Deciding, choosing, finishing, fixing and the other verbs of a busy day.
Two kinds of verb sit side by side here. The Sino-Korean ones end in 하다 and are regular (결정하다, 선택하다); the native ones are shorter, more everyday, and several are irregular (깨닫다 becomes 깨달아요, and 풀다 loses a sound in 푸세요). Watch also for pairs where one verb takes an object and the other does not: 숨기다, to hide a thing, against 숨다, to hide yourself.
The words
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Verb (40)
결정하다to decideVerb3
어느 대학교에 갈지 아직 결정하지 못했어요.I still have not decided which university to go to.
선택하다to choose; to selectVerb3
두 가지 중에서 하나만 선택하세요.Choose only one of the two.
More formal than 고르다.
발견하다to discover; to findVerb3
청소하다가 소파 밑에서 잃어버린 반지를 발견했어요.While cleaning, I found the ring I had lost under the sofa.
바뀌다to change; to be changedVerb3
신호등이 초록색으로 바뀌었어요.The traffic light changed to green.
Something changes by itself; to change it yourself is 바꾸다.
변하다to change (in nature or character)Verb3
십 년 만에 고향에 갔는데 동네가 많이 변했어요.I went back to my home town after ten years, and the place had changed a lot.
Change over time, inside a thing or a person: 사람이 변했어요.
완성하다to complete; to finish (making)Verb3
한 달 동안 그린 그림을 드디어 완성했어요.I finally finished the painting I had been working on for a month.
보호하다to protectVerb3
아이들을 보호하기 위해 학교 앞에서는 천천히 운전해야 해요.To protect children, you must drive slowly outside schools.
참가하다to take part; to enter (a contest)Verb3
다음 달 마라톤에 참가할 거예요.I am going to take part in a marathon next month.
준비하다to prepare; to get readyVerb2
친구 생일 파티를 준비하고 있어요.I am getting a friend's birthday party ready.
계획하다to planVerb3
방학 동안 할 일을 미리 계획했어요.I planned in advance what to do during the holidays.
깨닫다to realiseVerb3
혼자 살아 보니까 부모님의 고마움을 깨달았어요.Living on my own made me realise how much I owe my parents.
Irregular: 깨달아요, 깨달았어요.
잊어버리다to forget (completely)Verb3
친구 생일을 깜빡 잊어버렸어요.I completely forgot my friend's birthday.
Stronger than 잊다: gone from your mind entirely.
정하다to decide on; to setVerb3
다음 모임 날짜를 정했어요.We set the date for the next get-together.
모이다to gather; to come togetherVerb3
명절에는 온 가족이 할머니 댁에 모여요.At the holidays the whole family gathers at my grandmother's.
나누다to divide; to shareVerb3
피자를 네 조각으로 나눠서 먹었어요.We cut the pizza into four slices and ate it.
Also to share: 이야기를 나누다, to talk together.
숨다to hide (oneself)Verb3
아이가 커튼 뒤에 숨었어요.The child hid behind the curtain.
숨기다to hide (something)Verb3
동생이 시험지를 침대 밑에 숨겼어요.My younger brother hid his exam paper under the bed.
떨어뜨리다to dropVerb3
지하철에서 휴대폰을 떨어뜨렸어요.I dropped my phone on the underground.
고치다to fix; to repair; to correctVerb3
아버지가 고장 난 의자를 고치셨어요.My father fixed the broken chair.
Also to correct: 틀린 글자를 고치다.
들키다to be caught; to be found outVerb3
몰래 과자를 먹다가 엄마한테 들켰어요.I was secretly eating biscuits when my mum caught me.
Who catches you takes 한테 or 에게.
빼다to take out; to leave outVerb3
이 음식에서 고추는 빼 주세요.Please leave the chilli out of this dish.
쌓다to pile up; to stackVerb3
책을 책상 위에 높이 쌓아 놓았어요.I have piled the books high on the desk.
뽑다to pull out; to pick; to electVerb3
치과에서 이를 하나 뽑았어요.I had a tooth taken out at the dentist's.
Also to choose by vote: 대표를 뽑다.
이루다to achieve; to fulfilVerb3
열심히 노력해서 꿈을 이뤘어요.I worked hard and made my dream come true.
해내다to manage (to do); to pull offVerb3
어려운 일이었지만 결국 해냈어요.It was hard, but in the end I managed it.
마치다to finish; to endVerb3
수업을 마치고 친구를 만났어요.After finishing class I met a friend.
A little more formal than 끝내다.
접다to foldVerb3
편지를 반으로 접어서 봉투에 넣었어요.I folded the letter in half and put it in the envelope.
비우다to emptyVerb3
쓰레기통이 가득 차서 비웠어요.The bin was full, so I emptied it.
채우다to fillVerb3
물병에 물을 가득 채웠어요.I filled the water bottle right up.
풀다to solve; to untie; to undoVerb3
이 수학 문제는 너무 어려워서 못 풀겠어요.This maths problem is too hard; I can't solve it.
Also to untie a knot or a parcel. The final sound drops before some endings: 푸세요.
맞추다to set; to fit; to matchVerb3
알람을 여섯 시에 맞췄어요.I set the alarm for six.
To make one thing fit another: a time, an answer, a size.
묶다to tie (up)Verb3
머리가 길어서 뒤로 묶었어요.My hair is long, so I tied it back.
막다to block; to stopVerb3
큰 트럭이 길을 막고 있어요.A big lorry is blocking the road.
찾아내다to find out; to track downVerb3
경찰이 잃어버린 가방을 찾아냈어요.The police tracked down the lost bag.
알아보다to find out; to look into; to recogniseVerb3
여행 가기 전에 날씨를 미리 알아봤어요.Before the trip I checked the weather in advance.
Also to recognise somebody: 저를 알아보셨어요?
늦추다to put back; to delay; to slow downVerb3
비 때문에 출발 시간을 한 시간 늦췄어요.Because of the rain, we put the departure back an hour.
반복하다to repeatVerb3
같은 실수를 반복하지 않으려고 메모를 해요.I make notes so as not to repeat the same mistake.
놓치다to miss (a bus, a chance)Verb3
어제 그 드라마 마지막 회를 놓쳤어요.I missed the last episode of that drama yesterday.
깨뜨리다to break (something fragile)Verb3
설거지를 하다가 접시를 깨뜨렸어요.I broke a plate while doing the washing-up.
돌려주다to give back; to returnVerb3
빌린 책을 도서관에 돌려줬어요.I returned the books I had borrowed to the library.
This list belongs to The scaffolding — 30 lists and 1195 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.