A2 Collocation Neutral

돈을 모으다

Doneul moeuda

Save money.

Phrase in 30 Seconds

돈을 모으다 means to actively save or accumulate money for a specific goal or future security.

  • Means: To gather money over time through saving (max 15 words)
  • Used in: Planning trips, buying houses, or preparing for retirement (max 15 words)
  • Don't confuse: Don't use it for 'earning' (돈을 벌다) or 'investing' (투자하다) (max 15 words)
💰 (Money) + 📥 (Collecting) = 🏠 (Future Goal)

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means 'to save money.' '돈' is money. '모으다' is to gather. You use it when you want to buy something later. For example, 'I save money for a phone.' It is a very important phrase for daily life.
In Korean, '돈을 모으다' is a common collocation used to describe the act of accumulating money for a future purpose. It combines the noun '돈' (money) with the verb '모으다' (to collect/gather). It is different from 'earning' money. You use it to talk about your goals, like traveling or buying a car.
This expression is used to describe the systematic process of saving. While the Sino-Korean term '저축하다' is often used in formal banking contexts, '돈을 모으다' is the preferred choice for everyday conversation. It implies a conscious effort to set aside funds. Grammatically, it often appears with purpose-driven structures like '-기 위해' or '-려고'.
Beyond simple saving, '돈을 모으다' carries a nuance of goal-oriented financial discipline. It is frequently associated with the Korean cultural emphasis on '목돈 마련' (preparing a large sum of money), particularly for housing or marriage. It contrasts with '돈을 쓰다' (spending) and '돈을 벌다' (earning), forming the middle step of financial management.
Linguistically, '모으다' functions as a transitive verb that highlights the agency of the subject in consolidating disparate resources. In socio-economic discourse, this phrase often appears in discussions regarding the 'wealth gap' and the increasing difficulty for the younger generation to accumulate capital. It is a foundational concept in the Korean ethos of 'diligence' (부지런함).
This collocation encapsulates the teleological nature of Korean financial behavior, where the act of 'gathering' (모으다) serves as a prerequisite for social mobility. The semantic range extends from physical collection to abstract capital accumulation. Mastery involves understanding its interplay with idiomatic expressions like '티끌 모아 태산' and its register-based competition with more clinical terms like '자본을 축적하다'.

Significado

To accumulate money, usually for a specific purpose or future use.

🌍

Contexto cultural

The 'Red Piggy Bank' (빨간 돼지 저금통) is a cultural icon. Children are given these to learn the habit of '돈을 모으다' from a young age, as pigs symbolize wealth. The 'Gye' (계) is a traditional private fund where people '모으다' money together. It's built on trust and social bonds. The 'N-po Generation' (N포세대) refers to youth who give up on things like marriage and housing because it's too hard to '모으다' enough money in the current economy. Koreans often use the term '목돈' (lump sum) when talking about saving. The goal is usually to '모으다' a '목돈' for big life events.

💡

Use with '-려고'

This phrase is most naturally used with the intention marker '-려고' (in order to).

⚠️

Don't say '돈을 저장하다'

'저장하다' is for computer files. For money, always use '모으다' or '저축하다'.

Significado

To accumulate money, usually for a specific purpose or future use.

💡

Use with '-려고'

This phrase is most naturally used with the intention marker '-려고' (in order to).

⚠️

Don't say '돈을 저장하다'

'저장하다' is for computer files. For money, always use '모으다' or '저축하다'.

🎯

The '목돈' connection

Pair '돈을 모으다' with '목돈' (large sum) to sound like a native speaker discussing finances.

💬

Piggy Banks

Mentioning a '돼지 저금통' (piggy bank) when talking about saving money adds a nice cultural touch.

Ponte a prueba

Fill in the blank with the correct form of '모으다'.

저는 내년에 차를 사려고 돈을 ( ).

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 모아요

The sentence mentions a goal (buying a car), so 'saving' (모아요) is the correct context.

Which sentence is the most natural for a casual conversation?

Talking to a friend about saving for a trip:

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 나 여행 가려고 돈 모으고 있어.

This uses the informal '반말' and the natural collocation '돈 모으다'.

Complete the dialogue.

가: 왜 요즘 아르바이트를 두 개나 해요? 나: 유학 가려고 ( ).

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 돈을 모으고 있어요

Working two jobs (아르바이트) to go study abroad (유학) implies saving money.

Match the phrase to the situation.

Situation: You are putting coins into a piggy bank every day.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 돈을 모으다

Putting coins in a piggy bank is the literal and figurative act of gathering/saving money.

🎉 Puntuación: /4

Ayudas visuales

Preguntas frecuentes

12 preguntas

It is neutral. It's fine for both casual and professional speech, though '저축하다' is more formal.

