Korean word

돌려주다

Pronunciation

Romanizationtollyeojuda

Meaning

  • verbgive back

Example

이거 네 거지? 다음에 만날 때 돌려줄게.i geo ne keo ji ta eu me man nal ttae tol lyeo jul kke

This is yours, right? I'll give it back the next time we meet.

Illustration for 돌려주다 (give back)

More examples

빌린 옷을 드라이클리닝해서 돌려줬다.pil lin o seul teu ra i keul li ning hae seo tol lyeo jwot tta

I dry-cleaned the borrowed clothes before giving them back.

Core concept

What someone borrowed or entrusted comes back to its original owner.

Common phrases

  • 빌린 옷을 돌려주다pil lin o seul tol lyeo ju da

    give back borrowed clothes

  • 빌린 이어폰을 돌려주다pil lin i eo po neul tol lyeo ju da

    give back borrowed earphones

Similar words

반납하다pannapada: A borrowed item is put back where it belongs or returned to the person who lent it.
환불하다hwanbulhada: Money paid for a purchase is returned by the seller after a cancellation or return.
갚다kaptta: Borrowed money or a debt is paid back until nothing is owed.
반환하다panhwanhada: An item or document is formally returned to its original owner.

Definition in Korean

남에게서 받은 것(빌린 것·맡긴 것)을 본래 주인에게 다시 건네주는 동사.na me ge seo pa deun keot pil lin keot mat kkin keot eul pol lae chu i ne ge ta si keon ne ju neun tong sa

Word origin

The word joins the Korean ideas of returning and giving, highlighting the act of handing something back instead of keeping it.

Usage tips

  • The same return idea can cover cash and digital items as well as physical objects, so the word is useful beyond classroom examples about books or toys.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word