- Literal Translation
- 길 (road) + 을 (object particle) + 묻다 (to ask) = To ask the road/way.
- Practical Meaning
- To ask for directions to a specific place or location.
- Metaphorical Meaning
- To ask for guidance or advice regarding one's path in life or future decisions.
Excuse me, I need to 길을 묻다 (ask for directions) to the nearest subway station.
Because my GPS was not working, I had to 길을 묻다 to find the restaurant.
If you don't know the way, you should 길을 묻다 (ask someone for directions) rather than wandering around.
The philosopher spent his life trying to 길을 묻다 about the true meaning of existence.
Let's stop the car and 길을 묻다 at that gas station over there.
- Present Tense
- 길을 물어요 (I ask for directions / Someone asks for directions).
- Past Tense
- 길을 물었어요 (I asked for directions).
- Future Tense
- 길을 물을 거예요 (I will ask for directions).
If you are lost, you should immediately 길을 묻다 to a local resident.
She had to 길을 묻다 to the security guard because the building was too large.
They decided to 길을 묻다 rather than relying on the outdated map.
He was too shy to 길을 묻다, so he wandered for an hour.
Can I 길을 묻다 to you for a moment?
- Tourist Areas
- Common in places like Myeongdong or Bukchon Hanok Village where visitors frequently need guidance.
- Subway Stations
- Heard often near information desks or when trying to find a specific exit among dozens.
- Driving
- Used when a driver rolls down the window to ask a pedestrian or another driver for the right route.
While walking in Bukchon, a foreign tourist approached me to 길을 묻다.
The hikers were lost in the mountains and had no choice but to 길을 묻다 to a passing ranger.
Many young people visit mentors to 길을 묻다 regarding their future careers.
In his new novel, the protagonist goes on a journey to 길을 묻다 about his true identity.
The driver rolled down his window to 길을 묻다 because his navigation system froze.
- Incorrect Conjugation
- 길을 묻어요. (Incorrect because the ㄷ did not change to ㄹ before a vowel).
- Correct Conjugation
- 길을 물어요. (Correct because the ㄷ changed to ㄹ).
- Homonym Confusion
- 묻다 can also mean 'to bury' or 'to stain'. In these cases, it is a regular verb. So 길을 묻어요 literally means 'I bury the road'.
Make sure you do not say you are burying the road when you actually want to 길을 묻다.
He made a mistake by using the wrong particle when trying to 길을 묻다 to the police officer.
To be polite to the elderly woman, I used honorifics to 길을 묻다.
She corrected her friend who said 묻어요 instead of 물어요 when trying to 길을 묻다.
Remembering the irregular conjugation is the hardest part of learning how to 길을 묻다 correctly.
- 길을 묻다 vs. 방향을 묻다
- 길을 묻다 is asking for the specific path or route to a place. 방향을 묻다 is asking for the general direction (e.g., Which way is north?).
- 길을 찾다
- Means 'to find the way'. You ask for directions (길을 묻다) in order to find the way (길을 찾다).
- 위치를 물어보다
- Means 'to ask about the location'. Used when you want to know where something is situated on a map, rather than how to navigate there.
Instead of just trying to 길을 묻다, he asked for the exact GPS coordinates.
Because she was too shy to 길을 묻다, she ended up 길을 헤매다 (wandering lost) for hours.
The helpful local not only answered when I tried to 길을 묻다, but actually walked me to my destination.
Learning various ways to 길을 묻다 will make you a much more confident traveler in Korea.
He preferred to use his smartphone rather than physically 길을 묻다 to strangers on the street.
Examples by Level
저는 길을 물어요.
I ask for directions.
Present polite tense of 묻다 (물어요).
남자가 길을 물어요.
The man asks for directions.
Subject particle 가 used with 남자.
길을 물어보세요.
Please ask for directions.
Polite command form -(으)세요.
어디에서 길을 물어요?
Where do you ask for directions?
Question word 어디 (where) with location particle 에서.
경찰에게 길을 물어요.
I ask the police for directions.
Dative particle 에게 (to) used for the receiver of the question.
길을 묻고 싶어요.
I want to ask for directions.
Desire form -고 싶다. Note 'ㄷ' does not change before '고'.
학생이 길을 물어요.
The student asks for directions.
Basic subject-object-verb sentence structure.
길을 묻습니다.
I ask for directions (formal).
Formal declarative ending -습니다. Note 'ㄷ' does not change before '습'.
어제 명동에서 길을 물었어요.
I asked for directions in Myeongdong yesterday.
모르면 다른 사람한테 길을 물어보세요.
If you don't know, try asking someone else for directions.
길을 물어야 하는데 한국어를 잘 못해요.
I have to ask for directions, but I can't speak Korean well.
할아버지께 길을 여쭤봤어요.
I asked the grandfather for directions (honorific).
길을 묻고 나서 오른쪽으로 갔어요.
After asking for directions, I went to the right.
서울역 가는 길을 물을 거예요.
I will ask for directions to Seoul Station.
길을 묻지만 대답해 주는 사람이 없어요.
I ask for directions, but no one answers.
저기요, 길 좀 물어봐도 될까요?
Excuse me, may I ask for directions?
친구가 저에게 시청 가는 길을 물어봤어요.
My friend asked me for directions to City Hall.
