Korean word

꺾다

Pronunciation

Romanizationkkeoktta

Meaning

  • verbbreak

Example

나무 가지를 꺾었어요.na mu ka ji reul kkeo kkeo sseo yo

I broke a branch off the tree.

Illustration for 꺾다 (break)

More examples

길가의 꽃을 꺾었어요.kil kka ui kko cheul kkeo kkeo sseo yo

I broke off a flower by the roadside.

Core concept

A forceful bend snaps something or breaks off a stem, and can also stop someone's momentum or resolve.

Common phrases

  • 꽃을 꺾다kko cheul kkeok tta

    break off a flower

  • 나뭇가지를 꺾다na mut kka ji reul kkeok tta

    break off a branch

  • 마음을 꺾다ma eu meul kkeok tta

    break someone's spirit

Similar words

꺾이다kkeokkida: Become bent or broken because an outside force is applied.
부러뜨리다pureotteurida: Deliberately break an object by applying force to it.
기죽이다kijugida: Cause someone to lose confidence and feel less brave.
부수다pusuda: Break a hard object into pieces or make it unusable by hitting it.

Definition in Korean

물건을 힘으로 구부려 부러뜨리거나 식물의 줄기·가지 등을 비틀어 떼어 내는 동시에, 기세나 의지를 꺾어 멈추게 하는 비유적 의미로도 쓰이는 동사.mul geo neul hi meu ro ku bu ryeo pu reo tteu ri geo na sing mu rui chul gi ka ji teung eul pi teu reo tte eo nae neun tong si e ki se na ui ji reul kkeo kkeo meom chu ge ha neun pi yu jeok ui mi ro do sseu i neun tong sa

Word origin

꺾다 (kkeoktta, "to bend or break") is a native Korean verb whose image of bending something until it breaks extends naturally to stopping momentum or weakening resolve.

Usage tips

  • For TOPIK reading, a physical object points to the literal sense, while an abstract object points to weakened drive or resolve.

Other meanings

  • pluckverb
  • bendverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 꺾이다kkeokkidabe brokenverb
  • 꺾기kkeokkkibreaking offnoun

Word lists with this word