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A1 verb #2,500 am häufigsten 8 Min. Lesezeit

접다

jeopda
At the A1 beginner level, the verb 접다 is introduced primarily as a physical action word meaning 'to fold'. Learners at this stage are focusing on basic vocabulary related to everyday objects and simple commands. You will learn to use 접다 with common, tangible items like paper (종이) and umbrellas (우산). The grammar structures used are very simple, typically involving the present tense (접어요) or basic imperative forms (접으세요). For example, a teacher might say '종이를 접으세요' (Please fold the paper) during a classroom activity. You will also learn the basic object particles 을/를 to connect the noun to the verb. The focus is entirely on the literal, physical manipulation of flexible materials. Mastery at this level means you can understand and follow simple instructions involving folding, and you can describe your own basic actions, such as folding a piece of paper in half (반으로 접다). It is a foundational verb that helps build your understanding of Korean action verbs and object markers.
As you progress to the A2 level, your vocabulary expands to include more daily routines and household chores, and the use of 접다 expands with it. You will start using this verb in the context of organizing your living space. This includes folding clothes (옷을 접다), folding blankets after sleeping (이불을 접다), and managing collapsible items like portable tables or chairs. While you might learn the more specific word 개다 for laundry, 접다 remains a highly useful and universally understood alternative. At this level, you will also practice using 접다 with different tenses, such as the past tense to describe chores you have completed (빨래를 다 접었어요), and the future tense for planning (이따가 우산을 접을 거예요). You will also begin to use simple adverbs to describe the folding action more precisely, such as neatly (예쁘게) or small (작게). The focus remains on physical actions, but the range of objects and the complexity of the sentences increase, allowing you to describe your daily life more accurately.
At the B1 intermediate level, a significant shift occurs in how you use and understand 접다. While the physical meaning remains important, you are now introduced to its metaphorical applications. This is a crucial step in sounding more natural and expressive in Korean. You will learn that folding is not just for paper; you can also 'fold' your thoughts, plans, or dreams. This means to give up, abandon, or put an end to something. Common collocations at this level include 꿈을 접다 (to give up on a dream), 계획을 접다 (to cancel a plan), and 마음을 접다 (to give up one's feelings for someone). These expressions are incredibly common in everyday conversations, dramas, and pop music. You will learn to use these metaphorical phrases to discuss personal struggles, changes in direction, and emotional decisions. Understanding this figurative usage allows you to comprehend a much wider range of Korean media and express your own complex feelings and life situations with greater nuance.
Reaching the B2 upper-intermediate level means you are comfortable with both the physical and metaphorical meanings of 접다, and you are now applying it to more formal and complex contexts, particularly in business and professional settings. At this stage, you will frequently encounter the phrase 사업을 접다 (to close a business) or 가게를 접다 (to shut down a shop). These expressions are used in news reports, economic discussions, and professional conversations to describe bankruptcy, withdrawal from a market, or the cessation of operations. You will also learn to use 접다 in the context of debates and negotiations, such as 고집을 접다 (to fold one's stubbornness / to yield) or 주장을 접다 (to withdraw an argument). The grammar surrounding the verb becomes more complex, incorporating advanced sentence patterns to express reasons, concessions, and hypothetical situations. You will be able to read news articles about companies 'folding' their overseas branches and discuss the economic implications using appropriate vocabulary and grammar.
At the C1 advanced level, your mastery of 접다 involves understanding subtle nuances, idiomatic expressions, and its use in sophisticated discourse. You are no longer just learning new meanings, but rather refining your ability to choose the perfect word for a specific emotional or rhetorical effect. You will encounter idiomatic phrases like 한 수 접고 들어가다, which originates from board games like Baduk (Go) and means to concede an advantage to someone else, acknowledging their superiority or yielding to them out of respect or strategy. You will also see 접다 used in literary contexts to describe the suppression of emotions or the quiet abandonment of a long-held belief. At this level, you understand that saying 꿈을 접다 carries a different emotional weight than simply saying 꿈을 포기하다; the former implies a more reluctant, perhaps painful, putting away of the dream, much like carefully folding a cherished letter. You can seamlessly integrate these advanced metaphorical uses into complex essays, debates, and professional presentations.
At the C2 mastery level, your understanding and usage of 접다 are indistinguishable from that of a highly educated native speaker. You possess a deep, intuitive grasp of the word's etymology, its cultural resonance, and its place within the broader tapestry of the Korean language. You can effortlessly navigate the most obscure literary usages and regional variations. You understand how the concept of 'folding' in Korean culture relates to concepts of space, yielding, and emotional containment. You can play with the word rhetorically, creating your own metaphors or subverting existing ones in creative writing or persuasive speech. You recognize when a writer is using 접다 to evoke a specific sense of finality or resignation. At this pinnacle of language proficiency, 접다 is not just a vocabulary word to be translated; it is a conceptual tool that you use to shape and express profound thoughts, demonstrating a complete and nuanced command of Korean semantics and pragmatics.
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접다 in 30 Sekunden

