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A1 verb #2,500 most common 4 min read

잃어버리다

ireobeorida
At the A1 level, you use '잃어버리다' to talk about losing simple, everyday objects. You learn it primarily in the past tense '잃어버렸어요' because you usually realize the loss after it has happened. Focus on basic sentences like 'I lost my umbrella' or 'I lost my key.' The goal is to connect the object with the action of losing it. You should also learn the difference between this and '잊어버리다' (to forget) early on to avoid common beginner mistakes.
At the A2 level, you expand your usage to include '길을 잃어버리다' (getting lost). You start using it in more complex sentences with conjunctions like '...서' (because) or '...는데' (but). For example, 'I lost my wallet, so I don't have money.' You also begin to understand the nuance of '-어 버리다' as expressing a sense of regret or completion, which helps you sound more natural in daily conversations about small misfortunes.
At the B1 level, you move beyond physical objects to abstract concepts. You might talk about '기억을 잃어버리다' (losing memory) or '자신감을 잃어버리다' (losing confidence). You can use the verb in various grammatical structures like '잃어버릴까 봐' (for fear of losing) or '잃어버린 것 같아요' (I think I lost it). You also start to recognize the formal equivalent '분실하다' in public announcements and signs.
At the B2 level, you use '잃어버리다' to describe more complex emotional and social states. You might discuss losing one's '초심' (original intention) or '정체성' (identity). You understand the subtle difference between '잃다' and '잃어버리다' in literature and news, where '잃다' might be used for more permanent or tragic losses like '시력을 잃다' (losing eyesight). You can explain the emotional weight the verb carries in different contexts.
At the C1 level, you use the verb in sophisticated discourse about societal issues, such as '전통을 잃어버리다' (losing traditions) or '인간성을 잃어버린 사회' (a society that has lost its humanity). You are comfortable with the passive forms and causative structures related to loss. You can appreciate how the verb is used in poetry and high-level prose to evoke a sense of longing or irreversible change.
At the C2 level, you have a near-native grasp of '잃어버리다'. You can use it in philosophical debates about the nature of loss and existence. You understand its historical usage in classical literature and can distinguish between various synonyms with precision. You can use the word to create nuanced metaphors and are fully aware of how its meaning shifts slightly across different Korean dialects or historical periods.
Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

잃어버리다 in 30 Seconds

  • 잃어버리다 is the standard Korean verb for losing physical objects like wallets, keys, or phones in daily life.
  • It is a compound verb combining 'to lose' (잃다) with an auxiliary that adds a feeling of regret or completion.
  • Commonly used in the phrase '길을 잃어버리다' which means to get lost or lose one's way.
  • Must be distinguished from '잊어버리다' (to forget), as they sound similar but have very different meanings.

The Korean verb 잃어버리다 (ireobeorida) is a compound verb that combines the root verb 잃다 (to lose) with the auxiliary verb construction -어 버리다, which signifies the completion of an action, often accompanied by a feeling of regret, sadness, or finality. At its core, it describes the act of losing a physical object, a person, or even abstract concepts like a 'smile' or 'courage' in a way that feels permanent or unfortunate.

Physical Loss
The most common usage involves losing items like keys, wallets, or umbrellas. The addition of '-버리다' emphasizes the frustration of the loss.
Directional Loss
Used in the phrase '길을 잃어버리다' to mean getting lost or losing one's way in a physical or metaphorical sense.
Abstract Loss
Refers to losing intangible things like memories, confidence, or the essence of a tradition.

"어제 공원에서 지갑을 잃어버렸어요." (I lost my wallet in the park yesterday.)

In a broader context, this word captures the human experience of separation. Whether it is a child losing a toy or an adult losing their sense of purpose, the verb resonates with the finality of the event. In Korean culture, where objects are often tied to memories, '잃어버리다' carries a weight of sentimentality. It is not just about the missing item; it is about the void left behind.

"아이를 잃어버리지 않게 손을 꼭 잡으세요." (Hold the child's hand tightly so you don't lose them.)

