Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
'Show up' means to arrive or appear, often used when someone is late or when something becomes visible.
- Use it for people arriving: 'He didn't show up for the meeting.' (max 20 words)
- Use it for visibility: 'The red ink will show up on white paper.'
- Use it transitively to mean 'embarrass': 'Don't show me up in front of my boss!'
Overview
show up이라는 구동사(phrasal verb)는 원어민들이 일상생활에서 정말 빈번하게 사용하는 표현입니다. 한국어로는 주로 '나타나다', '도착하다', '보이다' 등으로 번역되지만, 그 뉘앙스는 훨씬 더 다채롭습니다. 한국어에는 '나타나다'라는 하나의 동사가 상황에 따라 폭넓게 쓰이지만, 영어의 show up은 단순히 장소에 도착하는 것을 넘어, '예상치 못한 등장', '어려움 속에서의 참석', '데이터의 표출' 등 상황에 따라 미묘한 느낌을 전달합니다.show up at과 같이 전치사를 동반하는 경우가 많습니다. 또한, show up은 때때로 '누군가를 창피하게 만들다'라는 전혀 다른 의미로 쓰이기도 하는데, 이때는 문장 구조가 완전히 바뀝니다.show [someone] up처럼 목적어를 사이에 끼워 넣는 분리형 구조를 취합니다. 이처럼 한국어에는 없는 '구동사의 분리 현상' 때문에 한국인 학습자들이 가장 많이 헷갈려 하는 부분입니다. 이 글을 통해 show up의 정확한 쓰임새와 한국어와의 결정적인 차이를 완벽하게 이해해 봅시다.show up은 문맥에 따라 두 가지 핵심적인 문법적 성격을 가집니다. 첫째는 자동사(intransitive verb)로서의 쓰임입니다. 이때 show와 up은 한 몸처럼 움직이며, 뒤에 목적어를 취하지 않습니다. 예를 들어 He showed up late에서 late는 부사일 뿐 목적어가 아닙니다. 한국어의 '나타나다'와 가장 유사한 형태입니다. 여기에서 up은 단순히 위로 향한다는 뜻이 아니라, '완전히 드러남', '표면화됨'이라는 완료의 뉘앙스를 가집니다.show와 up은 반드시 분리되어야 하며, 그 사이에 반드시 '사람(목적어)'이 위치해야 합니다. She showed me up처럼 말이죠. 한국어에는 이런 식의 '구동사 분리' 문법이 없기 때문에, 한국인 학습자들은 종종 She showed up me라고 잘못 말하곤 합니다. 이는 문법적으로 완전히 틀린 문장입니다.show up) |show up (자동사) |show [someone] up (타동사) |show와 up 사이에 무엇이 오느냐에 따라 의미가 180도 바뀐다는 사실을 항상 기억하세요.show up의 패턴은 목적어의 유무에 따라 결정됩니다.주어 + show(변형) + up + (전치사구/부사)I showed up at the café.(카페에 나타났다.)The error showed up on the screen.(에러가 화면에 나타났다.)
주어 + show + [목적어] + up + (부연 설명)He showed me up.(그가 나를 망신 줬다.)She showed her peers up.(그녀가 동료들을 압도했다.)
S + V + up | He showed up on time. |S + V + O + up | Don't show me up! |You showed up!이라고 할 수 있습니다. 단순히 arrived보다 훨씬 구어체적이고 자연스럽습니다.Oh, the coupon showed up in my app!(쿠폰이 앱에 떴어!)처럼 쓸 수 있습니다. 무언가 숨겨져 있던 것이 표면으로 드러날 때 아주 유용합니다.
Thank you for showing up today.라고 하면, 바쁜데도 불구하고 시간을 내어 참석해 준 것에 대한 고마움을 나타냅니다.
He tried to show his team member up이라고 표현합니다.
- 1목적어 위치 오류:
She showed up me.라고 하는 경우입니다. 한국어는 '나를(목적어) 나타나게 했다'라는 표현이 어색하지만, 영어의 타동사 용법을 '나타나다'의 사동형으로 오해하여 목적어를 뒤에 붙이는 실수입니다. 타동사일 때는 반드시 목적어가show와up사이에 와야 합니다.