  • Physical act of bending paper or cloth.
  • Collapsing items like umbrellas or tents.
  • Giving up on a dream, plan, or feeling.
  • Closing down a business or shop permanently.

The Korean verb 접다 (jeop-da) is a highly versatile and fundamental vocabulary word that every learner must master. At its core, the primary definition of this action verb is to fold. When we think about the physical act of folding, we envision taking a flat object, such as a piece of paper, a piece of fabric, or a collapsible item like an umbrella, and bending it over upon itself so that one part of it covers another. This physical manipulation is essential in everyday life, from organizing your living space to engaging in traditional crafts. Understanding the physical meaning is the first step to mastering its more complex, metaphorical usages later on.

Physical Folding
The act of bending paper, cloth, or other flexible materials.

색종이를 반으로 접다.

Beyond paper, folding clothes is a daily chore where this word shines. While the specific word 개다 is often used for folding laundry, 접다 is equally understood and widely used, especially when referring to the sleeves or pant legs. Furthermore, collapsible objects like umbrellas, tents, and folding chairs rely on this verb. When it starts raining, you open (펴다) the umbrella, and when it stops, you fold (접다) it. This duality of opening and folding is a common linguistic pattern in Korean.

Collapsible Objects
Using the verb with items designed to be folded away, like umbrellas or tents.

비가 그쳐서 우산을 접다.

As you progress in Korean, you will encounter the metaphorical meanings of 접다. Just as you fold a piece of paper and put it away, you can fold your dreams, plans, or businesses. This means to give up, close down, or abandon an endeavor. If a restaurant goes out of business, the owner folded the shop (가게를 접다). If you realize a goal is unattainable, you fold your dream (꿈을 접다). This figurative extension is extremely common in both spoken and written Korean, adding a layer of emotional depth to the language.

Metaphorical Folding
Giving up on a plan, closing a business, or conceding an argument.

오랜 고민 끝에 사업을 접다.

내 고집을 접다.

계획을 접다.

Using 접다 correctly involves understanding its conjugation patterns and the types of nouns it typically pairs with. As a regular verb ending in a consonant, it follows standard conjugation rules. In the present polite tense, it becomes 접어요 (jeob-eo-yo). In the formal present tense, it is 접습니다 (jeop-seum-ni-da). The past tense is 접었어요 (jeob-eoss-eo-yo), and the future tense is 접을 거예요 (jeob-eul geo-ye-yo). Mastering these basic conjugations allows you to use the word in almost any daily situation involving folding.

Basic Conjugation
Regular conjugation: 접다 -> 접어요 -> 접었어요.

지금 종이를 접어요.

When constructing sentences, 접다 is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object. You must use the object particles 을 or 를. For example, 종이를 접다 (fold paper), 우산을 접다 (fold an umbrella), or 소매를 접다 (fold sleeves). Additionally, adverbial phrases are frequently used to describe how something is folded. The most common is 반으로 (in half). So, 반으로 접다 means to fold in half. You can also use adverbs like 예쁘게 (prettily/neatly) or 작게 (small) to add more detail to the action.

With Adverbs
Using descriptive words to explain how the folding is done.

종이를 반으로 접으세요.

In more advanced contexts, the usage shifts to abstract nouns. You will pair 접다 with words like 마음 (mind/heart), 꿈 (dream), 생각 (thought), or 사업 (business). The grammar remains exactly the same (Object + 을/를 + 접다), but the meaning transforms. For instance, 마음을 접다 literally means to fold one's mind, but it translates to giving up one's feelings for someone or something. This usage is heavily featured in Korean dramas, literature, and daily conversations about life choices and relationships.

Abstract Nouns
Pairing with non-physical objects for metaphorical meaning.

