Starting & finishing — 열다, 닫다, 시작하다, 끝나다, 기다리다

This lesson has two opposite pairs and the verb 기다리다. 시작하다 and 끝나다 take different particles. A particle is a small word added after a noun.

01열다yeoldaㄹ drop

to open · to make a door or window open, or to open a shop for the day.

Forms 열어요 · 엽니다 (the ㄹ drops out) · 열었어요

Examples 문을 열다 (to open a door) · 창문을 열다 (to open a window) · 가게를 열다 (to open a shop)

더워서 창문을 열었어요. It was hot, so I opened the window. | 창문 = window · 덥다 = to be hot | You use the same verb when a shop opens for business

02닫다datda🔊 [닫따]

to close · to shut a door, window, shop, or similar thing. The opposite is 열다.

Pronunciation [닫따]. After the final consonant ㄷ, you say the next ㄷ as a strong (tense) sound ㄸ. You also see this in 받다.

Examples 문을 닫다 (to close a door) · 가게 문을 닫다 (to close a shop for the day)

추우니까 문 좀 닫아 주세요. It's cold, so could you close the door? | -(으)니까 gives the reason | Adding 좀 makes a request sound softer

03시작하다sijakada🔊 [시자카다]

to start · to begin doing something.

Note You do this action yourself. So the thing you start takes 을/를: 수업을 시작하다. Compare it with 수업이 끝나다. There, things finish by themselves.

Examples 공부를 시작하다 (to start studying) · 일을 시작하다 (to start work)

한국어 공부를 작년에 시작했어요. I started studying Korean last year. | 작년 = last year | You can use this sentence when you introduce yourself

04끝나다kkeutnada🔊 [끈나다]

to end, to be over · to come to an end or finish. The opposite is 시작하다.

Pronunciation [끈나다]. The ㄷ sound changes to ㄴ before the next ㄴ.

Note The subject of 끝나다 takes 이/가: 수업이 끝나다. Compare this with 수업을 시작하다.

Examples 수업이 끝나다 (class ends) · 일이 끝나다 (work finishes)

수업이 몇 시에 끝나요? What time does class finish? | 몇 시 = what time | Clock times take 에

05기다리다gidarida

to wait · to pass time until someone or something arrives.

Forms 기다려요 · 기다립니다 · 기다렸어요

Note English says wait for, but Korean uses 을/를 with no extra word.

Examples 친구를 기다리다 (to wait for a friend) · 버스를 기다리다 (to wait for the bus)

여기서 조금만 기다려 주세요. Could you wait here a moment? | 여기서 = here · 조금만 = just a little

Quick check3 questions

Fill in each blank in Korean.

Show answers

1. 열었어요 2. 이 3. 기다려

끝나다 takes 이/가

Study tip 시작하다 and 끝나다 take different particles: 수업을 시작하다 and 수업이 끝나다.

TOPIK I Core Vocabulary · Core Words ⑤