- 1관사/전치사 생략:
I showed up company.라고 하는 경우입니다. 한국어는 '회사에 나타났다'에서 조사를 쓰지만, 영어는 반드시at같은 전치사가 필요합니다.I showed up at the company.가 맞습니다.
- 1상태 동사로 오해:
I am showing up happy.처럼 상태를 설명할 때 쓰는 실수입니다.show up은 '도착'이나 '출현'이라는 동작 중심의 동사입니다. 상태를 말할 때는appear나look을 써야 합니다.
show up과 비슷한 단어들이 많아 혼동하기 쉽습니다.Arrive | 도착하다 | 격식 있는 표현, 시간/장소에 중점 |Appear | 나타나다 | 눈에 보이지 않던 것이 보임, 조금 더 추상적 |Show up | 나타나다/망신 주다 | 구어체, 예상치 못한 등장이나 노력 강조 |arrive는 비즈니스 메일이나 공식 문서에 적합하고, show up은 카톡이나 친구들과의 대화에서 쓰는 것이 훨씬 자연스럽습니다.show up을 격식 있는 자리에서 써도 되나요?arrive나 attend를 사용하는 것이 훨씬 세련되게 들립니다.show up과 turn up은 같은 뜻인가요?turn up은 분실물을 찾았을 때(잃어버린 물건이 나타나다) 더 자주 쓰이는 경향이 있습니다.show me up이라고 하면 항상 나쁜 뜻인가요?2. Negative Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
do not show up
|
don't show up
|
Don't show up late.
|
|
does not show up
|
doesn't show up
|
He doesn't show up.
|
|
did not show up
|
didn't show up
|
They didn't show up.
|
Conjugating 'Show Up'
| Tense | Subject | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple
|
I/You/We/They
|
show up
|
They show up every day.
|
|
Present Simple
|
He/She/It
|
shows up
|
He shows up on time.
|
|
Past Simple
|
All subjects
|
showed up
|
She showed up late.
|
|
Present Continuous
|
All subjects
|
am/is/are showing up
|
People are showing up now.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
I/You/We/They
|
have shown up
|
They have shown up already.
|
|
Present Perfect
|
He/She/It
|
has shown up
|
He has shown up twice.
|
|
Future
|
All subjects
|
will show up
|
I will show up at noon.
|
|
Gerund
|
N/A
|
showing up
|
Showing up is half the battle.
|
Meanings
To arrive at a place, especially when expected or after a delay, or to become visible.
Arrival
To arrive at an appointment, gathering, or location.
“What time did he finally show up?”
“I'm surprised so many people showed up for the protest.”
Visibility
To be able to be seen; to be conspicuous or clear against a background.
“The dirt doesn't show up on this dark carpet.”
“The X-ray showed up a small fracture in the bone.”
Outshine/Embarrass
To make someone's faults or lack of ability more apparent by being much better than them.
“He was trying to show me up by finishing the project a week early.”
“She always shows up her siblings with her perfect grades.”
Reference Table
| 사용 맥락 | 의미 | Example Sentence | Formality |
|---|---|---|---|
|
사람들이 도착할 때
|
도착하다; 참석하다
|
He `showed up` for class.
|
Informal
|
|
사물이 나타날 때
|
보이다; 드러나다
|
The error `showed up` on screen.
|
Informal
|
|
참석하려는 노력
|
노력해서 참석하다
|
She `showed up` despite feeling ill.
|
Informal
|
|
현대 디지털 환경에서
|
온라인/앱에 나타나다
|
My order `showed up` on the tracker.
|
Informal
|
|
과거형
|
도착했다; 보였다
|
The email `showed up` yesterday.
|
Informal
|
|
미래형
|
도착할 것이다; 보일 것이다
|
Will you `show up` to the party?
|
Informal
|
격식 수준 스펙트럼
The participant was present for the scheduled meeting. (Workplace attendance)
He showed up for the meeting. (Workplace attendance)
He finally rolled in. (Workplace attendance)
He finally pulled up. (Workplace attendance)
`Show Up`: 핵심 의미 & 사용법
누가/무엇이 도착하나요?
