Meaning and Usage
The Korean word '즉' is primarily used as a conjunction or adverb meaning "that is," "in other words," or "immediately." It helps clarify or restate a previous statement or indicates immediacy.
Common Contexts
- Clarification or Restatement: '즉' is often used to explain or summarize what was just said, similar to "that is to say" or "in other words" in English.
- Immediate Action: When used as '즉시,' it means "immediately" or "at once," emphasizing promptness.
Collocations and Patterns
- 즉, [statement]: Used to rephrase or clarify a previous idea.
- 즉시 + verb: Indicates immediate action (e.g., 즉시 출발하다 - depart immediately).
Register and Politeness
'즉' is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it is more common in written or formal speech.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse '즉' with similar conjunctions like '그러니까' or '그래서.' '즉' is more formal and used for precise clarification, while the others are more conversational and causal.