Said/told (polite) in Korean 🇰🇷

말했어요 info.

Tips to Remember:
• Break down 말했어요 into 말 (mal) meaning “speech/words” and 했어요 (haesseoyo), the past tense form of 하다 (“to do”). This can help you remember that “말했어요” means “said.”
• Associate it with speaking about something; you “did your speech” (말 + 했어요).

Explanations:
• The base infinitive verb is 말하다 (malhada), meaning “to say” or “to speak.”
• 말했어요 (malhaesseoyo) is the polite past tense form, used in everyday conversation.

Other Words with Similar Meanings:
• 말씀하셨어요 (malsseumhasyeosseoyo) – an honorific form meaning “said” (used to show respect).
• 얘기했어요 (yaegihaesseoyo) – means “talked” or “spoke,” though it can imply a conversation rather than a simple statement.

Conjugations of the Verb 말하다:
• Infinitive: 말하다 (malhada) – “to say.”
• Present Tense (Polite): 말해요 (malhaeyo) – “say/says.”
• Past Tense (Polite): 말했어요 (malhaesseoyo) – “said.”
• Future Tense (Polite): 말할 거예요 (malhal geoyeyo) – “will say.”
• Present Tense (Formal): 말합니다 (malhamnida)
• Past Tense (Formal): 말했습니다 (malhaetseumnida)
• Future Tense (Formal): 말할 것입니다 (malhal geosimnida)

Example Sentences:
1. “I said I would come.”
Korean: 제가 올 거라고 말했어요.
Romanized: Jega ol georago malhaesseoyo.

2. “She said it was okay.”
Korean: 그녀가 괜찮다고 말했어요.
Romanized: Geunyeoga gwaenchandago malhaesseoyo.

3. “They said goodbye before leaving.”
Korean: 그들이 떠나기 전에 작별 인사를 말했어요.
Romanized: Geudeuri tteonagi jeone jakbyeol insareul malhaesseoyo.

4. “Did you say something?”
Korean: 뭐라고 말했어요?
Romanized: Mworago malhaesseoyo?

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