Korean word

통하다

Pronunciation

Romanizationtonghada

Meaning

  • verbcommunicate

Example

그와는 말이 통하지 않아 오해가 생겼다.keu wa neun ma ri tong ha ji a na o hae ga saeng gyeot tta

I couldn't communicate with him, so a misunderstanding arose.

Illustration for 통하다 (communicate)

More examples

회의 중이라 전화가 통하지 않았다.hoe ui chung i ra cheon hwa ga tong ha ji a nat tta

The phone call did not go through because I was in a meeting.

Core concept

A message or feeling passes through to another person and becomes understood.

Common phrases

  • 전화가 통하다cheon hwa ga tong ha da

    get through on the phone

  • 의미가 통하다ui mi ga tong ha da

    be understood

Similar words

이해하다ihaehada: Understand the meaning, reason, or situation clearly enough to respond.
알아듣다aradeuttta: Catch spoken language and understand the message behind the sounds.
소통하다sotonghada: Share information and ideas with each other in order to understand one another.
전달하다cheondalhada: Pass information, news, or feelings on until they reach another person.

Definition in Korean

말이나 뜻이 상대에게 전달되어 이해되거나 받아들여지는 상태가 되다.ma ri na tteu si sang dae e ge cheon dal doe eo i hae doe geo na pa da deu ryeo ji neun sang tae ga toe da

Word origin

The verb grows from the idea of something passing through, extending that image to words or feelings reaching another person.

Usage tips

  • English communicate can describe expressing something, while this verb highlights whether the message actually reaches the other person and is understood.

Other meanings

  • get acrossverb
  • be understoodverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word