그거 줘
geugeo jwo
In Korean, "give me that" is said as 그거 줘 (geugeo jwo).
This phrase is used to request that someone hand over a specific object to the speaker.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 그거 (geugeo), meaning "that thing" and 줘 (jwo), which is the informal imperative form of "to give".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a straightforward and common way to say "Give me" in informal situations, you can use 줘. If you want to ask "Will you give it to me?", you can use the polite 주실래요? For a more formal and indirect way to ask "Could you give that to me?", use 그것을 주실 수 있을까요?
How does it change in a sentence?
In Korean, the object marker is often omitted in casual spoken-style requests like this one.
How do you pronounce it?
geugeo jwo
Did you know?
- In Korean, the verb 주다 (to give) is frequently used in 'auxiliary' forms to express that someone is doing a favor for the speaker, even if no physical object is being handed over.
- Korean has a distinct word for 'that' depending on whether the object is near the listener (그), near neither speaker nor listener (저), or was mentioned previously in conversation.
- The phrase 줘 is so common in casual requests that it is often used in 'aegyo' (cute speech) by lengthening the vowel or adding a nasal sound to make the demand sound playful.
Examples in context
- 그거 줘!Give me that!
- 그거 줘.geugeo jwo.Give me that.
- 아까 말한 그거 줘.akka malhan geugeo jwo.Give me that thing I mentioned earlier.
Example conversation
Minji and Hyunwoo are sitting at a table with a snack.
- 민지 Min-ji현우야, 그거 줘.Hyeon-u-ya, geugeo jwo.Hyunwoo, give me that.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo이거 말하는 거야?igeo malhaneun geoya?Do you mean this one?
- 민지 Min-ji응, 그거 줘.eung, geugeo jwo.Yes, give me that.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo여기 있어.yeogi isseo.Here it is.
