Meaning and Usage
The verb '자라다' primarily means 'to grow' or 'to grow up.' It is used for living things like children, animals, and plants to describe their physical growth or development over time.
Common Contexts
- Physical growth: "아이들이 자라다" (children grow up).
- Growth of plants or trees: "나무가 자라다" (a tree grows).
- Figurative growth: It can also describe non-physical growth, such as emotional or mental development, e.g., "마음이 자라다" (the heart grows).
Collocations and Patterns
- 자라다 + quickly/slowly (빠르게/천천히 자라다): to describe the speed of growth.
- 자라다 + 기간 (e.g., 10년 동안 자라다): to specify the duration of growth.
- 마음/정신이 자라다: to express emotional or mental growth.
Register and Usage Notes
'자라다' is a neutral verb commonly used in everyday conversation and writing. It is not formal or informal but fits well in most contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse '자라다' with '키우다,' which means 'to raise' or 'to bring up' someone or something. Remember, '자라다' is intransitive (the subject grows by itself), while '키우다' is transitive (someone raises or nurtures). For example:
- 아이가 자라다 (The child grows).
- 부모가 아이를 키우다 (Parents raise the child).