조직하다
조직하다 in 30 Seconds
- Core meaning: To organize or form a structured group or system.
- Commonly used for: Committees, teams, clubs, and biological tissues.
- Nuance: Implies formal structure and specific roles/functions.
- Key difference: More formal than '만들다' (make) and focuses on structure.
The verb 조직하다 (jojikhada) is a cornerstone of Korean vocabulary used to describe the act of forming, structuring, or arranging individual elements into a cohesive whole. Derived from the Hanja 組織, where '조' (組) means to weave or group and '직' (織) means to weave or fabric, the word literally suggests the intricate process of interlacing threads to create a strong, functional cloth. In a modern context, this translates to creating systems, committees, or biological structures.
- Core Concept
- To establish a formal structure where roles and functions are defined to achieve a specific goal.
우리는 새로운 프로젝트 팀을 조직했다.
Beyond simple 'planning' (계획), 조직하다 implies a level of formalization. It is not just about thinking of an idea, but about assigning responsibilities and creating a hierarchy or a network. Whether you are talking about a secret society in a thriller movie, a labor union in a political discussion, or the way cells form tissue in a biology textbook, this word is the precise choice for 'structuring' life and society.
- Biological Context
- In science, it refers to the way cells are organized into tissues (조직).
세포가 모여서 생체 조직을 이룬다.
When you use this word, you are emphasizing the 'system' being built. It is highly used in business (organizing a department), politics (organizing a rally or party), and sociology. It carries a nuance of professionalism and intentionality that simpler words like '만들다' (to make) lack.
- Administrative Use
- Setting up a committee or a task force to handle specific administrative duties.
정부는 비상 대책 위원회를 조직하기로 했다.
Using 조직하다 correctly requires understanding its object-oriented nature. It is a transitive verb, meaning it almost always takes an object marked with 을/를. The objects are typically groups of people, systems of thought, or physical structures of living things.
- Grammar Pattern
- [Noun/Group] + 을/를 + 조직하다
학생들은 자원봉사단을 조직하여 마을을 도왔다.
One of the most common ways to use this verb is in the context of 'reorganizing' (개편하다 or 다시 조직하다). In a corporate setting, when a CEO changes the structure of departments, they are '조직'ing the company. It is also frequently used in the past tense to describe the founding of historical movements or secret organizations.
- Common Collocations
- 단체를 조직하다 (organize a group), 위원회를 조직하다 (organize a committee), 망을 조직하다 (organize a network).
범죄 조직을 소탕하기 위해 경찰이 나섰다.
Note that '조직' (noun) can mean 'organization' or 'tissue'. When used as a verb, the focus is on the action of bringing it into existence. If you are just 'arranging' items on a desk, do not use 조직하다; use 정리하다 instead. 조직하다 requires a functional relationship between the parts.
- Historical Context
- Independence movements were often '조직'ed in secret during the Japanese occupation.
독립운동가들은 비밀 결사를 조직했다.
You will encounter 조직하다 in several distinct spheres of Korean life. It is not a word used frequently in casual 'chitchat' about dinner plans, but it is ubiquitous in formal and professional environments.
- 1. News & Media
- Reporting on the formation of new government task forces, political parties, or international coalitions.
G20 정상들은 기후 위기 대응팀을 조직하기로 합의했습니다.
In the corporate world, HR departments use this word when discussing 'Organizational Development' (조직 개발). During annual meetings, you might hear about '조직 개편' (reorganization). It sounds authoritative and strategic.
- 2. Crime Dramas & Thrillers
- Referring to '범죄 조직' (criminal organizations/syndicates). The act of '조직하다' here implies a dangerous, structured underworld.
그는 거대한 마약 밀매망을 조직한 혐의를 받고 있다.
In academic settings, specifically biology and medicine, it is used to describe how life is built. Students learn how 'cells organize into tissues' (세포가 조직을 형성하다/조직하다). This scientific usage is very common in textbooks.
- 3. Community & Activism
- Used when local residents form a committee for a protest or a community improvement project.
주민들은 재개발 반대 위원회를 조직했습니다.
The most frequent mistake learners make with 조직하다 is using it for simple 'arrangement' or 'planning'. It is a heavy word that implies a structural entity.
- Mistake 1: Confusing with '정리하다' (To tidy/arrange)
- Incorrect: 책상을 조직하다 (Organize a desk). Correct: 책상을 정리하다.
Another mistake is using it for events that don't result in a permanent or semi-permanent group. If you are just 'organizing a party', you should use '준비하다' (prepare) or '기획하다' (plan/design).
❌ 파티를 조직하다 (Sounds like you're forming a 'Party Committee' for a political cause).
✅ 파티를 준비하다 / 기획하다.
