Phrase in 30 Seconds
A versatile phrase for both physical movement up stairs and the metaphorical journey of personal or professional success.
- Means: To physically walk up a set of stairs or steps.
- Used in: Daily commuting, exercise routines, and discussing career advancement or social mobility.
- Don't confuse: Avoid using '오르다' for elevators or escalators; use '타다' (to ride) instead.
あなたのレベルに合った解説：
意味
To ascend a flight of steps.
文化的背景
Many Korean apartment complexes have 'Stair Climbing' campaigns. They post stickers on each step showing how many calories you've burned (e.g., '0.15kcal per step') and how many seconds of life you've gained. The 'Stairway Kiss' or 'Stairway Confession' is a classic trope. Because many old Seoul neighborhoods are on hills, stairs provide a dramatic, vertical setting for romantic or tense scenes. The concept of 'climbing the stairs' is linked to the 'Seniority System' (Hoyeol). You are expected to climb the ranks step-by-step based on years of service, though this is changing in modern tech companies. In Seoul, 'Stairway to Heaven' (천국의 계단) cafes are a huge trend. These are literal staircases built into the sky (ending in mid-air) for the perfect Instagram photo.
Master the '르'
If you master '오르다 -> 올라요', you also master '부르다 (to call) -> 불러요' and '고르다 (to choose) -> 골라요'.
Elevator Trap
Never say '엘리베이터를 올라요'. It's a dead giveaway that you're translating literally from English.
Master the '르'
If you master '오르다 -> 올라요', you also master '부르다 (to call) -> 불러요' and '고르다 (to choose) -> 골라요'.
Elevator Trap
Never say '엘리베이터를 올라요'. It's a dead giveaway that you're translating literally from English.
The Health Sticker
Look for stickers on stairs in Korea; they are great for learning health-related vocabulary like '칼로리' (calorie) and '수명' (lifespan).
Use with '한 계단씩'
Using '한 계단씩' (one step at a time) makes you sound much more like a native speaker when talking about goals.
自分をテスト
Complete the sentence with the correct form of '오르다'.
건강을 위해서 매일 계단을 ______.
'오르다' is a '르' irregular verb, so it becomes '올라요' in the present tense.
Which sentence is naturally used for an elevator?
엘리베이터를 어떻게 이용하나요?
You 'ride' (타다) elevators, you don't 'climb' (오르다) them.
Fill in the blank in the dialogue.
A: 카페가 몇 층이에요? B: 2층이에요. 저기 ______ 오르세요.
The marker '으로' indicates the method or direction of movement.
Match the figurative meaning to the sentence.
성공의 계단을 오르다.
This is a common metaphor for progress and achievement.
🎉 スコア： /4
ビジュアル学習ツール
오르다 vs 타다
練習問題バンク
5 問題건강을 위해서 매일 계단을 ______.
'오르다' is a '르' irregular verb, so it becomes '올라요' in the present tense.
엘리베이터를 어떻게 이용하나요?
You 'ride' (타다) elevators, you don't 'climb' (오르다) them.
A: 카페가 몇 층이에요? B: 2층이에요. 저기 ______ 오르세요.
The marker '으로' indicates the method or direction of movement.
성공의 계단을 오르다.
This is a common metaphor for progress and achievement.
🎉 スコア： /5
よくある質問
12 問Yes, but '사다리를 오르다' is less common than '사다리를 타다'.
'오르다' is the basic verb for ascending. '올라가다' emphasizes the movement away from the speaker.
It is neutral. You can use it in any setting by changing the ending (올라요 vs 올랐습니다).
Use '계단을 내려가다' or '계단을 내려오다'.
Yes, '물가가 오르다' (prices are rising) is very common.
'을' marks the stairs as the object of the climbing action. '에' is possible but less common for this specific collocation.
Young people might say '계단 타기' when referring to the exercise specifically.
Yes, #계단오르기 and #오운완 (Today's workout finished) are popular.
Yes, especially when used metaphorically for growth or progress.
You can say '나선형 계단을 오르다'.
Yes, many K-Pop songs use it to talk about reaching the top of the charts or their dreams.
It becomes '올랐어요' (ollasseoyo).
関連フレーズ
계단을 내려가다
contrastTo go down the stairs
한 계단씩
builds onOne step at a time
사다리를 타다
similarTo climb a ladder
정상에 오르다
specialized formTo reach the summit
급등하다
specialized formTo skyrocket (prices/stats)
どこで使う？
At the Office
Colleague A: 왜 엘리베이터 안 타요?
Colleague B: 요즘 운동하려고 계단을 오르고 있어요.
Giving Directions
Tourist: 카페가 어디에 있어요?
Local: 저기 계단을 오르면 바로 보여요.
Job Interview
Interviewer: 우리 회사에서 어떤 목표가 있나요?
Applicant: 전문가로서 한 계단씩 오르고 싶습니다.
Hiking with Friends
Friend A: 와, 이 계단 진짜 높다!
Friend B: 힘내! 이 계단만 오르면 정상이야.
At Home
Mom: 빨리 올라와서 밥 먹어!
Son: 네, 지금 계단 오르고 있어요.
Social Media Post
User: 오늘도 성장의 계단을 오르는 중! #오운완
Follower: 멋져요! 응원합니다.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Think of 'O-reuda' as 'Over-the-step'. The 'O' sound starts your journey up!
視覚的連想
Imagine a small Korean flag (Taegeukgi) at the top of a long stone staircase. Every step you take, you say 'O-reu-da'.
Rhyme
계단을 올라, 하늘을 봐라 (Climb the stairs, look at the sky).
Story
Min-su wants to see the view from the N Seoul Tower. The elevator is full, so he decides to '계단을 오르다'. Step by step, he says '올라요, 올라요' until he reaches the top and sees the whole city.
