Meaning and Usage
The adverb '얼른' means 'quickly' or 'fast' and is commonly used in everyday Korean to urge prompt action. It conveys a sense of immediacy but is less formal than some other words like '빨리'.
Common Contexts
You will often hear '얼른' when someone wants another person to hurry up or do something without delay, such as in casual conversations among friends or family.
Collocations and Patterns
- 얼른 와(요): urging someone to come quickly
- 얼른 준비하다: to get ready quickly
- 얼른 먹다: to eat quickly
These collocations emphasize speed and urgency but maintain a friendly tone.
Register and Politeness
'얼른' is informal to neutral and fits well in casual or polite speech but is not typically used in very formal or written contexts.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse '얼른' with '빨리'. While both mean 'quickly', '빨리' is more neutral and can be used in formal situations, whereas '얼른' is more colloquial and often implies a friendly or urgent tone.