열없어
yuh-ruhp-ssuh
yeoreopsseo
descriptive
열없다
To say cowardly, timid politely in the present tense, use 열없어요 (yuh-ruhp-ssuh-yoh) · yeoreopsseoyo. Below is the full conjugation of 열없다 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 | 열없어요 yuh-ruhp-ssuh-yoh yeoreopsseoyo | 열없습니다 yuh-ruhp-seum-nee-dah yeoreoseumnida | |
| Past | 열없었어 yuh-ruhp-ssuh-ssuh yeoreopsseosseo | 열없었어요 yuh-ruhp-ssuh-ssuh-yoh yeoreopsseosseoyo | 열없었습니다 yuh-ruhp-ssuh-sseum-nee-dah yeoreopsseosseumnida |
| Future | 열없을 거야 yuh-ruhp-sseul guh-yah yeoreopsseul geoya | 열없을 거예요 yuh-ruhp-sseul guh-yae-yoh yeoreopsseul geoyeyo | 열없을 겁니다 yuh-ruhp-sseul guhm-nee-dah yeoreopsseul geomnida |
Other useful forms
Honorific / Command Polite (-(으)세요)
열없으세요
yuh-ruhp-sseu-sae-yoh
yeoreopsseuseyo
Suggestion / Let's Polite (요)
열없어요
yuh-ruhp-ssuh-yoh
yeoreopsseoyo
Question Polite (요)
열없어요?
yuh-ruhp-ssuh-yoh-?
yeoreopsseoyo?
Connective "and" — (고)
열없고
yuh-ruhp-goh
yeoreogo
Conditional "if" — (면)
열없으면
yuh-ruhp-sseu-myuhn
yeoreopsseumyeon
Progressive (고 있어요)
열없고 있어요
yuh-ruhp-goh ee-ssuh-yoh
yeoreogo isseoyo
Want to (고 싶어요)
열없고 싶어요
yuh-ruhp-goh shee-puh-yoh
yeoreogo sipeoyo
Can / Able to ((으)ㄹ 수 있어요)
열없을 수 있어요
yuh-ruhp-sseul soo ee-ssuh-yoh
yeoreopsseul su isseoyo
Because / So (아/어서)
열없어서
yuh-ruhp-ssuh-suh
yeoreopsseoseo
Noun form — (기)
열없기
yuh-ruhp-gee
yeoreogi
Noun form — (음)
열없음
yuh-ruhp-sseum
yeoreopsseum