그 사람에 대한 마음을 접었어요.

유학의 꿈을 접다.

식당을 접기로 했습니다.

The verb 접다 is ubiquitous in Korean society, appearing in a wide variety of contexts ranging from early childhood education to intense corporate boardrooms. One of the first places you will hear this word is in kindergarten or elementary school during arts and crafts. The Korean art of paper folding is called 종이접기 (jong-i-jeop-gi), which literally translates to paper (종이) folding (접기). Children are constantly instructed to fold paper into various shapes, making this verb one of the earliest action words learned by native speakers.

Arts and Crafts
Origami and school projects involving paper manipulation.

미술 시간에 학을 접었어요.

In the domestic sphere, you will hear 접다 frequently when dealing with laundry and household chores. While the verb 개다 is the precise term for folding clothes, many Koreans use 옷을 접다 interchangeably in casual conversation. You will also hear it when organizing spaces, such as folding a blanket (이불을 접다) after waking up, or folding a portable table (상을 접다) after a meal. The weather also dictates its usage; on rainy days, you will hear people telling each other to fold their umbrellas (우산 접어) before entering a building or a bus.

Household Chores
Organizing clothes, blankets, and furniture.

빨래를 다 접었습니다.

Moving into the adult world, the metaphorical uses of 접다 dominate conversations about career, business, and relationships. In the business world, hearing that someone folded their company (회사를 접다) is a common way to express bankruptcy or closure. In personal relationships, friends might advise someone to fold their feelings (마음을 접어라) for an unrequited love. You will hear this extensively in Korean media, particularly in melodramas where characters must sacrifice their ambitions or desires, tearfully declaring that they have folded their dreams.

Business and Life
Discussions about closing shops or giving up goals.

적자 때문에 결국 가게를 접었다.

이제 그만 고집을 접으세요.

짝사랑을 접기로 결심했다.

While 접다 is a fundamental verb, learners often make mistakes regarding its nuances, particularly when distinguishing it from similar verbs or misapplying its metaphorical meanings. A very common physical mistake is confusing 접다 with 굽히다 (to bend). While folding involves bending, 굽히다 is used for body parts like knees or elbows (무릎을 굽히다), or bending a stiff object like a wire. You cannot use 접다 for bending your knees; saying 무릎을 접다 sounds unnatural, as knees do not fold flat upon themselves like paper.

Folding vs. Bending
Distinguishing between 접다 (fold) and 굽히다 (bend).

철사를 굽히다 (O) / 철사를 접다 (X - usually).

Another area of confusion lies in the vocabulary for folding clothes. As mentioned, 개다 is the specific verb for folding laundry neatly. While 옷을 접다 is perfectly understandable and used by native speakers, using 개다 (옷을 개다) demonstrates a higher level of fluency and precision. Learners sometimes over-rely on 접다 for every folding action, missing the opportunity to use more precise vocabulary. Additionally, learners might confuse 접다 with 덮다 (to cover or close a book). You close a book (책을 덮다), you do not fold a book (책을 접다), unless you are dog-earing the pages.

Specific Vocabulary
Knowing when to use 개다 or 덮다 instead.

책을 덮다 (O) / 책을 접다 (X - means folding the page).

In metaphorical contexts, learners sometimes translate English idioms directly into Korean using 접다, which leads to awkward phrasing. For example, folding under pressure cannot be directly translated using 접다. Instead, Korean uses the idiom of folding one's pride or stubbornness (고집을 접다). Furthermore, when talking about closing a business, learners might say 사업을 닫다 (close the business literally), but 사업을 접다 is the much more natural and idiomatic way to express permanently shutting down operations. Mastering these collocations prevents unnatural literal translations.

Metaphorical Misuse
Directly translating English idioms.

사업을 닫다 (Awkward) / 사업을 접다 (Natural).

압박에 접다 (X) / 고집을 접다 (O).

마음을 접다 (O - giving up feelings).

To fully grasp the boundaries of 접다, it is helpful to compare it with similar words in the Korean language. The most closely related word in a physical sense is 개다. As discussed, 개다 specifically means to fold bedding or clothing neatly. If you are doing laundry, 개다 is the professional and precise choice. Another related physical action is 포개다, which means to stack or overlap items. While folding often involves overlapping layers of the same object, 포개다 is used when placing separate objects on top of one another, like stacking chairs or overlapping hands.

개다 and 포개다
Folding clothes vs. stacking objects.

