끄다
kkeu-da
Putting out a fire, putting out an urgent task
The picture A flame that was burning is pressed out from above, and darkness and quiet come back. 끄다 presses out what was burning; 켜다 lets the flame into what was off.
Where the picture shows up in 끄다
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the light goes, the dark returns
나갈 때 불 꼭 끄세요.
na-gal ttae bul kkok kkeu-se-yo
Do turn the lights off when you leave.
A switch goes down and the bright room is black all at once
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a live machine goes quiet
회의 중에는 휴대폰을 꺼 주세요.
hoe-ui jung-e-neun hyu-dae-po-neul kkeo ju-se-yo
Please switch your phone off during the meeting.
The screen goes black and even the buzz of the vibration stops dead
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a spreading fire pressed down by water
불 끄는 데 두 시간 걸렸어요.
bul kkeu-neun de du si-gan geol-lyeo-sseo-yo
It took two hours to put the fire out.
The jet from a fire hose presses the rising flames down until only smoke is left
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a function left dead
밤에는 알림을 끄고 자요.
ba-me-neun al-li-meul kkeu-go ja-yo
At night I turn notifications off and sleep.
The notification toggle is pushed down and the screen never wakes all night
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an urgent job pressed down first
일단 급한 불부터 끕시다.
il-dan geu-pan bul-bu-teo kkeup-si-da
Let's put out the most urgent fire first.
Sparks flying everywhere are stamped underfoot — the urgent job pressed down before it spreads
A task isn't a fire, but the picture of pressing it out before it spreads is the same.
All of it in one picture
끄다 is one picture: a live flame pressed out. Drop the switch and a bright room goes black; the screen goes dark and even the buzzing stops; a hose presses the flames down until only smoke is left. Push the notification toggle down and the screen doesn't wake all night; stamp out the urgent job first, the way you stamp on flying sparks, and that too is putting out a fire.