약속을 하다
yaksogeul hada
To make an appointment in Korean, the default form is 약속을 하다 (yaksogeul hada).
This phrase is used to arrange a specific time and date to meet someone for professional or personal reasons. While 약속을 하다 is the standard way to express this, you may also use the expression 약속을 잡다, which literally means 'to catch an appointment' and focuses on the act of scheduling or fixing a specific time.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the noun 약속, which means both 'promise' and 'appointment/engagement'.
Which one should you use?
In English, there is a distinction between a 'promise' and an 'appointment', but in Korean, the single word 약속 covers both concepts. Additionally, 약속을 잡다 is often used specifically when the emphasis is on the process of setting or fixing a time.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the standard polite present tense, the phrase is conjugated to 약속을 해요. To express the past tense (I made an appointment) in a polite manner, use 약속을 했어요.
How do you pronounce it?
yaksogeul hada
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse an appointment with a reservation.
Did you know?
- In Korean social culture, the phrase 약속이 있어요 (I have an appointment) is frequently used as a polite, vague excuse to decline an invitation without specifying who the meeting is with.
- Because 약속 means both 'appointment' and 'promise', breaking a casual coffee date can be described using the same verb as breaking a solemn vow.
- The verb in 약속을 하다 has ancient roots in Middle Korean as ᄒᆞ다, which appears in the modern irregular form 하여.
Examples in context
- 저는 내일 진료를 예약하고 싶습니다.I would like to make an appointment for tomorrow's medical treatment.
- 홍길동 선생님과 일요일에 만나기 위해서는 미리 약속을 잡아야 합니다.To meet with Teacher Hong Gildong on Sunday, you need to make an appointment in advance.
- 내일 영화 볼래? 어디서 만날까? 약속 잡자!Do you want to watch a movie tomorrow? Where should we meet? Let's make a plan.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