Social Implication
Losing something in Korea often prompts a collective effort to find it, reflecting the 'Jeong' (communal affection) culture.

"꿈을 잃어버린 사람들에게 희망을 주고 싶어요." (I want to give hope to people who have lost their dreams.)

Using 잃어버리다 correctly requires understanding its conjugation and its relationship with objects. Since it ends in '-다', it follows standard verb conjugation rules. In the present tense, it becomes 잃어버려요 (polite) or 잃어버린다 (plain). In the past tense, which is its most common form, it becomes 잃어버렸어요.

  • Step 1: Identify the Object. What did you lose? (e.g., 핸드폰 - phone).
  • Step 2: Attach the Particle. Add 을 or 를 (e.g., 핸드폰을).
  • Step 3: Conjugate the Verb. Usually past tense (e.g., 잃어버렸어요).

One must be careful not to confuse this with 잊어버리다 (to forget). While they sound similar, the first syllable '잃' (il) refers to loss, while '잊' (it) refers to memory. A common mnemonic is that '잃' looks like a person standing next to a box they lost.

Common Pattern: [Object] + 을/를 + 잃어버리다

When speaking about losing a person, such as a child in a crowd, the verb is used similarly. However, if you are talking about someone passing away, '잃다' is more common and respectful than the compound '잃어버리다', which can sound slightly too casual for death in some contexts.

You will encounter 잃어버리다 in various daily scenarios. In public transport, announcements often remind passengers not to leave (lose) their belongings. In K-Dramas, it is a staple for plot points involving 'lost memories' (기억을 잃어버리다) or 'lost siblings' (동생을 잃어버리다).

Subway Announcements
"내리실 때 잃어버린 물건이 없는지 다시 한번 확인하시기 바랍니다." (Please check again to see if there are any lost items when you get off.)
News Reports
Used when discussing lost property statistics or missing person cases.
Songs/Lyrics
Often used metaphorically to describe losing a first love or losing one's innocence.

In a professional setting, losing important documents (서류를 잃어버리다) is a serious matter, and the verb is used to express the gravity of the mistake. In literature, it is used to describe the loss of national identity or cultural roots, particularly in historical contexts.

The most frequent error for learners is the 잃어버리다 vs. 잊어버리다 confusion. Because both end in '-어버리다', they sound almost identical to the untrained ear. However, the meanings are distinct:

  • 잃어버리다: Physical/Conceptual loss (e.g., losing a key).
  • 잊어버리다: Mental loss/Forgetting (e.g., forgetting a name).

Incorrect: 이름을 잃어버렸어요. (I lost my name - implies you physically misplaced it.)

Correct: 이름을 잊어버렸어요. (I forgot my name.)

Another mistake is using it for losing a game. In Korean, 'to lose a match' is 지다. Saying '경기에서 잃어버렸어요' would sound like you physically lost the game equipment or the event itself rather than the score.

Understanding the synonyms helps refine your Korean. While 잃어버리다 is the general term, others offer more specific nuances:

잃다 (Ilta)
The base form. Used for broader losses, including death or losing a job. It is more formal and less emotional than 잃어버리다.
분실하다 (Bunsilhada)
A formal, Sino-Korean word (Hanja: 紛失) used in official documents, police reports, and 'Lost and Found' centers (분실물 센터).
놓치다 (Nochida)
To miss or let slip. Used for missing a bus or a chance, rather than misplacing an object.

Choosing between these depends on the register. If you are talking to a friend, use 잃어버리다. If you are filling out a form at the airport, you will see 분실.

How Formal Is It?

Formal

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Difficulty Rating

Grammar to Know

Examples by Level

1

우산을 잃어버렸어요.

I lost my umbrella.

Past tense of 잃어버리다.

2

열쇠를 잃어버렸어요?

Did you lose your key?

Interrogative past tense.

3

돈을 잃어버리지 마세요.

Don't lose your money.

-지 마세요 (Don't do...)

