읽다
ikda[ik̚t͈a̠]
To read in Korean is 읽다 (ikda).
The verb 읽다 is used for the action of looking at and understanding written or printed words, such as reading books. To express the negative form of the verb, you can add the negative particle 안 before it.
How does it change in a sentence?
The base form is 읽다, the past tense is 읽었다, the formal/honorific form is 읽습니다, the polite form is 읽어요 and the casual/informal form is 읽어.
How do you pronounce it?
ikda
Did you know?
- When you want to say you 'read' the news or a newspaper, you often use the term 보다 (bo-da), which literally means 'to see'.
- While 읽다 means 'to read', the phrase 읽씹 is modern slang for 'read-receipt ghosting', where someone reads a message but intentionally does not reply.
- In historical contexts, 읽다 was used not just for understanding text but for the rhythmic recitation of Confucian classics, which was a physical and oral performance.
Examples in context
- 선생님이 그 책을 읽습니다.The teacher reads that book.
- 저는 매일 신문을 읽어요.I read the newspaper every day.
- 내일 책을 좀 읽어.Read the book tomorrow.
- 그 책을 안 읽어요.I don't read that book.
- 책을 읽다.chaek-eul ik-da.To read a book.
- 편지를 읽다.pyeon-ji-reul ik-da.To read a letter.
- 신문을 읽다.sin-mun-eul ik-da.To read a newspaper.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 읽다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
