불을 끄다
bureul kkeuda
to turn off the light
Phrase in 30 Seconds
The essential Korean phrase for turning off lights, extinguishing fires, or deactivating electronic devices.
- Means: To turn off a light or put out a fire.
- Used in: Bedtime routines, leaving rooms, or emergency fire situations.
- Don't confuse: Never use '닫다' (close) for lights; '끄다' is the correct verb.
Explanation at your level:
मतलब
To deactivate a light source.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
Energy saving is a national priority. You will see '에너지 절약' (Energy Saving) stickers near many light switches in public buildings. The 'Agungi' (fireplace) was the heart of the home. Extinguishing it properly at night was a safety ritual to prevent house fires. The metaphorical 'putting out fires' is a common way to describe the high-pressure environment of Korean startups and corporations. Korea actively participates in 'Earth Hour', where major landmarks like the N Seoul Tower turn off their lights.
The 'ㅡ' Rule
Always remember that 끄다 becomes 꺼요. It's one of the most common irregulars you'll use.
Don't 'Close' the Light
Avoid saying '불을 닫다'. It's a very common beginner mistake that sounds quite strange to Koreans.
मतलब
To deactivate a light source.
The 'ㅡ' Rule
Always remember that 끄다 becomes 꺼요. It's one of the most common irregulars you'll use.
Don't 'Close' the Light
Avoid saying '불을 닫다'. It's a very common beginner mistake that sounds quite strange to Koreans.
Metaphorical Mastery
Using '급한 불을 끄다' in a business meeting will make you sound very natural and advanced.
Politeness Matters
When asking someone to turn off the light, always add '좀' (a little/please) to sound softer: '불 좀 꺼 줘요'.
खुद को परखो
Complete the sentence with the correct form of '끄다'.
너무 밝아요. 불을 좀 ( ).
'꺼요' is the polite present form of '끄다'.
Which sentence is correct for 'I turned off the light yesterday'?
어제 불을...
'껐어요' is the past tense form.
Match the situation to the correct phrase.
Situation: You are leaving a room and want to save electricity.
Turning off the light is the standard action for saving electricity.
Fill in the blank in the dialogue.
A: 잘 자요. B: 네, ( ) 꺼 줄까요?
In a bedtime context, you ask to turn off the light.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
끄다 vs. 닫다 vs. 잠그다
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
10 सवालYes, 'TV를 끄다' is perfectly natural and very common.
The opposite is '불을 켜다' (to turn on the light).
The phrase itself is neutral. To make it polite, use '불을 꺼 주세요'.
It's a historical carryover from when oil lamps and candles were the only light sources.
Yes, '시동을 끄다' means to turn off the car engine.
'끄다' is everyday speech; '소등하다' is formal/technical (e.g., in a hospital or military).
You say '불 끄지 마세요'.
Yes, '담배를 끄다' means to put out a cigarette.
There isn't a specific slang word, but dropping the object marker ('불 꺼') is very casual.
Yes, even if you use a voice command, you would say '불 꺼'.
संबंधित मुहावरे
불을 켜다
contrastTo turn on the light
전원을 끄다
specialized formTo turn off the power
소등하다
formalTo extinguish a light (Hanja)
촛불을 불다
similarTo blow out a candle
불을 지피다
contrastTo light a fire
कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें
Going to bed
A: 이제 자자. 불 좀 꺼 줘.
B: 응, 알았어. 잘 자.
Leaving the house
A: 거실 불 껐어요?
B: 아, 깜빡했다. 지금 끌게요.
At the cinema
Staff: 곧 영화가 시작됩니다. 불을 끄겠습니다.
Office crisis
Manager: 이 문제부터 해결합시다. 급한 불부터 꺼야 해요.
Employee: 네, 바로 처리하겠습니다.
Birthday party
A: 케이크 가져온다! 불 꺼!
B: 생일 축하합니다~
Camping
A: 자기 전에 모닥불을 꼭 꺼야 해요.
B: 네, 물을 뿌려서 끌게요.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a 'Kkeu' (끄) sound like a small 'click' of a switch as you turn the light off.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant finger pressing down on a candle flame, making it go 'Kkeu' as the light vanishes.
Rhyme
불을 꺼, 잠을 자 (Bul-eul kkeo, jam-eul ja) - Turn off the light, go to sleep.
Story
Once there was a little fire (Bul) that wanted to sleep. It asked its mother to 'Kkeu' (extinguish) its flame so it could rest in the dark. Now, every time we sleep, we 'Kkeu' the 'Bul'.
Word Web
चैलेंज
Every time you leave a room today, say '불을 꺼요' out loud as you flip the switch.
In Other Languages
Apagar la luz
Spanish doesn't have the 'ㅡ' irregular conjugation complexity.
Éteindre la lumière
French uses a different verb for 'turning off' machines (éteindre vs. arrêter).
Das Licht ausschalten
German distinguishes between extinguishing fire (löschen) and turning off lights (ausschalten).
電気を消す
Japanese often specifies 'electricity' (denki) rather than just 'fire' (hi).
أطفئ النور
Arabic has different words for 'light' (noor) and 'fire' (nar).
关灯
The verb 'close' is used for lights in Chinese, but 'extinguish' is used in Korean.
Turn off the light
English rarely uses 'extinguish' for electric lights unless in very formal contexts.
Apagar a luz
Portuguese 'apagar' is more versatile than '끄다' in terms of 'erasing' things.
Easily Confused
Learners think 'closing' a light switch is like 'closing' a door.
Remember: Lights are like fires (extinguish), doors are like barriers (close).
Both involve 'turning off' a utility.
Water uses 'lock' (잠그다), lights use 'extinguish' (끄다).
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (10)
Yes, 'TV를 끄다' is perfectly natural and very common.
The opposite is '불을 켜다' (to turn on the light).
The phrase itself is neutral. To make it polite, use '불을 꺼 주세요'.
It's a historical carryover from when oil lamps and candles were the only light sources.
Yes, '시동을 끄다' means to turn off the car engine.
'끄다' is everyday speech; '소등하다' is formal/technical (e.g., in a hospital or military).
You say '불 끄지 마세요'.
Yes, '담배를 끄다' means to put out a cigarette.
There isn't a specific slang word, but dropping the object marker ('불 꺼') is very casual.
Yes, even if you use a voice command, you would say '불 꺼'.
