깨끗하다
kkaekkeuthada[k͈ɛk͈ɯtʰa̠da̠]
The Korean word for clean is 깨끗하다 (kkaekkeuthada).
If you want to express the transitive action of 'to clean' (to make something clean), you can use the construction 깨끗하게 하다.
Meaning: (transitive) to remove dirt from a place or object (verb)
Which one should you use?
깨끗하다 is used to mean 'clean' in the sense of being free from dirt. In contrast, 맑다 is used specifically when describing liquids, air or weather as being 'clear' or 'pure'. Additionally, in the context of weightlifting, the loanword 클린 is used to refer to the 'clean' portion of the 'clean and jerk'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective 깨끗하다 changes form based on politeness levels. You can use 깨끗해 for an informal polite or casual tone, and 깨끗합니다 for a formal polite tone.
How do you pronounce it?
kkaekkeuthada
Did you know?
- Koreans use 깨끗하다 to describe a 'clean' voice that is clear and lacks huskiness or nasal tones.
- The phrase 깨끗하게 하다 is often used in the context of 'cleaning up' a mess or 'settling' a debt completely.
- The roots of 깨끗하다 can be traced back to the 15th-century text Seokbo sangjeol, where it appeared in its Middle Korean form ᄀᆞᆺᄀᆞᆺᄒᆞ다.
Examples in context
- 사무실이 깨끗하게 정리되어 있어서 편안하네요.The office is neatly organized, which makes it comfortable.
- 병원은 항상 청결하게 유지되어야 합니다.Hospitals should always be kept clean.
- 너의 방 정말 깨끗하다!Your room is really clean!
- 오늘은 집을 좀 정리해야겠다.I should tidy up the house today.
Example conversation
Subin and Minjun are looking at a living room.
- 수빈 Su-bin민준 씨, 거실이 정말 깨끗하다!Min-jun ssi, geo-sil-i jeong-mal kkae-kkeut-ha-da!Minjun, the living room is so clean!
- 민준 Min-jun제가 아침에 청소했어요.je-ga a-chim-e cheong-so-hae-sseo-yo.I cleaned it this morning.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 고마워요.jeong-mal go-ma-wo-yo.Thank you so much.
- 민준 Min-jun아니에요, 별거 아니에요.a-ni-e-yo, byeol-geo a-ni-e-yo.No problem, it was nothing.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 깨끗하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 깨끗하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
