Korean · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "기다리다" in Korean?

Q: How do you pronounce 기다리다 in Korean?

기다리다 is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ki.da.ɾi.da/. It means “to wait.” gi-da-ri-da, four beats. Both the ㄷ and the ㄹ sit between vowels, so one voices into a soft d and the other becomes a quick tap.

gi-da-ri-da, four beats. Both the ㄷ and the ㄹ sit between vowels, so one voices into a soft d and the other becomes a quick tap.

기다리다 /ki.da.ɾi.da/

gidarida

Even timing across four blocks, and the word alternates 'ee' and 'ah' vowels all the way through, which makes it a good rhythm exercise: keep all four the same length rather than letting the alternation turn into an English stress pattern.

Listen: 기다리다

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Sound it out

gi A word-initial ㄱ, light and barely voiced, onto a tight 'ee'.

da ㄷ surrounded by vowels, so a genuine soft d with a wide open 'ah' behind it.

ri Tapped ㄹ onto another tight 'ee'. One flick of the tongue tip, gone before you notice it.

da An exact repeat of the second syllable, and just as unstressed.

Hear it in a sentence

여기에서 기다릴게요.

Yeogieseo gidarilgeyo.

I'll wait here.

Listen: 여기에서 기다릴게요.

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여기에서 기다릴게요 uses the -ㄹ게요 promise ending, and the ㄹ of 릴 tenses the ㄱ into ㄲ, so the verb ends gi-da-ril-kke-yo. Ahead of it, 여기에서 is four vowels in a row with only a ㄱ and an ㅅ to break them up.

Where English speakers slip

The word is long enough that English speakers instinctively assign it a stress -- usually 'gi-da-RI-da' -- and once that happens the other three vowels start reducing. Keep all four full. The middle consonants are the other issue, since hardening the ㄷ into a t or turning the ㄹ into an English r both stretch and stiffen a word that should run quickly and lightly.