Key Facts
- Hangul: 연습하다 (yeonseupada)
- Meaning: to practice
- Level: A1
- Stem: 연습하
- Class: 하다 type
- Objects: transitive
- Honorific polite: 연습하세요
What Does 연습하다 Mean?
연습하다 means to repeat something to get better: 발음을 연습하다, 피아노를 연습하다. The skill being trained is the object and takes 을/를, as in 한국어를 연습해요.
연습 is also a noun meaning practice, and 연습 문제 means practice problems. That is why the verb is built simply as 연습 plus 하다.
It sits between two school verbs. 복습하다 looks back at material you already studied, and 준비하다 is getting ready for something.
How Do You Pronounce 연습하다?
The lemma has a sound change: 연습하다 is read [연스파다]. The ㅂ of 습 and the ㅎ of 하 merge into a ㅍ sound. Revised Romanization writes yeonseupada, which already shows that merge. The polite past 연습했어요 is read [연스패써요] in the same way; check the bracketed column for the other forms.
How Do You Use 연습하다 in a Sentence?
저는 매일 한국어를 연습해요.
I practice Korean every day.
매일 means every day, so this is a habit. 한국어를 is the skill, marked with 을/를.
어제 노래를 연습했어요.
I practiced the song yesterday.
The past 연습했어요 with 노래를 shows that the verb works for songs as well as languages.
같이 연습하면 더 재미있어요.
It is more fun if we practice together.
The conditional 연습하면 means if we practice. 같이 means together, and the whole sentence says it is more fun that way.
How Does Yeonseupada Conjugation Work?
This verb follows the 하다 pattern: 하 + 여 = 해. Read the pronunciation column, because the ㅂ plus ㅎ merge returns in every form that keeps 습하.
연습하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 연습해요 | ||
| Polite past | 연습했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 연습할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 연습하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 연습합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 연습했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 연습할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 연습해 | ||
| Casual past | 연습했어 | ||
| Casual future | 연습할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 연습하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 연습하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 연습해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 연습하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 연습하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 연습한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 연습할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 연습 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 연습하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 연습해요 | [연스패요] |
| Polite past | 연습했어요 | [연스패써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 연습할 거예요 | [연스팔꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 연습하겠어요 | [연스파게써요] |
| Formal present | 연습합니다 | [연스팜니다] |
| Formal past | 연습했습니다 | [연스팯씀니다] |
| Formal future | 연습할 것입니다 | [연스팔꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 연습해 | [연스패] |
| Casual past | 연습했어 | [연스패써] |
| Casual future | 연습할 거야 | [연스팔꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 연습하고 싶어요 | [연스파고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 연습하세요 | [연스파세요] |
| Because / and then | 연습해서 | [연스패서] |
| If (conditional) | 연습하면 | [연스파면] |
| Present modifier | 연습하는 | [연스파는] |
| Past modifier | 연습한 | [연스판] |
| Future modifier | 연습할 | [연스팔] |
| Negative (short) | 연습 안 해요 | as written |
| Negative (long) | 연습하지 않아요 | [연스파지 아나요] |
Is 연습하다 Regular or Irregular?
연습하다 is a 하다-type verb. 하 plus 여 contracts to 해, so every ending that starts with 아/어 becomes 해-. The stem is 연습하.
Common Mistake with 연습하다
Wrong: ✗ 한국어에 연습해요.
Correct: ✓ 한국어를 연습해요.
Why: 연습하다 takes the skill as an object with 을/를, not 에. Learners reach for 에 because English says "work on" a skill; in Korean the skill is a direct object, just as in 피아노를 연습하다.
연습하다 Versus Similar Words
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 복습하다 | 복습하다 is reviewing what you already studied; 연습하다 is repeating to build a skill. |
| 준비하다 | 준비하다 is getting ready for something; 연습하다 is repeating to improve. |
Before a Singing Lesson
Two classmates meet before a singing lesson. They check yesterday’s practice, describe today’s plan and agree to work together.
Jisu
어제 노래를 연습했어요?
Eoje noraereul yeonseupaesseoyo?
Did you practice the song yesterday?
Alex
네. 오늘도 연습할 거예요.
Ne. Oneuldo yeonseupal geoyeyo.
Yes. I’m going to practice today too.
Jisu
저도요. 같이 연습해요.
Jeodoyo. Gachi yeonseupaeyo.
Me too. Let’s practice together.
