점잖아
chuhm-chahn-ah
jeomjaa
descriptive
점잖다
To say well behaved, dignified, respectable, gentle politely in the present tense, use 점잖아요 (chuhm-chahn-ah-yoh) · jeomjaayo. Below is the full conjugation of 점잖다 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 | 점잖아요 chuhm-chahn-ah-yoh jeomjaayo | 점잖습니다 chuhm-chahn-seum-nee-dah jeomjaseumnida | |
| Past | 점잖았어 chuhm-chahn-ah-ssuh jeomjaasseo | 점잖았어요 chuhm-chahn-ah-ssuh-yoh jeomjaasseoyo | 점잖았습니다 chuhm-chahn-ah-sseum-nee-dah jeomjaasseumnida |
| Future | 점잖을 거야 chuhm-chahn-eul guh-yah jeomjaeul geoya | 점잖을 거예요 chuhm-chahn-eul guh-yae-yoh jeomjaeul geoyeyo | 점잖을 겁니다 chuhm-chahn-eul guhm-nee-dah jeomjaeul geomnida |
Other useful forms
Honorific / Command Polite (-(으)세요)
점잖으세요
chuhm-chahn-eu-sae-yoh
jeomjaeuseyo
Suggestion / Let's Polite (요)
점잖아요
chuhm-chahn-ah-yoh
jeomjaayo
Question Polite (요)
점잖아요?
chuhm-chahn-ah-yoh-?
jeomjaayo?
Connective "and" — (고)
점잖고
chuhm-chahn-goh
jeomjago
Conditional "if" — (면)
점잖으면
chuhm-chahn-eu-myuhn
jeomjaeumyeon
Progressive (고 있어요)
점잖고 있어요
chuhm-chahn-goh ee-ssuh-yoh
jeomjago isseoyo
Want to (고 싶어요)
점잖고 싶어요
chuhm-chahn-goh shee-puh-yoh
jeomjago sipeoyo
Can / Able to ((으)ㄹ 수 있어요)
점잖을 수 있어요
chuhm-chahn-eul soo ee-ssuh-yoh
jeomjaeul su isseoyo
Because / So (아/어서)
점잖아서
chuhm-chahn-ah-suh
jeomjaaseo
Noun form — (기)
점잖기
chuhm-chahn-gee
jeomjagi
Noun form — (음)
점잖음
chuhm-chahn-eum
jeomjaeum