- People friends, colleagues
- Objects packages, emails
- Abstracts problems, results
언제 사용하나요?
- Informal casual chats, texts
- Effort make an appearance
- Discovery become visible/known
언제 사용하지 않나요?
- Formal official reports
- Display show me the way
- Literal Up show up a picture
`Show Up` vs. 비슷한 동사들
`Show Up`을 사용해야 할까요?
누군가/무언가가 도착하거나 보이거나 존재하는 것에 대해 이야기하고 있나요?
맥락이 비공식적인가요 (친구, 가족, 가벼운 업무, 소셜 미디어)?
격식 있는 맥락인가요 (학술 논문, 법률 문서, 아주 공식적인 업무)?
`Show Up` 연어 (Collocations)
시간
- • late
- • early
- • on time
- • after an hour
장소
- • at the party
- • for work
- • at school
- • to a meeting
맥락
- • in the results
- • on the screen
- • for yourself
- • unexpectedly
노력
- • ready
- • prepared
- • despite difficulties
수준별 예문
He did not show up for the party.
He did not arrive at the party.
Does the blue color show up?
Can you see the blue color?
I will show up at 8:00.
I will arrive at 8:00.
She showed up late.
She arrived late.
Why didn't you show up to the meeting yesterday?
Why were you not at the meeting?
The yellow text doesn't show up on the white background.
You cannot see the yellow text clearly.
A lot of fans showed up for the concert.
Many people arrived for the concert.
If he shows up, tell him to wait.
If he arrives, tell him to wait.
I felt like he was trying to show me up by working through lunch.
I felt he wanted to make me look lazy by working more.
The tiny cracks only show up under a microscope.
You can only see the cracks with a microscope.
It’s important to show up for your friends when they are sad.
It is important to be there/support your friends.
Only three candidates showed up for the interview.
Only three people arrived for the interview.
The subtle patterns in the fabric didn't show up in the photograph.
The patterns were not visible in the picture.
He’s always showing his brother up with his expensive gifts.
He makes his brother look bad by giving better gifts.
We were worried that the guest speaker wouldn't show up due to the storm.
We feared the speaker wouldn't arrive.
The results of the test won't show up until tomorrow morning.
The results won't be visible/available until tomorrow.
The discrepancies in the accounting showed up during the annual audit.
The errors became apparent during the audit.
I didn't mean to show you up; I was just trying to be helpful.
I didn't intend to make you look inferior.
Her true character showed up when the company faced a crisis.
Her real personality became visible during the crisis.
Despite the rain, a respectable number of voters showed up at the polls.
Many people arrived to vote despite the weather.
The latent fingerprints didn't show up until the forensic team applied the powder.
The hidden prints weren't visible until treated.
He felt a constant need to show up his colleagues, which eventually led to his isolation.
His drive to outperform and embarrass others alienated him.
The sheer scale of the problem didn't fully show up until the data was visualized.
The problem's magnitude wasn't clear until mapped.
Whether or not the expected symptoms show up is entirely dependent on the patient's immune response.
The manifestation of symptoms depends on immunity.
혼동하기 쉬운
Both involve 'showing' something, but one is about arrival/visibility and the other is about boasting.
They are almost identical in meaning regarding arrival.
Appear is more formal and can mean 'to seem'.
자주 하는 실수
He show up late.
He showed up late.
I show up the party.
I showed up at the party.
She didn't showed up.
She didn't show up.
The color shows off on the paper.
The color shows up on the paper.
He showed up me.
He showed me up.
I will show up you the city.
I will show you around the city.
Did he shown up?
Did he show up?
The stain showed up to my shirt.
The stain showed up on my shirt.
He showed up as a hero.
He turned out to be a hero.
I'm showing up for the meeting.
I'm attending the meeting.
The latent image showed up itself.
The latent image showed up.
문장 패턴
I'm sorry I didn't ___ for the ___.
