A2 adverb #6,000 most common 2 min read

꼼꼼히

You do something carefully and pay attention to every small detail.

kkomkkomhi
Practice it

Explanation at your level:

You use 꼼꼼히 when you do things well. If you clean your room and you look in every corner, you are doing it 꼼꼼히. It means 'carefully'.

When you study 꼼꼼히, you read every page and remember the details. It is a very good word to use when you want to say you are being a good worker or student.

Using 꼼꼼히 shows that you are reliable. You can use it to describe how you prepare for a trip or how you check your bank account. It is about avoiding mistakes by being thorough.

In professional contexts, 꼼꼼히 is essential. Employers look for people who can 꼼꼼히 검토하다 (review carefully) documents. It implies a high level of responsibility and attention to nuance.

At this level, you recognize that 꼼꼼히 is more than just 'careful.' It implies a methodical, almost analytical approach to tasks. It is often used in contrast to 'broad strokes' or 'general' approaches.

Mastery of 꼼꼼히 involves understanding its role in Korean culture, where attention to detail is highly valued. It is used in literary descriptions to depict characters who are perfectionists or those who possess a high degree of situational awareness.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • Means carefully/meticulously
  • Adverb form of 꼼꼼하다
  • Used for tasks and preparation
  • Very positive trait in Korea

Hey there! Have you ever had a teacher tell you to check your work 꼼꼼히? It basically means to be super thorough. When you do something 꼼꼼히, you are not just rushing through it; you are taking the time to look at every tiny piece of the puzzle.

Think of it as the opposite of being sloppy or careless. Whether you are packing a suitcase or studying for a big exam, acting 꼼꼼히 ensures that you won't have any regrets later because you missed a small but important detail.

The word 꼼꼼히 comes from the adjective 꼼꼼하다 (kkom-kkom-ha-da). In Korean linguistics, this is often considered an ideophone or a mimetic word. These words are fascinating because they often mimic the feeling or the visual nature of an action.

Historically, the repetition of the syllable 'kkom' suggests a sense of being 'tight' or 'closely packed.' By repeating it, the language emphasizes a sense of density and completeness. It has been a staple in the Korean language for centuries, used to describe people who are reliable and detail-oriented in their daily lives and crafts.

You will hear 꼼꼼히 in many different settings. In a professional environment, your boss might ask you to review a contract 꼼꼼히 to avoid legal issues. In daily life, you might tell a friend to check their pockets 꼼꼼히 before leaving the house.

It is a very versatile word. Common pairings include 꼼꼼히 살피다 (to examine carefully) and 꼼꼼히 준비하다 (to prepare thoroughly). It is widely used in both formal business settings and casual conversations between friends and family.

While 꼼꼼히 is an adverb, it appears in many set phrases. 1. 꼼꼼히 챙기다: To make sure everything is taken care of. 2. 꼼꼼히 따져보다: To weigh all the pros and cons carefully. 3. 꼼꼼히 기록하다: To keep meticulous records. 4. 꼼꼼히 검토하다: To review something with a fine-tooth comb. 5. 꼼꼼히 정리하다: To organize something perfectly.

Grammatically, 꼼꼼히 is the adverbial form of the adjective 꼼꼼하다. To form it, you take the stem and add the adverbial suffix '-히'. It modifies verbs, so you will almost always see it placed right before the action word.

Pronunciation-wise, the 'kk' sound is a tense, aspirated sound in Korean. It sounds like a sharp, sudden release of air. Try to emphasize the double 'k' to sound more natural. It rhymes with words that have a similar rhythmic structure like 알뜰히 (frugally) or 열심히 (diligently).

Fun Fact

It is an ideophone that mimics the feeling of being thorough.

Pronunciation Guide

UK /kːom.kːom.hi/

Crisp double k sound.

US /kːom.kːom.hi/

Sharp, tense k sounds.

Common Errors

  • Softening the k sound
  • Misplacing the stress
  • Dropping the final 'hi'

Rhymes With

열심히 알뜰히 조용히 천천히 분명히

Difficulty Rating

Reading 2/5

Easy to read

Writing 2/5

Easy to write

Speaking 2/5

Easy to speak

Listening 2/5

Easy to listen

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

하다 잘 읽다

Learn Next

철저히 세심하게

Advanced

면밀히

Grammar to Know

Adverbial suffix -히

꼼꼼히

Adjective to Adverb

꼼꼼하다 -> 꼼꼼히

Sentence Structure

Subject-Object-Verb

Examples by Level

1

방을 꼼꼼히 청소해요.