- Mistake 2: Overusing it in casual speech
- Using '조직하다' when talking to friends about a small study group can sound overly formal or even suspicious (like you're starting a gang).
Finally, learners often forget the difference between 조직하다 (active) and 조직되다 (passive). In Korean, the passive is very common when talking about how a group 'was formed' by circumstances or by an unnamed authority.
이 위원회는 2010년에 조직되었습니다.
Korean has several words for 'organizing' or 'forming'. Choosing the right one depends on the nature of the entity being created.
- 구성하다 (Guseong-hada)
- Focuses on the components. To 'compose' or 'make up' something. Used for teams, committees, or even the structure of a sentence.
- 결성하다 (Gyeolseong-hada)
- Focuses on the union of people. Often used for bands, clubs, or political alliances. It implies people 'tying' themselves together.
- 설립하다 (Seollip-hada)
- To 'establish' or 'found'. Used for physical or legal entities like schools, companies, or foundations.
비교:
1. 팀을 구성하다 (Focus on members).
2. 밴드를 결성하다 (Focus on joining together).
3. 회사를 설립하다 (Focus on legal start).
4. 시스템을 조직하다 (Focus on structure/function).
While 조직하다 can sometimes replace 구성하다, it sounds more formal and emphasizes the 'network' or 'system' aspect. For example, you '조직' a labor union because it has a complex structure, but you '구성' a small study group because it's just a collection of members.
How Formal Is It?
Difficulty Rating
Grammar to Know
-기로 하다 (Decide to)
-기 위해 (In order to)
-어 있다 (State of being)
-ㄴ/은/는 (Noun modification)
-해 주다 (Do for someone)
Examples by Level
우리는 축구 팀을 조직했어요.
We organized a soccer team.
Past tense: 조직했어요.
친구들과 모임을 조직해요.
I organize a meeting with friends.
Present tense: 조직해요.
누가 이 팀을 조직했습니까?
Who organized this team?
Question form: 조직했습니까?
새로운 반을 조직해요.
Organize a new class.
Object marker: 반을.
우리는 작은 그룹을 조직했다.
We organized a small group.
Plain style: 조직했다.
게임을 하려고 팀을 조직해요.
I organize a team to play a game.
Purpose: -려고.
선생님이 팀을 조직해 주셨어요.
The teacher organized the team for us.
Auxiliary: -해 주다.
동아리를 조직하고 싶어요.
I want to organize a club.
Desire: -고 싶다.
학생들이 자원봉사단을 조직했습니다.
Students organized a volunteer group.
Formal style: 조직했습니다.
우리는 여행 계획을 위해 팀을 조직했다.
We organized a team for travel planning.
Noun + 을 위해.
그들은 독서 모임을 조직하기로 했어요.
They decided to organize a book club.
Decision: -기로 하다.
마을 사람들이 축제 위원회를 조직했다.
Villagers organized a festival committee.
Subject: 사람들이.
이 단체는 어떻게 조직되었나요?
How was this organization formed?
Passive: 조직되다.
우리는 환경 보호 그룹을 조직할 거예요.
We will organize an environmental protection group.
Future: -ㄹ 거예요.
그녀는 합창단을 조직하는 것을 좋아해요.
She likes organizing choirs.
Gerund: -는 것.
회사는 새로운 부서를 조직하고 있다.
The company is organizing a new department.
Progressive: -고 있다.
정부는 비상 대책 위원회를 조직하기로 발표했다.
The government announced it would organize an emergency response committee.
Reporting: -기로 발표했다.
이 프로젝트를 위해 전문가 팀을 조직해야 합니다.
We must organize a team of experts for this project.
Necessity: -해야 합니다.
노동자들은 자신들의 권리를 위해 노조를 조직했다.
Workers organized a union for their rights.
Purpose: 권리를 위해.
효율적인 업무 처리를 위해 시스템을 조직했다.
Organized a system for efficient task processing.
Adjective: 효율적인.
그들은 비밀리에 저항 운동을 조직하기 시작했다.
They began to organize a resistance movement in secret.
Adverb: 비밀리에.
이 단체는 여러 지역 지부로 조직되어 있다.
This organization is organized into several regional branches.
State: -어 있다.
우리는 새로운 마케팅 전략을 조직할 필요가 있다.
We need to organize a new marketing strategy.
Need: -ㄹ 필요가 있다.
그는 지역 사회를 위해 많은 봉사 단체를 조직해 왔다.
He has been organizing many volunteer groups for the community.
Continuity: -해 오다.
세포들이 모여 특정한 기능을 수행하는 조직을 이룬다.
Cells gather to form tissues that perform specific functions.
Biological term: 조직 (tissue).
기업은 급변하는 시장에 맞춰 조직을 재편했다.
The company reorganized its structure to match the rapidly changing market.
Reorganization: 재편하다.