The ___ really shows up against the ___.
Stop trying to ___ me ___!
If you don't ___, you'll miss the ___.
Real World Usage
Hey, are you going to show up tonight?
Thank you for showing up on such short notice.
The fracture didn't show up on the X-ray.
I'm just trying to show up for my community.
He really showed up his opponent in the second half.
That font won't show up well on a mobile screen.
'존재'를 먼저 떠올려 봐요
Show up은 무언가 있거나 나타났을 때 쓰는 표현이에요. 특히 캐주얼한 상황에서 도착을 말할 때 딱 좋아요. 마치 '짠!' 하고 등장하는 느낌이죠. He showed up suddenly.
격식에 주의하세요
Show up은 좀 편한 말이에요. 친구랑 문자하거나 카페에서 수다 떨 때는 좋지만, 새 상사에게 보내는 공식 이메일이나 학술 논문에는 피하는 게 좋아요. 그럴 때는 arrive나 attend가 더 안전해요. I arrived at the office.
절대 떼어 놓지 마세요!
show your friends up at the party라고 하지 않고,
show up at the party with your friends라고 해야 해요. 꼭 붙여서 사용하세요!
She showed up late.
헌신과 신뢰를 나타낼 때
always show up이라는 표현이 믿음직하고 책임감 있다는 칭찬으로 쓰이기도 해요. 중요한 순간에 항상 나타나서 곁을 지켜주는 사람이라는 뉘앙스가 있죠. He always shows up.
사물도 'Show Up'할 수 있어요
show up할 수 있어요! 잃어버린 물건이 나타나거나, 검색 결과가 뜨거나, 앱에 새로운 기능이 생겼을 때도 쓸 수 있죠. 마치 '뿅!' 하고 눈앞에 나타나는 느낌이에요. My lost keys showed up.
Smart Tips
Replace 'arrive' with 'show up'.
Use 'show up' to talk about how clear the colors or details are.
Use 'show me up' to tell them to stop making you look bad.
Use 'showed up' to apologize for your arrival time.
발음
Stress on the Particle
In phrasal verbs like 'show up', the stress usually falls on the particle ('up') rather than the verb.
Linking
The 'w' in 'show' and the 'u' in 'up' are often linked with a slight /w/ sound.
Rising on 'up' for questions
Did he show UP? ↗
Conveys curiosity or surprise about an arrival.
암기하기
기억법
When you 'Show Up', you 'Show' your face 'Up' close to the people waiting for you.
시각적 연상
Imagine a bright yellow highlighter mark on a black piece of paper. It 'shows up' clearly. Now imagine a friend walking through a door into a room full of people—they have 'showed up.'
Rhyme
If you want to be a star, show up exactly where you are.
Story
Once, a man named Joe promised to attend a gala. He didn't show up until midnight. When he finally arrived, his bright red tie showed up against his black suit. He tried to show up the host by bringing a bigger gift, but everyone just thought he was rude.
Word Web
챌린지
Write three sentences: one about a time you showed up late, one about a color that shows up on your favorite shirt, and one about someone who tried to show you up.
문화 노트
In Western business culture, 'showing up' on time is critical. If you 'show up' even 5 minutes late, it is often seen as a sign of disrespect.
The phrase 'showing up' has become a buzzword in self-help and social media, meaning to be consistent, authentic, and present in one's life or for one's audience.
In cultures with more 'fluid' time, 'showing up' to a party at the exact start time might be considered too early. People often 'show up' 30-60 minutes after the stated time.
The verb 'show' comes from Old English 'sceawian' (to look at, exhibit). The addition of 'up' as a particle to indicate arrival or visibility intensified in the 19th century.
대화 시작하기
Has anyone ever failed to show up for a date with you?
What time do you usually show up for work or school?
If you wear a white shirt, what kind of food stains show up the most?
Do you think it's rude when someone tries to show you up in front of others?
일기 주제
자주 하는 실수
Test Yourself
She didn't ___ for the meeting, and no one knew why.
Show up은 도착하거나 나타나는 것을 의미해요. Show in과 show down은 이 문맥에서 옳지 않아요.Find and fix the mistake:
My name didn't show on the list up.
