맴돌다

Korean

Etymology

From 맴 (maem, “circling”) + 돌다 (dolda, “to rotate”).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ˈmɛ(ː)mdo̞ɭda̠] ~ [ˈme̞(ː)mdo̞ɭda̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [맴(ː)돌다/멤(ː)돌다]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	maemdolda
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	maemdolda
McCune–Reischauer?	maemdolda
Yale Romanization?	māymtolta

Verb

맴돌다 • (maemdolda) (infinitive 맴돌아, sequential 맴도니)

1. (transitive) to circle, encircle

   매들이 먹이를 찾아 들판 위를 맴돌고 있다.

   maedeuri meogireul chaja deulpan wireul maemdolgo itda.

   Hawks are circling over the fields, looking for prey.

2. (transitive) to hover (around)

   그의 성적은 학급에서 바닥을 맴돌고 있다

   geuui seongjeogeun hakgeubeseo badageul maemdolgo itda

   His grades stay around at the bottom of the class.

3. (transitive) to linger (on)

   그 생각이 계속 머릿속에서 맴돌았다.

   geu saenggagi gyesok meoritsogeseo maemdoratda.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the verb 맴돌다 (maemdolda): consonant-stem, ㄹ(l)-irregular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	맴돈다 maemdonda	맴돌아 maemdora	맴돌아요 maemdorayo	맴돕니다 maemdomnida
	Past	맴돌았다 maemdoratda	맴돌았어 maemdorasseo	맴돌았어요 maemdorasseoyo	맴돌았습니다 maemdoratseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	맴도느냐 maemdoneunya	맴돌아 maemdora	맴돌아요 maemdorayo	맴돕니까 maemdomnikka
	Past	맴돌았느냐 maemdoranneunya	맴돌았어 maemdorasseo	맴돌았어요 maemdorasseoyo	맴돌았습니까 maemdoratseumnikka
Hortative		맴돌자 maemdolja	맴돌아 maemdora	맴돌아요 maemdorayo	맴도십시다 maemdosipsida
Imperative		맴돌아라 maemdorara	맴돌아 maemdora	맴돌아요 maemdorayo	맴돕시오 maemdopsio
Assertive		맴돌겠다 maemdolgetda	맴돌겠어 maemdolgesseo	맴돌겠어요 maemdolgesseoyo	맴돌겠습니다 maemdolgetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		맴돌아 maemdora	맴돌아서 maemdoraseo	맴도니 maemdoni	맴도니까 maemdonikka
Contrast		맴돌지만 maemdoljiman	맴도는데 maemdoneunde	맴돌더니 maemdoldeoni
Conjunction		맴돌고 maemdolgo
Condition		맴돌면 maemdolmyeon	맴돌아야 maemdoraya
Motive		맴돌려고 maemdollyeogo
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		맴돎 maemdom	맴돌기 maemdolgi
Past-tense verbal nouns		맴돌았음 maemdorasseum	맴돌았기 maemdoratgi
Determiners	Past	맴돈 maemdon
	Present	맴도는 maemdoneun
	Future	맴돌 maemdol

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	맴도신다 maemdosinda	맴도셔 maemdosyeo	맴도세요, 맴도셔요 maemdoseyo, maemdosyeoyo	맴도십니다 maemdosimnida
	Past	맴도셨다 maemdosyeotda	맴도셨어 maemdosyeosseo	맴도셨어요 maemdosyeosseoyo	맴도셨습니다 maemdosyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	맴도시느냐 maemdosineunya	맴도셔 maemdosyeo	맴도세요, 맴도셔요 maemdoseyo, maemdosyeoyo	맴도십니까 maemdosimnikka
	Past	맴도셨느냐 maemdosyeonneunya	맴도셨어 maemdosyeosseo	맴도셨어요 maemdosyeosseoyo	맴도셨습니까 maemdosyeotseumnikka
Imperative		맴도시라 maemdosira	맴도셔 maemdosyeo	맴도세요 maemdoseyo	맴도십시오 maemdosipsio
Assertive		맴도시겠다 maemdosigetda	맴도시겠어 maemdosigesseo	맴도시겠어요 maemdosigesseoyo	맴도시겠습니다 maemdosigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		맴도셔 maemdosyeo	맴도셔서 maemdosyeoseo	맴도시니 maemdosini	맴도시니까 maemdosinikka
Contrast		맴도시지만 maemdosijiman	맴도시는데 maemdosineunde	맴도시더니 maemdosideoni
Conjunction		맴도시고 maemdosigo
Condition		맴도시면 maemdosimyeon	맴도셔야 maemdosyeoya
Motive		맴도시려고 maemdosiryeogo
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		맴도심 maemdosim	맴도시기 maemdosigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		맴도셨음 maemdosyeosseum	맴도셨기 maemdosyeotgi
Determiners	Past	맴도신 maemdosin
	Present	맴도시는 maemdosineun
	Future	맴도실 maemdosil

Related terms

• 맴 (maem, “circling”)
• 돌다 (dolda, “to rotate”)

References

• 맴돌다 in Korean-English Learners' Dictionary, National Institute of Korean Language, cc by-sa 2.0 kr.