No, use '생명을 구하다' for saving a life.

'모으다' is active (you save money), '모이다' is passive (money accumulates).

'집을 사려고 돈을 모으고 있어요' is the most natural way.

No, for saving time, use '시간을 아끼다'.

Yes, in casual speech, '돈 모으다' is very common.

It means saving very small amounts of money, like spare change.

It becomes '모았어요' (mo-at-seo-yo).

Pigs are traditional symbols of wealth and good fortune in Korea.

It's a common term for 'investment techniques' or 'money management'.

Yes, '우표를 모으다' means to collect stamps.

Yes, the basic meaning remains the same, though financial systems differ.

Frases relacionadas

🔄

저축하다

synonym

To save money (formal/Sino-Korean)

🔗

돈을 아끼다

similar

To spare/save money (frugality)

🔗

돈을 벌다

builds on

To earn money

🔗

돈을 쓰다

contrast

To spend money

🔗

목돈을 마련하다

specialized form

To prepare a large sum of money

Dónde usarla

🏦

At the Bank

Bank Teller: 어떤 용도로 계좌를 만드시나요?

Customer: 여행 가려고 돈을 모으려고요.

formal
👨‍👩‍👧

Talking to Parents

Mother: 요즘 돈은 좀 모으고 있니?

Son: 네, 월급 받으면 바로 저축해요.

neutral
✈️

Planning with Friends

Friend A: 우리 내년에 유럽 갈까?

Friend B: 좋아! 지금부터 같이 돈 모으자.

informal
💼

Job Interview

Interviewer: 본인의 장점은 무엇입니까?

Applicant: 저는 목표를 위해 꾸준히 돈을 모으는 성실함이 있습니다.

formal
🙅

Declining an Invitation

Friend: 오늘 비싼 고기 먹으러 갈래?

Me: 미안, 나 차 사려고 돈 모으는 중이라 안 돼.

informal
💍

Wedding Planning

Partner A: 우리 결혼하려면 돈을 얼마나 모아야 할까?

Partner B: 일단 예산부터 세워보자.

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Money' (돈) and 'More' (모으다 sounds like 'more'). You want 'More' money, so you 'Gather' it.

Visual Association

Imagine a small red piggy bank (돼지 저금통) slowly filling up with shiny gold coins until it bursts into a house.

Rhyme

돈을 모아, 꿈을 모아! (Save money, gather your dreams!)

Story

Min-su wants a new bike. Every day, he finds a coin and puts it in a jar. He is 'gathering' (모으다) the 'money' (돈). After one year, the jar is full, and he buys the bike.

Word Web

저축 (saving)은행 (bank)지갑 (wallet)목표 (goal)부자 (rich person)절약 (frugality)월급 (salary)

Desafío

Write down three things you want to buy and how much money you need to '모으다' for each.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Ahorrar dinero

Spanish uses 'ahorrar' for both saving up and saving on a deal.

French moderate

Économiser de l'argent

French focuses on the act of not spending; Korean focuses on the act of gathering.

German high

Geld sparen

German 'sparen' is also used for 'saving' energy or time.

Japanese high

お金を貯める

The usage is almost identical in both cultural and linguistic contexts.

Arabic moderate

ادخار المال

Arabic often uses different roots for 'gathering' vs 'saving'.

Chinese moderate

存钱

Chinese focuses on the 'storage' (存), while Korean focuses on the 'collection' (모으다).

Korean (Synonym) high

저축하다

'저축하다' is more clinical/formal; '돈을 모으다' is more natural/spoken.

Portuguese high

Juntar dinheiro

Both languages use the 'gathering' metaphor for saving.

Easily Confused

돈을 모으다 vs 돈을 벌다

Learners often use 'earn' and 'save' interchangeably.

Think: 'Earn' is the input, 'Save' is the storage.

돈을 모으다 vs 돈을 남기다

Means 'to leave money behind' or 'to make a profit'.

Use '남기다' for leftovers; use '모으다' for intentional saving.

Preguntas frecuentes (12)

It is neutral. It's fine for both casual and professional speech, though '저축하다' is more formal.

No, use '생명을 구하다' for saving a life.

'모으다' is active (you save money), '모이다' is passive (money accumulates).

'집을 사려고 돈을 모으고 있어요' is the most natural way.

No, for saving time, use '시간을 아끼다'.

Yes, in casual speech, '돈 모으다' is very common.

It means saving very small amounts of money, like spare change.

It becomes '모았어요' (mo-at-seo-yo).

Pigs are traditional symbols of wealth and good fortune in Korea.

It's a common term for 'investment techniques' or 'money management'.

Yes, '우표를 모으다' means to collect stamps.

Yes, the basic meaning remains the same, though financial systems differ.

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