What Does 하다 Mean? The Most Useful Verb in Korean
10-Second Answer
하다 means "to do." On its own it's a complete, common verb — but its real power is combining with nouns to instantly create new verbs: noun + 하다 = "to [noun]." Learn 하다 once, and you unlock hundreds of verbs for free.
Quick Examples
뭐 해요?
mwo haeyo?
What are you doing?
하다 alone, conjugated as 해요.
공부해요.
gongbuhaeyo.
I'm studying.
공부 (study) + 하다 = 공부하다 (to study).
사랑해요.
saranghaeyo.
I love you.
사랑 (love) + 하다 = 사랑하다 (to love).
The Formula: Noun + 하다 = New Verb
| Noun | + 하다 = | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 공부 (study) | 공부하다 | to study |
| 운동 (exercise) | 운동하다 | to exercise |
| 일 (work) | 일하다 | to work |
| 요리 (cooking) | 요리하다 | to cook |
| 여행 (travel) | 여행하다 | to travel |
| 사랑 (love) | 사랑하다 | to love |
This is one of the most productive patterns in Korean — thousands of nouns (many borrowed from Chinese or English) can become verbs this way. 쇼핑하다 (to shop), 게임하다 (to game) — even English loanwords plug straight in.
Conjugating 하다
| Form | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Polite present | 해요 |
| Polite past | 했어요 |
| Formal present | 합니다 |
| Casual | 해 |
하다 is irregular in a helpful way — once you memorize 해(요), every 하다-compound verb conjugates the exact same way: 공부해요, 운동해요, 사랑해요 — same ending, different noun in front.
Remember: 안/못 Go Between the Noun and 하다
공부 안 해요.
I'm not studying.
As covered on the 안 vs 못 page — negation slots between noun and 하다.
운동 못 해요.
I can't exercise.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Trying to memorize every verb separately
Once you know a topic noun (공부, 운동, 일, 여행…) you often already have the verb — just add 해요.
Mistake #2 — Forgetting some nouns need a particle first
Not every noun+하다 pair is fused as tightly. 공부를 하다 (with 를) is also correct and common — 공부해요 is simply the contracted, more casual-sounding version.
Mini Quiz
1. 여행 means "travel." What does 여행하다 mean?
2. How do you say "I'm not exercising"?
3. What's the polite present-tense form of 하다?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
Korean Present Tense: -아요/-어요 Explained
You've seen 해요 everywhere — now see the full pattern that builds it and every other polite present-tense verb.
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Start today's study →Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Written and reviewed by a native Korean speaker.