머뭇거리다

Korean

Etymology

First attested in the Yeogeo yuhae (譯語類解 / 역어유해), 1690, as Early Modern Korean 머믓거리다 (Yale: memuskelita). From 머뭇 (meomut, “hesitation”) +‎ 거리다 (-georida, suffix deriving frequentative verbs from ideophonic terms).

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [mʌ̹mut̚k͈ʌ̹ɾida̠]
• Phonetic hangul: [머묻꺼리다]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization?	meomutgeorida
Revised Romanization (translit.)?	meomusgeolida
McCune–Reischauer?	mŏmutkŏrida
Yale Romanization?	memuskelita

Verb

머뭇거리다 • (meomutgeorida) (infinitive 머뭇거려 or 머뭇거리어, sequential 머뭇거리니)

1. (intransitive) to hesitate, to falter

Conjugation

    Selected forms of the verb 머뭇거리다 (meomutgeorida): vowel-stem, regular

Sentence-final forms
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	머뭇거린다 meomutgeorinda	머뭇거려 meomutgeoryeo	머뭇거려요, 머뭇거리어요 meomutgeoryeoyo, meomutgeorieoyo	머뭇거립니다 meomutgeorimnida
	Past	머뭇거렸다 meomutgeoryeotda	머뭇거렸어 meomutgeoryeosseo	머뭇거렸어요 meomutgeoryeosseoyo	머뭇거렸습니다 meomutgeoryeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	머뭇거리느냐 meomutgeorineunya	머뭇거려 meomutgeoryeo	머뭇거려요, 머뭇거리어요 meomutgeoryeoyo, meomutgeorieoyo	머뭇거립니까 meomutgeorimnikka
	Past	머뭇거렸느냐 meomutgeoryeonneunya	머뭇거렸어 meomutgeoryeosseo	머뭇거렸어요 meomutgeoryeosseoyo	머뭇거렸습니까 meomutgeoryeotseumnikka
Hortative		머뭇거리자 meomutgeorija	머뭇거려 meomutgeoryeo	머뭇거려요, 머뭇거리어요 meomutgeoryeoyo, meomutgeorieoyo	머뭇거리십시다 meomutgeorisipsida
Imperative		머뭇거려라, 머뭇거리어라 meomutgeoryeora, meomutgeorieora	머뭇거려 meomutgeoryeo	머뭇거려요, 머뭇거리어요 meomutgeoryeoyo, meomutgeorieoyo	머뭇거립시오 meomutgeoripsio
Assertive		머뭇거리겠다 meomutgeorigetda	머뭇거리겠어 meomutgeorigesseo	머뭇거리겠어요 meomutgeorigesseoyo	머뭇거리겠습니다 meomutgeorigetseumnida
Connective forms
Cause/Reason		머뭇거려 meomutgeoryeo	머뭇거려서, 머뭇거리어서 meomutgeoryeoseo, meomutgeorieoseo	머뭇거리니 meomutgeorini	머뭇거리니까 meomutgeorinikka
Contrast		머뭇거리지만 meomutgeorijiman	머뭇거리는데 meomutgeorineunde	머뭇거리더니 meomutgeorideoni
Conjunction		머뭇거리고 meomutgeorigo
Condition		머뭇거리면 meomutgeorimyeon	머뭇거려야, 머뭇거리어야 meomutgeoryeoya, meomutgeorieoya
Motive		머뭇거리려고 meomutgeoriryeogo
Noun and determiner forms
Verbal nouns		머뭇거림 meomutgeorim	머뭇거리기 meomutgeorigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		머뭇거렸음, 머뭇거리었음 meomutgeoryeosseum, meomutgeorieosseum	머뭇거렸기, 머뭇거리었기 meomutgeoryeotgi, meomutgeorieotgi
Determiners	Past	머뭇거린 meomutgeorin
	Present	머뭇거리는 meomutgeorineun
	Future	머뭇거릴 meomutgeoril

Sentence-final forms with honorific
		Formal non-polite (해라체)	Informal non-polite (해체)	Informal polite (해요체)	Formal polite (하십시오체)
Indicative	Non-past	머뭇거리신다 meomutgeorisinda	머뭇거리셔 meomutgeorisyeo	머뭇거리세요, 머뭇거리셔요 meomutgeoriseyo, meomutgeorisyeoyo	머뭇거리십니다 meomutgeorisimnida
	Past	머뭇거리셨다 meomutgeorisyeotda	머뭇거리셨어 meomutgeorisyeosseo	머뭇거리셨어요 meomutgeorisyeosseoyo	머뭇거리셨습니다 meomutgeorisyeotseumnida
Interrogative	Non-past	머뭇거리시느냐 meomutgeorisineunya	머뭇거리셔 meomutgeorisyeo	머뭇거리세요, 머뭇거리셔요 meomutgeoriseyo, meomutgeorisyeoyo	머뭇거리십니까 meomutgeorisimnikka
	Past	머뭇거리셨느냐 meomutgeorisyeonneunya	머뭇거리셨어 meomutgeorisyeosseo	머뭇거리셨어요 meomutgeorisyeosseoyo	머뭇거리셨습니까 meomutgeorisyeotseumnikka
Imperative		머뭇거리시라 meomutgeorisira	머뭇거리셔 meomutgeorisyeo	머뭇거리세요 meomutgeoriseyo	머뭇거리십시오 meomutgeorisipsio
Assertive		머뭇거리시겠다 meomutgeorisigetda	머뭇거리시겠어 meomutgeorisigesseo	머뭇거리시겠어요 meomutgeorisigesseoyo	머뭇거리시겠습니다 meomutgeorisigetseumnida
Connective forms with honorific
Cause/Reason		머뭇거리셔 meomutgeorisyeo	머뭇거리셔서 meomutgeorisyeoseo	머뭇거리시니 meomutgeorisini	머뭇거리시니까 meomutgeorisinikka
Contrast		머뭇거리시지만 meomutgeorisijiman	머뭇거리시는데 meomutgeorisineunde	머뭇거리시더니 meomutgeorisideoni
Conjunction		머뭇거리시고 meomutgeorisigo
Condition		머뭇거리시면 meomutgeorisimyeon	머뭇거리셔야 meomutgeorisyeoya
Motive		머뭇거리시려고 meomutgeorisiryeogo
Noun and determiner forms with honorific
Verbal nouns		머뭇거리심 meomutgeorisim	머뭇거리시기 meomutgeorisigi
Past-tense verbal nouns		머뭇거리셨음 meomutgeorisyeosseum	머뭇거리셨기 meomutgeorisyeotgi
Determiners	Past	머뭇거리신 meomutgeorisin
	Present	머뭇거리시는 meomutgeorisineun
	Future	머뭇거리실 meomutgeorisil

See also

• 머뭇하다 (meomuthada, “to hesitate, waver”)
• 머뭇대다 (meomutdaeda, “to hold back, hesitate”)