Key Facts
- Hangul: 예습하다 (yeseupada)
- Meaning: to preview (study before class)
- Level: B1
- Stem: 예습하
- Class: 하다 type
- Objects: transitive
- Honorific polite: 예습하세요
What Does 예습하다 Mean?
예습하다 means to study material before class: 수업 전에 새 단어를 예습하다. It takes an object with 을/를, such as 다음 과를 예습해요.
예습 often pairs with 복습 in 예습과 복습: preview before, review after. The first half is this verb and the second is 복습하다.
It is narrower than 준비하다. 준비하다 is general preparation, while 예습하다 is only for studying ahead.
How Do You Pronounce 예습하다?
The dictionary form is read [예스파다]: the ㅂ of 습 and the ㅎ of 하 merge into ㅍ. Revised Romanization writes yeseupada. The polite past 예습했어요 follows the same merge: [예스패써요].
How Do You Use 예습하다 in a Sentence?
수업 전에 새 단어를 예습해요.
I preview new words before class.
수업 전에 gives the timing that defines the verb, and 새 단어를 is the object.
오늘 저녁에 예습할 거예요.
I will preview tonight.
The future form 예습할 거예요 is a plan. 오늘 저녁에 says when.
미리 예습한 내용이 시험에 나왔어요.
The content I previewed came up on the test.
미리 예습한 내용 uses the past modifier 예습한 before the noun 내용. The point of the sentence is that previewing paid off on the test.
How Does Yeseupada Conjugation Work?
Regular 하다 pattern: 하 + 여 = 해. There are two future forms: the plan future 예습할 거예요 and the intention future 예습하겠어요.
예습하다
| Form | Korean | Romanization | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 예습해요 | ||
| Polite past | 예습했어요 | ||
| Polite future (plan) | 예습할 거예요 | ||
| Polite future (intention or guess) | 예습하겠어요 | ||
| Formal present | 예습합니다 | ||
| Formal past | 예습했습니다 | ||
| Formal future | 예습할 것입니다 | ||
| Casual present | 예습해 | ||
| Casual past | 예습했어 | ||
| Casual future | 예습할 거야 | ||
| Want to (polite) | 예습하고 싶어요 | ||
| Honorific polite | 예습하세요 | ||
| Because / and then | 예습해서 | ||
| If (conditional) | 예습하면 | ||
| Present modifier (before a noun) | 예습하는 | ||
| Past modifier (before a noun) | 예습한 | ||
| Future modifier (before a noun) | 예습할 | ||
| Negative with 안 (short) | 예습 안 해요 | ||
| Negative (long form) | 예습하지 않아요 |
| Form | Korean | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Polite present | 예습해요 | [예스패요] |
| Polite past | 예습했어요 | [예스패써요] |
| Polite future (plan) | 예습할 거예요 | [예스팔꺼예요] |
| Polite future (guess) | 예습하겠어요 | [예스파게써요] |
| Formal present | 예습합니다 | [예스팜니다] |
| Formal past | 예습했습니다 | [예스팯씀니다] |
| Formal future | 예습할 것입니다 | [예스팔꺼심니다] |
| Casual present | 예습해 | [예스패] |
| Casual past | 예습했어 | [예스패써] |
| Casual future | 예습할 거야 | [예스팔꺼야] |
| Want to (polite) | 예습하고 싶어요 | [예스파고 시퍼요] |
| Honorific polite | 예습하세요 | [예스파세요] |
| Because / and then | 예습해서 | [예스패서] |
| If (conditional) | 예습하면 | [예스파면] |
| Present modifier | 예습하는 | [예스파는] |
| Past modifier | 예습한 | [예스판] |
| Future modifier | 예습할 | [예스팔] |
| Negative (short) | 예습 안 해요 | as written |
| Negative (long) | 예습하지 않아요 | [예스파지 아나요] |
Is 예습하다 Regular or Irregular?
예습하다 is a 하다-type verb. 하 plus 여 contracts to 해, so every ending that starts with 아/어 becomes 해-. The stem is 예습하.
Common Mistake with 예습하다
Wrong: ✗ 수업 후에 예습해요. (meaning "I review after class")
Correct: ✓ 수업 후에 복습해요.
Why: 예습 is before class and 복습 is after. Learners mix the two because both are school study words ending in 습; studying after class is always 복습.
예습하다 Versus Similar Words
| Word | How it differs |
|---|---|
| 복습하다 | 복습하다 is review after class; 예습하다 is preparation before class. |
| 준비하다 | 준비하다 is general preparation; 예습하다 is only for studying ahead. |
Planning Tomorrow’s Class Preparation
Two classmates are discussing the next lesson. One has already looked at it, and the other makes a plan for tonight.
Mina
내일 수업을 예습했어요?
Naeil sueobeul yeseupaesseoyo?
Did you study ahead for tomorrow’s class?
Alex
아니요. 오늘 저녁에 예습할 거예요.
Aniyo. Oneul jeonyeoge yeseupal geoyeyo.
No. I’m going to study ahead this evening.
Mina
저는 새 단어를 예습했어요.
