손을 잡다
soneul japda
Cooperate/join forces
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Literally 'holding hands,' but figuratively it means two parties joining forces to achieve a common goal.
- Means: To collaborate, cooperate, or form a strategic alliance with someone.
- Used in: Business deals, political coalitions, or community projects.
- Don't confuse: With just physical affection; in news, it's almost always about work.
Explanation at your level:
मतलब
To work together with someone, to collaborate or form an alliance.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
In Korea, holding hands between friends of the same gender is a sign of closeness and trust, not necessarily romantic. This cultural 'skinship' makes the idiom 'joining hands' feel very warm and personal. When large conglomerates (Chaebols) 'join hands' with startups, it is often seen as a national economic milestone. It represents a bridge between traditional power and modern innovation. The image of North and South Korean leaders holding hands is a powerful symbol of peace and reunification efforts, often described using this idiom in global media. Fans often use this phrase to describe 'collabs' between their favorite idols or when different fandoms unite for a charity cause.
News Keyword
If you see '손잡다' in a news headline, 99% of the time it means a business partnership.
Don't use for 'Shake Hands'
Remember to use '악수하다' for the greeting. '손을 잡다' is for holding or collaborating.
मतलब
To work together with someone, to collaborate or form an alliance.
News Keyword
If you see '손잡다' in a news headline, 99% of the time it means a business partnership.
Don't use for 'Shake Hands'
Remember to use '악수하다' for the greeting. '손을 잡다' is for holding or collaborating.
Particle Choice
Use '와/과' to sound more formal and '하고' to sound more natural in conversation.
Skinship
Don't be surprised if same-sex friends hold hands in Korea; it's a literal '손을 잡다' that shows friendship.
खुद को परखो
Fill in the blank with the correct particle and verb form.
삼성과 구글이 새로운 기술을 위해 손___ ________. (Samsung and Google joined hands for new technology.)
'손' is the object (을) and '잡다' in past tense is '잡았습니다'.
Which situation best fits the figurative meaning of '손을 잡다'?
다음 중 '손을 잡다'의 비유적 의미로 가장 적절한 상황은?
The figurative meaning refers to collaboration or partnership, such as two companies working together.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 이번 프로젝트, 혼자 하기 너무 힘들어요. B: 그럼 우리 같이 ___________?
'손을 잡을까요' suggests working together to solve the difficulty.
Match the sentence to the context.
Sentence: '정치적 이익을 위해 두 후보가 손을 잡았다.'
The sentence mentions 'political interests' and 'candidates,' indicating a political context.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
Literal vs. Figurative
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
12 सवालYes, it can be used poetically to mean getting married and starting a life together.
Yes, it can be written as one word (손잡다) or two (손을 잡다). Both are correct.
Usually, yes. It implies cooperation for a goal. However, in politics, it can be used cynically to describe an unlikely alliance.
You can say '손을 놓다' (let go of hands) or '협력을 중단하다' (stop cooperation).
Yes, saying you 'joined hands' with a previous team to solve a problem sounds very professional.
'협력하다' is more formal/academic, while '손을 잡다' is more idiomatic and visual.
Yes, to describe players uniting for a win.
Constantly! It's in many song lyrics about unity and love.
No, use '악수하다' for the greeting gesture.
Usually, yes. It suggests both parties are contributing.
Yes, '친구하고 손을 잡았어요' is very natural in speech.
Not exactly, but '뭉치다' (to clump together) is a more casual way to say 'team up'.
संबंधित मुहावरे
손을 맞잡다
similarTo hold each other's hands
손을 씻다
contrastTo wash one's hands of something
손을 빌리다
builds onTo borrow a hand
손이 맞다
similarHands match
손을 놓다
contrastTo let go of hands
कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें
Business Meeting
CEO A: 우리 회사는 당신의 회사와 손을 잡고 싶습니다.
CEO B: 좋습니다. 함께 멋진 제품을 만들어 봅시다.
Romantic Date
Boyfriend: 우리 손 잡을까?
Girlfriend: 응, 좋아. 따뜻하다.
Political News
Reporter: 두 정당이 오늘 손을 잡았습니다.
Anchor: 정말 놀라운 뉴스군요. 선거 결과가 궁금합니다.
Parenting
Father: 길을 건널 때는 아빠 손을 꼭 잡아.
Child: 네, 아빠!
Community Project
Neighbor A: 공원을 청소하기 위해 주민들이 손을 잡았어요.
Neighbor B: 정말 보기 좋네요. 저도 도울게요.
Sports/Teamwork
Coach: 우승을 위해 모두 손을 잡고 열심히 하자!
Players: 네, 감독님!
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a 'Handshake' (손) that doesn't end. If you 'Catch' (잡다) and hold it, you are working together.
Visual Association
Imagine two puzzle pieces that have little hands. When they grab each other, they complete the picture.
Rhyme
손을 잡고 (Son-eul jap-go), 함께 가고 (Ham-ke ga-go) - Hold hands and go together.
Story
A small village was flooded. One person couldn't block the water alone. But when everyone in the village 'grabbed hands' to form a human chain, they saved the town. Now, whenever people work together, we say they 'grabbed hands.'
Word Web
चैलेंज
Try to find one news headline today on a Korean news site (like Naver News) that contains '손잡다' or '손을 잡다'.
In Other Languages
To join hands / To join forces
English 'join hands' is slightly more poetic/metaphorical than the very common Korean usage.
手を組む (Te o kumu)
Japanese distinguishes more strictly between literal holding (tsunagu) and figurative teaming (kumu).
携手 (Xiéshǒu)
More formal and literary than the everyday Korean '손을 잡다'.
Unir fuerzas
Spanish rarely uses the 'hand' metaphor for business alliances.
Main dans la main
Often implies a smoother, more harmonious relationship than just a strategic alliance.
Sich zusammenschließen
German is more literal and less body-part metaphorical in business.
وضعوا أيديهم في أيدي بعض (Wada'u aydiyahum...)
Carries a strong sense of oath-taking and commitment.
Dar as mãos
Less common in formal business news than in social/charity contexts.
Easily Confused
Learners think it means 'to look at hands' or 'to help.'
It actually means 'to repair' or sometimes 'to punish/teach someone a lesson.'
Sounds like 'hands are ripe.'
It means to become skillful or used to a task.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (12)
Yes, it can be used poetically to mean getting married and starting a life together.
Yes, it can be written as one word (손잡다) or two (손을 잡다). Both are correct.
Usually, yes. It implies cooperation for a goal. However, in politics, it can be used cynically to describe an unlikely alliance.
You can say '손을 놓다' (let go of hands) or '협력을 중단하다' (stop cooperation).
Yes, saying you 'joined hands' with a previous team to solve a problem sounds very professional.
'협력하다' is more formal/academic, while '손을 잡다' is more idiomatic and visual.
Yes, to describe players uniting for a win.
Constantly! It's in many song lyrics about unity and love.
No, use '악수하다' for the greeting gesture.
Usually, yes. It suggests both parties are contributing.
Yes, '친구하고 손을 잡았어요' is very natural in speech.
Not exactly, but '뭉치다' (to clump together) is a more casual way to say 'team up'.