4

가방을 어디에서 잃어버렸어요?

Where did you lose your bag?

어디에서 (At where)

5

제 핸드폰을 잃어버렸어요.

I lost my cell phone.

제 (My - humble)

6

펜을 잃어버려서 슬퍼요.

I'm sad because I lost my pen.

-어서 (Because/So)

7

강아지를 잃어버렸어요.

I lost my puppy.

Object: Puppy

8

책을 잃어버렸어요. 미안해요.

I lost the book. I'm sorry.

Expressing apology after loss.

1

길을 잃어버려서 경찰서에 갔어요.

I got lost, so I went to the police station.

길을 잃어버리다 (To get lost)

2

어제 산 모자를 벌써 잃어버렸어요.

I already lost the hat I bought yesterday.

벌써 (Already)

3

물건을 자주 잃어버리는 편이에요.

I tend to lose things often.

-는 편이다 (Tend to...)

4

잃어버린 지갑을 찾았어요!

I found the wallet I lost!

Noun modifying form: 잃어버린

5

버스에 가방을 두고 내려서 잃어버렸어요.

I left my bag on the bus and lost it.

Sequential actions with -어서.

6

중요한 서류를 잃어버리면 안 돼요.

You shouldn't lose important documents.

-(으)면 안 되다 (Should not...)

7

아이를 잃어버릴까 봐 걱정돼요.

I'm worried I might lose the child.

-(으)ㄹ까 봐 (For fear of...)

8

잃어버린 물건은 분실물 센터에 있어요.

The lost items are at the lost and found center.

분실물 (Lost item)

1

어릴 때의 기억을 다 잃어버렸어요.

I've lost all my childhood memories.

Abstract object: 기억

2

그 사고 이후로 웃음을 잃어버렸어요.

I've lost my smile since that accident.

Metaphorical use: 웃음

3

비밀번호를 잃어버려서 로그인을 못 해요.

I lost (forgot) my password, so I can't log in.

Note: 잊어버리다 is more common for passwords, but 잃어버리다 is used if written down.

4

꿈을 잃어버리지 않도록 노력할 거예요.

I will try not to lose my dreams.

-도록 (So that...)

5

잃어버린 시간을 되찾고 싶어요.

I want to regain the lost time.

Concept: Time

6

여권을 잃어버리면 여행이 힘들어져요.

If you lose your passport, the trip becomes difficult.

-아/어지다 (Become...)

7

자신감을 잃어버린 친구를 위로해 줬어요.

I comforted a friend who lost their confidence.

자신감 (Confidence)

8

잃어버린 줄 알았던 반지를 침대 밑에서 찾았어요.

I found the ring I thought I'd lost under the bed.

-(으)ㄴ 줄 알다 (Thought that...)

1

도시화로 인해 고향의 정취를 잃어버렸어요.

Due to urbanization, the atmosphere of my hometown has been lost.

-로 인해 (Due to)

2

그는 명예를 잃어버리는 것을 가장 두려워해요.

He fears losing his honor the most.

명예 (Honor)

3

사랑하는 사람을 잃어버린 슬픔은 말로 다 할 수 없어요.

The sadness of losing a loved one is beyond words.

Emotional depth.

4

현대인들은 여유를 잃어버리고 바쁘게만 살아요.

Modern people lose their composure and only live busily.

여유 (Composure/Leisure)

5

방향 감각을 잃어버려서 한참을 헤맸어요.

I lost my sense of direction and wandered for a long time.

방향 감각 (Sense of direction)

6

잃어버린 신뢰를 회복하는 데는 시간이 걸려요.

It takes time to restore lost trust.

신뢰 (Trust)

7

그 배우는 배역에 너무 몰입해서 자신을 잃어버렸대요.

They say that actor lost himself because he was so immersed in the role.

Indirect quotation: -대요

8

전쟁으로 많은 아이들이 부모를 잃어버렸습니다.

Many children lost their parents due to the war.