그 범죄 집단은 매우 치밀하게 조직되어 있었다.
The criminal group was very meticulously organized.
Adverb: 치밀하게.
정보를 체계적으로 조직하는 능력이 중요하다.
The ability to organize information systematically is important.
Subject: 능력이.
이 이론은 방대한 데이터를 바탕으로 조직되었다.
This theory was organized based on vast amounts of data.
Basis: -를 바탕으로.
그는 흩어져 있던 반대 세력을 하나로 조직했다.
He organized the scattered opposition forces into one.
Result: 하나로.
사회적 네트워크가 어떻게 조직되는지 연구하고 있다.
I am studying how social networks are organized.
Indirect question: -는지.
우리는 효율적인 공급망을 조직하여 비용을 절감했다.
We reduced costs by organizing an efficient supply chain.
Method: -하여.
현대 사회의 복잡한 구조는 고도로 조직화되어 있다.
The complex structure of modern society is highly organized.
Degree: 고도로.
그 작가는 소설의 구성을 매우 정교하게 조직했다.
The author organized the novel's plot very elaborately.
Elaboration: 정교하게.
권력의 분립은 민주주의를 조직하는 핵심 원리이다.
The separation of powers is a core principle for organizing democracy.
Noun modification: 조직하는.
생명체는 스스로를 조직하는 자기 조직화 능력을 갖추고 있다.
Living organisms possess the ability for self-organization.
Self-organization: 자기 조직화.
그는 혁명적인 사상을 바탕으로 새로운 정당을 조직했다.
He organized a new political party based on revolutionary ideas.
Ideology: 사상을 바탕으로.
지식의 체계적인 조직은 학습 효율을 극대화한다.
The systematic organization of knowledge maximizes learning efficiency.
Maximization: 극대화한다.
이 연구는 사회 계층이 어떻게 조직되는지를 분석한다.
This study analyzes how social classes are organized.
Analysis: 분석한다.
글로벌 기업들은 전 세계적인 네트워크를 조직하고 있다.
Global companies are organizing worldwide networks.
Global: 전 세계적인.
우주의 질서는 보이지 않는 법칙에 의해 조직되어 있다.
The order of the universe is organized by invisible laws.
Agent: 법칙에 의해.
인간의 뇌는 수십억 개의 뉴런이 복잡하게 조직된 결과물이다.
The human brain is the result of billions of neurons being complexly organized.
Result: 결과물.
그 철학자는 존재의 근원을 조직하는 원리에 대해 논했다.
The philosopher discussed the principles that organize the source of existence.
Discussion: 논했다.
국가 권력의 조직은 헌법에 명시된 절차를 따라야 한다.
The organization of state power must follow the procedures specified in the constitution.
Compliance: 따라야 한다.
언어는 사고를 조직하고 표현하는 가장 강력한 도구이다.
Language is the most powerful tool for organizing and expressing thought.
Parallelism: 조직하고 표현하는.
생태계의 평형은 생물 종 간의 상호작용을 통해 조직된다.
The equilibrium of an ecosystem is organized through interactions between species.
Through: -를 통해.
역사적 서사는 과거의 사건들을 특정한 관점에서 조직한 것이다.
Historical narrative is the organization of past events from a specific perspective.
Perspective: 관점에서.
예술가는 혼돈 속에서 새로운 질서를 조직해 내는 존재이다.
An artist is a being who organizes a new order out of chaos.
Achievement: -해 내다.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
Often Confused With
To arrange/tidy existing things vs. creating a new structure.
To prepare for an event vs. forming a structural group.
To plan an idea vs. implementing a structure.
Idioms & Expressions
Easily Confused
Sentence Patterns
How to Use It
Implies a higher level of complexity than '만들다'.
Not used for simple physical objects (e.g., don't '조직' a chair).
- Using it for tidying a room.
- Confusing '조직' (organization) with '조작' (manipulation).
- Using it for a one-time event like a dinner.
- Forgetting the object marker 을/를.
- Using it for assembling furniture (use 조립하다).
Tips
Business Context
Use this when talking about forming task forces or new departments.
Passive Form
Remember '조직되다' for when the group was formed by someone else.
Science Tip
'조직' is the word for biological tissue (muscle tissue, etc.).
Academic Tone
This word adds a formal, sophisticated tone to your essays.
Group Work
Use it to describe how you led or structured a project team.
Weaving Metaphor
Visualize weaving threads together to remember the 'structure' aspect.
Avoid Slang
Be careful not to sound like a movie villain by overusing it for small groups.
Swap with 구성하다
If you focus on the members, '구성하다' is often a safer bet.
News Keywords
Listen for this word during election season regarding party formations.
Korean Hierarchy
Understand that '조직' implies a clear chain of command in Korea.
