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-아/어 두다

a/eo duda

Done, and left where it lies: -아/어 두다

The picture Doing something and leaving it right there, untouched, until it is needed. -아/어 두다 does it and leaves it sitting there; -아/어 버리다 polishes it off and leaves nothing.

Endings and forms

Where the picture shows up in -아/어 두다

  1. done in advance

    식당은 미리 예약해 뒀어요.

    sik-dang-eun mi-ri ye-ya-kae dwo-sseo-yo

    I already booked the restaurant.

    The restaurant's name written into that square of the calendar, sitting there waiting

  2. left in that state

    창문 좀 열어 둘까요?

    chang-mun jom yeo-reo dul-kka-yo

    Should I leave the window open?

    Opening the window a hand's width, then letting go of the handle and walking out

  3. written down and kept

    주소는 제가 적어 둘게요.

    ju-so-neun je-ga jeo-geo dul-ge-yo

    I'll write the address down for later.

    Writing the number in a notebook, closing it, and sliding it into your bag

  4. piled up and kept aside

    비상금을 조금 모아 뒀어요.

    bi-sang-geu-meul jo-geum mo-a dwo-sseo-yo

    I've put a little emergency money aside.

    Bills collecting slowly in an envelope at the back of a drawer, nobody taking any out

  5. 놓다, the same picture

    남은 반찬은 냉장고에 넣어 놓으세요.

    na-meun ban-cha-neun naeng-jang-go-e neo-eo no-eu-se-yo

    Put the leftovers in the fridge and leave them there.

    Lidding the side-dish box, pushing it onto a fridge shelf, and closing the door

    두다 leans toward keeping it for a long while, 놓다 toward just getting it done. They are nearly interchangeable.

All of it in one picture

-아/어 두다 is doing something and leaving it set down, untouched. The restaurant's name in the calendar square is booking in advance; letting go of the window handle is leaving it that way. The closed notebook in your bag is writing it down for later; bills gathering in the envelope is money put aside; the box pushed onto the fridge shelf is 넣어 놓다. So -아/어 두다 does not finish today — it parks something where later can come and find it.

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