Formal ending: -습니다

1

우리는 기술의 발전 속에서 인간성을 잃어버려서는 안 됩니다.

We must not lose our humanity amidst technological advancement.

인간성 (Humanity)

2

그 작가는 잃어버린 세대의 아픔을 소설로 형상화했다.

The author embodied the pain of the lost generation in a novel.

잃어버린 세대 (Lost Generation)

3

전통문화가 점차 잃어버려지고 있는 현실이 안타깝다.

It is regrettable that traditional culture is gradually being lost.

Passive nuance: 잃어버려지다

4

이성은 감정에 휘둘려 판단력을 잃어버리기 쉽다.

Reason is easily swayed by emotion and loses judgment.

판단력 (Judgment)

5

그는 권력에 눈이 멀어 초심을 잃어버렸다.

Blinded by power, he lost his original intention.

초심 (Original intention)

6

언어를 잃어버리는 것은 민족의 정신을 잃는 것과 같다.

Losing a language is equivalent to losing the spirit of a nation.

Comparison: -와 같다

7

자연의 아름다움을 잃어버린 도시는 삭막하기 그지없다.

A city that has lost the beauty of nature is incredibly desolate.

-기 그지없다 (Extremely...)

8

과거의 영광을 잃어버린 왕국은 역사 속으로 사라졌다.

The kingdom that lost its past glory disappeared into history.

Historical context.

1

존재의 근원을 잃어버린 현대인의 고독을 철학적으로 고찰하다.

Philosophically contemplating the loneliness of modern people who have lost the root of existence.

Academic tone.

2

시인은 잃어버린 낙원을 갈구하는 인간의 본성을 노래한다.

The poet sings of human nature longing for a lost paradise.

잃어버린 낙원 (Paradise Lost)

3

기억의 파편 속에서 잃어버린 자아를 찾아 헤매는 여정.

A journey wandering to find the lost self amidst the fragments of memory.

Literary style.

4

순수성을 잃어버린 예술은 상업주의의 도구로 전락할 뿐이다.

Art that has lost its purity only degrades into a tool of commercialism.

Critical analysis.

5

우리는 속도에 치여 삶의 본질적인 가치를 잃어버리고 있는지도 모른다.

We might be losing the essential values of life, overwhelmed by speed.

-는지도 모른다 (Might be...)

6

잃어버린 시간을 찾아서는 인간 의식의 흐름을 치밀하게 묘사한다.

'In Search of Lost Time' meticulously describes the flow of human consciousness.

Reference to Proust.

7

역사적 정당성을 잃어버린 정권은 국민의 저항에 부딪히게 마련이다.

A regime that has lost historical legitimacy is bound to face public resistance.

-게 마련이다 (Bound to...)

8

무의식 속에 잃어버린 상처들이 현재의 행동을 지배하기도 한다.

Wounds lost in the unconscious sometimes dominate current behavior.

Psychological context.

Common Collocations

지갑을 잃어버리다
길을 잃어버리다
기억을 잃어버리다
우산을 잃어버리다
핸드폰을 잃어버리다
아이를 잃어버리다
자신감을 잃어버리다
물건을 잃어버리다
꿈을 잃어버리다
신뢰를 잃어버리다

Common Phrases

길을 잃어버렸어요

잃어버린 물건

정신을 잃어버리다

목소리를 잃어버리다

웃음을 잃어버리다

초심을 잃어버리다

방향을 잃어버리다

가방을 잃어버리다

전부 잃어버리다

다시 잃어버리다

Often Confused With

잃어버리다 vs 잊어버리다

To forget (mental) vs. To lose (physical).

잃어버리다 vs 잃다

Simple loss vs. Regrettable/complete loss.

잃어버리다 vs 지다

To lose a game vs. To lose an object.

Idioms & Expressions

""

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Easily Confused

잃어버리다 vs

잃어버리다 vs

잃어버리다 vs

잃어버리다 vs

잃어버리다 vs

Sentence Patterns

Word Family

Nouns

How to Use It

nuance

The '-버리다' part makes it sound like an accident that you regret.

caution

Do not use for losing a game or competition.

