What is the -다 in Dictionary Forms?

When you look up a Korean verb or adjective in a dictionary, it is usually listed in a form ending in -다 .

This listed form is called the "dictionary form." The -다 is the ending used to present the word in its basic citation form, and it is not part of the stem.

For example, the dictionary form for "to go" is 가다 , and "to eat" is 먹다 .

In the dictionary forms taught here, remove the final -다 to identify the stem.

What remains is called the "stem" (어간). It is the relatively stable part of the word to which different endings attach.

Let's look at how to find the stem for some common words.

Dictionary Form · Stem

가다 · 가-

먹다 · 먹-

예쁘다 · 예쁘-

The hyphen after the stem shows that it is waiting for an ending to be attached.

A very common beginner mistake is attaching a polite ending directly to the dictionary form.

In beginner polite speech, forms such as " 가다요 " and " 먹다요 " are not used.

To build the polite forms shown here, remove -다 to identify the stem and then attach the appropriate ending. The following lessons explain how endings such as -아요 and -어요 combine with the stem.