쉬다
swida[ˈʃʰɥi(ː)da̠]
To take a break in Korean is 쉬다 (swida).
쉬다 is a verb used to describe having a short rest period during work or activity. You can make your request or statement sound more natural and softer by adding 좀 before the verb, as in 좀 쉬다, which translates to 'take a little break'.
Meaning: to have a short rest period in one's work (verb)
Which one should you use?
쉬다 is the dictionary form of the verb. 휴식을 취하다 is a more formal expression for the same action. 쉬어 is used in informal, casual settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb changes based on the level of politeness required. The polite/standard form is 쉬어요, while the informal/casual form is 쉬어. If you want to express the desire to rest, use the form 쉬고 싶어요 to say 'I want to take a break'.
How do you pronounce it?
swida
Did you know?
- The verb 쉬다 has a completely different meaning when used to describe food, where it means 'to go sour' or 'to spoil'.
- In Korea, taking a break often involves 쉼표, which means 'comma'. People use this metaphor to describe a mindful pause in a fast-paced life.
- The verb 쉬다 is a native Korean word, meaning it was not borrowed from Chinese characters like many other academic or formal Korean terms.
Examples in context
- 잠시 쉬다.jam-si swi-da.To take a break for a moment.
- 커피 마시면서 쉬다.keo-pi ma-si-myeon-seo swi-da.To take a break while drinking coffee.
- 조금 쉬다 가자.jo-geum swi-da ga-ja.Let's take a short break before going.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 쉬다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 쉬다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