Common Mistakes
  • Using 잃어버리다 instead of 잊어버리다 (forgetting).
  • Using 잃어버리다 for losing a game (should be 지다).
  • Forgetting the object marker 을/를.
  • Misspelling the first syllable as '일' or '잊'.
  • Using it for losing weight (should be 살을 빼다).

Tips

Past Tense Usage

Most of the time, you will use this verb in the past tense (잃어버렸어요). This is because you usually only talk about losing something after it has already happened. Practice the past tense conjugation first.

The 'Forget' Trap

Be extremely careful with '잊어버리다'. Many students say '이름을 잃어버렸어요' which sounds like they physically dropped their name on the floor. Always use '잊' for brain-related forgetting.

Sound Natural

To sound more like a native, add '그만' before the verb: '그만 잃어버렸어요'. This adds a nuance of 'I ended up losing it (unintentionally)'.

Lost and Found

If you lose something in Korea, look for the '분실물 센터' (Bunsilmul Center). You can also use the 'Lost112' app which is the national police lost and found portal.

Object Markers

Never forget the 을/를. While Koreans often drop particles in speech, in writing, '지갑 잃어버렸어요' should be '지갑을 잃어버렸어요'.

Subway Tips

In the subway, you'll hear '유실물' or '분실물'. These both refer to lost items. The verb used in the announcements is often '잃어버리다'.

Visualizing '잃'

The bottom part 'ㅀ' looks like a little hook. Imagine the hook failing to hold onto your bag, so you lose it.

Emotional Weight

Use 잃어버리다 when you want to show you are upset about the loss. If you just want to state a neutral fact, 잃다 is okay, but 잃어버리다 is much more common in speech.

Getting Lost

Remember the fixed phrase '길을 잃어버리다'. You don't 'get' lost in Korean; you 'lose the road'.

Daily Check

At the end of the day, ask yourself: '오늘 무엇을 잃어버렸나요?' (What did I lose today?) even if it's just '시간' (time).

Memorize It

Mnemonic

IL (잃) sounds like 'Ill' - you feel ill when you lose your wallet.

Word Origin

Native Korean

Cultural Context

Korea has a strong culture of returning lost items to the police.

Losing 'Jeong' (affection) is seen as a great tragedy in relationships.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Conversation Starters

"물건을 자주 잃어버리는 편인가요?"

"최근에 무엇을 잃어버린 적이 있어요?"

"길을 잃어버렸을 때 어떻게 했어요?"

"중요한 물건을 잃어버리면 기분이 어떨까요?"

"잃어버린 물건을 찾은 적이 있나요?"

Journal Prompts

내가 잃어버린 가장 소중한 물건에 대해 써 보세요.

길을 잃어버렸던 경험을 설명해 보세요.

우리가 잃어버리지 말아야 할 가치는 무엇일까요?

기억을 잃어버린다면 어떤 기분일까요?

잃어버린 꿈을 다시 찾은 사람의 이야기를 상상해 보세요.

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

No, you should use 잊어버리다 for forgetting information or names. 잃어버리다 is for physical objects or getting lost.

잃다 is the basic verb for 'to lose'. 잃어버리다 adds the nuance of 'completely' and often carries a feeling of regret or sadness.

You say '길을 잃어버렸어요' (I lost the way).

No, for losing weight, Koreans use '살을 빼다' (to take off flesh) or '몸무게가 줄다' (weight decreases).

Yes, if you mean the friendship ended or the person passed away, though '잃다' is more common for death.

Yes, it always takes an object with 을 or 를.

The 'ㅎ' is silent. It is pronounced like '이러버리다'.

Usually '직장을 잃다' is used, but '잃어버리다' can be used in casual conversation to emphasize the loss.

The most common opposite is '찾다' (to find).

Yes, but '분실하다' is formal and often used in official contexts like 'lost and found'.

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