TOPIK · Level 101
15 words
Korean word
죽이다
Pronunciation
Romanizationchugida
Meaning
- verbkill
Example
경찰이 범인을 죽였다.kyeong cha ri peo mi neul chu gyeot tta
The police killed the criminal.
More examples
매운맛을 죽이려고 요거트를 넣었어.mae un ma seul chu gi ryeo go yo geo teu reul neo eo sseo
I added yogurt to try to tone down the spiciness.
Core concept
Bringing a living thing's life to an end, with the same image extending figuratively to stopping or suppressing something.
Common phrases
사람을 죽이다sa ra meul chu gi da
kill a person
기분을 죽이다ki bu neul chu gi da
dampen a mood
Similar words
살인하다sarinhada: To intentionally kill another person, which is a serious crime.
살해하다salhaehada: To intentionally cause a person to die.
Definition in Korean
사람이나 동물의 생명을 없애는 뜻이 기본이며, 벌레를 제거하거나 기분·식욕을 누르는 비유적 용법도 있는 동사sa ra mi na tong mu rui saeng myeong eul eop ssae neun tteu si ki bo ni myeo peol le reul che geo ha geo na ki bun si gyo geul nu reu neun pi yu jeok yong beop tto in neun tong sa
Word origin
No reliable deeper origin is established for this verb, although its meaning is clearly fixed in modern Korean usage.
Usage tips
- When the object is a person, this verb is blunt and serious, but it can sound routine with pests and natural in figurative expressions about calming a mood or limiting appetite.