Hello Steve, Here is my answer. 집다 = to pick up or hold something which is on or in somewhere (ex. Sth on a table, sth in a box, sth on a plate or on the floor, and etc.) As your friend explained to you, '집다' can be described a 'to pick up sth by using chopsticks or forks or by hand'. Ex. 음식에서 콩만 집어 내지마. = Do not pick up the beans in the dish. 책상 위에 있는 펜 좀 집어줄래? = Can you pick up the pen on the table and pass it to me. 줍다 = to pick up something on the ground level. Ex. 바닥에 있는 가방 좀 주워줄래? = Can you pick up the bag on the floor? 그 펜 좀 주워줄래? = Can you pick up that pen? (assuming the pen is on the floor) When you '집다' sth, you are holding sth after picking it up and when you '줍다' sth, you pick up sth and that is the end of the action. Ex. 나는 바닥에 떨어진 펜을 집었다. = I picked up the pen on the floor. (And now I am still holding it by hand.) 나는 바닥에 떨어진 펜을 집어서 책상 위에 놓았다. = I picked up the pen on the floor and put it on the table. (The pen is on the table now.) 나는 바닥에 떨어진 펜을 주웠다. = I picked up the pen on the floor. (I'm possessing the pen but not holding by hand right now.) 나는 바닥에 떨어진 펜을 주워서 책상 위에 놓았다. = I picked up the pen on the floor and put it on the table. (The pen is on the table now.) Hope it helps! ) Ex.

@chin.billy.leung, I can't pinpoint what you want to say. Sorry, I am kidding with your explanation.

There's another common meaning of 집다 that you may want to keep in mind. It usually is used this way: ex. 뭔가 말이 안되는대 꼭집어서 말할수가 없다 here it means "point your finger at" roughly translated as "though there's something ridiculous about that I JUST can't pinpoint at and say anything about" I am sure eveyone has that experience when they try to evaluate a situation or a person there is just something they can't concretely put in any words to describe. In that case, this expression will come in handy. (꼭/딱) 집어서 말할수가 없다

The example sentences of 줍다 are as follows: (ex 1) 바닥에 떨어진 물건을 줍다. (In this sentence, 줍다 is 집어 올리다(집다 + 올리다). (ex 2) 쓰레기를 줍다.(= 쓰레기를 치우다.) But, "쓰레기를 집다" is not wrong, but we do not say "쓰레기를 집다" in general. It may helps!