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무서워, 두려워 and 겁나
What's the difference between 무서워 두려워 and 겁나?
Feb 20, 2016 4:02 PM
Answers · 4
1
"무서워, 두려워 and 겁나"
- 무섭다: "be scared/fearful of something". Most common everyday word for fearing something.
- 두렵다: "dread"(would rather avoid if possible). Sounds a bit literary, so is used less often in daily life.
- 겁나다/겁이 나다/겁내다/겁을 내다: similar to 무섭다. Is often used in a slangy sense.
* 무섭다/두렵다 is a simple adjective; 겁 나다/내다 (and 겁(을) 먹다) is a compound word, "have/express fear(겁)".
* 옆집 개가 너무 무서워: I'm so scared of the dog next door.
* 무서운 영화: scary movie, 무서운 괴물: scary monster.
* 시험날 다가오는 게 두려워: I dread the test day approaching.
* 누구나 죽음을 두려워한다: Everyone dreads death.
* 시험에 떨어질까 봐 겁이 나 [겁나]: I fear failing the exam.
* 물에 들어가는 걸 겁내지 마: Don't be scared of going in the water.
* 그는 겁먹은 얼굴로 상대를 봤다: He looked at his opponent with a fear on his face.
두렵다 is never used in any slangy sense.
무섭다 has an extended sense of "tough, evil": 무서운 세상(a tough world), 무서운 인간(an evil man).
겁나다 often means "greatly / amazingly" too usually in 겁나게 form, with a slangy, exaggerated feel:
- 그 친구(는) 축구를 겁나게 잘 해: He is amazingly good at soccer.
- 사람들이 겁나게 많이 왔어: Frighteningly many people came.
- 비가 겁나게 와: It's pouring like crazy.
February 20, 2016
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Marwa
Language Skills
Arabic, English, French, Korean, Norwegian, Spanish, Turkish
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Korean, Norwegian, Turkish
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