말하다
malhada[ˈma̠(ː)ɾɦa̠da̠]
To say to say in Korean, use 말하다 (malhada).
말하다 means to say or to speak in a general sense and describes the act of putting something into words.
Which one should you use?
Verbs like 이야기하다, to talk or chat, focus more on the conversation itself, while 말하다 focuses on what is said. 말씀드리다 is a formal, humble way to say to say.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite present form is 말해요 and the informal present form is 말해. The past tense is 말했다, meaning said.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as malhada.
Did you know?
- While 말하다 is the standard verb, Koreans often use the expression 말이 안 돼 to describe something that is logically impossible or unbelievable, literally meaning 'the words do not become'.
- The root 말 is a homonym in Korean, meaning both 'word' and 'horse'. Depending on the context and tone, 말하다 could jokingly be interpreted as 'to horse'.
- In Korean, the honorific form 말씀 is used both to elevate the speech of a superior and to humble one's own speech when talking to a superior.
Examples in context
- 어제 일은 미안하다고 말하고 싶어요. 괜찮아요. 아나.I want to say I’m sorry for yesterday. It’s okay, Anna.Here 말하고 싶어요 means want to say, joined to an apology for yesterday.
- 회의에서 중요한 사항을 말씀하셨나요?Did you mention the important matter in the meeting?
- 저는 그에게 직접 말씀드렸어요.I personally told him.
- 어제 친구에게 진실을 말했어.I spoke the truth to my friend yesterday.
- 어떤 이야기를 할까요?What story shall we talk about?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 말하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
