Key Facts
- Hangul: 예쁘다 (yeppeuda)
- Meaning: pretty
- Level: A1
- Part of speech: adjective
- Stem: 예쁘
- Conjugation class: ㅡ-drop
- Grammar: Takes 이/가 for the pretty thing or person.
- Usage: Used for women, children, objects and scenery; it is not usually said to men. A compliment sentence: 예쁘시네요.
What Does 예쁘다 Mean?
예쁘다 describes looks: 예쁜 꽃 is a pretty flower, and 이 꽃이 정말 예뻐요 is the polite compliment. The pretty thing or person takes 이/가.
It is used for women, children, objects and scenery, and it is not usually said to men. A direct compliment to someone is 예쁘시네요.
Senses:
- pretty: Describes a person, thing or place that looks pretty, e.g. 예쁜 꽃.
How Do You Pronounce 예쁘다?
예쁘다 is read as spelled, [예쁘다]. The past 예뻤어요 is [예뻐써요], and 예뻤습니다 is [예뻗씀니다], because the doubled ㅆ is a plain stop at the end of a syllable. The formal present 예쁩니다 is [예쁨니다], with ㅂ becoming ㅁ before ㄴ.
How Do You Use 예쁘다 in a Sentence?
이 꽃이 정말 예뻐요.
These flowers are really pretty.
이 꽃이 정말 예뻐요 names the flower as the subject, with 정말 for 'really'.
어제 입은 옷이 예뻤어요.
The clothes you wore yesterday were pretty.
어제 입은 옷이 예뻤어요 modifies 옷 with 입은 and puts the compliment in the past.
예쁜 가방을 샀어요.
I bought a pretty bag.
예쁜 가방을 샀어요 uses the modifier 예쁜 before 가방 and a past action, buying.
How Does Yeppeuda Conjugation Work?
예쁘다 is a ㅡ-drop adjective. Before 아/어 the ㅡ of 예쁘 disappears and the remaining ㅃ joins the ending: 예쁘 + 어요 becomes 예뻐요, and the past form becomes 예뻤어요. The syllable before 쁘 has ㅖ, not ㅏ or ㅗ, so the ending is 어. With consonant and 으 endings the ㅡ stays: 예쁘면, 예쁘세요, 예쁜, 예쁩니다.
예쁘다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 예뻐요 | ||
| Polite past | 예뻤어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 예쁠 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 예쁘겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 예쁩니다 | ||
| Formal past | 예뻤습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 예쁠 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 예뻐 | ||
| Casual past | 예뻤어 | ||
| Casual future | 예쁠 거야 | ||
| Honorific polite | 예쁘세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 예뻐서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 예쁘면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 예쁜 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 예뻤던 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 예쁠 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 안 예뻐요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 예쁘지 않아요 |
For a word meaning 'pretty', -고 싶다 has no cell, because that ending attaches to action verbs.
Sound Changes
| Form | Korean | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Polite past | 예뻤어요 | [예뻐써요] |
| Polite future | 예쁠 거예요 | [예쁠꺼예요] |
| Polite future guess | 예쁘겠어요 | [예쁘게써요] |
| Formal present | 예쁩니다 | [예쁨니다] |
| Formal past | 예뻤습니다 | [예뻗씀니다] |
| Formal future | 예쁠 것입니다 | [예쁠꺼심니다] |
| Casual past | 예뻤어 | [예뻐써] |
| Past modifier | 예뻤던 | [예뻗떤] |
| Long negative | 예쁘지 않아요 | [예쁘지 아나요] |
Common Mistake
Wrong: ✗ 예쁘어요
Correct: ✓ 예뻐요
Why: 예쁘다 is a ㅡ-stem: the ㅡ drops before 어, so 예쁘 + 어 becomes 예뻐. Keeping the ㅡ and adding 어요 is the typical learner slip.
Where Does 예쁘다 Turn up in Daily Talk?
Compliment clothes, flowers and scenery with it. 귀엽다 is cute and lovable, often small or childlike, and 아름답다 is more formal and refers to scenery or deep beauty. 멋있다 and 잘생기다 are more common choices when complimenting men’s appearance.
What Is Easy to Confuse with 예쁘다?
| Word | How to tell it from 예쁘다 |
|---|---|
| 귀엽다 | 귀엽다 is cute and lovable, often small or childlike. |
| 아름답다 | 아름답다 is more formal, beautiful, for scenery or deep beauty. |
Choosing a Bag with a Friend
Two friends are shopping together and use polite speech. They compare a bag in front of them with one they saw yesterday.
Mina
이 가방 정말 예뻐요.
I gabang jeongmal yeppeoyo.
This bag is really pretty.
Jisu
어제 본 가방도 예뻤어요.
Eoje bon gabangdo yeppeosseoyo.
The bag we saw yesterday was pretty too.
Mina
저는 이 예쁜 가방을 사고 싶어요.
Jeoneun i yeppeun gabangeul sago sipeoyo.
I want to buy this pretty bag.
Jisu
그럼 이걸로 해요.
Geureom igeollo haeyo.
Then let’s go with this one.
