사다
sada[sʰa̠da̠]
To say buy in Korean, use 사다 (sada), the everyday verb for getting something with money. If unsure, use 사다. Wiktionary also lists 구입하다 (gu'iphada).
Meaning: to obtain something with money (verb)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 사다 | sada | [sʰa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 구입하다 | gu'iphada | [kuipʰa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
사다 is used in most casual and standard conversations, for anything from groceries to clothes. A handy phrase when shopping is 할인되나요?, meaning can I get a discount?
Which one should you use?
구입하다 (gu'iphada) means to purchase and is more formal and professional, often used in business, news reports or official documents. 구매하다 is another formal word for buy.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite present form is 사요, the past tense is 샀다 and will buy is 살 거예요.
How do you pronounce it?
It is written in Latin letters as sada.
Did you know?
- The formal term 구입하다 contains the Hanja character 입 (入), which means 'to enter'. This implies that the purchased item is 'entering' the buyer's possession.
- When buying something for someone else, Koreans often use the verb 사주다 instead of just 사다. This adds a sense of giving or doing a favor for the other person.
- While 사다 is the general word for buy, Koreans often use the phrase 돈을 쓰다, meaning 'to spend money', to describe the act of shopping for pleasure or luxury.
Examples in context
- 뭐 좀 살 게 있어서 시장에 가고 있어요. / 아 그러세요, 저도 시장에 가야 해요.I'm going to the market. I need to buy something. / Really? I need to go to the market too.Here 살 is a form of the verb for buy, used in the phrase meaning something to buy.
- 저는 신발을 사고 싶어요.I want to buy shoes.
- 이 책을 사면 좋을 거 같아.It would be good to buy this book.
- 저 빵 한 개 사줄래?Can you buy me one bread?
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Subin are at a bookstore.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo수빈 씨, 어떤 책을 사다 가요?Subin ssi, eotteon chaekeul sada gayo?Subin, what book are you buying to take home?
- 수빈 Su-bin요리 책을 하나 사려고 해요.yori chaekeul hana saryeogo haeyo.I am planning to buy a cookbook.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo좋은 생각이네요. 저도 하나 살게요.joeun saenggang-ineyo. jeodo hana salgeyo.That's a good idea. I'll buy one too.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우 씨도 요리에 관심이 많군요.Hyunwoo ssi-do yorie gwansimi man-gunyo.You are also very interested in cooking, Hyunwoo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “buy” translations and entries 사다, 구입하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 구입하다, 사다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
