징수하다

When you hear 징수하다, think of the act of gathering money that is legally required. It is not just picking up spare change; it implies an official mandate.

The word is composed of 징 (to collect/levy) and 수 (to receive). Together, they form a term that carries a sense of authority and obligation. You would use this when a government collects income tax or a city collects parking fees.

It is a formal word, so you wouldn't use it when asking a friend to pay you back for lunch. Instead, it belongs in news reports, legal documents, and official financial statements. Understanding this word helps you grasp how institutions manage their funds through public contributions.

The word 징수하다 is rooted in Sino-Korean (Hanja) characters. The character 징 (徵) originally meant to summon or to levy, while 수 (收) means to receive or gather.

Historically, this term was used in ancient administrative documents to describe how the royal court gathered grains or fabrics from the peasantry as tribute. Over centuries, the meaning evolved to specifically cover monetary taxes and modern financial fees.

It reflects a long history of centralized governance in East Asian societies, where the state's ability to 징수하다 was a primary marker of its power and stability. Even today, the word carries that historical weight of institutional duty.

You will mostly see 징수하다 paired with nouns related to money and government. Common collocations include 세금을 징수하다 (to collect taxes) or 수수료를 징수하다 (to collect fees).

Because it is a formal term, it is rarely used in casual conversation. If you are talking to a friend, you might use 걷다 (to gather/collect) instead, which is much more natural in daily life.

Always check the register! Using 징수하다 in a casual setting can make you sound like a robotic bureaucrat or a character from a historical drama. Keep it for professional, academic, or news-related writing.

While 징수하다 is a technical verb, it appears in several fixed phrases:

• 강제 징수: Forced collection (usually of taxes).
• 징수 대상: The target for collection (people who have to pay).
• 징수율: The collection rate (how much of the expected money was actually gathered).
• 징수권: The right or authority to collect.
• 징수 절차: The process or procedure of collection.

These expressions are standard in business and legal contexts, helping to clarify the scope and method of the collection process.

As a verb, 징수하다 follows the standard 하다 conjugation pattern. It is a transitive verb, meaning it requires an object (the money or fee being collected).

Pronunciation-wise, ensure the 징 is clear and the 수 is slightly elongated. The stress is generally even across the syllables in Korean rhythm.

Common patterns include [Noun]을/를 징수하다. It is often used in the passive voice in news reports, such as 세금이 징수되었다 (taxes were collected), to focus on the money rather than the person doing the collecting.