세
sae
se
descriptive
세다
To say to be strong politely in the present tense, use 세요 (sae-yoh) · seyo. Below is the full conjugation of 세다 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 | 세요 sae-yoh seyo | 셉니다 saem-nee-dah semnida | |
| Past | 셌어 sae-ssuh sesseo | 셌어요 sae-ssuh-yoh sesseoyo | 셌습니다 sae-sseum-nee-dah sesseumnida |
| Future | 셀 거야 sael guh-yah sel geoya | 셀 거예요 sael guh-yae-yoh sel geoyeyo | 셀 겁니다 sael guhm-nee-dah sel geomnida |
Other useful forms
Honorific / Command Polite (-(으)세요)
세세요
sae-sae-yoh
seseyo
Suggestion / Let's Polite (요)
세요
sae-yoh
seyo
Question Polite (요)
세요?
sae-yoh-?
seyo?
Connective "and" — (고)
세고
sae-goh
sego
Conditional "if" — (면)
세면
sae-myuhn
semyeon
Progressive (고 있어요)
세고 있어요
sae-goh ee-ssuh-yoh
sego isseoyo
Want to (고 싶어요)
세고 싶어요
sae-goh shee-puh-yoh
sego sipeoyo
Can / Able to ((으)ㄹ 수 있어요)
셀 수 있어요
sael soo ee-ssuh-yoh
sel su isseoyo
Because / So (아/어서)
세서
sae-suh
seseo
Noun form — (기)
세기
sae-gee
segi
Noun form — (음)
셈
saem
sem