Explanation at your level:
You use 전부 when you want to say 'all'. If you have three pens and you use all three, you say '전부'. It is very easy to use! Just put it in your sentence to show you mean the whole group.
At this level, you can use 전부 to talk about quantities. '전부 먹었어요' means 'I ate everything'. It helps you describe your daily activities clearly. It is a very common word you will hear every day.
You can use 전부 in more complex sentences. It works well when comparing things or summarizing. For example, '전부 다 합치면 얼마예요?' (How much is it in total?). It is a great way to be precise about numbers.
At this level, you might notice the difference between 전부 and 모두. While they are similar, 전부 often focuses on the 'entirety' or 'total amount' of something, whereas 모두 often refers to 'everyone' or 'all people'.
In advanced contexts, 전부 can be used to emphasize a state of being. '그게 내 전부야' (That is my everything) carries emotional weight. It is used in literature and deep conversation to describe something that encompasses one's entire existence or focus.
At a mastery level, you understand the nuance of 전부 within Sino-Korean vocabulary. You can distinguish its usage from 전체 (whole/entirety as a structure) versus 전부 (the sum of parts). It is used to provide definitive, absolute statements in academic or philosophical discourse.
Palabra en 30 segundos
- 전부 means everything or all.
- It is a noun used in daily life.
- Commonly used with '다' for emphasis.
- It is a Sino-Korean word.
Hey there! Let's talk about 전부. Think of it as the Korean word for 'everything' or 'the whole thing'. If you have a bag of apples and you eat every single one, you have eaten 전부.
It is a super handy word because you can use it in almost any situation where you need to talk about a total amount. Whether you are talking about money, time, or people, 전부 covers it all. It is one of those essential words that makes you sound much more natural when speaking Korean.
The word 전부 is a Sino-Korean word, meaning it comes from Chinese characters (Hanja). Specifically, it is written as 全部.
The first character, 全 (전), means 'complete' or 'whole'. The second character, 部 (부), means 'part' or 'section'. When you put them together, you get 'the whole part', which evolved into our modern meaning of 'everything'. It is fascinating how these ancient characters still shape how we communicate today!
You will hear 전부 in both casual and formal conversations. It is very versatile. You can use it as a subject or an object in a sentence.
Commonly, it is used with particles like -가 (subject) or -를 (object). For example, '전부가 다 뭐야?' (What is all of this?) or '전부를 다 줬어' (I gave everything). It is slightly more common in spoken language than in very formal written reports, where words like 전체 might be preferred.
While 전부 is a direct noun, it appears in many common phrases. 1. 전부 다: This emphasizes 'everything' even more, like saying 'every single bit'. 2. 전부 합쳐서: Meaning 'in total' or 'all together', often used when counting money or items. 3. 그게 전부야: 'That is all' or 'That is everything'. 4. 전부인 줄 알았다: 'I thought it was everything'. 5. 전부 잃었다: 'Lost everything'.
Grammatically, 전부 acts as a noun. You can place it before a verb or use it with particles. It does not have a plural form because it already implies a totality.
Pronunciation-wise, it sounds like 'jeon-bu'. The 'jeon' part has a soft 'j' sound, and the 'bu' is a crisp 'b'. It rhymes with words like '공부' (study) in terms of its suffix structure. Just keep the rhythm even and steady!
Fun Fact
The character '全' (전) is often used to mean 'perfect' or 'complete' in other words too!
Pronunciation Guide
Sounds like 'jeon-boo'
Sounds like 'jeon-boo'
Common Errors
- Softening the 'j'
- Dropping the 'n' sound
- Mispronouncing the 'u'
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
Very easy to read.
Easy to use in sentences.
Very common in speech.
Very easy to hear.
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
Avanzado
Grammar to Know
Noun particles
전부가
Copula
전부예요
Adverb usage
다 하다
Examples by Level
이게 전부예요.
This is everything.
Simple copula sentence.
전부 다 먹었어요.
I ate everything.
Verb usage.
전부 어디 있어요?
Where is everything?
Question form.
전부 좋아요.
Everything is good.
Adjective usage.
전부 샀어요.
I bought everything.
Past tense verb.
전부 주세요.
Give me everything.
Imperative.
전부 다 알아요.
I know everything.
Knowledge verb.
전부 아니에요.
That is not everything.
Negative copula.
전부 다 가져가세요.
전부 합쳐서 얼마인가요?
그게 전부가 아니에요.
전부 다 준비됐어요.
전부 다 말해주세요.
전부 다 기억해요.
전부 다 거짓말이에요.
전부 다 끝났어요.
전부 다 합치면 십만 원입니다.
그의 전부를 잃어버렸어요.
전부 다 제 잘못이에요.
전부 다 계획대로예요.
전부 다 이해하기 어려워요.
전부 다 확인해 보세요.
전부 다 바꿀 생각이에요.
전부 다 정리했어요.
그녀는 그에게 전부나 다름없었다.
전부 다 고려해 봐야 할 문제입니다.
전부 다 잃을 각오를 해야 합니다.
전부 다 사실로 밝혀졌습니다.
전부 다 만족할 수는 없어요.
전부 다 챙겨서 오세요.
전부 다 잊어버리고 싶어요.
전부 다 다시 시작합시다.
그는 자신의 전부를 바쳐 연구했다.
전부 다 잃고 나서야 깨달았다.
그것이 우리 삶의 전부가 될 수는 없다.
전부 다 수용하기에는 무리가 있다.
전부 다 의심해 볼 필요가 있다.
전부 다 완벽하게 처리되었습니다.
전부 다 감당하기엔 너무 벅차요.
전부 다 운명이라고 생각합니다.
그의 철학은 사랑이 전부라는 것이었다.
