Meaning and Usage
The verb '겁나다' means 'to be frightened' or 'to feel scared.' It is commonly used in everyday conversation to express fear or anxiety about something. It is an informal verb often used in spoken Korean.
Common Contexts
You will often hear '겁나다' when someone talks about being afraid of situations like darkness, exams, or unfamiliar experiences. It can describe both physical fear and nervousness.
Collocations and Patterns
- '겁나다' + noun: to be scared of something (e.g., '어두운 곳이 겁나요' - I'm scared of dark places)
- '겁나서' + verb: because of fear (e.g., '겁나서 못 했어요' - I couldn't do it because I was scared)
- Negative imperative '겁나지 말고': telling someone not to be scared
Register and Politeness
'겁나다' is generally informal but polite when used with polite endings like '-요.' It is suitable for casual conversations but less common in very formal writing.
Common Mistake
Learners sometimes confuse '겁나다' with '무섭다,' which also means 'to be scared.' '겁나다' often emphasizes the feeling of fear itself, while '무섭다' can describe something as scary or frightening. For example, '무서운 영화' means 'a scary movie,' but you would say '그 영화가 겁나요' to express 'I am scared of that movie.'