자금을 대다

When you say 자금을 대다, you are talking about the act of providing the financial fuel needed to keep something running. Think of it as being the person or organization who says, 'I believe in this, so here is the money to make it happen.'

This phrase is incredibly common in business and personal contexts. Whether it is a parent funding a child's education or a venture capitalist backing a startup, the core meaning remains the same: you are supplying the capital required for a specific purpose.

It is a very active phrase. It implies that the money is not just a gift, but a purposeful contribution toward a goal. You will hear this often in news reports about investments, political campaigns, or even casual conversations about helping a friend start a business.

The phrase 자금을 대다 is rooted in the combination of 자금 (capital/funds) and 대다 (to touch, to provide, to supply). The verb '대다' is fascinating because it originally meant to make something touch another thing, which evolved to mean 'supplying' or 'providing' something to a target.

Historically, in Korean society, the concept of 'providing' funds was often associated with sponsorship or patronage. In traditional settings, wealthy individuals would 'supply' the means for scholars or artists to work. This nuance of 'enabling' is still present in the modern usage of the phrase.

While the vocabulary is modern, the underlying cultural practice of 'backing' someone else's work is ancient. The term has become standardized in modern economic language, reflecting how traditional concepts of support have shifted into the formal world of finance and business.

You use 자금을 대다 when you want to sound professional yet clear. It is more descriptive than just saying 'to pay.' It implies a commitment to a project's longevity.

Common collocations include 사업 자금을 대다 (to fund a business) or 연구 자금을 대다 (to fund research). These phrases are standard in both news articles and professional meetings. It is a neutral-to-formal expression.

If you are speaking casually, you might say '돈을 대주다,' but 자금을 대다 is preferred when you are discussing formal investments or organizational support. It carries a sense of responsibility and strategic intent that simpler words for 'giving money' lack.

1. 밑 빠진 독에 물 붓기: Literally 'pouring water into a bottomless jar,' used when funding a project that never succeeds. 2. 돈줄을 죄다: To tighten the purse strings or restrict funding. 3. 자금줄이 막히다: To have one's source of funding cut off. 4. 실탄을 마련하다: Literally 'preparing ammunition,' used metaphorically to mean securing funds for a big project. 5. 돈을 쏟아붓다: To pour money into something, often implying a very large amount.

Grammatically, 자금을 대다 follows the structure of [Noun + Object Marker] + [Verb]. It is a transitive verb phrase. The object '자금' is the receiver of the action '대다'.

In terms of pronunciation, ensure the 'g' in '자금' is soft and the 'd' in '대다' is crisp. The phrase is often used in the past tense, 자금을 댔다, or the progressive form, 자금을 대고 있다, to describe ongoing support.

There are no plural forms for this phrase as it is a verb phrase. It is used with the particle '을' (object marker) consistently. Practice saying it with a steady rhythm to sound natural in professional settings.