Memorize It
Word Origin
Cultural Context
Independence fighters organized '비밀 결사' (secret societies) during the colonial era.
Labor unions (노조) are a major type of '조직' in Korean social discourse.
Korean companies often undergo '조직 개편' (reorganization) at the start of the year.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Conversation Starters
"새로운 동아리를 조직해 보는 건 어때요?"
"이 회사는 조직 문화가 어떤가요?"
"프로젝트 팀을 어떻게 조직할 계획인가요?"
"지역 사회를 위해 어떤 단체를 조직하고 싶으세요?"
"범죄 조직을 다룬 영화를 좋아하시나요?"
Journal Prompts
내가 만약 새로운 나라를 세운다면, 정부를 어떻게 조직할 것인가?
내 인생의 목표를 달성하기 위해 필요한 시스템을 조직해 보자.
내가 속한 조직에서 나의 역할은 무엇인가?
가장 효율적으로 조직된 팀의 경험에 대해 써보자.
정보를 조직하는 나만의 특별한 방법이 있는가?
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsUsually no. Use '준비하다' or '기획하다'. '조직하다' implies a formal group like a committee.
No, in biology it means 'tissue' (a group of cells). In abstract terms, it can mean a system of ideas.
'조직' focuses on the structure/system, while '단체' focuses on the group of people as a unit.
You can say '조직을 개편하다' or '다시 조직하다'.
It's common in work or school contexts, but less so in casual personal life.
Yes, '생각을 조직하다' is possible, though '정리하다' is more common.
It means 'organizing power' or the ability of a team to work together effectively.
Yes, '범죄 조직' (criminal organization) is a common term, often shortened to '조직' in movies.
You can use '데이터를 조직하다' to mean structuring data, but '체계화하다' is often better.
組 (group) and 織 (weave).
Test Yourself 180 questions
Write: 'I organize a team.'
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Write: 'We organized a club.'
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Write: 'The government organized a committee.'
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Write: 'Cells form tissues.'
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Write: 'He organized his thoughts systematically.'
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Translate: 'Organize a group.'
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Translate: 'I want to organize a meeting.'
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Translate: 'They organized a secret movement.'
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Translate: 'The company reorganized the department.'
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Translate: 'Language organizes our reality.'
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Use '조직하다' in a sentence about soccer.
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Use '조직하다' in a sentence about school.
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Use '조직하다' in a sentence about work.
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Use '조직' in a sentence about science.
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Use '조직하다' in a sentence about society.
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Make a question with '조직하다'.
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Make a negative sentence with '조직하다'.
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Make a sentence with '조직하기 위해'.
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Make a sentence with '조직되었다'.
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Make a sentence with '자기 조직화'.
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Say: '조직하다'
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Say: '팀을 조직해요'
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Say: '위원회를 조직했습니다'
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Say: '세포 조직'
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Say: '체계적으로 조직하다'
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Say: '조직'
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Say: '조직했다'
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Say: '조직합시다'
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Say: '조직력'
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Say: '자기 조직화'
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Repeat: '팀 조직'
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Repeat: '모임 조직'
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Repeat: '노조 조직'
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Repeat: '범죄 조직'
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Repeat: '사회 조직'
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Say: '조직해요'
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Say: '조직했어요'
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Say: '조직할까요?'
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Say: '조직적이다'
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Say: '조직화'
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Listen and write: '조직'
Listen and write: '조직하다'
Listen and write: '팀을 조직했다'
Listen and write: '세포 조직 검사'
Listen and write: '조직 개편'
Listen: '팀을 조직해요.' What is the verb?
Listen: '동아리 조직.' What is the noun?
Listen: '위원회 조직.' What is the noun?
Listen: '범죄 조직.' What is the noun?
Listen: '자기 조직화.' What is the noun?
Identify '조직' in: '우리는 조직을 만들었다.'
Identify '조직' in: '팀을 조직합시다.'
Identify '조직' in: '노조를 조직했다.'
Identify '조직' in: '근육 조직.'
Identify '조직' in: '조직 문화.'
/ 180 correct
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Summary
조직하다 is the go-to verb for forming any structured entity, from a small school club to a large government body or even biological tissue. Example: '새로운 팀을 조직했다' (Organized a new team).
- Core meaning: To organize or form a structured group or system.
- Commonly used for: Committees, teams, clubs, and biological tissues.
- Nuance: Implies formal structure and specific roles/functions.
- Key difference: More formal than '만들다' (make) and focuses on structure.
Business Context
Use this when talking about forming task forces or new departments.
Passive Form
Remember '조직되다' for when the group was formed by someone else.
Science Tip
'조직' is the word for biological tissue (muscle tissue, etc.).
Academic Tone
This word adds a formal, sophisticated tone to your essays.
Example
학생들은 축제를 준비하기 위해 위원회를 조직했습니다.
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