Key Facts
- Hangul: 여행하다 (yeohaenghada)
- Meaning: to travel
- Level: A2
- Stem: 여행하
- Class: 하다 type
- Polite present / past: 여행해요 / 여행했어요
- Honorific polite: 여행하세요
What Does 여행하다 Mean?
It has one core meaning:
- to travel. Go on a trip to see places, as in 유럽을 여행하다.
The place you tour can take 을/를 (유럽을 여행해요), or the verb can stand alone. In conversation many speakers prefer the noun phrases 여행을 가다 and 여행을 하다, especially for a single trip. The honorific polite form is 여행하세요.
How Do You Pronounce 여행하다?
In Revised Romanization, 여행하다 is written yeohaenghada. The dictionary form is read as spelled.
These conjugated forms sound different from their spelling:
- 여행했어요 [여행해써요]
- 여행할 거예요 [여행할꺼예요]
- 여행하겠어요 [여행하게써요]
- 여행합니다 [여행함니다]
- 여행했습니다 [여행핻씀니다]
- 여행할 것입니다 [여행할꺼심니다]
- 여행했어 [여행해써]
- 여행할 거야 [여행할꺼야]
- 여행하고 싶어요 [여행하고 시퍼요]
- 여행하지 않아요 [여행하지 아나요]
How Do You Use 여행하다 in a Sentence?
저는 가족과 함께 여행해요.
I travel together with my family.
가족과 함께 여행해요 states a habit of traveling with family. (여행해요)
작년에 유럽을 여행했어요.
I traveled around Europe last year.
유럽을 여행했어요 marks the place with 을: it behaves like a transitive verb whose object is the region you toured. (여행했어요)
내년에는 제주도를 여행하고 싶어요.
I want to travel around Jeju Island next year.
The want-to form 여행하고 싶어요 pairs with 내년에는, so it expresses a wish about next year. (여행하고 싶어요)
How Does Yeohaenghada Conjugation Work? (19 forms)
여행하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 여행해요 | ||
| Polite past | 여행했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 여행할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 여행하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 여행합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 여행했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 여행할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 여행해 | ||
| Casual past | 여행했어 | ||
| Casual future | 여행할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 여행하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 여행하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 여행해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 여행하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 여행하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 여행한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 여행할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 여행 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 여행하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 여행해요 | as written |
| Polite past | 여행했어요 | [여행해써요] |
| Polite future | 여행할 거예요 | [여행할꺼예요] |
| Formal present | 여행합니다 | [여행함니다] |
| Casual present | 여행해 | as written |
| Honorific | 여행하세요 | as written |
| Because | 여행해서 | as written |
| If | 여행하면 | as written |
| Modifier now | 여행하는 | as written |
| Long negative | 여행하지 않아요 | [여행하지 아나요] |
Is 여행하다 Regular or Irregular?
A 하다 verb contracts 하 + 여 into 해 before every ending that starts with 아 or 어. Here the stem 여행하 gives 여행해요 in the present and 여행했어요 in the past. The rule is taught in 하다 to 해요.
Which Mistake Do Learners Make When They Say 'to Travel'?
Wrong: ✗ 여행에 가요
Correct: ✓ 여행을 가요
Why: For going on a trip say 여행을 가다 (or 여행 가다), not 여행에 가다.
In 여행에 가요 the particle 에 treats the trip as a place. A trip is the activity you go on, so Korean says 여행을 가요, or simply 여행 가요 in speech.
Which Words Are Easy to Confuse with 'to Travel'?
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 여행 가다 | 여행하다 is the verb for traveling; 여행 가다 (go on a trip) is more common in speech for a single trip. |
| 출장 가다 | 여행하다 is for leisure; 출장 is a business trip. |
For one specific trip, speakers choose 여행 가다 in speech; 여행하다 is the activity verb.
Leisure belongs to 여행하다, and 출장 is travel for work.
Choosing the Next Holiday Destination
Two coworkers compare their past trips and future plans over lunch. The place names are regions to explore, so they take 을 or 를 with 여행하다.
Jisu
작년에 어디를 여행했어요?
Jangnyeone eodireul yeohaenghaesseoyo?
Where did you travel last year?
Alex
제주도를 여행했어요. 올해는 부산을 여행할 거예요.
Jejudoreul yeohaenghaesseoyo. Olhaeneun Busaneul yeohaenghal geoyeyo.
I traveled around Jeju Island. This year I’m going to travel around Busan.
Jisu
저도 부산을 여행하고 싶어요.
Jeodo Busaneul yeohaenghago sipeoyo.
I want to travel around Busan too.
Alex
그럼 같이 계획을 세워요.
