계단을 내려가다
Gyedaneul naeryeogada
Go down stairs
Phrase in 30 Seconds
A fundamental phrase for navigating buildings, meaning to physically walk down a flight of stairs.
- Means: To move from a higher floor to a lower floor using steps.
- Used in: Giving directions, describing daily routines, or narrating movement in a building.
- Don't confuse: 내려가다 (going away from speaker) with 내려오다 (coming toward speaker).
Explanation at your level:
المعنى
To descend a flight of steps.
خلفية ثقافية
In Korean cinema, stairs are a recurring motif for class struggle. The 'upstairs/downstairs' dynamic is central to many urban thrillers. Subway etiquette: On long staircases, Koreans generally keep to the right to allow people to pass, though this is sometimes ignored in rush hour. Health culture: 'Stair climbing' (계단 오르기) is a popular free workout in apartment buildings, but 'going down' is often cautioned against for elderly people to protect their knees. Traditional Architecture: Traditional Hanok houses have very few stairs, as they are mostly single-story. The concept of 'going down stairs' is largely a modern, urban one.
Use '로' for emphasis
If you want to say 'Go by the stairs (not the elevator)', use '계단으로 내려가세요'.
Knee health
In Korea, it's common to hear that going down stairs is bad for your knees, so don't be surprised if people suggest the elevator.
المعنى
To descend a flight of steps.
Use '로' for emphasis
If you want to say 'Go by the stairs (not the elevator)', use '계단으로 내려가세요'.
Knee health
In Korea, it's common to hear that going down stairs is bad for your knees, so don't be surprised if people suggest the elevator.
The '가다/오다' rule
Always imagine where the listener is. If they are 'down there', you are 'coming down' (내려오다) to them.
اختبر نفسك
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '내려가다'.
엘리베이터가 고장 나서 {계단|階段}을 ( ).
Since the elevator is broken, you 'went down' the stairs. '내려갔어요' is the past tense.
Which sentence is the most natural for giving directions?
How do you tell someone to go down the stairs to find the exit?
The polite imperative '-세요' is best for directions, and '내려가다' is used as the person is moving away from you.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: You are on the 1st floor. Your friend is on the 2nd floor and is walking down to meet you.
Because the friend is coming toward your location (1st floor), you use '내려오다'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 화장실이 어디예요? B: 저 ( )을 ( ) 왼쪽으로 가세요.
The sequence '-아서/어서' is used to connect two actions in order: 'Go down the stairs and then go left.'
🎉 النتيجة: /4
وسائل تعلم بصرية
الأسئلة الشائعة
10 أسئلةTechnically yes, but it's more common to say '에스컬레이터를 타고 내려가다'.
Korean nouns don't usually mark plural. '계단' can mean one step or the whole flight.
계단으로 내려가 주시겠습니까? (Would you please go down by the stairs?)
'을' marks the stairs as the object of the movement. '에서' would mean you are starting the action *at* the stairs.
계단을 뛰어 내려가다.
Not a specific slang word, but '계단 고' (Stairs go) is used among friends.
Only if there are stairs. Otherwise, use '산에서 내려가다'.
It's an older, more formal word for stairs. You might see it in old books.
한 칸씩 내려가다.
Yes, '경제가 내려가다' can be used, but '하락하다' is more professional.
عبارات ذات صلة
{계단|階段}을 올라가다
contrastTo go up the stairs
{계단|階段}을 내려오다
similarTo come down the stairs
사다리를 내려가다
specialized formTo go down a ladder
에스컬레이터를 타다
similarTo ride the escalator
أين تستخدمها
Giving directions in a mall
Tourist: 실례합니다, 서점이 어디에 있어요?
Staff: 저쪽 {계단|階段}을 내려가시면 바로 보여요.
Safety warning at home
Mother: 지민아, {계단|階段} 내려갈 때 조심해!
Child: 네, 엄마. 천천히 갈게요.
Meeting a friend at the subway
Friend A: 지금 어디야? 다 왔어?
Friend B: 응, 지금 지하철역 {계단|階段} 내려가고 있어. 1분만!
Office fire drill
Leader: 모두 엘리베이터를 타지 말고 {계단|階段}으로 내려가세요.
Employee: 알겠습니다. 비상구로 가겠습니다.
Hiking with a group
Hiker A: 이제 다 내려왔나요?
Hiker B: 아니요, 저 돌 {계단|階段}만 내려가면 끝이에요.
Talking about a workout
Person A: 오늘 운동 뭐 했어?
Person B: 아파트 {계단|階段}을 20층까지 올라갔다가 다시 내려갔어.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Gye-dan' as 'Get Down' (phonetically similar) and 'Naeryeo-gada' as 'Nearly Go Down'.
Visual Association
Imagine a person in a bright yellow raincoat walking down a long, stone staircase in the rain, moving away from a glowing lighthouse.
Rhyme
계단을 내려가, 아래로 내려가 (Gyedaneul naeryeoga, araero naeryeoga)
Story
Min-su is on the 5th floor. He needs to meet his friend at the entrance. He skips the elevator and says, 'I will go down the stairs' (계단을 내려갈게요). He counts each step as he moves away from his apartment.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Next time you are in a building, narrate your movement in Korean. Say '계단을 내려가요' every time you hit the steps.
In Other Languages
Bajar las escaleras
Spanish doesn't distinguish between 'going' and 'coming' within the verb itself as strictly as Korean's 가다/오다.
Descendre l'escalier
French often uses the singular 'l'escalier' to refer to the whole flight, whereas Korean '계단' is neutral.
Die Treppe hinuntergehen
The German 'hin-' prefix functions similarly to the Korean '-가다' suffix.
階段を下りる (Kaidan o oriru)
Japanese 'oriru' is a single verb, while Korean 'naeryeo-gada' is a compound.
نزول السلالم (Nuzul al-salalim)
Arabic structure is VSO or SVO, and directionality is handled by prepositions rather than verb suffixes.
下楼梯 (Xià lóutī)
Chinese is more compact, often just Verb + Object.
Go down the stairs
English uses 'down' as a preposition, while Korean incorporates it into the verb '내려가다'.
Descer as escadas
Like other Romance languages, it lacks the 'go/come' distinction inherent in the Korean verb.
Easily Confused
Learners struggle with the 'go' vs 'come' distinction based on the speaker's location.
If you are at the top, use '내려가다'. If you are at the bottom, use '내려오다'.
Both mean 'down', but '내리다' is for getting off transport or things falling.
Use '내려가다' for the act of walking down a path.
الأسئلة الشائعة (10)
Technically yes, but it's more common to say '에스컬레이터를 타고 내려가다'.
Korean nouns don't usually mark plural. '계단' can mean one step or the whole flight.
계단으로 내려가 주시겠습니까? (Would you please go down by the stairs?)
'을' marks the stairs as the object of the movement. '에서' would mean you are starting the action *at* the stairs.
계단을 뛰어 내려가다.
Not a specific slang word, but '계단 고' (Stairs go) is used among friends.
Only if there are stairs. Otherwise, use '산에서 내려가다'.
It's an older, more formal word for stairs. You might see it in old books.
한 칸씩 내려가다.
Yes, '경제가 내려가다' can be used, but '하락하다' is more professional.
