Level 1

짧다

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Meaning and Usage

The adjective '짧다' means 'short' or 'brief' and is used to describe something with a small length or duration. It can refer to physical length, such as hair or a skirt, or to time, such as a meeting or a speech.

Common Contexts

  • Physical length: hair, clothes, distance
  • Time duration: meetings, speeches, breaks

Collocations and Patterns

  • 짧은 머리 (short hair): describing hairstyle
  • 짧은 시간 (short time): referring to a brief period
  • 짧게 말하다 (to speak briefly): used when summarizing or giving a concise explanation

Register and Politeness

'짧다' is a neutral adjective and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It is often combined with polite endings when speaking respectfully.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse '짧다' with '작다' (small) because both describe size, but '짧다' specifically refers to length or duration, not overall size. Remember to use '짧다' when talking about length or time, and '작다' for size or quantity.

Example Sentences

그녀의 머리카락이 너무 짧아요.

Geunyeoui meorikarak-i neomu jjalbayo.

Her hair is very short.

회의 시간이 짧아서 중요한 이야기를 다 못 했어요.

Hoeui sigani jjalb-aseo jungyohan iyagireul da mot haesseoyo.

The meeting time was short, so we couldn't cover all the important topics.

짧게 말하면, 그 일은 어렵지 않아요.

Jjalbge malhamyeon, geu il-eun eoryeopji anayo.

To put it briefly, that task is not difficult.