이불을 개다 (Fold blanket) / 의자를 포개다 (Stack chairs).

When looking at the metaphorical meaning of giving up, the most direct synonym is 포기하다 (to give up / abandon). If you fold your dream (꿈을 접다), you are essentially giving up on your dream (꿈을 포기하다). However, 접다 carries a slightly more emotional, resigned nuance—like carefully putting something away in a drawer—whereas 포기하다 is a more direct statement of cessation. Another similar word in the business context is 철수하다 (to withdraw). A company might fold its operations (사업을 접다) or withdraw from a market (시장에서 철수하다).

포기하다 and 철수하다
Giving up and withdrawing.

꿈을 포기하다 = 꿈을 접다.

Finally, in the context of conceding an argument or yielding, 양보하다 (to yield/concede) is a related concept. When you fold your stubbornness (고집을 접다), you are yielding to the other person's perspective. Another interesting idiomatic phrase is 한 수 접다, which means to concede a point or acknowledge someone else's superiority in a skill, often used in games like Go or Baduk. Understanding these synonyms and related concepts allows you to choose the exact right word for the emotional or physical tone you wish to convey.

Yielding and Conceding
Giving in to others.

내가 한 수 접고 들어갈게.

의견을 양보하다.

주장을 접다.

How Formal Is It?

Schwierigkeitsgrad

Wichtige Grammatik

Beispiele nach Niveau

1

종이를 접어요.

I fold the paper.

Object particle 를 + present tense polite 요.

2

우산을 접으세요.

Please fold the umbrella.

Honorific command form (으)세요.

3

색종이를 반으로 접다.

To fold colored paper in half.

Adverbial phrase 반으로 (in half).

4

비행기를 접었어요.

I folded an airplane.

Past tense polite 었어요.

5

편지를 접습니다.

I fold the letter.

Formal present tense 습니다.

6

옷을 접어요.

I fold the clothes.

Basic transitive usage with 옷 (clothes).

7

여기를 접으세요.

Please fold here.

Using a location pronoun (여기) as the object.

8

종이학을 접을 거예요.

I will fold a paper crane.

Future tense 을 거예요.

1

빨래를 다 접었어요.

I folded all the laundry.

Using adverb 다 (all) with past tense.

2

텐트를 작게 접으세요.

Please fold the tent small.

Adverb 작게 (small) modifying the verb.

3

이불을 예쁘게 접어요.

Fold the blanket neatly.

Adverb 예쁘게 (prettily/neatly).

4

소매를 두 번 접었어요.

I folded the sleeves twice.

Counting actions with 두 번 (twice).

5

상을 접어서 구석에 놓으세요.

Fold the table and put it in the corner.

Sequential conjunction 어서.

6

바지 밑단을 접을까요?

Shall I fold the hem of the pants?

Suggestive/asking opinion form 을까요.

7

지도를 접어서 가방에 넣었다.

I folded the map and put it in the bag.

Plain past tense 었다.

8

우산을 접지 마세요.

Please do not fold the umbrella.

Negative command 지 마세요.

1

유학의 꿈을 접었어요.

I folded (gave up) my dream of studying abroad.

Metaphorical use with 꿈 (dream).

2

그 사람에 대한 마음을 접기로 했어.

I decided to fold (give up) my feelings for that person.

Decision making grammar 기로 하다.

3

이번 주말 여행 계획은 접자.

Let's fold (cancel) the travel plans for this weekend.

Propositive plain form 자.

4

현실적인 문제 때문에 뜻을 접었다.

I folded (gave up) my intentions due to realistic problems.

Metaphorical use with 뜻 (intention/will).

5

더 이상 기대하지 말고 생각을 접으세요.

Don't expect anymore and fold (stop) your thoughts.

Negative imperative 말고 + command.

6

종이접기 대회에 나갈 거예요.

I will participate in the origami contest.

Noun form 종이접기 (origami).

7

고집을 접고 내 말을 들어봐.

Fold your stubbornness and listen to me.

Metaphorical use with 고집 (stubbornness).

8

아쉽지만 이쯤에서 접는 게 좋겠어.

It's a shame, but it would be better to fold (stop) around here.

Suggestion grammar 는 게 좋겠다.

1

적자가 계속되어서 결국 사업을 접었습니다.

The deficit continued, so we eventually folded (closed) the business.

Business context, cause and effect 아/어서.

