고장나다 vs 오작동하다
Korean word comparison
Listen to 고장나다
Listen to 오작동하다
| 고장나다 | 오작동하다 |
|---|---|
go-JANG-na-da verb (intransitive) | o-jak-dong-ha-da verb (intransitive) |
| to break down; to be out of order; to stop working | to malfunction or operate improperly; to have an operational error |
How they differ
오작동하다 specifically means to operate incorrectly or malfunction (often intermittently or producing wrong outcomes) and focuses on incorrect behavior, whereas 고장나다 can mean simply stopping working or being broken without specifying abnormal behavior.
When to use each
When to use 고장나다: Prefer 고장나다 when you want a simple, general way to say something stopped working or is broken.
When to use 오작동하다: Prefer 오작동하다 when a system, device, or program is functioning incorrectly, unpredictably, or producing errors rather than completely stopping.
Side-by-side examples
- 에어컨이 고장났어요.
(The air conditioner broke down.) - 에어컨이 오작동해서 온도가 자꾸 오르내려요.
(The air conditioner is malfunctioning, so the temperature keeps fluctuating.)
Register & nuance: 오작동하다 is slightly more technical and is commonly used in technical contexts, manuals, or formal troubleshooting descriptions.