전부 다 포괄하는 개념을 찾아야 한다.
전부 다 무위로 돌아갔다.
전부 다 꿰뚫어 보는 통찰력이 필요하다.
전부 다 상쇄할 만한 가치가 있다.
전부 다 귀속되는 결과이다.
전부 다 함축하는 문장이다.
전부 다 재고해 볼 여지가 있다.
Colocaciones comunes
Idioms & Expressions
"전부 아니면 전무"
All or nothing.
그는 전부 아니면 전무인 사람이다.
neutral"전부 다"
Everything/All of it.
전부 다 가져가.
casual"그게 전부다"
That is all.
더 이상 할 말은 없어, 그게 전부다.
neutral"전부인 양"
As if it were everything.
그는 돈이 전부인 양 행동한다.
neutral"전부 다 합쳐서"
In total.
전부 다 합쳐서 오천 원입니다.
neutral"전부 다 잃다"
To lose everything.
그는 도박으로 전부 다 잃었다.
neutralEasily Confused
Both mean 'whole'
전체 is for structure, 전부 is for sum.
전체 인구 vs 전부 다.
Both mean 'all'
모두 is for people.
모두가 왔어요.
Both mean 'all'
다 is an adverb.
다 먹었다.
Sounds similar
일체 is more formal/legal.
일체 금지.
Sentence Patterns
Subject + 전부 + Verb
이게 전부예요.
Object + 전부 + Verb
전부를 다 줬어요.
전부 + Particle + Verb
전부가 다 사라졌어요.
전부 + Copula
그게 전부입니다.
전부 + Verb + Clause
전부 다 이해한다고 생각해요.
Familia de palabras
Nouns
Relacionado
How to Use It
10
Formality Scale
Errores comunes
전부 is a noun, 다 is an adverb.
모두 is better for people, 전부 for things.
전부 doesn't have a plural form.
It needs a particle to function in a sentence.
전부 is mostly for objects or abstract concepts.
Tips
Memory Palace Trick
Place everything you own in one room in your mind and label it '전부'.
When Native Speakers Use It
When summarizing a total amount.
Cultural Insight
Used in romantic songs to mean 'my everything'.
Grammar Shortcut
Always pair with a particle like -가, -를, or -는.
Say It Right
Keep the 'n' sound clear.
Don't Make This Mistake
Don't use it as an adverb.
Did You Know?
It comes from Chinese characters.
Study Smart
Use it in sentences with numbers.
Practice
Write 5 sentences using 전부 today.
Context
Listen for it in K-dramas.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Jeon' as 'John' and 'Bu' as 'Boo'. John has everything, and he says 'Boo'!
Visual Association
A giant box containing every object in the world.
Word Web
Desafío
Try to say '전부' every time you finish a task today.
Origen de la palabra
Sino-Korean
Original meaning: Whole part
Contexto cultural
None, it is a very neutral word.
Directly correlates to 'everything' in English.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
At the store
- 전부 얼마예요?
- 이게 전부예요?
- 전부 다 주세요.
At school
- 전부 다 이해했어요.
- 전부 다 썼어요.
- 전부 다 기억나요.
At home
- 전부 다 먹었어요.
- 전부 다 치웠어요.
- 전부 다 제 자리예요.
In conversation
- 그게 전부예요.
- 전부 다 사실이에요.
- 전부 다 농담이에요.
Conversation Starters
"오늘 하루 전부 다 어땠어요?"
"당신에게 전부인 것은 무엇인가요?"
"전부 다 잃어버린 적이 있나요?"
"전부 다 합치면 얼마일까요?"
"그게 정말 전부인가요?"
Journal Prompts
Describe your '전부' (everything) in life.
Write about a time you lost '전부'.
List things you want to do '전부' (all of them) this year.
Reflect on the phrase '그게 전부다'.
Preguntas frecuentes
8 preguntasThey are similar but 전부 is usually for things, 모두 for people.
No, it's a noun. Use '다' for adverbial meaning.
It is neutral and used in all settings.
Jeon-bu.
No, it's uncountable.
Yes, '전부 다' can refer to all of the time.
Yes, from 全部.
Yes, '돈 전부' means all the money.
Ponte a prueba
이게 ___예요.
전부 means everything.
What does 전부 mean?
전부 means everything.
전부 can be used to mean 'some'.
전부 means 'all', not 'some'.
Word
Significado
Matching antonyms.
전부 다 먹었어요.
Puntuación: /5
Summary
전부 is the perfect word to describe the entirety of any group or amount!
- 전부 means everything or all.
- It is a noun used in daily life.
- Commonly used with '다' for emphasis.
- It is a Sino-Korean word.
Memory Palace Trick
Place everything you own in one room in your mind and label it '전부'.
When Native Speakers Use It
When summarizing a total amount.
Cultural Insight
Used in romantic songs to mean 'my everything'.
Grammar Shortcut
Always pair with a particle like -가, -를, or -는.
Ejemplo
이것이 제가 가진 돈 전부예요.
Related Content
Esta palabra en otros idiomas
Gramática relacionada
Más palabras de general
대해
A2About, concerning.
~에 대해서
A2Concerning or regarding a particular subject; about.
정도
A2An approximate amount or degree.
위에
A1on top of
절대적
B2Being unconditional, unlimited, or not relative to anything else. It describes something that is certain, total, or supreme without comparison.
절대로
A2Never, absolutely not.
우연적이다
B2To be accidental or coincidental; happening by chance.
우연히
B1By chance, accidentally, or unexpectedly. Often used in TOEFL listening narratives or history passages about accidental discoveries.
데리다
A1To take (a person); to pick up.
따라
A2Along, according to.