Room-object carefully clean-do.

Adverb modifying verb.

1

숙제를 꼼꼼히 확인했어요.

2

가방을 꼼꼼히 쌌어요.

3

설명서를 꼼꼼히 읽으세요.

4

메모를 꼼꼼히 적었어요.

5

지도를 꼼꼼히 봤어요.

6

준비를 꼼꼼히 했어요.

7

옷을 꼼꼼히 골랐어요.

8

사과를 꼼꼼히 씻었어요.

1

계약서를 꼼꼼히 검토해야 합니다.

2

여행 계획을 꼼꼼히 세웠어요.

3

영수증을 꼼꼼히 확인하세요.

4

그는 일을 꼼꼼히 처리합니다.

5

질문을 꼼꼼히 읽고 답하세요.

6

재료를 꼼꼼히 골라야 해요.

7

주소를 꼼꼼히 적어주세요.

8

사건을 꼼꼼히 조사했어요.

1

데이터를 꼼꼼히 분석하는 것이 중요합니다.

2

그녀는 항상 꼼꼼히 준비하는 편이에요.

3

실수를 줄이려면 꼼꼼히 확인해야 해요.

4

면접 준비를 꼼꼼히 마쳤습니다.

5

꼼꼼히 따져보고 결정하세요.

6

모든 사항을 꼼꼼히 기록했습니다.

7

꼼꼼히 살피지 않으면 놓칠 수 있어요.

8

꼼꼼히 정리된 서류를 가져오세요.

1

이 보고서는 매우 꼼꼼히 작성되었습니다.

2

그는 꼼꼼히 사안을 검토한 끝에 결론을 내렸다.

3

꼼꼼히 계획된 전략이 성공의 열쇠입니다.

4

문제의 원인을 꼼꼼히 파악해야 합니다.

5

꼼꼼히 조사한 결과 오류가 발견되었습니다.

6

그녀의 꼼꼼히 다듬어진 문체는 인상적입니다.

7

꼼꼼히 관리된 정원은 매우 아름답습니다.

8

꼼꼼히 비교해 본 후 구매하세요.

1

그의 꼼꼼히 짜인 논리는 반박하기 어렵다.

2

꼼꼼히 성찰하는 태도는 학자의 덕목이다.

3

역사적 사실을 꼼꼼히 고증하여 집필했다.

4

꼼꼼히 설계된 건축물은 견고하다.

5

그는 꼼꼼히 상황을 주시하고 있었다.

6

꼼꼼히 준비된 대책이 위기를 막았다.

7

꼼꼼히 검증된 데이터만이 가치가 있다.

8

그녀는 꼼꼼히 감정을 절제하며 말했다.

Common Collocations

꼼꼼히 살피다
꼼꼼히 검토하다
꼼꼼히 준비하다
꼼꼼히 확인하다
꼼꼼히 따져보다
꼼꼼히 기록하다
꼼꼼히 챙기다
꼼꼼히 읽다
꼼꼼히 정리하다
꼼꼼히 조사하다

Idioms & Expressions

"꼼꼼히 따지다"

To examine in detail

비용을 꼼꼼히 따져봐야 해요.

neutral

"꼼꼼히 챙기다"

To ensure nothing is missing

잊은 것 없이 꼼꼼히 챙기세요.

neutral

"꼼꼼히 살피다"

To watch closely

주위를 꼼꼼히 살피고 건너세요.

neutral

"꼼꼼히 적다"

To take thorough notes

강의 내용을 꼼꼼히 적었어요.

neutral

"꼼꼼히 검수하다"

To inspect carefully

제품을 꼼꼼히 검수했습니다.

formal

"꼼꼼히 관리하다"

To manage with care

건강을 꼼꼼히 관리하세요.

neutral

Easily Confused

꼼꼼히 vs 대충

Opposite meaning

Careless vs Careful

대충 하지 말고 꼼꼼히 하세요.

꼼꼼히 vs 열심히

Both are adverbs

Hard-working vs Meticulous

열심히 하는 것과 꼼꼼히 하는 것은 다르다.