길을 잃어버려서 경찰관에게 길을 물어볼 수밖에 없었어요.
Because I got lost, I had no choice but to ask a police officer for directions.
선생님께서 모르는 곳에 가면 항상 길을 물어보라고 하셨어요.
My teacher told me to always ask for directions when I go to an unfamiliar place.
스마트폰 배터리가 다 되어서 지나가는 사람에게 길을 물어야 했습니다.
My smartphone battery died, so I had to ask a passerby for directions.
길을 묻는 것을 부끄러워하지 마세요.
Don't be shy about asking for directions.
외국인이 영어로 길을 물어서 당황했어요.
A foreigner asked for directions in English, so I was panicked.
길을 물어본 덕분에 목적지에 빨리 도착할 수 있었습니다.
Thanks to asking for directions, I was able to arrive at the destination quickly.
정확한 위치를 몰라서 동네 주민에게 길을 물어보는 중이에요.
I don't know the exact location, so I am in the middle of asking a local resident for directions.
요즘은 내비게이션이 발달해서 창문을 내리고 길을 묻는 운전자를 보기 힘듭니다.
These days, because navigation systems are advanced, it's hard to see drivers rolling down their windows to ask for directions.
청년들은 종종 멘토를 찾아가 자신의 미래에 대한 길을 묻곤 합니다.
Young people often visit mentors to ask for directions regarding their future.
낯선 여행지에서 현지인에게 길을 묻는 것은 여행의 또 다른 묘미입니다.
Asking locals for directions in an unfamiliar travel destination is another charm of traveling.
그는 아무에게도 길을 묻지 않고 혼자서 문제를 해결하려고 고집을 부렸어요.
He stubbornly tried to solve the problem alone without asking anyone for directions.
길을 묻는 행위는 단순히 정보를 얻는 것을 넘어 타인과의 소통을 시작하는 방법입니다.
The act of asking for directions goes beyond simply getting information and is a way to start communicating with others.
어르신께 길을 여쭐 때는 반드시 예의를 갖추어 공손하게 말씀드려야 합니다.
When asking an elder for directions, you must be sure to speak politely and show respect.
길을 묻지도 따지지도 않고 그 제품을 구매하는 소비자들이 늘고 있습니다.
The number of consumers buying that product without asking questions or calculating is increasing (idiomatic).
인생의 중반에 접어들면서, 그는 철학책을 읽으며 삶의 길을 묻기 시작했다.
Entering the middle of his life, he began reading philosophy books to ask for the path of life.
급격한 사회 변화 속에서 현대인들은 어디로 나아가야 할지 끊임없이 길을 묻고 있다.
In the midst of rapid social change, modern people are constantly asking for directions on where to go next.
그 소설의 주인공은 물리적인 미로뿐만 아니라 심리적인 방황 속에서도 길을 묻는 존재로 묘사된다.
The protagonist of the novel is depicted as a being who asks for directions not only in a physical maze but also within psychological wandering.
정보의 홍수 속에서 우리는 올바른 지식을 선별하기 위해 전문가에게 길을 물어야 할 때가 많습니다.
In the flood of information, there are many times we must ask experts for directions in order to select correct knowledge.
길을 묻는다는 것은 자신의 무지를 인정하고 타인의 지혜를 수용하려는 겸손한 태도의 발로이다.
Asking for directions is a manifestation of a humble attitude, acknowledging one's ignorance and trying to accept the wisdom of others.
지도 앱의 오류로 인해 오랜만에 낯선 이에게 길을 묻는 아날로그적 경험을 하게 되었다.
Due to an error in the map app, I had the analog experience of asking a stranger for directions for the first time in a while.
국가의 미래 비전을 수립하기 위해 정부는 국민들에게 그 나아갈 길을 묻는 공청회를 개최했다.
To establish the nation's future vision, the government held a public hearing asking the citizens for the way forward.
그 시인은 자연의 섭리 속에서 인간이 살아가야 할 길을 묻는 서정적인 작품을 남겼다.
The poet left behind lyrical works asking for the path humans should live by within the providence of nature.
타인에게 길을 묻기 전에 스스로 치열하게 고민하고 탐구하는 과정이 선행되어야 한다.
Before asking others for directions, a process of fiercely agonizing and exploring on one's own must precede.
인류는 역사적 변곡점마다 철학과 종교에 기대어 시대적 위기를 극복할 길을 물어왔다.
At every historical inflection point, humanity has leaned on philosophy and religion to ask for a way to overcome the crises of the times.
디지털 네이티브 세대에게 타인에게 직접 길을
Example
모르는 길은 사람들에게 길을 묻는 게 좋아요.
Related Content
This Word in Other Languages
More travel words
숙소
B1A place where someone stays for a short time, such as a hotel, guest house, or hostel. A key word for travel-related listening and writing.
어댑터
A2A device for connecting parts of different sizes or types.
입장료
A1A fee charged for entry to a place or event; an admission fee.
~후에
A2Indicates an action occurring after another action.
~ㄴ/은 후에
A2Expresses an action occurring after another action or event; after doing.
은/는 후에
A2Indicates an action occurring after another, meaning 'after doing'.
비행기
A1Airplane; a powered flying vehicle with fixed wings.
공항
A1Airport
공항버스
A2Airport bus
통로
A2A narrow way or passage between rows of seats or shelves; an aisle.