone immediately. 위험합니다 is a more formal version suited to an announcement or instruction. Both describe danger without requiring an honorific marker for the object. A dangerous road is normally 위험해요, rather than 위험하세요.
Risk Is Different from Fear
A horror film can be 무섭다 without putting the viewer in physical danger. A quiet, slippery stairway can be 위험하다 even if nobody feels frightened. This difference matters when reassuring someone: saying that a place does not feel scary does not establish that it is safe.
위험하지 않아요 denies danger. The claim may reassure a listener, but its truth still depends on the situation. In a language exercise, focus on the grammatical meaning; in real conversation, name the hazard when you can. “Dangerous because of falling” gives more usable information than a general adjective alone.
Words to Recognize beside 위험
| Korean | Meaning | Useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 안전 | safety | Common in labels about safe behavior or equipment. |
| 주의 | caution; attention | Calls for attention to a condition or instruction. |
| 경고 | warning | Names a warning message or notice. |
| 출입 금지 | no entry | Tells you that entering is prohibited. |
The road-sign vocabulary lesson teaches warning and instruction labels. Read the noun beside 위험 to find the type of danger, rather than stopping at the general word.
A Noun Phrase Needs a Different Ending
위험한 goes before a noun, as in 위험한 곳. 위험해요 completes the description “is dangerous”. 위험해서 introduces a reason for another action, as in the existing sentence about going slowly. The ending tells you whether the word labels a place, makes an assessment, or explains a decision.
Mini Drill: Choose the Right Form
- Complete “a dangerous place”: ____ 곳.
- Give the polite past.
- Give the formal present for an announcement.
- Use the long negative for “is not dangerous”.
Show drill answers
- 위험한 곳.
- 위험했어요.
- 위험합니다.
- 위험하지 않아요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 위험 on a sign need 요 to be complete as a label?
- Which phrase prohibits entering: 출입 금지 or 추락 위험?
- Can something be dangerous without feeling scary?
Show answers
- No. 위험 is the noun “danger”.
- 출입 금지. 추락 위험 identifies a falling hazard.
- Yes. 위험하다 describes risk; 무섭다 describes fear or scariness.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Present of 위험하다?
위험해요.
How Do I Say 'Dangerous Places'?
위험한 곳.
What Is the Difference from 무섭다?
무섭다 is the feeling of being scared or something scary; 위험하다 means there is real danger of harm.
What Is the Opposite?
안전하다, meaning safe.
Which Words Are Related to 위험하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Compare 위험하다 with 안전하다 and 무섭다, then use 조심하다 for the careful response. 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.