가엾어
gah-yuhp-ssuh
gayeopsseo
descriptive
가엾다
To say to be pitiful politely in the present tense, use 가엾어요 (gah-yuhp-ssuh-yoh) · gayeopsseoyo. Below is the full conjugation of 가엾다 across the three tenses and three everyday speech levels.
Grammar note (descriptive): Descriptive verbs (형용사) function like adjectives in Korean and conjugate the same way as regular action verbs. They cannot take the progressive -고 있어요 or imperative forms. 좋다 (to be good) → 좋아요; 크다 (to be big) → 커요 (으-irregular).
Conjugation table
pron. = pronunciation guide · RR = Revised Romanization
| Tense | Casual (반말) | Polite (요) | Formal (합니다) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | 가엾어요 gah-yuhp-ssuh-yoh gayeopsseoyo | 가엾습니다 gah-yuhp-seum-nee-dah gayeoseumnida | |
| Past | 가엾었어 gah-yuhp-ssuh-ssuh gayeopsseosseo | 가엾었어요 gah-yuhp-ssuh-ssuh-yoh gayeopsseosseoyo | 가엾었습니다 gah-yuhp-ssuh-sseum-nee-dah gayeopsseosseumnida |
| Future | 가엾을 거야 gah-yuhp-sseul guh-yah gayeopsseul geoya | 가엾을 거예요 gah-yuhp-sseul guh-yae-yoh gayeopsseul geoyeyo | 가엾을 겁니다 gah-yuhp-sseul guhm-nee-dah gayeopsseul geomnida |
Other useful forms
Honorific / Command Polite (-(으)세요)
가엾으세요
gah-yuhp-sseu-sae-yoh
gayeopsseuseyo
Suggestion / Let's Polite (요)
가엾어요
gah-yuhp-ssuh-yoh
gayeopsseoyo
Question Polite (요)
가엾어요?
gah-yuhp-ssuh-yoh-?
gayeopsseoyo?
Connective "and" — (고)
가엾고
gah-yuhp-goh
gayeogo
Conditional "if" — (면)
가엾으면
gah-yuhp-sseu-myuhn
gayeopsseumyeon
Progressive (고 있어요)
가엾고 있어요
gah-yuhp-goh ee-ssuh-yoh
gayeogo isseoyo
Want to (고 싶어요)
가엾고 싶어요
gah-yuhp-goh shee-puh-yoh
gayeogo sipeoyo
Can / Able to ((으)ㄹ 수 있어요)
가엾을 수 있어요
gah-yuhp-sseul soo ee-ssuh-yoh
gayeopsseul su isseoyo
Because / So (아/어서)
가엾어서
gah-yuhp-ssuh-suh
gayeopsseoseo
Noun form — (기)
가엾기
gah-yuhp-gee
gayeogi
Noun form — (음)
가엾음
gah-yuhp-sseum
gayeopsseum