2

해외 시장 진출 계획을 전면 접기로 결정했다.

We decided to completely fold the plan to enter the overseas market.

Formal decision making 기로 결정하다.

3

그는 자존심을 접고 먼저 사과했다.

He folded his pride and apologized first.

Metaphorical use with 자존심 (pride).

4

오랜 기간 운영하던 식당을 접으려니 마음이 아프다.

My heart aches as I am about to fold the restaurant I ran for a long time.

Intentional background grammar 으려니.

5

상대방의 의견이 타당해서 내 주장을 접었다.

The other person's opinion was valid, so I folded my argument.

Metaphorical use with 주장 (argument).

6

날개를 접고 잠시 휴식을 취할 때입니다.

It is time to fold your wings and take a rest for a while.

Poetic/idiomatic use 날개를 접다.

7

이 프로젝트는 가망이 없으니 빨리 접는 것이 상책이다.

This project has no hope, so folding it quickly is the best policy.

Proverbial expression 상책이다.

8

가게를 접은 후 그는 시골로 내려갔다.

After folding the shop, he went down to the countryside.

Temporal grammar 은 후(에).

1

내가 한 수 접고 들어갈 테니, 이번 일은 여기서 마무리하자.

I will fold one move (concede), so let's wrap this up here.

Idiom 한 수 접고 들어가다.

2

평생을 바친 연구를 접어야만 했을 때의 상실감은 이루 말할 수 없었다.

The sense of loss when I had to fold the research I dedicated my life to was indescribable.

Advanced emotional expression 이루 말할 수 없다.

3

시대의 흐름에 밀려 전통 공예의 명맥을 접는 장인들이 늘고 있다.

Pushed by the flow of the times, the number of artisans folding the lineage of traditional crafts is increasing.

Advanced vocabulary 명맥을 접다.

4

그녀는 자신의 야망을 가슴 한구석에 고이 접어두었다.

She neatly folded her ambition and kept it in a corner of her heart.

Poetic phrasing 고이 접어두다.

5

정치적 압박을 견디지 못하고 결국 출마의 뜻을 접었다.

Unable to withstand political pressure, he eventually folded his intention to run for office.

Formal political context 출마의 뜻을 접다.

6

아무리 화가 나도 어른 앞에서는 감정을 접을 줄 알아야 한다.

No matter how angry you are, you must know how to fold your emotions in front of elders.

Metaphorical use with 감정 (emotion).

7

회사는 수익성이 악화된 부서를 과감히 접는 구조조정을 단행했다.

The company carried out restructuring, boldly folding departments with worsened profitability.

Advanced business terminology 구조조정을 단행하다.

8

자신의 신념을 접으면서까지 그 자리에 오르고 싶지는 않았다.

I didn't want to rise to that position even to the point of folding my beliefs.

Extreme condition grammar 면서까지.

1

그는 세속적인 욕망을 모두 접고 산사로 들어갔다.

He folded all worldly desires and entered a mountain temple.

Literary/philosophical context.

2

한때 천하를 호령하던 영웅도 세월의 무게 앞에서는 날개를 접을 수밖에 없었다.

Even the hero who once commanded the world had no choice but to fold his wings before the weight of time.

Epic/literary phrasing.

3

타협점을 찾기 위해 양측 모두 명분을 조금씩 접고 실리를 택했다.

To find a compromise, both sides folded their justifications a little and chose practical benefits.

Advanced political/negotiation vocabulary 명분과 실리.

4

이념의 잣대를 접고 인간 본연의 모습으로 돌아가 보자.

Let's fold the standard of ideology and return to the fundamental nature of humans.

Abstract philosophical discourse.

5

그의 문학은 현실의 모순을 예리하게 파헤치다가도, 결국엔 따뜻한 연민으로 시선을 접는다.

His literature sharply digs into the contradictions of reality, but ultimately folds its gaze with warm compassion.

Literary critique style.

6

아무리 뛰어난 기재라도 시대의 불운 앞에서는 뜻을 접고 은거할 도리밖에 없었다.

No matter how outstanding a talent, in the face of the era's misfortune, there was no way but to fold one's intentions and live in seclusion.

Historical/archaic nuance.

7

치열했던 공방전을 뒤로하고, 이제는 서로에 대한 적의를 접어야 할 시점이다.

Leaving the fierce battle behind, it is now time to fold the hostility towards each other.

