일을 찾다
Ireul chatda
Look for work.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use '일을 찾다' when you are in the process of looking for a job or seeking employment opportunities.
- Means: To look for a job or search for work.
- Used in: Casual conversations about careers or formal interview contexts.
- Don't confuse: With '일하다' (to work), which describes the act of working itself.
Explanation at your level:
意味
To search for employment or a job, to find a position.
文化的背景
The 'Job Preparation' (취준) culture is intense. Many young people spend years after graduation '일을 찾는 중' while living in small rooms called Goshiwon. Similar to Korea, 'Shuukatsu' (job hunting) is a highly structured season for university students, involving specific black suits. In the US, 'finding work' is often seen as an individualistic hustle, with a focus on networking and LinkedIn. The vocational training system (Ausbildung) means 'finding work' often starts much earlier through apprenticeships.
Use the progressive
Always use '찾고 있어요' instead of '찾아요' when talking about your current job hunt. It sounds much more natural.
Don't drop the '을'
In formal writing or interviews, keep the object marker '을'. Dropping it makes you sound too casual.
意味
To search for employment or a job, to find a position.
Use the progressive
Always use '찾고 있어요' instead of '찾아요' when talking about your current job hunt. It sounds much more natural.
Don't drop the '을'
In formal writing or interviews, keep the object marker '을'. Dropping it makes you sound too casual.
Proactivity
If you want to impress a Korean boss, say you like to '일을 찾아서 하는 스타일' (the style of finding work to do).
自分をテスト
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '일을 찾다'.
저는 지금 새로운 (______) 있어요.
The progressive form '-고 있다' is used to show an ongoing action.
Which sentence is most natural for a job interview?
면접에서 어떻게 말할까요?
The formal '-습니다' ending is required for interviews.
Complete the dialogue.
가: 졸업 축하해! 이제 뭐 할 거야? 나: 고마워. 이제 슬슬 (______).
'-아야지' expresses a resolution or something one must do.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Someone who is very proactive at work.
This is a common idiomatic expression for a proactive person.
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Search vs. Work
よくある質問
10 問Yes, but '알바를 찾다' is more common for part-time work.
'찾다' is more general (search/find), while '구하다' implies seeking or obtaining something you need.
Yes, as long as you use the '-습니다' ending: '일을 찾고 있습니다.'
Use the past tense: '일을 찾았어요' or more commonly '취직했어요'.
Yes, but it sounds a bit more formal, like 'searching for a profession'.
It means to be proactive and do things without being told.
It is always '일을' because '일' ends in a consonant.
서울에서 {일|事}을 찾고 있어요.
No, that would just be '물건을 찾다'. '일을 찾다' is specifically for work.
There isn't a direct opposite, but '일을 그만두다' (to quit work) is the reverse action.
関連フレーズ
일자리를 구하다
synonymTo look for a job opening
{취직|就職}하다
builds onTo get a job
{구직|求職} 중
specialized formCurrently job hunting
백수
contrastUnemployed person
どこで使う？
At a family gathering
Uncle: 요즘 졸업하고 뭐 하니?
Me: 아직 {일|事}을 찾고 있어요. 열심히 준비 중입니다.
Meeting a friend at a cafe
Friend: 너 요즘도 {일|事} 찾아?
Me: 응, 근데 마음에 드는 곳이 없어.
Job Interview
Interviewer: 우리 회사에서 어떤 {일|事}을 찾고 싶습니까?
Applicant: 제 능력을 발휘할 수 있는 {일|事}을 찾고 싶습니다.
Talking to a career counselor
Counselor: 어떤 분야에서 {일|事}을 찾고 있나요?
Student: IT 쪽에서 {일|事}을 찾고 싶어요.
Part-time job search
Me: 혹시 여기서 일할 사람 찾으시나요?
Owner: 네, 지금 알바생 {일|事}을 찾고 있어요.
Self-reflection/Journaling
Me (Diary): 내가 정말 하고 싶은 {일|事}을 찾는 게 너무 힘들다.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Il' (일) as 'Ill' (sick). If you are sick of being broke, you must 'Chatda' (find) a job!
Visual Association
Imagine a person holding a giant magnifying glass (찾다) over a briefcase (일). They are walking through a forest of skyscrapers.
Rhyme
Need a bill? Find some 'Il'! (일)
Story
Min-su lost his wallet. He had to '찾다' (find) it. Then he realized his wallet was empty. So he decided he needed to '일을 찾다' (find work) to fill it back up.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Go to a Korean job site like Saramin or JobKorea and find three job titles. Say out loud: '저는 [Job Title] {일|事}을 찾고 있어요.'
In Other Languages
Buscar trabajo
Spanish often omits the pronoun, whereas Korean omits the particle in casual speech.
Chercher du travail
French requires the partitive article 'du', while Korean uses the object marker '을'.
Arbeit suchen
German word order changes in subordinate clauses, unlike Korean's consistent SOV.
仕事を探す (Shigoto o sagasu)
Japanese 'sagasu' has two kanji (探/捜) depending on what is being searched; Korean '찾다' covers both.
البحث عن عمل (al-bahth 'an 'amal)
Arabic uses a preposition ('an/about) after the verb, whereas Korean uses a direct object.
找工作 (Zhǎo gōngzuò)
Chinese is SVO, so the verb comes before the noun 'work'.
Procurar emprego
Portuguese often uses 'emprego' (employment) more specifically than the general 'trabalho' (work).
Looking for a job
English uses the indefinite article 'a job', while Korean treats 'work' as a general concept.
Easily Confused
Learners use it to mean 'searching for work'.
Remember: '일하다' is the action of working. '일을 찾다' is the action of searching for that action.
Using the same verb for objects and jobs.
While the verb is the same, the context of '일' always implies employment.
よくある質問 (10)
Yes, but '알바를 찾다' is more common for part-time work.
'찾다' is more general (search/find), while '구하다' implies seeking or obtaining something you need.
Yes, as long as you use the '-습니다' ending: '일을 찾고 있습니다.'
Use the past tense: '일을 찾았어요' or more commonly '취직했어요'.
Yes, but it sounds a bit more formal, like 'searching for a profession'.
It means to be proactive and do things without being told.
It is always '일을' because '일' ends in a consonant.
서울에서 {일|事}을 찾고 있어요.
No, that would just be '물건을 찾다'. '일을 찾다' is specifically for work.
There isn't a direct opposite, but '일을 그만두다' (to quit work) is the reverse action.
