어떻다

Korean

Alternative forms

• 어떠하다 (eotteohada)

Etymology

Contraction of 어떠하다 (eotteohada).

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 엇〯더〮ᄒᆞ다〮 (Yale: ěsté-hòtá), from Middle Korean 엇〯더〮 (Yale: ěsté, “how, in what state”) + ᄒᆞ다〮 (Yale: hòtá, “to do”, light verb). Compare Jeju 어떵ᄒᆞ다 (eotteonghawda).

Beyond Koreanic, possibly connected to Proto-Japonic *e-ka (“how”) (whence Japanese 如何 (ika, “how”)) (Vovin 2020, 302).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ʌ̹t͈ʌ̹tʰa̠]

  • (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [어떠타]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	eotteota
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	eo'tteohda
McCune–Reischauer?	ŏttŏt'a
Yale Romanization?	e.ttehta

Adjective

어떻다 • (eotteota) (irregular, infinitive 어때, sequential 어떠니)

1. (to be) in what state; (to be) how

   어떻습니까?

   eotteoseumnikka?

   How is that?

   내일 저녁은 어때요? / 좋아요. 몇 시예요?

   naeil jeonyeog-eun eottaeyo? / joayo. myeot siyeyo?

   How about tomorrow night? / Ok. What time?

   새 아파트는 어때? — 새 아파트는 훌륭해.

   sae apateu-neun eottae? - sae apateu-neun hullyunghae.

   How's the new apartment? — The new apartment is great!

   Original English texts from 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the adjective 어떻다 (eotteota): consonant-stem, ㅎ(h)-determiner-irregular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	어떻다 eotteota	어때 eottae	어때요 eottaeyo	어떻습니다 eotteoseumnida
	Past	어땠다 eottaetda	어땠어 eottaesseo	어땠어요 eottaesseoyo	어땠습니다 eottaetseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	어떠냐 eotteonya	어때 eottae	어때요 eottaeyo	어떻습니까 eotteoseumnikka
	Past	어땠냐 eottaennya	어땠어 eottaesseo	어땠어요 eottaesseoyo	어땠습니까 eottaetseumnikka
Assertive		어떻겠다 eotteoketda	어떻겠어 eotteokesseo	어떻겠어요 eotteokesseoyo	어떻겠습니다 eotteoketseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		어때 eottae	어때서 eottaeseo	어떠니 eotteoni	어떠니까 eotteonikka
Contrast		어떻지만 eotteochiman	어떤데 eotteonde	어떻더니 eotteoteoni
Conjunction		어떻고 eotteoko
Condition		어떠면 eotteomyeon	어때야 eottaeya
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		어떰 eotteom	어떻기 eotteoki
Past-tense verbal nouns		어땠음 eottaesseum	어땠기 eottaetgi
Determiners	Present		어떤 eotteon
	Future		어떨 eotteol

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Plain (해라체)	Informal (해체)	Polite (해요체)	Formal (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	어떠시다 eotteosida	어떠셔 eotteosyeo	어떠세요, 어떠셔요 eotteoseyo, eotteosyeoyo	어떠십니다 eotteosimnida
	Past	어떠셨다 eotteosyeotda	어떠셨어 eotteosyeosseo	어떠셨어요 eotteosyeosseoyo	어떠셨습니다 eotteosyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	어떠시냐 eotteosinya	어떠셔 eotteosyeo	어떠세요, 어떠셔요 eotteoseyo, eotteosyeoyo	어떠십니까 eotteosimnikka
	Past	어떠셨냐 eotteosyeonnya	어떠셨어 eotteosyeosseo	어떠셨어요 eotteosyeosseoyo	어떠셨습니까 eotteosyeotseumnikka
Assertive		어떠시겠다 eotteosigetda	어떠시겠어 eotteosigesseo	어떠시겠어요 eotteosigesseoyo	어떠시겠습니다 eotteosigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		어떠셔 eotteosyeo	어떠셔서 eotteosyeoseo	어떠시니 eotteosini	어떠시니까 eotteosinikka
Contrast		어떠시지만 eotteosijiman	어떠신데 eotteosinde	어떠시더니 eotteosideoni
Conjunction		어떠시고 eotteosigo
Condition		어떠시면 eotteosimyeon	어떠셔야 eotteosyeoya
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		어떠심 eotteosim	어떠시기 eotteosigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		어떠셨음 eotteosyeosseum	어떠셨기 eotteosyeotgi
Determiners	Present		어떠신 eotteosin
	Future		어떠실 eotteosil

Derived terms

• 어떻게 (eotteoke) (adverbial form)