Geureom gachi gyehoegeul sewoyo.
Then let’s make a plan together.
작년에 dates the completed trip, and 올해는 contrasts this year's plan with last year. 여행하고 싶어요 expresses Jisu's wish. It does not confirm that she has booked a ticket or decided to join Alex. The final suggestion starts the planning conversation.
Which Travel Combinations Are Useful?
국내 여행 means domestic travel, and 해외여행 means overseas travel. The first describes a trip within the country being discussed; the second crosses national borders. For a conversation based in Korea, a trip to Jeju is domestic, while a trip to another country is overseas. Notice the spelling: 해외여행 is written as one word.
배낭여행 means backpacking. Literally, 배낭 is a backpack, but the compound names a style of travel rather than every journey on which someone carries a backpack. 신혼여행 is a honeymoon. These nouns tell you the kind or purpose of the trip before you add a verb.
여행을 떠나다 means to set off on a trip, and 여행을 다녀오다 means to go on a trip and come back. The second expression includes the return. 여행하다 alone describes traveling without saying that the traveler has come home. In a conversation after a holiday, that difference helps you choose what part of the experience to report.
Where Will You See 여행 and Hear 여행하다?
Travel writing and video titles use 여행 to label destinations, itineraries, and trip accounts. A label such as 여행 일정 means a travel itinerary or schedule; 여행 경비 means travel expenses. Neither needs the verb 하다 because each names part of a trip rather than describing someone's action.
In conversation about one upcoming holiday, 여행 가다 is a natural choice. 여행하다 works well when describing what someone did across a region, as in the existing Europe example. Both can describe a particular trip; the difference is focus, rather than a rule that the single verb is only for repeated habits.
여행하세요 can be a respectful instruction or a question, depending on the context. For your own travel, use 여행해요. For wishing someone a good trip, 잘 다녀오세요 is a common farewell that includes the idea of returning safely. It is a social wish, rather than a literal instruction to start sightseeing.
How Do Destination Particles Change the Sentence?
유럽을 여행하다 presents Europe as the region being toured. In 제주도에 여행을 가다, 에 marks the destination 제주도, while 을 marks the trip noun 여행. This keeps the destination and activity in different roles. The existing mistake 여행에 가요 lacks that distinction: 여행 itself is not the place name.
For the plan form, write 여행할 거예요 with a space before 거예요. For a wish, write 여행하고 싶어요 with a space before 싶어요. Neither expression guarantees a booking. 여행했어요 reports a completed traveling experience; 여행하고 싶어요 expresses desire, even when a future date is added.
Words for Planning the Trip
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 여행지 | travel destination | The place selected for a trip. |
| 숙소 | accommodation | Where you stay during the trip. |
| 일정 | schedule / itinerary | The order and timing of planned activities. |
| 경비 | expenses | In 여행 경비, the money needed for the trip. |
The travel vocabulary lesson connects these planning words with the places and services travelers use.
Mini Drill: Describe a Trip
- Make 여행하다 polite past.
- Complete the object marker: 유럽____ 여행했어요.
- Write the plan form from the table, with its space.
- Choose the noun for a trip made for work: 여행 or 출장?
Show drill answers
- 여행했어요.
- 을: 유럽을 여행했어요.
- 여행할 거예요.
- 출장 specifically identifies a business trip.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 여행하고 싶어요 confirm a booking?
- Which phrase includes returning: 여행하다 or 여행을 다녀오다?
- What is the difference between 여행지 and 숙소?
Show answers
- No. It expresses a wish to travel.
- 여행을 다녀오다.
- 여행지 is the destination; 숙소 is the accommodation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 여행하다 a Regular or Irregular Verb?
Regular. It is a 하다 verb: 하 plus 여 contracts to 해, so every ending that starts with 아/어 becomes 해-, as in 여행해요.
What Is the Polite Present Form of 여행하다?
여행해요, as in 저는 가족과 함께 여행해요 (I travel together with my family). The past is 여행했어요 and the future is 여행할 거예요; the honorific polite form is 여행하세요.
Does 여행하다 Take an Object?
It can: the place you tour takes 을/를 (유럽을 여행해요). It is also used alone, and 여행을 가다 is very common.
Do People Really Say 여행을 하다?
Yes. Many speakers prefer the noun phrases 여행을 가다 and 여행을 하다 to the single verb, especially for one particular trip.
What Is the Honorific Form?
여행하세요, the honorific polite form.
Which Words Are Related to 여행하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Once 여행하다 feels settled, continue with the related entries above. To compare 여행해요 with other verbs, use the Korean verb conjugator or browse the verb dictionary.