Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations

손을 놓다 Son-eul noh-da

To deliberately disengage from a professional or personal commitment, effectively washing one's hands of the outcome.

What does 손을 놓다 mean?

손을 놓다 (Son-eul noh-da) means: To deliberately disengage from a professional or personal commitment, effectively washing one's hands of the outcome.

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How it's actually used

  • 그 프로젝트는 이제 손을 놓기로 했어.
    Geu peu-ro-jek-teu-neun i-je son-eul no-gi-ro hae-sseo.
    I’ve decided to let go of that project.
    💡 Shows the decision to stop investing effort into a specific task.
  • 회사가 어려워지니까 다들 손을 놓는 분위기야.
    Hoe-sa-ga eo-ryeo-wo-ji-ni-kka da-deul son-eul no-neun bun-wi-gi-ya.
    Since the company started struggling, the vibe is that everyone is checking out.
    💡 Highlights the collective abandonment of responsibility in a failing environment.
  • 더 이상은 못 하겠어. 이제 손을 놓을래.
    Deo i-sang-eun mot ha-ge-sseo. I-je son-eul no-eul-lae.
    I can't do this anymore. I'm washing my hands of it.
    💡 Expresses a final, personal boundary being set.

Related words in Social Situations

손이 크다 soni keuda숨이 차다 Sum-i chada숨이 턱 막히다 sumi teok makhida티끌모아 ti-kkeul-mo-a퇴사 toe-sa

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