앉다 vs 주저앉다
Korean word comparison
Listen to 앉다
Listen to 주저앉다
| 앉다 | 주저앉다 |
|---|---|
AN-da verb | jujeo-anda verb |
| to sit; to take a seat | to sink down or slump down; to sit down abruptly, often from exhaustion or collapse |
How they differ
주저앉다 implies a sudden or forced sitting — a collapse, slump, or giving up — whereas 앉다 is neutral and does not carry the sense of suddenness, collapse, or defeat.
When to use each
When to use 앉다: Use 앉다 for ordinary, intentional sitting without any implication of collapse, exhaustion, or emotional defeat.
When to use 주저앉다: Use 주저앉다 to describe someone collapsing into a seat or onto the ground because of extreme tiredness, shock, or despair.
Side-by-side examples
- 그는 의자에 앉았다.
(He sat in the chair.) - 그는 너무 지쳐서 바닥에 주저앉았다.
(He was so exhausted that he collapsed onto the floor.)
Register & nuance: 주저앉다 is neutral to informal and is used in both spoken and written Korean when describing sudden collapse or giving up.