전화를 끊다
Jeonhwareul kkeunda
Hang up the phone
Phrase in 30 Seconds
The standard Korean way to say 'hang up the phone' by 'cutting' the connection.
- Means: To end a phone call or disconnect the line.
- Used in: Ending daily chats, business calls, or even 'cutting off' someone mid-sentence.
- Don't confuse: Don't use '닫다' (to close) for ending a phone call.
Explanation at your level:
Signification
To end a phone conversation.
Contexte culturel
The 'Closing Ritual': Koreans rarely hang up immediately. They use multiple 'Ne' (Yes) or 'Geurae' (Okay) sounds as a buffer. Hanging up too fast is called 'Kkal-kkeum-hada' but can feel cold. Hierarchy matters. The subordinate should wait for the superior to hang up first. If you hear silence, it's usually the subordinate waiting for the 'click' from the boss. Couples often play the 'You hang up first' (Niga meonjeo kkeun-eo) game, which can last for minutes as a display of affection. On KakaoTalk VoiceTalk, it's common to text '나 이제 끊을게' (I'll hang up now) if the other person is typing, to ensure no messages are missed.
The 'Trailing Ne'
When hanging up, say '네~' with a rising and then falling tone to sound more natural and polite.
Don't just click!
Hanging up without a closing phrase like '들어가세요' or '끊을게요' can seem very aggressive in Korea.
Signification
To end a phone conversation.
The 'Trailing Ne'
When hanging up, say '네~' with a rising and then falling tone to sound more natural and polite.
Don't just click!
Hanging up without a closing phrase like '들어가세요' or '끊을게요' can seem very aggressive in Korea.
Business Silence
In a business call, if the other person doesn't hang up, say '먼저 끊으셔도 됩니다' (You may hang up first) to be extra polite.
The Bowing Habit
You will often see Koreans bowing while saying '네, 네' even though the other person can't see them. It's a habit of respect!
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '끊다'.
엄마, 나 지금 바빠서 나중에 다시 {電話|전화} ( ).
The speaker is expressing intent to hang up and call back later. '끊을게' is the natural informal intent form.
Which sentence is the most polite way to end a business call?
Choose the best option:
'이만' (now/this much) combined with the formal '끊겠습니다' is the standard polite business closing.
Complete the dialogue based on the context of a bad connection.
가: 여보세요? 잘 안 들려요. 나: ( )
When the connection is bad, the passive form '끊기다' is used to describe the call dropping.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: You are angry and want to end the call immediately.
'-어 버리다' adds an emotional weight, often used when acting out of anger or frustration.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Active vs Passive
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsUsually, '나가다' (to leave) or '회의를 종료하다' (to end the meeting) is more common for video calls.
To friends, it's a standard goodbye. To anyone older or in a higher position, it is very rude.
'끊다' is the common verb for the action, while '마치다' is more formal and means 'to complete' the call.
It literally means 'go in' (to your house/office), but it's a standard polite way to say goodbye on the phone.
Use the passive: '{電話|전화}가 끊겼어요.'
Yes! '담배를 끊다' means to quit smoking. It uses the same logic of 'cutting' a connection.
It means 'Please hang up first.' It's a polite way to show respect to the other person.
The red 'End Call' button is usually labeled '종료' (End).
No. '자르다' also means to cut, but it's for physical objects like paper or hair. For calls, always use '끊다'.
Call back and say '죄송합니다, 전화가 끊겼어요' (Sorry, the call was cut off).
Expressions liées
{電話|전화}를 걸다
contrastTo make a phone call
{電話|전화}를 받다
similarTo answer a phone call
통화 중이다
builds onTo be on the phone
{電話|전화}를 잘못 걸다
specialized formTo dial the wrong number
연결이 끊기다
similarThe connection is cut off
Où l'utiliser
Ending a call with a friend
민수: 그래, 내일 봐. 나 이제 {電話|전화} 끊을게.
지수: 응, 잘 자! 끊어~
Business call conclusion
직원: 네, 알겠습니다. 그럼 이만 {電話|전화} 끊겠습니다.
고객: 네, 수고하세요.
Angry argument
A: 너 진짜 왜 그래? 내 말 좀 들어봐!
B: 됐어, 나 {電話|전화} 끊어 버릴 거야!
Wrong number
나: 죄송합니다, {電話|전화} 잘못 거셨어요.
상대방: 아, 네. 끊겠습니다.
Bad connection
나: 여보세요? 잘 안 들려요. {電話|전화}가 자꾸 끊겨요.
친구: 그래? 그럼 내가 다시 걸게. 일단 끊어 봐.
Ordering food
나: 네, 결제 완료했습니다. {電話|전화} 끊어도 되죠?
사장님: 네, 맛있게 만들어 드릴게요. 끊으세요~
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Kkeut' (End) and 'Kkeunta' (Cut). To end the call, you 'Kkeun' (cut) it.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant pair of scissors cutting a telephone cord in half. The sound stops instantly. Snipping the sound.
Rhyme
Talk is done, the call is through, kkeunta is what you have to do.
Story
Once, phones had long curly tails (cords). When people got angry, they wanted to snip the tail to stop the noise. Now, even without tails, we still 'snip' (끊다) the call to say goodbye.
Word Web
Défi
Next time you finish a call with a Korean friend, say '이제 끊을게!' (I'll hang up now!) and wait 2 seconds before pressing the button.
In Other Languages
電話を切る (Denwa o kiru)
Usage is almost identical.
Hang up
English is spatial (up/down), Korean is action-oriented (cutting).
挂电话 (Guà diànhuà)
Chinese focuses on the 'hanging' action.
Colgar
Spanish uses a single verb meaning 'to hang' without a preposition.
Raccrocher
Focuses on the 'hooking' action.
Auflegen
Focuses on the 'laying down' action.
يغلق الخط (Yughliq al-khatt)
Uses 'close' instead of 'cut'.
Desligar
More general than the specific 'cut' used in Korean.
Easily Confused
Both involve ending something related to a phone.
Remember: '끊다' is for the call (cutting the line), '끄다' is for the power (turning off the device).
Direct translation from 'close the phone' (common in flip phone era).
In Korean, you 'cut' the call, you don't 'close' it.
FAQ (10)
Usually, '나가다' (to leave) or '회의를 종료하다' (to end the meeting) is more common for video calls.
To friends, it's a standard goodbye. To anyone older or in a higher position, it is very rude.
'끊다' is the common verb for the action, while '마치다' is more formal and means 'to complete' the call.
It literally means 'go in' (to your house/office), but it's a standard polite way to say goodbye on the phone.
Use the passive: '{電話|전화}가 끊겼어요.'
Yes! '담배를 끊다' means to quit smoking. It uses the same logic of 'cutting' a connection.
It means 'Please hang up first.' It's a polite way to show respect to the other person.
The red 'End Call' button is usually labeled '종료' (End).
No. '자르다' also means to cut, but it's for physical objects like paper or hair. For calls, always use '끊다'.
Call back and say '죄송합니다, 전화가 끊겼어요' (Sorry, the call was cut off).
