줄을 서다
jur-eul seoda[t͡ɕuɾɯɭ sʰʌ̹da̠]
To line up in Korean is 줄을 서다 (jur-eul seoda).
The phrase 줄을 서다 is used to describe the act of getting into a line. This applies both to physical queuing, such as waiting at a store and to the metaphorical sense of waiting in line for an opportunity.
Meaning: get into a line (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 줄, which means line, the object marker 을 and 서다, meaning to stand.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite imperative form used to instruct people to line up is 줄을 서세요. If you need to describe the completed action in the past tense, use 줄을 섰어요 to say that someone has lined up or stood in line.
How do you pronounce it?
jur-eul seoda
Did you know?
- The word 줄 for 'line' is also used in Korean to describe a family lineage or a professional network. This means 줄을 서다 can colloquially refer to aligning oneself with a powerful person or political faction.
- When lining up for popular food or limited-edition products, Koreans often use the term 오픈런 ('open run'). This English-derived slang describes the act of lining up long before a store opens to be the first inside.
- In some Korean dialects, such as the Jeju dialect, the root of the verb for 'to stand' can appear as 사다 (sada), which looks identical to the standard Korean word for 'to buy'.
Examples in context
- 버스를 타려면 모두 줄을 서 주세요.Please line up if you want to board the bus.
- 친구들, 콘서트를 보기 위해 줄 서자!Friends, let's line up to see the concert!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 줄을 서다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 서다, 줄을 서다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
