예쁘다

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 어〯엿〮브다〮 (Yale: ěyéspùtá). Ameliorative semantic shift from the original meaning of “pitiful”.

Compare doublet 어여쁘다 (eoyeoppeuda, “pretty, lovely”), which preserves the original form more closely.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈje̞(ː)p͈ɯda̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [예(ː)쁘다]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	yeppeuda
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	ye'ppeuda
McCune–Reischauer?	yeppŭda
Yale Romanization?	yēy.pputa

Adjective

예쁘다 • (yeppeuda) (infinitive 예뻐, sequential 예쁘니)

1. to be pretty, lovely, beautiful, comely

   Synonyms: 어여쁘다 (eoyeoppeuda), 아름답다 (areumdapda)

   리나는 예쁘기 때문에 모두들 그녀를 좋아합니다.

   Rina-neun yeppeugi ttaemune modu-deul geunyeo-reul joahamnida.

   Lina is so beautiful that everybody likes her.

2. to be adorable
3. to be nice, good

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the adjective 예쁘다 (yeppeuda): vowel-stem, regular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	예쁘다 yeppeuda	예뻐 yeppeo	예뻐요 yeppeoyo	예쁩니다 yeppeumnida
	Past	예뻤다 yeppeotda	예뻤어 yeppeosseo	예뻤어요 yeppeosseoyo	예뻤습니다 yeppeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	예쁘냐 yeppeunya	예뻐 yeppeo	예뻐요 yeppeoyo	예쁩니까 yeppeumnikka
	Past	예뻤냐 yeppeonnya	예뻤어 yeppeosseo	예뻤어요 yeppeosseoyo	예뻤습니까 yeppeotseumnikka
Assertive		예쁘겠다 yeppeugetda	예쁘겠어 yeppeugesseo	예쁘겠어요 yeppeugesseoyo	예쁘겠습니다 yeppeugetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		예뻐 yeppeo	예뻐서 yeppeoseo	예쁘니 yeppeuni	예쁘니까 yeppeunikka
Contrast		예쁘지만 yeppeujiman	예쁜데 yeppeunde	예쁘더니 yeppeudeoni
Conjunction		예쁘고 yeppeugo
Condition		예쁘면 yeppeumyeon	예뻐야 yeppeoya
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		예쁨 yeppeum	예쁘기 yeppeugi
Past-tense verbal nouns		예뻤음 yeppeosseum	예뻤기 yeppeotgi
Determiners	Present		예쁜 yeppeun
	Future		예쁠 yeppeul

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Plain (해라체)	Informal (해체)	Polite (해요체)	Formal (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	예쁘시다 yeppeusida	예쁘셔 yeppeusyeo	예쁘세요, 예쁘셔요 yeppeuseyo, yeppeusyeoyo	예쁘십니다 yeppeusimnida
	Past	예쁘셨다 yeppeusyeotda	예쁘셨어 yeppeusyeosseo	예쁘셨어요 yeppeusyeosseoyo	예쁘셨습니다 yeppeusyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	예쁘시냐 yeppeusinya	예쁘셔 yeppeusyeo	예쁘세요, 예쁘셔요 yeppeuseyo, yeppeusyeoyo	예쁘십니까 yeppeusimnikka
	Past	예쁘셨냐 yeppeusyeonnya	예쁘셨어 yeppeusyeosseo	예쁘셨어요 yeppeusyeosseoyo	예쁘셨습니까 yeppeusyeotseumnikka
Assertive		예쁘시겠다 yeppeusigetda	예쁘시겠어 yeppeusigesseo	예쁘시겠어요 yeppeusigesseoyo	예쁘시겠습니다 yeppeusigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		예쁘셔 yeppeusyeo	예쁘셔서 yeppeusyeoseo	예쁘시니 yeppeusini	예쁘시니까 yeppeusinikka
Contrast		예쁘시지만 yeppeusijiman	예쁘신데 yeppeusinde	예쁘시더니 yeppeusideoni
Conjunction		예쁘시고 yeppeusigo
Condition		예쁘시면 yeppeusimyeon	예쁘셔야 yeppeusyeoya
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		예쁘심 yeppeusim	예쁘시기 yeppeusigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		예쁘셨음 yeppeusyeosseum	예쁘셨기 yeppeusyeotgi
Determiners	Present		예쁘신 yeppeusin
	Future		예쁘실 yeppeusil

Alternative forms

• 이쁘다 (ippeuda)

References

• 예쁘다 in Korean-English Learners' Dictionary, National Institute of Korean Language, cc by-sa 2.0 kr.