Formal diplomatic rhetoric.

8

자신의 과오를 인정하고 오만을 접는 순간, 진정한 성찰이 시작된다.

The moment one acknowledges their mistakes and folds their arrogance, true reflection begins.

Philosophical/moral discourse.

Häufige Kollokationen

종이를 접다
우산을 접다
옷을 접다
반으로 접다
꿈을 접다
사업을 접다
뜻을 접다
마음을 접다
날개를 접다
고집을 접다

Häufige Phrasen

종이접기

반으로 접어주세요

우산 접으세요

가게를 접다

꿈을 접어두다

한 수 접다

마음을 접기로 했다

날개를 접고 쉬다

생각을 접다

계획을 접다

Wird oft verwechselt mit

접다 vs 굽히다 (To bend - used for joints or rigid materials, not flat folding)

접다 vs 개다 (To fold clothes/bedding specifically)

접다 vs 덮다 (To close a book/cover something)

Redewendungen & Ausdrücke

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Leicht verwechselbar

접다 vs

접다 vs

접다 vs

접다 vs

접다 vs

Satzmuster

So verwendest du es

colloquial usage

'그냥 접어' can be used casually to mean 'Just drop it' or 'Forget about it' in an argument.

context warnings

Be careful using 접다 for clothes in formal situations; 개다 is more precise.

common misconceptions

Learners think it only means physical folding, missing out on 50% of its daily usage (giving up).

Häufige Fehler
  • Using 접다 instead of 굽히다 for bending body parts (e.g., 무릎을 접다 instead of 무릎을 굽히다).
  • Translating 'close a business' literally as 사업을 닫다 instead of the natural 사업을 접다.
  • Confusing 접다 with 덮다 when talking about closing a book (책을 접다 means folding the page, not closing the book).
  • Applying irregular 'ㅂ' conjugation rules (e.g., saying 접워요 instead of the correct regular form 접어요).
  • Forgetting the object particle and saying things like 종이 접다 in formal writing, where 종이를 접다 is required.

Tipps

Object Particle is Mandatory

Because 접다 is a transitive verb, it must act upon an object. Always ensure you use the 을 or 를 particle with the noun being folded. For example, 종이 (paper) becomes 종이를 접다. Dropping the particle is okay in very casual speech, but strictly required in writing.

Learn the Antonym Pair

Always learn 접다 (to fold) alongside its direct opposite, 펴다 (to unfold/open). They are frequently used together in instructions. For example, '우산을 펴고, 나중에 접으세요' (Open the umbrella, and fold it later). Mastering pairs accelerates vocabulary retention.

Pronunciation of the Tense Consonant

When pronouncing 접다, the final 'ㅂ' (p) sound in the first syllable causes the following 'ㄷ' (d) to become a tense 'ㄸ' (tt) sound. Therefore, it is pronounced as [접따]. Practice this tense sound to sound more like a native speaker.

Metaphorical Usage for Advanced Fluency

Don't limit yourself to physical folding. To sound truly fluent, start using 접다 for abstract concepts. Practice phrases like '마음을 접었어요' (I gave up my feelings) or '계획을 접자' (Let's cancel the plan). This is a hallmark of intermediate to advanced Korean.

Pair with '반으로'

The most common adverbial phrase used with physical folding is '반으로' (in half). Memorize '반으로 접다' as a single chunk of vocabulary. It will be useful in everything from origami to cooking instructions.

접다 vs. 포기하다

While both can mean 'to give up', 포기하다 is direct and literal. 접다 has a slightly softer, more emotional nuance, like carefully putting a dream away in a drawer. Use 접다 when you want to sound more reflective or poetic about giving something up.

The Culture of 'Folding' Spaces

Understand that folding is a big part of traditional Korean life. Bedding (이불) is folded every morning to make space. Portable tables (상) are folded after meals. Knowing this helps you understand why the verb is so deeply embedded in daily vocabulary.

Using the Noun Form

You can turn the verb into a noun by adding '기'. 접기 means 'folding'. This is used in compound words like 종이접기 (origami) or 반접기 (half-folding). Use this form when you need the action to be the subject of a sentence.

Don't Fold Your Body Parts

Remember that you cannot '접다' your knees or arms. Use 굽히다 for bending joints. Using 접다 for body parts sounds very unnatural and comical to native speakers, as if your limbs are made of flat paper.

