길다

The Korean adjective 길다 is the fundamental way to describe length. Whether you are talking about a long road, long hair, or even a long meeting, this is the word you need.

Think of it as the opposite of short (짧다). It is a versatile word used in almost every aspect of daily Korean life to measure physical space or the passage of time.

The word 길다 has deep roots in Middle Korean, appearing in historical texts as '길다' (gil-da). It is a native Korean word, not derived from Chinese characters (Hanja).

Historically, it has remained remarkably stable in its form and meaning, reflecting the basic human need to describe distance and duration since the earliest stages of the language.

You will use 길다 with nouns like 머리 (hair), 길 (road), and 시간 (time). It is a standard adjective, so it conjugates easily with endings like 길어요 (polite) or 긴 (adjective form modifying a noun).

It is perfectly neutral and appropriate for both casual conversation and formal writing.

1. 길이 길다: Literally 'the road is long', often used to mean a journey is far. 2. 긴가민가하다: To be unsure or doubtful. 3. 긴 세월: A long period of time. 4. 긴장하다: To be nervous (literally 'to tighten' or 'make long'). 5. 긴급하다: To be urgent.

As an adjective, 길다 is used to describe states. When modifying a noun, it changes to 긴 (e.g., 긴 머리 - long hair).

The pronunciation is straightforward: 'gil-da'. The 'g' is soft, and the 'l' is pronounced clearly at the end of the first syllable.