읽다

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Seokbo sangjeol (釋譜詳節 / 석보상절), 1447, as Middle Korean 닑다〮 (Yale: nìlk-tá).

Pronunciation

Prescriptive pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
- Audio: (file)
Phonetic hangul:

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	ikda
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	ilgda
McCune–Reischauer^?	ikta
Yale Romanization^?	ilkta

Usual contemporary pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
Phonetic hangul:
- Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	ilda
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	ilda
McCune–Reischauer^?	ilta
Yale Romanization^?	īlqta

Verb

Korean verb set
Base	읽다 (ikda)
Causative	읽히다 (ilkida)
Passive	읽히다 (ilkida)

읽다 • (ikda) (infinitive 읽어, sequential 읽으니)

(transitive) to read
여러분, 종이 신문 을 읽으시 나 요? (honorific, colloquial style) ― Yeoreobun, jong'i sinmun-eul ilg-eusi-na-yo? ― Ladies and gentlemen (or everybody, you guys), do you read paper newspapers?

Usage notes

In the prescriptive standard, the cluster ㄺ (lg) in verb stems is realized as ㄹ (-l) only before ㄱ (g-), and as ㄱ (-k) before other consonants:

읽다 ― ikda ― to read
읽고있다 ― ilgoitda ― to be reading

In practice, almost all speakers pronounce it as ㄹ (-l) before all consonants.

Conjugation

Selected forms of the verb 읽다 (ikda): consonant-stem, regular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	읽는다 ingneunda	읽어 ilgeo	읽어요 ilgeoyo	읽습니다 ikseumnida
Indicative	Past	읽었다 ilgeotda	읽었어 ilgeosseo	읽었어요 ilgeosseoyo	읽었습니다 ilgeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	읽느냐 ingneunya	읽어 ilgeo	읽어요 ilgeoyo	읽습니까 ikseumnikka
Interrogative	Past	읽었느냐 ilgeonneunya	읽었어 ilgeosseo	읽었어요 ilgeosseoyo	읽었습니까 ilgeotseumnikka
Hortative		읽자 ikja	읽어 ilgeo	읽어요 ilgeoyo	읽으십시다 ilgeusipsida
Imperative		읽어라 ilgeora	읽어 ilgeo	읽어요 ilgeoyo	읽읍시오 ilgeupsio
Assertive		읽겠다 ilgetda	읽겠어 ilgesseo	읽겠어요 ilgesseoyo	읽겠습니다 ilgetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		읽어 ilgeo	읽어서 ilgeoseo	읽으니 ilgeuni	읽으니까 ilgeunikka
Contrast		읽지만 ikjiman	읽는데 ingneunde	읽더니 ikdeoni
Conjunction		읽고 ilgo
Condition		읽으면 ilgeumyeon	읽어야 ilgeoya
Motive		읽으려고 ilgeuryeogo
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		읽음 ilgeum	읽기 ilgi
Past-tense verbal nouns		읽었음 ilgeosseum	읽었기 ilgeotgi
Determiners	Past	읽은 ilgeun
	Present	읽는 ingneun
	Future	읽을 ilgeul

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	읽으신다 ilgeusinda	읽으셔 ilgeusyeo	읽으세요, 읽으셔요 ilgeuseyo, ilgeusyeoyo	읽으십니다 ilgeusimnida
Indicative	Past	읽으셨다 ilgeusyeotda	읽으셨어 ilgeusyeosseo	읽으셨어요 ilgeusyeosseoyo	읽으셨습니다 ilgeusyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	읽으시느냐 ilgeusineunya	읽으셔 ilgeusyeo	읽으세요, 읽으셔요 ilgeuseyo, ilgeusyeoyo	읽으십니까 ilgeusimnikka
Interrogative	Past	읽으셨느냐 ilgeusyeonneunya	읽으셨어 ilgeusyeosseo	읽으셨어요 ilgeusyeosseoyo	읽으셨습니까 ilgeusyeotseumnikka
Imperative		읽으시라 ilgeusira	읽으셔 ilgeusyeo	읽으세요 ilgeuseyo	읽으십시오 ilgeusipsio
Assertive		읽으시겠다 ilgeusigetda	읽으시겠어 ilgeusigesseo	읽으시겠어요 ilgeusigesseoyo	읽으시겠습니다 ilgeusigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		읽으셔 ilgeusyeo	읽으셔서 ilgeusyeoseo	읽으시니 ilgeusini	읽으시니까 ilgeusinikka
Contrast		읽으시지만 ilgeusijiman	읽으시는데 ilgeusineunde	읽으시더니 ilgeusideoni
Conjunction		읽으시고 ilgeusigo
Condition		읽으시면 ilgeusimyeon	읽으셔야 ilgeusyeoya
Motive		읽으시려고 ilgeusiryeogo
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		읽으심 ilgeusim	읽으시기 ilgeusigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		읽으셨음 ilgeusyeosseum	읽으셨기 ilgeusyeotgi
Determiners	Past	읽으신 ilgeusin
	Present	읽으시는 ilgeusineun
	Future	읽으실 ilgeusil

Derived terms

내리읽다 (naeriikda)
되읽다 (doeikda)
새겨읽다 (saegyeoikda)

읽다

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