앉다 vs 걸터앉다
Korean word comparison
Listen to 앉다
Listen to 걸터앉다
| 앉다 | 걸터앉다 |
|---|---|
AN-da verb | geolteo-anda verb |
| to sit; to take a seat | to perch or sit on the edge of something; to sit casually or partly on a surface |
How they differ
걸터앉다 conveys sitting perched on an edge or sitting in a casual, unsteady way, while 앉다 is neutral and does not specify posture or how fully one sits.
When to use each
When to use 앉다: Use 앉다 when you only need to state that someone is sitting, without describing posture or manner.
When to use 걸터앉다: Use 걸터앉다 when you want to emphasize that someone is sitting on the edge of a surface or sitting casually/perched.
Side-by-side examples
- 벤치에 앉아 쉬었다.
(I sat on the bench and rested.) - 그는 벤치 끝에 걸터앉아 다리를 흔들었다.
(He perched on the edge of the bench and swung his legs.)
Register & nuance: 걸터앉다 is colloquial and informal, commonly used in spoken Korean and descriptive writing.