What does 쉽다 mean?

쉽다 (swip-da, swipda)

쉽다 (swip-da) means 'to be easy' in Korean. It's a common adjective used in everyday and business contexts.

Korean word 쉽다 meaning easy

Definition & nuance

Core meaning and shades learners miss.

쉽다(swip-da, swipda)

쉽다 means that something is not difficult, simple, or requires little effort.

Nuances

  • Not only means 'not difficult' but also implies low burden.
  • Used comparatively to indicate something is easier than something else.
  • Subjective feeling varies by person on what is 'easy'.
  • Usually positive but can be neutral depending on context.

When to use

daily conversation, learning, work tasks

In context

쉽다 is an adjective describing the ease or simplicity of a subject or situation. It ends with '-다' in dictionary form and conjugates according to tense and politeness. It is mainly used in positive contexts.

Real-world examples

  • 이 문제는 정말 쉽다.

    i mun-je-neun jeong-mal swip-da., i mun je neun jeong mal swip da.

    '쉽다' correctly describes the problem as not difficult.

  • 그 일은 쉽지 않다.

    geu il-eun swip-ji an-da., geu il eun swip ji an da.

    Negative form properly expresses difficulty.

  • 쉽다 공부를 했다.

    swip-da gong-bu-reul haess-da., swip da gong bu reul haess da.

    '쉽다' is an adjective and cannot modify the verb 'study' here, so it's incorrect.

  • 이 책은 읽기 쉽다.

    i chaek-eun ik-gi swip-da., i chaek eun ik gi swip da.

    '읽기 쉽다' naturally means the book is easy to read.

  • 쉽게 문제를 풀었다.

    swip-ge mun-je-reul pul-eoss-da., swip ge mun je reul pul eoss da.

    Adverb '쉽게' correctly modifies the verb 'solve'.

  • 쉽다 음식이 맛있다.

    swip-da eum-sik-i mas-iss-da., swip da eum sik i mas iss da.

    '쉽다' is awkward and grammatically incorrect when directly applied to food.

Quick quiz

  1. Which sentence correctly uses '쉽다'?

    다음 중 '쉽다'가 올바르게 쓰인 문장은?(da-eumjung'swip-da'gaol-ba-reu-gesseu-inmun-jang-eun?, daeumjung'swipda'gaolbareugesseuinmunjangeun?)
  2. What is the opposite of '쉽다'?

    '쉽다'의 반대말은 무엇인가요?('swip-da'uiban-dae-mal-eunmu-eos-in-ga-yo?, 'swipda'uibandaemaleunmueosingayo?)
  3. In '읽기 쉽다', what part of speech is '쉽다'?

    '읽기 쉽다' 문장에서 '쉽다'는 어떤 품사인가요?('ik-giswip-da'mun-jang-e-seo'swip-da'neuneo-tteonpum-sa-in-ga-yo?, 'ikgiswipda'munjangeseo'swipda'neuneotteonpumsaingayo?)

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