Business Closures

If you are reading Korean business news, look out for '사업을 접다'. It is the standard journalistic and conversational way to say a company went out of business or closed a specific division. It is much more common than saying '사업을 끝내다'.

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

Imagine you have a JOB (접) to DO (다): your job is to FOLD all the paper in the office.

Wortherkunft

Native Korean

Kultureller Kontext

There are no strict taboos, but telling someone to 'fold their dream' (꿈을 접어라) can be considered very harsh and discouraging.

When telling an elder to fold something, always use the honorific form 접으세요.

Generally consistent across dialects, though pronunciation of the tense consonant may vary slightly in intensity.

Im Alltag üben

Kontexte aus dem Alltag

Gesprächseinstiege

"어렸을 때 종이접기를 좋아했어요? (Did you like origami when you were young?)"

"비가 오네요. 우산을 접고 들어오세요. (It's raining. Please fold your umbrella and come in.)"

"최근에 포기하거나 접은 계획이 있나요? (Do you have any plans you gave up or folded recently?)"

"옷을 예쁘게 접는 팁이 있나요? (Do you have any tips for folding clothes neatly?)"

"왜 그 사업을 접기로 결정하셨나요? (Why did you decide to fold that business?)"

Tagebuch-Impulse

Describe a time you had to 'fold' a dream or plan. How did you feel?

Write instructions on how to fold a paper airplane in Korean.

Discuss the pros and cons of folding a business versus keeping it running during hard times.

Write about your daily routine of folding laundry or blankets.

Explain the idiom '고집을 접다' and when you last had to do it.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

10 Fragen

No, you generally do not use 접다 for body parts. For folding arms, the specific phrase is 팔짱을 끼다. For bending knees or legs, you use 굽히다 (무릎을 굽히다). 접다 implies a flat object folding over itself. Body parts do not fold flat in this manner. Therefore, stick to paper, cloth, or collapsible items.

Both mean to fold, but 개다 is highly specific to laundry and bedding. You 개다 clothes (옷을 개다) or blankets (이불을 개다) to make them neat for storage. 접다 is the general word for folding anything, including paper, umbrellas, and tents. While you can say 옷을 접다, using 개다 sounds more precise and natural for laundry.

The Korean word for origami is 종이접기 (jong-i-jeop-gi). It is a compound noun made from 종이 (paper) and 접기 (the noun form of folding). It is a very popular activity for children in Korea. If you want to say 'to do origami', you can say 종이접기를 하다.

Not necessarily. While 꿈을 접다 (folding a dream) has a sad nuance, sometimes folding a plan is just a practical decision. For example, 가게를 접다 (closing a shop) might be a neutral business decision. Furthermore, 고집을 접다 (folding stubbornness) is actually a positive action, meaning you are yielding or being reasonable.

The most common antonym is 펴다 (to unfold, open, or spread out). If you fold an umbrella (우산을 접다), the opposite is to open it (우산을 펴다). If you fold your wings (날개를 접다), the opposite is to spread them (날개를 펴다). 펼치다 is also used for spreading things out widely.

No, you cannot. For doors, windows, or books, you use the verb 닫다 (to close) or 덮다 (to cover/close a book). 접다 is strictly for things that bend and overlap, or collapse mechanically. A standard door swings on a hinge but does not fold onto itself (unless it's specifically a folding door, 접이식 문).

The standard phrase is 반으로 접다. 반 means 'half', and 으로 is the particle indicating method or direction. So, 종이를 반으로 접으세요 means 'Please fold the paper in half'. You can also say 반 접다 in casual speech, dropping the particle.

접다 is a completely regular verb. Unlike some verbs ending in 'ㅂ' (like 춥다 -> 추워요), 접다 does not change the 'ㅂ' to '우'. It follows standard conjugation rules: 접다 becomes 접어요 in the present tense, and 접었어요 in the past tense. This makes it very easy to conjugate.

It is an idiom that means to concede an advantage or yield to someone, acknowledging they are better or right. It comes from traditional board games where a stronger player might give the weaker player a handicap (a free move). So, saying '내가 한 수 접을게' means 'I'll let you have this one' or 'I concede'.

While '사업을 닫다' (to close a business) might be understood, it sounds like a literal translation from English. The natural, idiomatic way that native Koreans express permanently closing down a business or shop is '사업을 접다' or '가게를 접다'. It is highly recommended to use 접다 in this context.

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