Meaning and Usage
The Korean verb '널다' primarily means 'to hang out to dry' or 'to dry by hanging.' It is commonly used when referring to drying clothes, laundry, or other items by hanging them on a line or rack.
Common Contexts
You will often hear '널다' in daily life when talking about household chores, especially laundry. It implies physically hanging items so that air and sunlight can dry them naturally.
Collocations and Patterns
- 빨래를 널다: to hang laundry to dry
- 옷을 널다: to hang clothes
- 널어 놓다: to hang something and leave it there
These phrases are very common in everyday conversation related to cleaning and home care.
Register and Politeness
'널다' is a standard verb used in casual and polite speech. It is not formal or literary but perfectly acceptable in daily conversation.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse '널다' with '말리다,' which also means 'to dry.' The difference is that '널다' emphasizes the action of hanging something out to dry, while '말리다' focuses on the drying process itself. For example, you 널다 the clothes on a line, and they 말리다 under the sun.