해고하다

Both 해고하다 and 자르다 mean 'to dismiss' or 'to fire' someone. However, 해고하다 is generally more formal and is used in a business or legal context, often implying a formal termination of employment.

Examples:
회사는 직원을 해고했다. (The company dismissed an employee.)
그는 상사에게 해고당했다. (He was fired by his boss.)

자르다 literally means 'to cut,' but in the context of employment, it's a more informal way to say 'to fire' someone. It can also be used in other contexts like 'to cut hair' or 'to cut a piece of paper.'

Examples:
그는 결국 회사에서 잘렸다. (He eventually got fired from the company.)
머리를 잘라야 해요. (I need to cut my hair.)

While it's understandable, using 해고하다 in very casual conversation might sound a bit too formal. For a more relaxed setting, 자르다 (to cut, to fire) is often preferred, even though it's still quite direct.

Examples:
친구가 회사에서 잘렸어. (My friend got fired from the company.) - More casual
회사는 그 직원을 해고했습니다. (The company dismissed that employee.) - More formal

Yes, 해고하다 always carries a negative connotation because it refers to the termination of employment, which is generally an undesirable event for the person being dismissed.

Example:
경기 침체로 많은 사람들이 해고되었다. (Many people were dismissed due to the economic recession.)

To express 'to be fired' or 'to be dismissed' using 해고하다, you would use the passive form: 해고당하다 (haegodanghada) or 해고되다 (haegodoeda).

Examples:
그는 작년에 회사에서 해고당했다. (He was fired from the company last year.)
회사의 구조조정으로 여러 직원이 해고되었다. (Several employees were dismissed due to the company's restructuring.)

The noun form of 해고하다 is 해고 (haego), meaning 'dismissal' or 'firing.'

Examples:
그의 해고 소식은 충격적이었다. (The news of his dismissal was shocking.)
부당 해고에 대해 소송을 제기했다. (He filed a lawsuit for unfair dismissal.)

No, 해고하다 specifically refers to the dismissal from employment. It's not used for things like dismissing an idea or dismissing a suggestion.

For dismissing an idea or suggestion, you might use verbs like 무시하다 (to ignore) or 기각하다 (to reject/dismiss in a formal context).

Examples:
그는 내 의견을 무시했다. (He ignored my opinion.)
법원은 그 요청을 기각했다. (The court rejected the request.)

In formal business letters, 해고하다 would be used to formally state the termination of employment. It's often found in official notices or documents.

Example:
귀하의 근무 계약이 해고되었습니다. (Your employment contract has been terminated.)

Besides 자르다 (to fire, informal), other synonyms or related terms for dismissing someone include:

면직하다 (myeonjikada): A more formal term often used in public service or military, meaning 'to dismiss from office.'
파면하다 (pamyeonhada): A very strong and formal term, usually for dismissing someone from a high-ranking position due to serious misconduct.
쫓아내다 (jjochaneda): More informal, meaning 'to kick out' or 'to expel,' not strictly limited to employment.

Examples:
그 공무원은 뇌물 수수 혐의로 면직되었다. (That public official was dismissed from office on charges of bribery.)
그는 비리 때문에 파면당했다. (He was dismissed due to corruption.)
회사에서 그를 쫓아냈다. (They kicked him out of the company.)

The opposite of 해고하다 would be verbs related to hiring or employing someone. Some common ones include:

고용하다 (goyonghada): To hire; to employ.
채용하다 (chaeyonghada): To recruit; to hire (often implying selection through a process).

Examples:
회사는 새로운 직원을 고용했다. (The company hired new employees.)
그 회사는 유능한 인재를 채용하고 있습니다. (That company is recruiting talented individuals.)

While the primary meaning of 해고하다 is literal, in some very specific, informal contexts, you might hear it used playfully or rhetorically, though it's not common. For example, a friend might jokingly say '나 너 해고할 거야!' (I'm going to fire you!) if someone isn't doing their part in a group project, but this is a very informal and humorous use.

In formal or serious contexts, it always retains its literal meaning of dismissal from employment.