불합격하다

§ What does 불합격하다 mean?

The Korean verb 불합격하다 (bulhapgyeokhada) means 'to fail an exam' or 'to be rejected from an application.' It's a compound word made up of three parts:

• 불 (bul): a negative prefix, meaning 'not' or 'un-'
• 합격 (hapgyeok): meaning 'passing' or 'acceptance'
• 하다 (hada): a common verb meaning 'to do'

So, literally, 불합격하다 means 'to not pass' or 'to not be accepted.' You'll hear this word a lot in South Korea because exams and applications are a big part of life there, from school entrance exams to job applications. It's a practical word to know, especially if you're planning to study or work in Korea.

§ When do people use 불합격하다?

People use 불합격하다 when talking about the outcome of an exam, an interview, or any kind of selection process. It's a formal way to express failure in these contexts. You wouldn't typically use it for small, everyday failures, like 'I failed to cook dinner.' For that, you'd use a different verb like 실패하다 (silpaehada), which is a more general term for 'to fail.' 불합격하다 is very specific to academic or professional selection.

DEFINITION

To fail an exam; to be rejected from an application or selection process.

Here are some common situations where you'd use 불합격하다:

• University entrance exams: If someone didn't get into their desired university, they would say 그 시험에 불합격했어요 (geu siheome bulhapgyeokhaesseoyo - I failed that exam).
• Job applications: After an interview, if you don't get the job, you might hear or say 불합격 통보를 받았어요 (bulhapgyeok tongboreul badasseoyo - I received a rejection notice).
• Certification tests: For professional licenses or certifications, if you don't pass, it's 불합격하다.
• Driving test: If you don't pass your driving test, you would use this word.

TRANSLATION HINT

I failed the exam.

TRANSLATION HINT

I failed the interview. (Or: I was rejected after the interview.)

As you can see from the examples, 불합격하다 is used with the particle 에 (e) or 에서 (eseo) to indicate the exam or process that was failed. 에 (e) is used when you are referring to the exam as a destination or point, while 에서 (eseo) is used when the exam is the place where the action of failing occurred. Both are acceptable and often interchangeable in this context.

Understanding 불합격하다 is crucial for navigating conversations about education, career, and various qualification processes in Korea. It's a word that carries a lot of weight in a society that values achievement and success in these areas. So, if you hear someone say they 불합격했어요, you know it's about a significant setback in their academic or professional journey.