울다

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Yongbi eocheon'ga (龍飛御天歌 / 용비어천가), 1447, as Middle Korean 울〯다〮 (Yale: wǔl-tá).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈu(ː)ɭda̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [울(ː)다]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	ulda
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	ulda
McCune–Reischauer?	ulda
Yale Romanization?	wūlta

Verb

Korean verb set

Base	울다 (ulda)
Causative	울리다 (ullida)

울다 • (ulda) (infinitive 울어, sequential 우니)

1. (intransitive) to cry; to weep

   지금 누가 울어요? ― jigeum nuga ureoyo? ― Who is crying now?

   울고 싶고 눈물이 나오면, 무언가 재미있는 것을 애써 생각해 보렴.

   Ulgo sipgo nunmur-i naomyeon, mueon'ga jaemiinneun geos-eul aesseo saenggakhae boryeom.

   If you feel crying, tears coming, then try to think about something funny.

   • 1812, “Song 243”, in 청구영언 장서각본/靑丘永言藏書閣本 [Jangseogak edition of the Cheonggu yeong'eon]:

     項(항)羽(우)ㅣ ᄌᆞᆨᄒᆞᆫ 天(쳔)下(하)壯(쟝)士(ᄉᆞ)랴마ᄂᆞᆫ 虞(우)美(미)人(인) 離(니)別(별)에 한숨 셧거 눈물지며
     唐(당) 明(명)皇(황)이 ᄌᆞᆨᄒᆞᆫ 濟(졔)世(셰)英(영)主(쥬)ㅣ랴마ᄂᆞᆫ 楊(양)貴(귀)妃(비) 離(니)別(별)에 우럿ᄂᆞ니
     ᄒᆞ믈며 碌(녹)碌(록)ᄒᆞᆫ 小(쇼)丈(쟝)夫(부)야 일너 무슴 ᄒᆞ리

     Hang U-i jakhan chyeonhajangsa-ryamaneun U Miin nibyeor-e hansum syeokkeo nunmul-jimyeo
     Dang Myeonghwang-i jakhan jyesyeyeongjyu-iryamaneun Yang Gwibi nibyeor-e ureonnani
     Hamulmyeo nongnokhan syojyangbu-ya illeo museum hari

     Though Xiang Yu was well and indeed a man peerless under heaven, he shed tears mixed with sighs when parting from the Beauty Yu;
     Though Ming of Tang was well and indeed a ruler who saved the world, he wept when parting from the Consort Yang;
     So why even speak of the craven good-for-nothing [that I am]?

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the verb 울다 (ulda): consonant-stem, ㄹ(l)-irregular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	운다 unda	울어 ureo	울어요 ureoyo	웁니다 umnida
	Past	울었다 ureotda	울었어 ureosseo	울었어요 ureosseoyo	울었습니다 ureotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	우느냐 uneunya	울어 ureo	울어요 ureoyo	웁니까 umnikka
	Past	울었느냐 ureonneunya	울었어 ureosseo	울었어요 ureosseoyo	울었습니까 ureotseumnikka
Hortative		울자 ulja	울어 ureo	울어요 ureoyo	우십시다 usipsida
Imperative		울어라 ureora	울어 ureo	울어요 ureoyo	웁시오 upsio
Assertive		울겠다 ulgetda	울겠어 ulgesseo	울겠어요 ulgesseoyo	울겠습니다 ulgetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		울어 ureo	울어서 ureoseo	우니 uni	우니까 unikka
Contrast		울지만 uljiman	우는데 uneunde	울더니 uldeoni
Conjunction		울고 ulgo
Condition		울면 ulmyeon	울어야 ureoya
Motive		울려고 ullyeogo
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		욺 um	울기 ulgi
Past-tense verbal nouns		울었음 ureosseum	울었기 ureotgi
Determiners	Past	운 un
	Present	우는 uneun
	Future	울 ul

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	우신다 usinda	우셔 usyeo	우세요, 우셔요 useyo, usyeoyo	우십니다 usimnida
	Past	우셨다 usyeotda	우셨어 usyeosseo	우셨어요 usyeosseoyo	우셨습니다 usyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	우시느냐 usineunya	우셔 usyeo	우세요, 우셔요 useyo, usyeoyo	우십니까 usimnikka
	Past	우셨느냐 usyeonneunya	우셨어 usyeosseo	우셨어요 usyeosseoyo	우셨습니까 usyeotseumnikka
Imperative		우시라 usira	우셔 usyeo	우세요 useyo	우십시오 usipsio
Assertive		우시겠다 usigetda	우시겠어 usigesseo	우시겠어요 usigesseoyo	우시겠습니다 usigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		우셔 usyeo	우셔서 usyeoseo	우시니 usini	우시니까 usinikka
Contrast		우시지만 usijiman	우시는데 usineunde	우시더니 usideoni
Conjunction		우시고 usigo
Condition		우시면 usimyeon	우셔야 usyeoya
Motive		우시려고 usiryeogo
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		우심 usim	우시기 usigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		우셨음 usyeosseum	우셨기 usyeotgi
Determiners	Past	우신 usin
	Present	우시는 usineun
	Future	우실 usil

Derived terms

• 울보 (ulbo, “crybaby”)
• 울음 (ureum, “crying”)

Middle Korean

Verb

울〯다〮 (wǔl-tá)

1. Modern phonemically faithful spelling of 우〯다〮 (wǔtá, “to cry; to weep”), not actually used during the Middle Korean period.