포기하다
pogihada[ˈpʰo̞(ː)ɡiɦa̠da̠]
The English phrase 'give up' is translated into Korean as 포기하다 (pogihada).
포기하다 is used when one abandons a goal, a habit or a contest.
Meaning: stop, quit, desist (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 포기하다 is the general verb for giving up, 기권하다 specifically means "to concede" or "to withdraw". For the noun form meaning 'giving up' or 'abandonment', use 포기.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 포기하다 is 포기했어요. The polite way to say 'don't give up' is 포기하지 마세요.
How do you pronounce it?
pogihada
Did you know?
- The noun 포기 can also be used in very different contexts, such as in cooking to refer to a 'head' of cabbage, despite having no relation to the concept of 'abandonment'.
- If you want to tell someone 'don't give up' in a very encouraging, poetic way, you might use the expression 꺾이지 마세요, which literally means 'do not be broken'.
- While English speakers might say 'give up' to mean stop smoking, Koreans use 포기하다 for goals, but may use 끊다 meaning 'to cut' when quitting a habit or addiction.
Examples in context
- 포기합니다I give up
- 너무 어려워서 포기할래.I want to give up because it's too difficult.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “give up” translations and entries 포기하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
