말하다

Korean

Etymology

From 말 (mal, “word”) + 하다 (hada, “to do”)

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

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

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	malhada
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	malhada
McCune–Reischauer?	marhada
Yale Romanization?	māl.hata

Verb

말하다 • (malhada) (infinitive 말해 or 말하여, sequential 말하니)

1. to speak, to talk

   한국어로 말하자!

   han'gugeoro malhaja!

   Let's talk in Korean! (colloquial)

   날 사랑한다고 말해줘.

   nal saranghandago malhaejwo.

   Tell me you love me. (colloquial)

   네가 여기 있다고 그녀에게 말해.

   nega yeogi itdago geunyeo'ege malhae.

   Tell her you’re here.

   2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

   어제 일은 미안하다고 말하고 싶어요. — 괜찮아요. 아나.

   eoje ireun mianhadago malhago sipeoyo. - gwaenchanayo. ana.

   I want to say I’m sorry for yesterday. — It’s okay, Anna.

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

2. to explain (by talking)

   이 상황을 어떻게 말해야지?

   i sanghwang'eul eotteoke malhaeyaji?

   How do I explain this situation? (colloquial)

   왕 씨는 그 지역이 어떻게 변화했는지에 대해서 말했다.

   wang ssineun geu jiyeogi eotteoke byeonhwahaenneunjie daehaeseo malhaetda.

   Wang spoke of how the area had changed.

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the verb 말하다 (malhada): vowel-stem, 하(ha)-irregular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	말한다 malhanda	말해 malhae	말해요 malhaeyo	말합니다 malhamnida
	Past	말했다 malhaetda	말했어 malhaesseo	말했어요 malhaesseoyo	말했습니다 malhaetseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	말하느냐 malhaneunya	말해 malhae	말해요 malhaeyo	말합니까 malhamnikka
	Past	말했느냐 malhaenneunya	말했어 malhaesseo	말했어요 malhaesseoyo	말했습니까 malhaetseumnikka
Hortative		말하자 malhaja	말해 malhae	말해요 malhaeyo	말하십시다 malhasipsida
Imperative		말해라, 말하여라 malhaera, malhayeora	말해 malhae	말해요 malhaeyo	말합시오 malhapsio
Assertive		말하겠다 malhagetda	말하겠어 malhagesseo	말하겠어요 malhagesseoyo	말하겠습니다 malhagetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		말해 malhae	말해서, 말하여서 malhaeseo, malhayeoseo	말하니 malhani	말하니까 malhanikka
Contrast		말하지만 malhajiman	말하는데 malhaneunde	말하더니 malhadeoni
Conjunction		말하고 malhago
Condition		말하면 malhamyeon	말해야, 말하여야 malhaeya, malhayeoya
Motive		말하려고 malharyeogo
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		말함 malham	말하기 malhagi
Past-tense verbal nouns		말했음, 말하였음 malhaesseum, malhayeosseum	말했기, 말하였기 malhaetgi, malhayeotgi
Determiners	Past	말한 malhan
	Present	말하는 malhaneun
	Future	말할 malhal

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	말하신다 malhasinda	말하셔 malhasyeo	말하세요, 말하셔요 malhaseyo, malhasyeoyo	말하십니다 malhasimnida
	Past	말하셨다 malhasyeotda	말하셨어 malhasyeosseo	말하셨어요 malhasyeosseoyo	말하셨습니다 malhasyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	말하시느냐 malhasineunya	말하셔 malhasyeo	말하세요, 말하셔요 malhaseyo, malhasyeoyo	말하십니까 malhasimnikka
	Past	말하셨느냐 malhasyeonneunya	말하셨어 malhasyeosseo	말하셨어요 malhasyeosseoyo	말하셨습니까 malhasyeotseumnikka
Imperative		말하시라 malhasira	말하셔 malhasyeo	말하세요 malhaseyo	말하십시오 malhasipsio
Assertive		말하시겠다 malhasigetda	말하시겠어 malhasigesseo	말하시겠어요 malhasigesseoyo	말하시겠습니다 malhasigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		말하셔 malhasyeo	말하셔서 malhasyeoseo	말하시니 malhasini	말하시니까 malhasinikka
Contrast		말하시지만 malhasijiman	말하시는데 malhasineunde	말하시더니 malhasideoni
Conjunction		말하시고 malhasigo
Condition		말하시면 malhasimyeon	말하셔야 malhasyeoya
Motive		말하시려고 malhasiryeogo
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		말하심 malhasim	말하시기 malhasigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		말하셨음 malhasyeosseum	말하셨기 malhasyeotgi
Determiners	Past	말하신 malhasin
	Present	말하시는 malhasineun
	Future	말하실 malhasil