Phrase in 30 Seconds
A fundamental phrase for navigating buildings, meaning to physically walk down a flight of stairs.
- Means: To move from a higher floor to a lower floor using steps.
- Used in: Giving directions, describing daily routines, or narrating movement in a building.
- Don't confuse: 내려가다 (going away from speaker) with 내려오다 (coming toward speaker).
Explicação no seu nível:
Significado
To descend a flight of steps.
Contexto cultural
In Korean cinema, stairs are a recurring motif for class struggle. The 'upstairs/downstairs' dynamic is central to many urban thrillers. Subway etiquette: On long staircases, Koreans generally keep to the right to allow people to pass, though this is sometimes ignored in rush hour. Health culture: 'Stair climbing' (계단 오르기) is a popular free workout in apartment buildings, but 'going down' is often cautioned against for elderly people to protect their knees. Traditional Architecture: Traditional Hanok houses have very few stairs, as they are mostly single-story. The concept of 'going down stairs' is largely a modern, urban one.
Use '로' for emphasis
If you want to say 'Go by the stairs (not the elevator)', use '계단으로 내려가세요'.
Knee health
In Korea, it's common to hear that going down stairs is bad for your knees, so don't be surprised if people suggest the elevator.
Use '로' for emphasis
If you want to say 'Go by the stairs (not the elevator)', use '계단으로 내려가세요'.
Knee health
In Korea, it's common to hear that going down stairs is bad for your knees, so don't be surprised if people suggest the elevator.
The '가다/오다' rule
Always imagine where the listener is. If they are 'down there', you are 'coming down' (내려오다) to them.
Teste-se
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '내려가다'.
엘리베이터가 고장 나서 {계단|階段}을 ( ).
Since the elevator is broken, you 'went down' the stairs. '내려갔어요' is the past tense.
Which sentence is the most natural for giving directions?
How do you tell someone to go down the stairs to find the exit?
The polite imperative '-세요' is best for directions, and '내려가다' is used as the person is moving away from you.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: You are on the 1st floor. Your friend is on the 2nd floor and is walking down to meet you.
Because the friend is coming toward your location (1st floor), you use '내려오다'.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 화장실이 어디예요? B: 저 ( )을 ( ) 왼쪽으로 가세요.
The sequence '-아서/어서' is used to connect two actions in order: 'Go down the stairs and then go left.'
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Banco de exercicios
5 exercicios엘리베이터가 고장 나서 {계단|階段}을 ( ).
Since the elevator is broken, you 'went down' the stairs. '내려갔어요' is the past tense.
How do you tell someone to go down the stairs to find the exit?
The polite imperative '-세요' is best for directions, and '내려가다' is used as the person is moving away from you.
Situation: You are on the 1st floor. Your friend is on the 2nd floor and is walking down to meet you.
Because the friend is coming toward your location (1st floor), you use '내려오다'.
A: 화장실이 어디예요? B: 저 ( )을 ( ) 왼쪽으로 가세요.
The sequence '-아서/어서' is used to connect two actions in order: 'Go down the stairs and then go left.'
🎉 Pontuação: /5
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasTechnically yes, but it's more common to say '에스컬레이터를 타고 내려가다'.
Korean nouns don't usually mark plural. '계단' can mean one step or the whole flight.
계단으로 내려가 주시겠습니까? (Would you please go down by the stairs?)
'을' marks the stairs as the object of the movement. '에서' would mean you are starting the action *at* the stairs.
계단을 뛰어 내려가다.
Not a specific slang word, but '계단 고' (Stairs go) is used among friends.
Only if there are stairs. Otherwise, use '산에서 내려가다'.
It's an older, more formal word for stairs. You might see it in old books.
한 칸씩 내려가다.
Yes, '경제가 내려가다' can be used, but '하락하다' is more professional.
Frases relacionadas
{계단|階段}을 올라가다
contrastTo go up the stairs
{계단|階段}을 내려오다
similarTo come down the stairs
사다리를 내려가다
specialized formTo go down a ladder
에스컬레이터를 타다
similarTo ride the escalator
Onde usar
Giving directions in a mall
Tourist: 실례합니다, 서점이 어디에 있어요?
Staff: 저쪽 {계단|階段}을 내려가시면 바로 보여요.
Safety warning at home
Mother: 지민아, {계단|階段} 내려갈 때 조심해!
Child: 네, 엄마. 천천히 갈게요.
Meeting a friend at the subway
Friend A: 지금 어디야? 다 왔어?
Friend B: 응, 지금 지하철역 {계단|階段} 내려가고 있어. 1분만!
Office fire drill
Leader: 모두 엘리베이터를 타지 말고 {계단|階段}으로 내려가세요.
Employee: 알겠습니다. 비상구로 가겠습니다.
Hiking with a group
Hiker A: 이제 다 내려왔나요?
Hiker B: 아니요, 저 돌 {계단|階段}만 내려가면 끝이에요.
Talking about a workout
Person A: 오늘 운동 뭐 했어?
Person B: 아파트 {계단|階段}을 20층까지 올라갔다가 다시 내려갔어.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Think of 'Gye-dan' as 'Get Down' (phonetically similar) and 'Naeryeo-gada' as 'Nearly Go Down'.
Associação visual
Imagine a person in a bright yellow raincoat walking down a long, stone staircase in the rain, moving away from a glowing lighthouse.