In Other Languages
In English, we 'climb the ladder of success'. In Korean, we 'climb the stairs of success'. Both use vertical movement to show progress.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Next time you see stairs, don't take the elevator. As you climb, whisper '계단을 올라요' for every floor you pass.
Review this on Day 1, 3, and 7. Focus on the '올라요' conjugation.
発音
Pronounce 'gye' clearly, like 'gy' in 'gym' but with a 'ye' sound.
The 'r' is a light tap, similar to the 'tt' in 'better'.
The double 'ㄹ' creates a clear 'L' sound like 'Lolly'.
フォーマル度スペクトル
계단을 오르고 있습니다. (Reporting your current action)
계단을 올라요. (Reporting your current action)
계단 올라. (Reporting your current action)
계단 타는 중. (Reporting your current action)
The word '계단' (階段) is a Sino-Korean word. '계' (階) means 'rank' or 'step', and '단' (段) means 'stage' or 'section'. The verb '오르다' is a native Korean word meaning 'to ascend'. Together, they represent the physical and hierarchical ascent.
豆知識
The '르' irregular conjugation in '오르다' is one of the most common stumbling blocks for Korean learners, but it's also one of the most rhythmic parts of the language.
文化メモ
Many Korean apartment complexes have 'Stair Climbing' campaigns. They post stickers on each step showing how many calories you've burned (e.g., '0.15kcal per step') and how many seconds of life you've gained.
“계단 오르기로 수명을 늘리세요! (Increase your lifespan by climbing stairs!)”
The 'Stairway Kiss' or 'Stairway Confession' is a classic trope. Because many old Seoul neighborhoods are on hills, stairs provide a dramatic, vertical setting for romantic or tense scenes.
“드라마에서 주인공들이 계단에서 만나요. (The main characters meet on the stairs in the drama.)”
The concept of 'climbing the stairs' is linked to the 'Seniority System' (Hoyeol). You are expected to climb the ranks step-by-step based on years of service, though this is changing in modern tech companies.
“차근차근 승진의 계단을 밟으세요. (Step by step, climb the stairs of promotion.)”
In Seoul, 'Stairway to Heaven' (천국의 계단) cafes are a huge trend. These are literal staircases built into the sky (ending in mid-air) for the perfect Instagram photo.
“천국의 계단에서 사진을 찍었어요. (I took a photo at the Stairway to Heaven.)”
会話のきっかけ
오늘 계단을 몇 번 올랐어요?
건강을 위해 계단을 오르는 것에 대해 어떻게 생각하세요?
당신의 인생에서 가장 힘들게 올랐던 '계단'은 무엇인가요?
한국의 '계단 오르기' 문화가 다른 나라와 어떻게 다른가요?
よくある間違い
엘리베이터를 오르다
엘리베이터를 타다
L1 Interference
계단을 오르러요
계단을 올라요
L1 Interference
계단에 오르다
계단을 오르다
L1 Interference
계단을 등산하다
계단을 오르다
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Subir las escaleras
Spanish doesn't have the 'ride vs climb' distinction as strictly for escalators.
Monter les escaliers
French often uses the plural 'les escaliers' while Korean uses the singular '계단'.
Die Treppe hinaufsteigen
German has many specific verbs for climbing (steigen, klettern) depending on the effort.
階段を上る (Kaidan o noboru)
Japanese uses different kanji for 'noboru' depending on whether it's stairs (上る) or a mountain (登る).
صعود الدرج (Su'ud al-daraj)
In Arabic, the figurative use is more often 'climbing the ladder' (سلم) rather than 'stairs'.
上楼梯 (Shàng lóutī)
Chinese uses '上' (up) as a verb more flexibly than Korean '오르다'.
Subir as escadas
Like Spanish, it lacks the specific '르' irregular conjugation complexity.
Climb the stairs
English 'climb' can imply using hands, whereas '오르다' is strictly about upward movement.
Spotted in the Real World
“계단을 오르는 것은 신분 상승의 상징입니다.”
The movie uses stairs as a central motif for the class divide between the Kim and Park families.
“참가자들이 알록달록한 계단을 오릅니다.”
The iconic M.C. Escher-inspired colorful stairs the players must climb to reach the games.
“천국의 계단을 올라...”
A classic ballad about longing and reaching for a lost love.
“계단 오르기, 기부로 이어지는 건강한 습관.”
A report on 'Stair Climbing for Charity' apps in Seoul.
間違えやすい
Learners use '계단' and '산' interchangeably for climbing.
Use '계단' for man-made steps and '산' for the whole mountain. For mountains, '등산하다' is more common.
Directional confusion based on the speaker's position.
Use '가다' if you are moving away from the speaker; '오다' if you are moving toward the speaker.
よくある質問 (12)
Yes, but '사다리를 오르다' is less common than '사다리를 타다'.
usage contexts'오르다' is the basic verb for ascending. '올라가다' emphasizes the movement away from the speaker.
grammar mechanicsIt is neutral. You can use it in any setting by changing the ending (올라요 vs 올랐습니다).
basic understandingUse '계단을 내려가다' or '계단을 내려오다'.
basic understandingYes, '물가가 오르다' (prices are rising) is very common.
usage contexts'을' marks the stairs as the object of the climbing action. '에' is possible but less common for this specific collocation.
grammar mechanicsYoung people might say '계단 타기' when referring to the exercise specifically.
practical tipsYes, #계단오르기 and #오운완 (Today's workout finished) are popular.
practical tipsYes, especially when used metaphorically for growth or progress.
cultural usageYou can say '나선형 계단을 오르다'.
usage contextsYes, many K-Pop songs use it to talk about reaching the top of the charts or their dreams.
cultural usageIt becomes '올랐어요' (ollasseoyo).
grammar mechanics
