Meaning and Usage
The Korean word '털' primarily refers to hair, fur, or feathers on animals or humans. It is a common noun used in everyday conversation when talking about body hair, animal fur, or even lint and fluff that can stick to clothes.
Common Collocations
- '털이 부드럽다' (fur is soft): Describes the texture of animal fur or hair.
- '털을 깎다' (to trim or shave hair/fur): Used when grooming pets or oneself.
- '털이 빠지다' (hair falls out): Commonly used to talk about hair loss.
- '옷에 털이 붙다' (lint sticks to clothes): Refers to small fibers or hairs sticking to fabric.
Register and Usage Notes
'Teol' is a neutral noun and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It is often combined with verbs related to grooming or describing texture. Learners should note that '털' can refer to both human hair and animal fur, but when specifically talking about human head hair, '머리카락' is more common.
Common Mistakes
A frequent confusion is mixing '털' with '머리카락'. '털' is more general and includes body hair and animal fur, while '머리카락' specifically means head hair. Using '털' to refer to someone's head hair might sound odd unless emphasizing body hair or fur-like texture.