4 · 40 words
Law, crime and rules
Courts, crimes, rights and the rules everyone is meant to keep.
Legal Korean is mostly Sino-Korean, and a handful of syllables do much of the work: 법 (law) in 법률, 법원, 헌법 and 불법; 범 (offence) in 범죄 and 범인; 판 (judge) in 판사 and 판결. Two pairs are easy to mix up: 허락하다 is a person giving permission and 허용하다 a rule allowing something; 증인 speaks in court, while a 목격자 simply saw what happened.
The words
View
Verb (10)
위반하다to violate, break (a rule or law)Verb4
신호를 위반한 차가 경찰에게 잡혔어요.A car that ran a red light was stopped by the police.
금지하다to ban, prohibitVerb4
이 공원에서는 흡연을 금지하고 있어요.Smoking is banned in this park.
허락하다to give permission, letVerb4
아버지가 혼자 여행 가는 것을 허락하셨어요.My father gave me permission to travel on my own.
A person giving permission; for a rule or an institution, 허용하다.
허용하다to permit (as a rule), tolerateVerb4
이 건물은 반려동물을 허용하지 않아요.This building does not allow pets.
배상하다to pay compensationVerb4
회사는 피해를 입은 주민들에게 배상하기로 했어요.The company agreed to compensate the residents who had suffered losses.
훔치다to stealVerb3
누가 제 자전거를 훔쳐 갔어요.Someone has stolen my bicycle.
체포하다to arrestVerb4
경찰은 공항에서 그 남자를 체포했어요.The police arrested the man at the airport.
단속하다to crack down on, enforceVerb4
경찰이 오늘 밤 음주 운전을 단속하고 있어요.The police are cracking down on drink-driving tonight.
고소하다to file a complaint against, sueVerb4
그는 거짓 소문을 퍼뜨린 사람을 고소했어요.He filed a complaint against the person who had spread false rumours.
The adjective 고소하다 is a different word: nutty, savoury.
변호하다to defend (in court); to speak up forVerb4
그 변호사는 돈이 없는 사람들을 무료로 변호해요.That lawyer defends people who have no money free of charge.
This list belongs to The state, the law and public services — three lists and 120 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.