없다

Korean

Etymology

In the hangul script, first attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 없〯다〮 (Yale: ěps-tá), from Old Korean 無叱 (*EPUs-). Cognate with Jeju 읏다 (eutda).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈɘ(ː)p̚t͈a̠]

  • Audio:

    (file)

• Phonetic hangul: [업(ː)따]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	eopda
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	eobsda
McCune–Reischauer?	ŏpta
Yale Romanization?	ēpsta

Adjective

없다 • (eopda) (infinitive 없어, sequential 없으니)

1. to have none; (to be) lacking; (to be) nonexistent

   Antonym: 있다 (itda, “to exist”)

   전 은행 계좌가 없어요.

   Jeon eunhaeng gyejwa-ga eopseoyo.

   I don't have a bank account.

   하나도 없다.

   Hana-do eopda.

   Not a single one.

   없어 보인다.

   Eopseo boinda.

   Lacking in appearance; not stylish

   같이 어울릴 만한 친구가 한 명도 없다.

   Gachi eoullil manhan chin'gu-ga han myeong-do eopda.

   I don't have a friend to hang out with.

   나랑 수준이 맞는 친구가 한 명도 없다.

   Na-rang sujun-i manneun chin'gu-ga han myeong-do eopda.

   I don't have a friend who's up to my level.

2. (North Korea) to die

   Synonyms: 죽다 (jukda), (honorific) 돌아가시다 (doragasida)

   지난밤에 뜻하지 않게 건넌집 할아버지가 없었다는구만.

   Jinanbam-e tteuthaji an-ke geonneonjip harabeoji-ga eopseotda-neun-guman.

   "Well, the old man from next door unexpectedly passed away last night."

Usage notes

• Most grammars classify 없다 (eopda) as an adjective with certain verbal qualities.

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the adjective 없다 (eopda): consonant-stem, 있/없(it/eop)-irregular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	없다 eopda	없어 eopseo	없어요 eopseoyo	없습니다 eopseumnida
	Past	없었다 eopseotda	없었어 eopseosseo	없었어요 eopseosseoyo	없었습니다 eopseotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	없느냐 eomneunya	없어 eopseo	없어요 eopseoyo	없습니까 eopseumnikka
	Past	없었느냐 eopseonneunya	없었어 eopseosseo	없었어요 eopseosseoyo	없었습니까 eopseotseumnikka
Assertive		없겠다 eopgetda	없겠어 eopgesseo	없겠어요 eopgesseoyo	없겠습니다 eopgetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		없어 eopseo	없어서 eopseoseo	없으니 eopseuni	없으니까 eopseunikka
Contrast		없지만 eopjiman	없는데 eomneunde	없더니 eopdeoni
Conjunction		없고 eopgo
Condition		없으면 eopseumyeon	없어야 eopseoya
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		없음 eopseum	없기 eopgi
Past-tense verbal nouns		없었음 eopseosseum	없었기 eopseotgi
Determiners	Present		없는 eomneun
	Future		없을 eopseul

Sentence-final forms with honorific Alternative honorific: 안 계시다 (an gyesida)
		Plain (해라체)	Informal (해체)	Polite (해요체)	Formal (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	없으시다 eopseusida	없으셔 eopseusyeo	없으세요, 없으셔요 eopseuseyo, eopseusyeoyo	없으십니다 eopseusimnida
	Past	없으셨다 eopseusyeotda	없으셨어 eopseusyeosseo	없으셨어요 eopseusyeosseoyo	없으셨습니다 eopseusyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	없으시냐 eopseusinya	없으셔 eopseusyeo	없으세요, 없으셔요 eopseuseyo, eopseusyeoyo	없으십니까 eopseusimnikka
	Past	없으셨냐 eopseusyeonnya	없으셨어 eopseusyeosseo	없으셨어요 eopseusyeosseoyo	없으셨습니까 eopseusyeotseumnikka
Assertive		없으시겠다 eopseusigetda	없으시겠어 eopseusigesseo	없으시겠어요 eopseusigesseoyo	없으시겠습니다 eopseusigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		없으셔 eopseusyeo	없으셔서 eopseusyeoseo	없으시니 eopseusini	없으시니까 eopseusinikka
Contrast		없으시지만 eopseusijiman	없으신데 eopseusinde	없으시더니 eopseusideoni
Conjunction		없으시고 eopseusigo
Condition		없으시면 eopseusimyeon	없으셔야 eopseusyeoya
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		없으심 eopseusim	없으시기 eopseusigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		없으셨음 eopseusyeosseum	없으셨기 eopseusyeotgi
Determiners	Present		없으신 eopseusin
	Future		없으실 eopseusil

Derived terms

• 가없다 (ga'eopda)
• 끊임없다 (kkeunimeopda)
• 다름없다 (dareumeopda)
• 맛없다 (madeopda)
• 멋없다 (meodeopda)
• 변함없다 (byeonhameopda)
• 소용없다 (soyong'eopda)
• 쓸데없다 (sseuldeeopda)
• 어이없다 (eoieopda)
• 없애다 (eopsaeda)
• 없어지다 (eopseojida)
• 재미없다 (jaemieopda)
• 틀림없다 (teullimeopda)
• 한없다 (haneopda)

 

Related terms

• 없이 (eopsi)