-아/어 두다
a/eo duda
Grammar · 2 senses
to keep it as it is
Examples
서랍 안에 중요한 것이 많아서 항상 잠가 둡니다.
There are many important things in the drawer, so I always lock it.
코트는 이 옷걸이에 걸어 두세요.
Hang the coat on this hanger.
라면을 많이 사 뒀어요.
I bought a lot of ramen.
When you'd hear it
This pattern is common in everyday speech, including instructions at home, workplace directions, and dialogue in dramas. It also appears frequently in polite forms such as 잠가 둡니다 and 사 뒀어요.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse it with -아/어 놓다. -아/어 두다 highlights keeping something in that state or preparing it for later, while -아/어 놓다 more broadly highlights leaving a completed result.
do something in advance
Examples
발표할 때 실수하지 않으려면 연습을 많이 해 두세요.
If you don't want to make a mistake during the presentation, practice a lot in advance.
When you'd hear it
This pattern is common in everyday speech, instructions, and workplace or school planning, as in preparing before a presentation or meeting. It can sound polite when used with 요 or 세요, but is not especially formal.
What learners get wrong
Learners often treat this as identical to -아/어 놓다. -아/어 두다 more clearly highlights doing something beforehand for later use, while -아/어 놓다 can also emphasize leaving a resulting state in place.
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