가져오다
gajeooda[ka̠d͡ʑʌ̹o̞da̠]
To say bring in Korean, meaning to carry something toward a person or place, use 가져오다 (gajeooda). If unsure, use 가져오다. Wiktionary also lists 가져다주다 (gajeodajuda) and 갖다주다 (gatdajuda).
Meaning: to transport toward somebody/somewhere (verb)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 가져오다 | gajeooda | [ka̠d͡ʑʌ̹o̞da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 가져다주다 | gajeodajuda | [ka̠d͡ʑʌ̹da̠d͡ʑuda̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 갖다주다 | gatdajuda |
가져오다 is used when the focus is on bringing an object toward the speaker or to where the speaker is.
What does it mean word for word?
가져오다 is a compound of 가져, from the verb meaning to take or hold and 오다, to come. So it is literally to take and come.
Which one should you use?
가져다주다 (gajeodajuda) adds the verb 주다, to give and means bringing something to a person to hand it over. 갖다주다 (gatdajuda) is a common spoken contraction of 가져다주다.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
갖다주다 is colloquial and used in everyday speech.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 가져오다 is 가져왔다, brought. The polite request please bring it is 가져오세요.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as gajeooda.
Did you know?
- In Korean, 'bringing' is often framed as a social favor. By using the verb 주다 (to give) within the phrase, you are linguistically acknowledging that you are performing a helpful act for someone else.
- In Korean, you cannot use 가져오다 if you are moving away from your current location. You must switch to a different verb, 가져가다, because the language strictly separates 'bringing' toward the speaker from 'taking' away from the speaker.
- The verb 가져오다 has been used in written Korean since at least 1447, appearing in the Seokbo sangjeol, a Buddhist text written shortly after the invention of the Korean alphabet.
Examples in context
- 그 학생은 숙제를 가져오지 않았다.That student didn’t bring his homework.Here 가져오지 않았다 is the negative past form, so the sentence says the student did not bring the homework.
- 저한테 편지를 가지고 와 주세요.Please bring me the letter.
- 손님을 데리고 오세요.Please bring the guest along.
- 음료수 좀 가져와.Please bring some drinks.
- 강아지를 데려와.Bring the puppy with you.
- 집에서 책을 가져왔어.I brought a book from home.
- 용돈을 가지고 와 주세요.Please bring pocket money.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bring” translations and entries 가져오다, 가져다주다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 가져다주다, 가져오다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