Jeoneun sae daneoreul yeseupaesseoyo.
I studied the new words in advance.
Alex
그럼 같이 예습해요.
Geureom gachi yeseupaeyo.
Then let’s study ahead together.
내일 belongs to 수업, “tomorrow’s class”; it does not put 예습했어요 in the future. A past action can prepare for a future class. The last line uses 같이, “together”, to turn the polite present into an invitation. The explicit plan form in the second line names when Alex intends to prepare.
What Counts as 예습?
예습 concerns material that a class has yet to teach. You might look up the next lesson’s vocabulary, read the assigned passage or try upcoming exercises. Full understanding is not part of the word’s meaning. A learner can preview a chapter and still arrive with questions.
The same page can be the object of 예습 one day and 복습 another day. The difference is its place in the course: before the relevant class, it is previewing; after that class, returning to the material is reviewing. The clock time alone does not decide. Evening study can be either one.
예습 is narrower than English “preview”. A film trailer, a software preview and a quick look at a shopping item are not normally 예습. When translating the word back into English, “study ahead” often communicates the school setting more clearly than “preview” by itself.
The object can be a subject, a lesson or specific content. 다음 과를 예습해요 identifies the next lesson. 새 단어를 예습해요 identifies vocabulary. If both speakers already know the assignment, simply saying 예습할 거예요 is enough; leaving out the object does not change the verb’s meaning.
School Phrases and Places You Will See Them
예습과 복습 is a familiar educational pairing: preparation before teaching and review afterward. The words describe different stages, not competing study methods. A teacher can ask for both during the same week. The expression does not say how long either stage should take.
예습 자료 means preview or advance-study materials. 자료 names the material provided for the task, which might be a reading passage or a worksheet. 예습 과제 means an assignment to complete before class. Here 과제 adds the idea of assigned work; 예습 alone does not necessarily mean homework.
미리 means “in advance”, so 미리 예습하다 reinforces the timing already built into the verb. It is a natural combination, like the example about content appearing on a test. You can understand the meaning without translating both parts as separate English expressions for “beforehand”.
Expect this vocabulary in class notices, study plans, workbook instructions and conversations about schoolwork. 예습하세요 is a teacher’s polite instruction to study ahead. 예습합니다 may appear in a formal description of a study routine. Neither form makes the activity a different kind of preparation.
What Is Tricky about the Forms?
In 예습한 내용, the completed action modifies 내용, “content”. It means material someone has already previewed. 예습할 내용 instead points to material to preview next. Keep that distinction even when both phrases refer to the very same textbook chapter.
The ㅂ in 습 remains in the spelling. Its sound combines with the following ㅎ, as the pronunciation table shows, but this is not a ㅂ-irregular conjugation. The changing part is 하다: 예습해요 follows the 하다 to 해요 pattern.
Write 예습할 거예요 with a space before 거예요. In the short negative, write 예습 안 해요; the separate 안 negates doing the preview work. A negative answer concerns whether the work happened, while 복습하다 names a different stage of study altogether.
Classroom Words to Learn Alongside 예습하다
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 수업 | class / lesson | The teaching session that previewing comes before. |
| 교과서 | textbook | The book whose next section you may preview. |
| 과제 | assignment | Assigned work, including advance preparation. |
| 내용 | content | Used in 예습한 내용 for material already previewed. |
See the school vocabulary lesson for the wider classroom set.
Mini Drill: Place the Study Activity in Time
- You revisit today’s lesson after class. Choose 예습하다 or 복습하다.
- Change 예습해요 to the polite past.
- Choose “material to preview”: 예습한 내용 or 예습할 내용.
- Write the plan form meaning “I will study ahead”.
Show drill answers
- 복습하다.
- 예습했어요.
- 예습할 내용. 예습한 내용 has already been previewed.
- 예습할 거예요.
Quick Self-Test
- Does 예습 guarantee that you understood everything?
- Would packing a bag normally be 예습하다 or 준비하다?
- What does 과제 add in 예습 과제?
Show answers
- No. It means studying ahead, without promising mastery.
- 준비하다, the general preparation verb.
- It identifies the preview work as an assignment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Polite Form of 예습하다?
The polite present is 예습해요 and the polite past is 예습했어요. The formal present is 예습합니다.
What Is the Difference between 예습 and 복습?
예습 is studying before class; 복습 is reviewing after class. Together they form the set phrase 예습과 복습.
How Is 예습하다 Pronounced?
It is read [예스파다]: the ㅂ of 습 and the ㅎ of 하 merge into a ㅍ sound.
What Does 예습하다 Take as an Object?
The material takes 을/를, as in 다음 과를 예습해요 (I preview the next lesson).
Does 예습하다 Mean to Prepare?
Only for studying ahead of a class. General preparation is 준비하다.
Which Words Are Related to 예습하다?
What Should You Learn Next?
Read 복습하다 next, since the two are usually learned as a pair. Then see 공부하다 and 준비하다. Other verbs can be tried in the Korean verb conjugator. Browse every entry in the Korean verb dictionary.