예뻐요 gives the current impression, 예뻤어요 recalls yesterday’s bag, and 예쁜 sits before 가방. In the third line, buying is the desired action. The adjective simply describes the item the speaker wants to buy.
Which Phrases Go beyond “Pretty”?
| Phrase | Meaning | How to understand it |
|---|---|---|
| 예쁜 옷 | pretty clothes | A straightforward comment on appearance. |
| 예쁜 글씨 | pretty handwriting | Praise for the appearance of the writing. |
| 마음이 예쁘다 | to be kind-hearted | Literally “the heart is pretty”; praise for someone's character. |
| 말을 예쁘게 하다 | to speak nicely | Pleasant or considerate wording, rather than a pretty voice. |
마음이 예쁘다 extends beauty to someone's intentions or kindness. If a child shares a snack, an adult may praise the child's “pretty heart”. The comment concerns thoughtfulness. It does not describe the child's face or clothing.
In 말을 예쁘게 하다, 예쁘게 describes the way a person speaks. It can praise gentle wording, or encourage someone to say something more nicely. The noun 말 means speech or words here. A beautiful singing voice is a different compliment, so pay attention to what the phrase actually describes.
Where Will You Hear 예쁘다?
Clothes shops, photo conversations and social comments provide literal uses. A friend showing a new bag gives you a clear object to compliment. When you comment on 예쁜 글씨, you are praising the handwriting's appearance; you have not said whether the message itself is thoughtful or well written.
K-dramas and family conversations also use 예쁘다 affectionately. A compliment may refer to looks, a gesture or someone's manner, depending on the noun. The related phrase 마음이 예쁘다 is a useful reminder that the word reaches beyond visible beauty.
A direct comment on someone's appearance can feel personal. With someone you do not know well, a specific comment about their bag or outfit gives a clearer subject. 예쁘세요 describes the person respectfully, while 예뻐요 can describe an object. An object does not gain an honorific ending merely because it belongs to an older person.
Which Endings Keep ㅡ?
The contrast to remember is 예뻐요 versus 예쁜. The first needs 어, which triggers the loss of ㅡ. The second attaches ㄴ to the vowel-ending stem, so the ㅡ remains inside 쁜. The same retained vowel appears in 예쁩니다 and 예쁘면. A changed polite present does not mean every form starts with 예뻐.
Wrong: ✗ 예뻐는 가방.
Correct: ✓ 예쁜 가방.
예쁜 describes the bag before the noun. 예뻐요 finishes a polite statement about it. Start with the role you need, rather than taking the polite sentence form and adding another modifier ending.
There is also a tense distinction inside the original examples. In 예쁜 가방을 샀어요, the buying happened in the past, but 예쁜 presents the bag simply as pretty. You do not need a past adjective modifier every time the main verb is past. 예뻤던 points back to an earlier state and adds a different perspective.
Words for Choosing and Complimenting Clothes
| Related word | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 옷 | clothes | Name what you are complimenting. |
| 가방 | bag | An easy subject for a specific compliment. |
| 색 | colour | Focus on one feature rather than the whole appearance. |
| 귀엽다 | cute | Often stresses an endearing or lovable impression. |
The clothing vocabulary lesson teaches names for the items you can describe. A familiar noun plus 예쁜 lets you ask about or identify a particular item, even before you can explain its style in detail.
Mini Drill: Keep or Drop ㅡ
- Make 예쁘다 a polite present statement.
- Complete “a pretty bag”: ___ 가방.
- Give the polite past form.
- Complete the conditional “if it is pretty”: 예쁘___.
Show drill answers
- 예뻐요.
- 예쁜 가방.
- 예뻤어요.
- 예쁘면. The ㅡ stays before this ending.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 마음이 예쁘다 describe someone's face?
- Does a past buying sentence require a past adjective modifier?
- Should you use 예쁘세요 merely because a bag belongs to an elder?
Show answers
- No. It praises a kind or thoughtful heart.
- No. 예쁜 가방을 샀어요 is natural.
- No. The bag itself is not an honorific subject.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Say "It Is Pretty"?
예뻐요. For flowers: 이 꽃이 정말 예뻐요.
Why Is It 예뻐요 and Not 예쁘어요?
예쁘다 is a ㅡ-drop word. The ㅡ drops before 어, giving 예뻐.
Can I Say 예쁘다 to a Man?
It is not usually said to men. 멋있다 or 잘생기다 are more common.
Which Is More Formal, 예쁘다 or 아름답다?
아름답다 is more formal and describes scenery or deep beauty. 예쁘다 is the everyday word.
Which Words Are Related to 예쁘다?
The entries closest to 예쁘다 (pretty) are 귀엽다 (cute), 아름답다 (beautiful), 멋있다 (cool/stylish), 잘생기다 (handsome).
What Should You Learn Next?
귀엽다 and 아름답다 are the closest neighbours, and 멋있다 and 잘생기다 are more common choices when complimenting men’s appearance. To see why 'pretty' takes the form 예뻐요, read ㅡ-drop verbs and adjectives; the Korean verb conjugator tests other stems, and the Korean verb dictionary lists the rest of the family.