도와주다 vs 거들다
Korean word comparison
Listen to 도와주다
Listen to 거들다
| 도와주다 | 거들다 |
|---|---|
/do-WA-ju-da/ verb | /geo-deul-da/ verb |
| to help; to give assistance to someone | to give a hand; to assist briefly or secondarily |
How they differ
거들다 implies light, partial, or secondary assistance (literally 'to lend a hand') rather than taking primary responsibility; 도와주다 can mean general or substantial help, whereas 거들다 suggests helping someone who is already doing the main work.
When to use each
When to use 도와주다: Prefer 도와주다 when offering substantive or primary help.
When to use 거들다: Prefer 거들다 when you want to say you briefly or partially helped—you 'lent a hand' rather than took charge.
Side-by-side examples
- 짐 옮길 때 도와줄게.
(I'll help you move the luggage.) - 이사할 때 친구가 잠깐 거들어 줬다.
(A friend gave me a hand briefly when I moved.)
Register & nuance: 거들다 is conversational and often used in spoken Korean to describe secondary or brief help; it feels more casual than formal.