Rhyme
계단을 내려가, 아래로 내려가 (Gyedaneul naeryeoga, araero naeryeoga)
Story
Min-su is on the 5th floor. He needs to meet his friend at the entrance. He skips the elevator and says, 'I will go down the stairs' (계단을 내려갈게요). He counts each step as he moves away from his apartment.
In Other Languages
In Japanese, '階段を下りる' (Kaidan o oriru) uses the exact same structure and Hanja roots. In English, we say 'go down the stairs,' which matches the directional logic perfectly.
Word Web
Desafio
Next time you are in a building, narrate your movement in Korean. Say '계단을 내려가요' every time you hit the steps.
Review this phrase on Day 1, Day 3, and Day 7. Focus on the distinction between '내려가다' and '내려오다'.
Pronúncia
The 'gye' sound is a soft 'k' followed by a 'y' glide.
The 'ryeo' sound requires a quick flap of the tongue.
Espectro de formalidade
{계단|階段}을 내려가 주시기 바랍니다. (Giving a command or suggestion)
{계단|階段}을 내려가세요. (Giving a command or suggestion)
{계단|階段}을 내려가. (Giving a command or suggestion)
{계단|階段}으로 고고! (Giving a command or suggestion)
The word '{계단|階段}' is a Sino-Korean word. {계|階} (gye) means 'stairs' or 'steps' and {단|段} (dan) means 'section' or 'grade.' The verb '내려가다' is a native Korean compound verb.
Curiosidade
The 'ㄹ' in '내려' comes from the verb '내리다', which is also used for rain falling or getting off a bus.
Notas culturais
In Korean cinema, stairs are a recurring motif for class struggle. The 'upstairs/downstairs' dynamic is central to many urban thrillers.
“The movie 'Parasite' uses the descent of stairs to show the family returning to their semi-basement home.”
Subway etiquette: On long staircases, Koreans generally keep to the right to allow people to pass, though this is sometimes ignored in rush hour.
“Signs saying '우측 보행' (Keep to the right) are common near stairs.”
Health culture: 'Stair climbing' (계단 오르기) is a popular free workout in apartment buildings, but 'going down' is often cautioned against for elderly people to protect their knees.
“Doctors often say, '올라갈 때는 계단, 내려갈 때는 엘리베이터' (Stairs when going up, elevator when going down).”
Traditional Architecture: Traditional Hanok houses have very few stairs, as they are mostly single-story. The concept of 'going down stairs' is largely a modern, urban one.
“The stone steps leading up to a Hanok are called '디딤돌'.”
Iniciadores de conversa
지하철역에서 {계단|階段}을 내려갈 때 무엇을 조심해야 할까요?
엘리베이터와 {계단|階段}, 평소에 무엇을 더 자주 이용하세요?
영화 '기생충'에서 {계단|階段}을 내려가는 장면이 왜 중요할까요?
Erros comuns
계단을 내려오다 (when moving away from the listener)
계단을 내려가다
L1 Interference
계단에 내려가다
계단을 내려가다
L1 Interference
계단을 내리다
계단을 내려가다
L1 Interference
계단을 밑에 가다
계단을 내려가다
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Bajar las escaleras
Spanish doesn't distinguish between 'going' and 'coming' within the verb itself as strictly as Korean's 가다/오다.
Descendre l'escalier
French often uses the singular 'l'escalier' to refer to the whole flight, whereas Korean '계단' is neutral.
Die Treppe hinuntergehen
The German 'hin-' prefix functions similarly to the Korean '-가다' suffix.
階段を下りる (Kaidan o oriru)
Japanese 'oriru' is a single verb, while Korean 'naeryeo-gada' is a compound.
نزول السلالم (Nuzul al-salalim)
Arabic structure is VSO or SVO, and directionality is handled by prepositions rather than verb suffixes.
下楼梯 (Xià lóutī)
Chinese is more compact, often just Verb + Object.
Go down the stairs
English uses 'down' as a preposition, while Korean incorporates it into the verb '내려가다'.
Descer as escadas
Like other Romance languages, it lacks the 'go/come' distinction inherent in the Korean verb.
Spotted in the Real World
“(Visual sequence of the family descending long stairs in the rain)”
The family flees the rich house and descends through the city to their flooded semi-basement.
“(The players walking down the colorful, maze-like stairs)”
The iconic pink and green staircases the players use to reach the game arenas.
“천국의 계단을 내려와...”
A classic K-drama theme song.
“#계단운동 #내려가기”
Captions for workout videos showing people using stairs for cardio.
Fácil de confundir
Learners struggle with the 'go' vs 'come' distinction based on the speaker's location.
If you are at the top, use '내려가다'. If you are at the bottom, use '내려오다'.
Both mean 'down', but '내리다' is for getting off transport or things falling.
Use '내려가다' for the act of walking down a path.
Perguntas frequentes (10)
Technically yes, but it's more common to say '에스컬레이터를 타고 내려가다'.
usage contextsKorean nouns don't usually mark plural. '계단' can mean one step or the whole flight.
grammar mechanics계단으로 내려가 주시겠습니까? (Would you please go down by the stairs?)
practical tips'을' marks the stairs as the object of the movement. '에서' would mean you are starting the action *at* the stairs.
grammar mechanics계단을 뛰어 내려가다.
basic understandingNot a specific slang word, but '계단 고' (Stairs go) is used among friends.
cultural usageOnly if there are stairs. Otherwise, use '산에서 내려가다'.
usage contextsIt's an older, more formal word for stairs. You might see it in old books.
comparisons한 칸씩 내려가다.
practical tipsYes, '경제가 내려가다' can be used, but '하락하다' is more professional.
usage contexts
