줍다

§ What Does 줍다 Mean?

Korean Word

줍다

Part of Speech

Verb

English Definition

To pick up; to gather something from the ground.

The Korean verb 줍다 (jupda) is used when you pick something up from a surface, usually the ground. It's a very common verb, so it's good to learn how to use it correctly.

§ How to Use 줍다 in a Sentence

When you use 줍다, you'll often see it with certain particles. The most common particles are:

• ~을/를 (object particle): This particle marks the object being picked up.

• ~에서 (from/at a place): This particle indicates the place where something is being picked up from.

• ~다가 (while doing): This particle can be used to connect two actions, implying that one action happened while the other was in progress.

§ Common Conjugations of 줍다

Like all Korean verbs, 줍다 changes its form depending on the politeness level and tense. Here are some basic conjugations:

• Present Tense (Polite): 주워요 (juweoyo)

• Past Tense (Polite): 주웠어요 (juweosseoyo)

• Future Tense (Polite): 주울 거예요 (juul geoyeoyo)

• Imperative (Polite): 주우세요 (juuseyo)

§ Example Sentences with 줍다

Translation Hint

I picked up the trash.

Here, '쓰레기를' is the object (trash) and '주웠어요' is the past tense polite form of 줍다.

Translation Hint

I picked up money on the street.

In this example, '길에서' indicates the place (on the street) where the money was picked up.

Translation Hint

I picked up the pen and gave it back.

Here, '주워서' (juwoseo) is the connective form, meaning 'having picked up' or 'after picking up'. It connects the action of picking up the pen to the action of returning it.

Translation Hint

Please pick up the ball and come (back).

This sentence uses the imperative form '주워 오세요' which means 'please pick up and bring back'.

§ Things to Remember

• Remember the 'ㅂ' irregular rule. It's crucial for conjugating 줍다 correctly.

• 줍다 specifically refers to picking something up that has fallen or is on a surface, usually the ground. It's not for picking up something that is already held or supported.

Keep practicing with these examples, and you'll master 줍다 in no time!

§ Don't Confuse 줍다 with 줍어먹다 or 줍어들다

Many learners, especially at the A2 level, might incorrectly assume that adding suffixes to 줍다 creates variations of 'to pick up'. While Korean often uses compound verbs, 줍어먹다 (to pick up and eat) and 줍어들다 (to pick up and carry/hold) are distinct and used in specific contexts. 줍다 itself covers the basic action of picking something up from the ground.

§ Incorrectly Using 줍다 for Picking Up People

This might sound funny, but a common mistake for English speakers is to directly translate 'pick up' a person. In English, 'pick up' can mean to give someone a ride. In Korean, 줍다 is exclusively for objects or things from the ground. You wouldn't use it to say you're picking up a friend from the airport.

Wrong:

저는 친구를 공항에서 줍었어요. (I picked up my friend at the airport.)

Instead, you would use verbs like 데리러 가다 (to go to pick up) or 태우러 가다 (to go to pick up by car).

Correct:

저는 친구를 공항에 데리러 갔어요. (I went to pick up my friend at the airport.)

§ Overlooking Irregular Conjugation: 줍다 is a 'ㅂ' irregular verb

This is a classic 'ㅂ' irregular verb! For A2 learners, mastering irregular conjugations is crucial. Many will forget that when 줍다 is followed by a vowel, the 'ㅂ' changes to '우' or '오'. This is a very common oversight.

• Present Tense (아/어요): 줍다 + -어요 → 주워요
• Past Tense (았/었어요): 줍다 + -었어요 → 주웠어요
• Connective (으러/러): 줍다 + -으러 → 주우러
• Gerund (아/어서): 줍다 + -어서 → 주워서

§ Not Differentiating Between 줍다 and 줍다 (to give/receive) - A Homonym Trap

This is less of a mistake and more of a potential source of confusion. While not strictly related to 'to pick up', it's important for learners to know that there's another verb pronounced '줍다' (written 좁다 in standard Korean, meaning 'to be narrow'). However, sometimes in very casual or dialectal speech, people might pronounce 좁다 similar to 줍다. But for 'to pick up', the spelling is always 줍다.

Focus on context. The verb for 'to pick up' will always involve an object being gathered from the ground. The 'narrow' meaning will refer to space. You won't use 'to pick up' in the context of describing a tight space.

Meaning 'to be narrow':

길이 너무 좁아요. (The road is too narrow.)

This is more for advanced awareness, but it's good to be prepared for such nuances as you progress in your Korean studies.

§ What '줍다' Means

Korean Word

줍다

Part of Speech

Verb

Definition

To pick up; to gather something from the ground.

CEFR Level

A2

§ Examples of '줍다' in Sentences

§ Conjugation Notes for '줍다'

• Present Tense (informal polite): 주워요 (e.g., 제가 연필을 주워요. - I pick up the pencil.)
• Past Tense (informal polite): 주웠어요 (e.g., 제가 연필을 주웠어요. - I picked up the pencil.)
• Future Tense/Suggestion: 주울 거예요/주웁시다 (e.g., 쓰레기를 주울 거예요. - I will pick up the trash.)
• Gerund/Connecting: 주워서 (e.g., 동전을 주워서 저금통에 넣었어요. - I picked up the coin and put it in my piggy bank.)

§ Similar Words and When to Use '줍다' vs. Alternatives

• 집다 (jipda): This verb also means 'to pick up' but implies using fingers or an instrument (like chopsticks) to pick up a small object, often from a surface like a table, not necessarily the ground. It's about a more precise, often smaller-scale action.

  젓가락으로 콩을 집었어요. (I picked up a bean with chopsticks.)

• 들다 (deulda): This is a very general verb for 'to hold,' 'to lift,' or 'to carry.' You use it when you're simply lifting something up or holding it, regardless of whether it was on the ground or not. It doesn't carry the specific nuance of 'picking up from a surface' like 줍다 does.

  가방을 들었어요. (I held/lifted the bag.)

• 수거하다 (sugeohada): This is a more formal and often official term meaning 'to collect' or 'to retrieve.' You'd use this for things like collecting trash (in an organized way, perhaps by a city service), collecting votes, or retrieving items. It's less about a single act of picking up and more about a systematic collection.

  재활용품을 수거합니다. (We collect recyclable items.)

§ Practice Using '줍다'