Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 머무르다 | meomureuda | [mʌ̹muɾɯda̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 투숙하다 | tusukhada | [tʰusʰukʰa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 묵다 | mukda | [muk̚t͈a̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 숙박하다 | sukbakhada | [sʰuk̚p͈a̠kʰa̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The verb 'to stay' can be used to describe remaining in a physical location or staying in a particular state, position or level. For example, it can describe an abstract state or position rather than just a physical place.
Which one should you use?
머무르다 is the most general and neutral term, used for both physical locations and abstract states. 묵다 is commonly used in spoken language specifically to mean staying overnight at a place like a hotel or a friend's house. For commercial lodging specifically, 투숙하다 is a formal, technical term. 숙박하다 is a formal term used in administrative, business or official contexts regarding the act of lodging or staying overnight.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 머물다 is a common contracted form of 머무르다 and is frequently used in both speech and writing.
How do you pronounce it?
meomureuda
Did you know?
- Because 묵다 also means 'old' or 'aged', Koreans use related expressions to describe fermented foods that have 'stayed' in a jar for a long time.
- The term 투숙하다 uses the Hanja character 投, which literally means 'to throw' or 'to cast', making the phrase feel like 'casting oneself into lodging'.
- The word 묵다 has a second, completely different meaning in Korean: 'to be old' or 'to be stale'.
Examples in context
- 여기에 머무르세요Please stay here
- 여기에 있어Stay here
- 자리에 앉아 있어Stay seated in your spot
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stay” translations and entries 머무르다, 투숙하다, 묵다, 숙박하다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 머무르다, 묵다, 숙박하다, 투숙하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