연습했어요 asks about a completed session, while 연습할 거예요 names a plan. In the last line, 같이 makes 연습해요 an invitation. The same present form can report a habit or suggest a shared activity; the surrounding words and situation tell you which.
What Can You Practice with 연습하다?
발음 연습 means pronunciation practice, and 회화 연습 means conversation practice. These name a skill you perform repeatedly. Reading a grammar explanation may be 공부, but producing the same difficult sound or acting out a conversation is 연습. Both activities can happen during one study session.
피아노 연습 is piano practice, and 노래 연습 is singing practice. The noun before 연습 identifies the activity. Compare that compact label with the full sentence 어제 노래를 연습했어요: the sentence marks the song as the object and tells us when the practice happened.
연습 문제 means practice problems or exercises, especially in a textbook. Completing them is a way to apply a rule. The phrase names the exercises themselves, rather than a test score or a formal examination. A page headed 연습 문제 is inviting you to try the material.
These are literal combinations built around repeated activity. You do not need a figurative translation to understand them. The useful question is what someone is rehearsing: a sound, an instrument, a song or a whole performance.
Where Will You Hear 연습하다?
In a music room, 연습하다 concerns rehearsing a piece or a difficult section. In language lessons, it often concerns pronunciation or speaking. In a drama about performers, a character may spend time in a 연습실, a practice room. The room name gives the setting even before anyone mentions the activity.
연습 중 means “practice in progress” or “practicing”. It is a compact status label, so you may see it on a practice-room door or in a message. 중 identifies something currently under way; it does not tell you how many hours the person has practiced.
The verb itself is neutral. 연습해요 works in polite conversation with a classmate you do not know well. A teacher’s 연습하세요 can be an instruction to practice. It has the same verb meaning, but the relationship and the sentence’s purpose have changed.
Why Do Spelling and Spacing Cause Trouble?
Keep 연습하다 together when it is the verb. The noun construction 연습을 하다 is also possible: the object marker 을 makes 연습 a separate noun. In the short negative 연습 안 해요, 안 separates the activity noun from 해요. That spacing makes the negative easy to recognize.
The spelling keeps 습 even though the pronunciation joins its final consonant to ㅎ. That sound change does not turn the verb into a ㅂ-irregular verb. There is no dropped ㅂ in the written forms 연습해요 or 연습했어요. The ending follows the 하다 to 해요 lesson.
A second trap is using the honorific form for yourself. 연습하세요 can politely tell someone to practice or refer respectfully to their practice. For your own ordinary activity, 연습해요 is the useful choice. The 요 already makes your statement polite to the listener.
Words for a Practice Session
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 발음 | pronunciation | Name the part of speaking you want to train. |
| 회화 | conversation | Points to speaking with another person. |
| 연습실 | practice room | A place for rehearsing music, dance or another skill. |
| 연습 문제 | practice exercises | Written tasks for applying what you learned. |
The school vocabulary lesson supplies the classroom words used around practice and study.
Mini Drill: Build a Practice Sentence
- Choose the skill marker: 한국어에 or 한국어를?
- Change 연습해요 to the polite past.
- Give the short negative, including spaces.
- Choose the modifier for “the song I practiced”: 연습한 or 연습할?
Show drill answers
- 한국어를. The skill is the object.
- 연습했어요.
- 연습 안 해요.
- 연습한. 연습할 points to a song you will practice.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 연습 문제 name a practice room or exercises?
- Which verb specifically means reviewing earlier study: 연습하다 or 복습하다?
- In 같이 연습해요, what makes the present form an invitation?
Show answers
- Exercises; the room is 연습실.
- 복습하다.
- 같이 means together, and the speakers are arranging a shared activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Form of 연습하다?
The polite present is 연습해요 and the polite past is 연습했어요. The formal present is 연습합니다.
How Is 연습하다 Pronounced?
The dictionary form is read [연스파다]: the ㅂ of 습 and the ㅎ of 하 merge into a ㅍ sound.
Which Particle Goes with the Skill?
Use 을/를, not 에: 한국어를 연습해요.
Is 연습 a Noun Too?
Yes. 연습 means practice, and 연습 문제 means practice problems.
How Is 연습하다 Different from 복습하다?
복습하다 reviews what you already studied, while 연습하다 repeats something to build a skill.
Which Words Are Related to 연습하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Next read 복습하다, then 예습하다 and 공부하다. For general preparation see 준비하다. Any other verb can be tested in the Korean verb conjugator. Browse every entry in the Korean verb dictionary.