What does it mean word for word?
불 means "light" or "fire", and 꺼 is the imperative form of the verb 끄다, which means to extinguish or turn off.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a friendly way to ask someone to turn off the light among friends or siblings, you can use 불 좀 꺼줘. A more casual and shortened version of that phrase is 불 좀 꺼. In formal settings, 불을 끄세요 is a common and polite way to ask someone to turn off the light. You can also use 불을 꺼주세요 as a polite request, which can be used interchangeably with 불을 끄세요. If you wish to ask someone if they would like to turn off the light in a formal way, use 불을 끄실래요? Adding 주세요 to the end of a command, as in 불 꺼 주세요, transforms it into a polite request.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 불 꺼, the object marker 를 is often omitted in casual speech.
How do you pronounce it?
bul kkeo
Did you know?
- Depending on the context, the word 불 can also refer to a 'Buddha' or a 'dollar sign' because of shared phonetic or visual origins.
- When asking someone to turn off the light, using the phrase 불 좀 꺼줘 involves the word 좀, which literally means 'a little' but functions as a social softener to make the request less demanding.
Examples in context
- 사장님, 불을 꺼주세요.Boss, please turn off the light.
- 어머니, 불을 끄실래요?Mother, would you like to turn off the light?
- 형아, 불 좀 꺼줘.Hey, brother, please turn off the light.
- 언니, 불 좀 꺼.Sister, please turn off the light.
- 불 꺼.bul kkeo.Turn off the light.
- 자기 전에 불 꺼.jagi jeone bul kkeo.Turn off the light before sleeping.
- 방에 들어가서 불 꺼.bang-e deureogaseo bul kkeo.Go into the room and turn off the light.
Example conversation
Ji-eun and Ji-hun are in the living room at night.
- 지은 Ji-eun지훈아, 이제 불 꺼.Ji-hun-a, ije bul kkeo.Ji-hun, turn off the light now.
- 지훈 Ji-hun응, 알았어.eung, arasseo.Okay, I got it.
- 지은 Ji-eun불 꺼 줘서 고마워.bul kkeo jwoseo gomawo.Thank you for turning off the light.
- 지훈 Ji-hun아니야, 잘 자.aniya, jal ja.No problem, sleep well.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 꺼, 불, CC BY-SA 4.0.
