Daily Verbs

Words in this collection

• 챙기다 (chaeng-gi-da) — One of the most versatile Korean verbs. You '챙기다' your passport before a flight. You '챙기다' your health by eating vitamins. And crucially, you '챙기다' the new shy employee by inviting them to lunch.
• 달래다 (dal-lae-da) — When a baby is crying, you rock them and '달래다'. When your partner is '삐쳤다' (sulking), you buy them their favorite dessert and use a soft voice to '달래다'. It requires a gentle, accommodating approach.
• 응원하다 (eung-won-ha-da) — You '응원하다' your favorite sports team, but you also '응원하다' your friend who is studying for the bar exam. It means 'I am on your side, hoping for your victory.'
• 격려하다 (gyeong-nyeo-ha-da) — Similar to '응원하다' but slightly more authoritative or formal. A teacher will '격려하다' a student who is losing confidence. It involves giving them the mental strength to keep going.
• 하소연하다 (ha-so-yeon-ha-da) — When you've had a terrible, unfair day at work, you call your friend to '하소연하다'. You aren't asking them to fix the problem; you just desperately need them to say 'You're right, your boss is terrible.'
• 미루다 (mi-ru-da) — You can '미루다' a meeting from Monday to Tuesday (postpone). But in toxic workplaces, terrible bosses will '미루다' their own mistakes and responsibilities onto their juniors (shifting the blame).
• 눈감아주다 (nun-gam-a-ju-da) — Literally 'to close one's eyes for someone'. If an employee is 5 minutes late for the first time in 5 years, a good boss will just '눈감아주다'. It's an act of generous leniency.
• 핑계 (ping-gye) — An '이유' is a valid reason. A '핑계' is an excuse. If you say you were late because of traffic, but you actually just woke up late, traffic is your '핑계'. 'Don't make excuses' = '핑계 대지 마'.
• 털어놓다 (teo-reo-not-da) — Literally 'to shake out and put down'. When you have been holding a painful secret or heavy stress for months, and you finally sit down with a best friend and tell them everything, you '털어놓다'.
• 때우다 (ttae-u-da) — Usually applied to meals. If you are too busy to cook or go to a restaurant, you just '때우다' (patch the hunger) by eating a quick cup of ramen at a convenience store. It implies a lack of proper care or effort.
• 위로하다 (wi-ro-ha-da) — The act of providing emotional safety. You '위로하다' someone who failed an exam by buying them food and listening to them. It is a core function of deep friendship in Korea.