도망가다
domanggada[to̞ma̠ŋɡa̠da̠]
The English phrase 'run away' is translated into Korean as 도망가다 (domanggada).
도망가다 means to flee by running. This verb is used both for physical running away from a person or place and for metaphorically avoiding a responsibility or situation.
Meaning: to flee by running (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense of 도망가다 is 도망갔다. The polite present tense form is 도망가요.
How do you pronounce it?
domanggada
Did you know?
- If a person is avoiding their responsibilities, Koreans might use the slang term 빤스런 to describe a clumsy or shameful 'run away'.
- The noun 도망 uses the Chinese character 亡, which can mean both 'to flee' and 'to die'. This creates a grim linguistic link between escaping and loss in many related East Asian terms.
- The first part of the verb, 도망, is a Sino-Korean word composed of two characters that literally mean 'fleeing' and 'vanishing'.
Examples in context
- 제가 외국으로 도망치려고 합니다.I am planning to run away to a foreign country.
- 그가 도망쳐 버렸기 때문에 우리는 안전했습니다.We were safe because he ran away.
- 그는 위험에서 무사히 피해 나갔습니다.He escaped safely from danger.
- 우리가 함께 도망가서 모험을 해봐요!Let's run away together and have an adventure!
- 너무 답답해서 학교 수업에서 빠져 나왔어!I was so bored that I ran away from school.
Example conversation
Dohyun and Jieun see a stray cat in the park.
- 도현 Do-hyeon저 고양이가 도망가요!jeo goyang-iga domang-gayo!That cat is running away!
- 지은 Ji-eun너무 빨라서 못 잡겠어요.neomu ppallaseo mot japget-seoyo.It's too fast to catch.
- 도현 Do-hyeon왜 저렇게 도망가다 멈췄지?wae jeoreoke domang-gada meom-chwot-ji?Why did it stop while running away?
- 지은 Ji-eun우리를 구경하고 있어요.urireul gugyeong-hago isseoyo.It is watching us.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 도망가다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 도망가다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
