Open, Close, Turn On, Turn Off

In Korean, you use 열다 (to open) and 닫다 (to close) when dealing with physical objects and spaces.

Common Combinations

Noun · Open · Close

문 (door) · 문을 열다 · 문을 닫다

창문 (window) · 창문을 열다 · 창문을 닫다

가방 (bag) · 가방을 열다 · 가방을 닫다

파일 (file) · 파일을 열다 · 파일을 닫다

You will often hear these verbs combined with polite conversational endings, such as 열어 주세요 (please open) or 닫아도 돼요? (may I close?).

For electronics, lights, and machines, Korean uses a completely different set of verbs: 켜다 (to turn on) and 끄다 (to turn off).

Common Combinations

Noun · Turn On · Turn Off

불 (light) · 불을 켜다 · 불을 끄다

컴퓨터 (computer) · 컴퓨터를 켜다 · 컴퓨터를 끄다

에어컨 (air conditioner) · 에어컨을 켜다 · 에어컨을 끄다

휴대전화 (mobile phone) · 휴대전화를 켜다 · 휴대전화를 끄다

Use these whenever you need to talk about providing power to a device or shutting it down.

You can create many useful daily expressions by attaching common sentence endings to these four essential verbs. Swap the noun in the bracket to fit your situation.

High-Frequency Frames

[Noun]을/를 열어 주세요. (Please open the [Noun].)

[Noun]을/를 닫아도 돼요? (May I close the [Noun]?)

[Noun]을/를 켰어요. (I turned on the [Noun].)

[Noun]을/를 끄지 마세요. (Please do not turn off the [Noun].)

For example, if you want someone to open the door, just insert 문 into the first frame: 문을 열어 주세요.

In some languages, you might say things like "open the light" or "close the TV." In Korean, physical objects and electronic devices are strictly separated.

Never use 열다 or 닫다 for lights or electronics.

문을 닫아요 (O) Close the door

불을 닫아요 (X) Incorrect

불을 꺼요 (O) Turn off the light

Always remember to pair machines and lights exclusively with 켜다 and 끄다 .