Level 3

세금

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Understanding '세금' (Tax)

'세금' refers to the money that individuals or businesses are required to pay to the government. It is a formal noun commonly used in everyday conversation, official documents, and news related to finance or government policy.

Common Contexts

You will often hear '세금' when discussing income, property, or sales taxes. For example, phrases like '소득세' (income tax) or '부가가치세' (value-added tax) include '세금' as the base concept.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 세금을 내다: to pay taxes; used when talking about fulfilling tax obligations.
  • 세금을 부과하다: to impose taxes; often used in official or formal contexts.
  • 세금 신고: tax declaration; refers to the process of reporting income for taxation.

Usage Notes

When using '세금', it is important to note that it is a countable noun but usually treated as an uncountable mass noun in conversation. Learners sometimes confuse '세금' with '세무' (tax affairs or tax administration), which refers more to the system or process rather than the tax money itself.

Formality

'세금' is neutral in formality and appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, but when discussing tax procedures, more formal expressions or compound nouns are often used.

Example Sentences

한국에서는 소득에 따라 세금을 내야 합니다.

Hangukeseoneun sodeuge ttara segeumeul naeya hamnida.

In Korea, you have to pay taxes according to your income.

세금을 내지 않으면 벌금을 물게 됩니다.

Segeumeul naeji aneumyeon beolgeumeul mulge doemnida.

If you don't pay taxes, you will have to pay a fine.

정부는 세금을 통해 공공서비스를 제공합니다.

Jeongbuneun segeumeul tonghae gonggongseobiseureul jegonghamnida.

The government provides public services through taxes.