가입하다
gaiphada[ka̠ipʰa̠da̠]
The English verb 'join' is translated into Korean as 가입하다 (gaiphada).
가입하다 is used specifically when you are joining an organization, a club or a membership-based group, such as an online community.
Meaning: to combine more than one item into one, to put together (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 가입하다 refers to joining a group or membership, if you mean to physically combine or merge items or numbers together, you should use 합치다 instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 가입하다 is 가입했다. To express that you want to join, you add –고 싶다 to the stem to get 가입하고 싶다. The noun form of this verb is 가입, which means joining, membership or the act of joining a group.
How do you pronounce it?
gaiphada
Did you know?
- While 가입하다 is for membership, the word 합치다 used for merging items is also the root of 합체, a term famously used in robot anime like 'Transformers' to describe combining parts into one body.
- When someone wants to 'join in' on a conversation or an activity without becoming a formal member, Koreans use the verb 끼다 instead of 가입하다.
- If you join a company as an employee, Koreans typically use 입사하다 rather than 가입하다, as the latter feels more like joining a social club.
Examples in context
- 회의에 참여하겠습니다.I will join the meeting.
- 동호회에 가입하려고 합니다.I would like to join the club.
- 저랑 같이 놀러 갈래요?Do you want to come along with me?
- 나랑 함께 가자!Let's go together!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 가입하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