Show up은 '나타나다' 또는 '도착하다'라는 의미일 때 분리할 수 없는 구동사예요. 'up'은 'show' 바로 뒤에 와야 해요.Choose the correct sentence:
Show up은 '도착하다'를 의미하는 올바른 구동사예요. Arrive up은 문법적으로 틀렸고, show at the station up은 구동사를 잘못 분리했어요.
Translate into English: 'She always makes an effort to be present.'
Answer starts with: ["S...
Show up은 참석하거나 존재하기 위해 노력하는 것을 의미할 수 있어요.Score: /4
연습 문제
8 exercisesWe waited for two hours, but he never ___.
The red wine stain really shows up on your white dress.
Find and fix the mistake:
He showed up me by winning the race easily.
didn't / for / up / show / he / meeting / the
1. Show up late | 2. Show someone up | 3. Show up on an X-ray
I'm going to show up ___ the party at 9.
If you don't ___, you won't get the job.
Find and fix the mistake:
The stars show up better in the city.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesThe lost cat finally ___ after three days.
He needs to show his boss up at the important meeting.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Espero que él venga a la fiesta.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the subjects with what they might 'show up' for:
The new feature will show for all users up next week.
Arrange these words into a sentence:
I waited an hour, but she never ___.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Un problema inesperado apareció en el informe.'
Score: /11
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
It is neutral. In a very formal email, use `attend` or `be present`. In a standard business email, `show up` is fine.
`Turn up` is more common in British English and often implies something was lost or arrived unexpectedly. `Show up` is more common in American English.
Yes, both are correct. `Show up to` is more common for events (parties, meetings), while `show up at` is common for specific locations (the office, the door).
It means to make someone look bad or embarrassed by being much better than them at something.
Only when it means 'to embarrass'. For arrival and visibility, it is intransitive and cannot be separated.
Yes, for visibility. 'The details show up well in this light.'
A 'no-show' is a noun referring to a person who made a reservation or appointment but did not `show up`.
This is a modern idiomatic use meaning to take care of your own needs and be consistent in your personal growth.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Aparecer / Llegar
Spanish doesn't have a direct equivalent to the 'show someone up' (embarrass) sense using the same verb.
Se pointer / Arriver
French uses reflexive verbs (se pointer) for the casual arrival sense.
Auftauchen / Erscheinen
German separable verbs follow strict word order rules that differ from English phrasal verbs.
現れる (Arawareru) / 来る (Kuru)
Japanese relies on different verbs entirely for arrival vs. visibility.
ظهر (Zahara) / حضر (Hadara)
Arabic uses distinct roots for these concepts rather than modifying one verb with a preposition.
出现 (Chūxiàn) / 露面 (Lòumiàn)
Chinese uses compound verbs rather than phrasal verbs with prepositions.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
구동사 'Face up to' (현실을 직시하다)
Overview 이 구동사는 회피에서 인정으로의 심리적 변화에 관한 것입니다. 특히 어렵거나 불쾌하거나 때로는 약간 당혹스러운 일...
시간 전치사: in, on, at 완벽 가이드
Overview 오후 5시에 도착하겠다는 문자를 보낼 때 `in` 5 PM이라고 썼다가 당황한 이모티콘을 받은 적 있나요? 영어에서 작은...
구동사: Take off (벗다 & 이륙하다)
### Overview 영어 학습을 하다 보면 가장 먼저 마주치는 벽 중 하나가 바로 '구동사(Phrasal Verbs)'입니다. 한국어는 '벗다',...
잠깐만! 'Hold on' 사용하기
### Overview 영어를 배우는 한국인 학습자들에게 `hold on`은 단순히 '기다리다'라는 의미 이상의 뉘앙스를 가진 아주 매력적...
차려입기: 정장 및 의상 (Dress up)
### Overview 영어를 배우다 보면 단순히 '옷을 입다'라는 행위를 넘어서, 그 행위 뒤에 숨겨진 '의도'나 '목적'을 표현해야 할...
