Korean word

돌리다

Pronunciation

Romanizationtollida

Meaning

  • verbturn

Example

볼륨을 돌려서 소리를 줄였어요.pol lyu meul tol lyeo seo so ri reul chu ryeo sseo yo

I turned down the volume.

Illustration for 돌리다 (turn)

More examples

사진을 옆으로 돌려서 친구에게 보여줬어요.sa ji neul yeo peu ro tol lyeo seo chin gu e ge po yeo jwo sseo yo

I turned the photo sideways and showed it to my friend.

Core concept

Something is made to turn, and that turning can redirect a flow or move an action forward.

Common phrases

  • 시선을 돌리다si seo neul tol li da

    look away

  • 볼륨을 돌리다pol lyu meul tol li da

    turn down

  • 손목을 돌리다son mo geul tol li da

    twist

Similar words

돌다tolda: Moving in a circle around a place or along a set path.
회전하다hoejeonhada: Rotating around a fixed center in a regular, steady motion.
비틀다piteulda: Twisting something with force so its shape changes.

Definition in Korean

물건을 회전시키는 본래 의미에서 확장되어 흐름을 바꾸거나 일을 진행시키는 의미로도 쓰이는 동사.mul geo neul hoe jeon si ki neun pol lae ui mi e seo hwak jjang doe eo heu reu meul pa kku geo na i reul chin haeng si ki neun ui mi ro do sseu i neun tong sa

Word origin

The verb began with making something rotate and then came to describe changing direction or moving something forward.

Usage tips

  • A useful contrast is that English often needs a separate phrase for moving a discussion to a new topic, while Korean can use this same verb.

Other meanings

  • twistverb

Opposites

  • 응시하다eungsihadastareverb

Related words

Word lists with this word