Meaning and Usage
"당장" means "immediately" or "right now," emphasizing urgency or the need to act without delay. It is often used in both spoken and written Korean to express that something should be done at once.
Common Contexts
You will frequently hear "당장" in situations involving urgent actions, such as emergencies, deadlines, or immediate needs. It can modify verbs related to starting, leaving, solving problems, or needing something.
Collocations and Patterns
- 당장 + verb (e.g., 당장 출발하다): to do something immediately
- 당장 필요하다: to need something right away
- 당장 해결하다: to solve immediately
Register and Politeness
"당장" is neutral in formality and can be used in both casual and formal contexts. However, the verb endings around it will determine the politeness level.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "당장" with "곧" (soon). Remember, "당장" means right now without delay, while "곧" implies something will happen shortly but not immediately.