꼼꼼히 vs 조용히

Similar suffix

Quietly vs Carefully

조용히 꼼꼼히 일하세요.

꼼꼼히 vs 분명히

Similar suffix

Clearly vs Carefully

분명히 말하고 꼼꼼히 확인하세요.

Sentence Patterns

A1

Subject + 꼼꼼히 + Verb

그는 일을 꼼꼼히 합니다.

A2

Object + 꼼꼼히 + Verb

서류를 꼼꼼히 검토하세요.

B1

꼼꼼히 + Verb + (으)면

꼼꼼히 확인하면 실수가 없어요.

B2

꼼꼼히 + Verb + 기 때문에

꼼꼼히 준비했기 때문에 성공했다.

B2

꼼꼼히 + Verb + 하려고 노력하다

꼼꼼히 하려고 노력하고 있어요.

Word Family

Nouns

꼼꼼함 The quality of being meticulous

Verbs

꼼꼼히 하다 To do something meticulously

Adjectives

꼼꼼하다 Meticulous/careful

Related

꼼꼼쟁이 A person who is very meticulous

How to Use It

frequency

9

Formality Scale

Formal Neutral Casual N/A

Common Mistakes

꼼꼼하게히 → 꼼꼼히
Adding '하게' and '히' is redundant.
꼼꼼히하다 → 꼼꼼히 하다
Adverbs need a space before the verb.
꼼꼼히게 → 꼼꼼히
The suffix is '히', not '게'.
꼼꼼히의 → 꼼꼼한
Do not use possessive particles with adverbs.
꼼꼼히한 → 꼼꼼한
Adverbs cannot modify nouns directly.

Tips

💡

Memory Palace

Imagine a detective checking a room.

💡

Native Context

Use it when giving instructions.

🌍

Cultural Value

Koreans value being thorough.

💡

Grammar Shortcut

Adverb + Verb.

💡

Say It Right

Focus on the k sound.

💡

Don't Make This Mistake

Don't add -게.

💡

Did You Know?

It's an ideophone.

💡

Study Smart

Use it in your daily diary.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

K-K (Keep-Keeping) track of every detail.

Visual Association

A person using a magnifying glass to check a document.

Word Web

Careful Thorough Detail Reliable

Challenge

Try to check your bag 꼼꼼히 before leaving today.

Word Origin

Korean (Native)

Original meaning: Tight, dense, close

Cultural Context

None, it is a positive trait.

Equates to 'paying attention to detail' or 'due diligence'.

Used in many Korean educational slogans.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

At work

  • 꼼꼼히 검토하다
  • 꼼꼼히 작성하다
  • 꼼꼼히 보고하다

At school

  • 꼼꼼히 공부하다
  • 꼼꼼히 적다
  • 꼼꼼히 읽다

Travel

  • 꼼꼼히 챙기다
  • 꼼꼼히 확인하다
  • 꼼꼼히 계획하다

Cleaning

  • 꼼꼼히 닦다
  • 꼼꼼히 정리하다
  • 꼼꼼히 치우다

Conversation Starters

"Are you a 꼼꼼히 person?"

"How do you prepare for exams 꼼꼼히?"

"Do you check your emails 꼼꼼히?"

"Why is it important to work 꼼꼼히?"

"Who is the most 꼼꼼히 person you know?"

Journal Prompts

Describe a time you did a task 꼼꼼히.

Why is being 꼼꼼히 important for your job?

Write about a mistake you made by not being 꼼꼼히.

How can you be more 꼼꼼히 in your daily life?

Frequently Asked Questions

8 questions

Yes, e.g., '꼼꼼히 닦다' (clean carefully).

No, it is an adverb.

꼼꼼하다.

No, it is a compliment.

Usually for actions, not feelings.

Only if someone is overly pedantic.

Tense your throat muscles.

Yes, very common.

Test Yourself

fill blank A1

시험 문제를 ___ 읽으세요.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 꼼꼼히

You should read exam questions carefully.

multiple choice A2

Which word means 'carefully'?

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 꼼꼼히

꼼꼼히 means carefully.

true false B1

꼼꼼히 means to do something carelessly.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: False

It means the opposite.

match pairs B1

Word

Meaning

All matched!

Matching opposites.

sentence order B2

Tap words below to build the sentence
Correct! Not quite. Correct answer:

Standard Korean word order.

Score: /5

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