구동사 시리즈 #1 — GIVE

📘 Phrasal Verb Series #1 — GIVE

🌿 The Many Faces of Giving

The verb “give” is one of the most expressive and flexible words in English.
Its core meaning — to hand, offer, or transfer something — expands beautifully when combined with prepositions or adverbs, creating dozens of natural and emotional expressions.

영어의 give는 “주다”라는 기본 의미에서 출발하지만,
전치사나 부사와 결합할 때 감정, 상황, 인간관계의 미묘한 변화까지 담아냅니다.

 

Let’s explore how “give” changes meaning and tone through its phrasal forms.

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💫 1️⃣ Give up – To quit or stop trying

포기하다, 단념하다 (자신의 의지로 멈추는 것)

 

Examples:

• I decided to give up smoking.
  → 나는 담배를 끊기로 결심했다.
• Don’t give up on your dreams.
  → 꿈을 포기하지 마라.

💡 Tip: “give up” is about stopping by choice — a personal decision to let go.

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🌿 2️⃣ Give in (to) – To surrender or yield to pressure or emotions

굴복하다, 지다, (감정·유혹 등에) 못 이기다

 

Examples:

• He finally gave in to his daughter’s request.
  → 그는 결국 딸의 부탁을 들어주었다.
• Don’t give in to fear.
  → 두려움에 굴복하지 마라.
• I gave in to temptation and bought the bag.
  → 유혹에 못 이겨 가방을 샀다.

💡 Difference:
give up = “I stop.”
give in to = “I surrender (to something).”

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✨ 3️⃣ Give out – To distribute / to stop working

나눠주다 / (기계나 신체가) 멈추다, 고장 나다

 

Examples:

• The teacher gave out the exam papers.
  → 선생님이 시험지를 나눠주셨다.
• My old phone finally gave out yesterday.
  → 내 오래된 휴대폰이 결국 고장 났다.

💡 “give out” can mean both to share something or to wear down completely.

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🌸 4️⃣ Give off – To emit or release (smell, heat, light, etc.)

(냄새, 열, 빛 등을) 발산하다

 

Examples:

• Flowers give off a lovely scent.
  → 꽃이 향긋한 냄새를 풍긴다.
• The fire gave off warmth and light.
  → 불이 따뜻한 온기와 빛을 내뿜었다.

💡 Use “give off” for natural or physical emissions.

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🪶 5️⃣ Give away – To donate, reveal, or betray

나눠주다 / 비밀을 누설하다

 

Examples:

• She gave away her old clothes to charity.
  → 그녀는 헌 옷을 자선단체에 기부했다.
• He accidentally gave away my secret.
  → 그가 실수로 내 비밀을 누설했다.

💡 “Give away” implies generosity or unintentional exposure.

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📘 6️⃣ Give back – To return something to its owner

돌려주다

 

Examples:

• Please give back my notebook.
  → 내 노트를 돌려줘.
• It’s time to give back to the community.
  → 이제 사회에 돌려줄 때다.

💡 Literal or moral sense: to restore what you’ve received.

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💻 7️⃣ Give over (to) – To devote or dedicate oneself to something

~에 헌신하다, 맡기다

 

Examples:

• She gave herself over to her work.
  → 그녀는 일에 몰두했다.
• He gave over control to his assistant.
  → 그는 보조에게 일을 맡겼다.

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🌸 8️⃣ Give way (to) – To collapse / to be replaced by

무너지다 / ~로 대체되다

 

Examples:

• The old bridge gave way after the flood.
  → 홍수 후에 낡은 다리가 무너졌다.
• Old traditions gave way to modern lifestyles.
  → 오래된 전통이 현대적인 생활 방식으로 바뀌었다.

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🌿 9️⃣ Give rise to – To cause or lead to something

~을 초래하다, 일으키다

 

Examples:

• The scandal gave rise to public anger.
  → 그 스캔들이 대중의 분노를 불러일으켰다.
• Curiosity gives rise to discovery.
  → 호기심은 발견을 낳는다.

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💫 10️⃣ Give oneself up – To surrender or turn oneself in

자수하다, 항복하다

 

Examples:

• The suspect gave himself up to the police.
  → 용의자가 경찰에 자수했다.
• She gave herself up to despair.
  → 그녀는 절망에 빠졌다.

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🌷 Summary Table

             구동사                        핵심 의미                               예문 요약                                   감정적 뉘앙스

 

give up	포기하다	Stop trying	체념
give in (to)	굴복하다	Surrender to something	유혹, 압력에 약함
give out	나눠주다 / 고장나다	Distribute / Break down	에너지 소진
give off	내뿜다	Emit scent, light	자연스러움
give away	기부하다 / 누설하다	Donate / Reveal	관대함, 실수
give back	돌려주다	Return to owner	정의감
give over (to)	헌신하다	Devote to	몰입, 집중
give way (to)	무너지다 / 대체되다	Collapse / Replace	변화, 순환
give rise to	~을 일으키다	Cause or lead to	결과, 원인
give oneself up	항복하다 / 자수하다	Surrender	포기, 순응

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🌼 Closing Thought

“To give is not only to hand something over —
it is to release, to share, and sometimes, to let go.” 🌿

 

The word give carries generosity, surrender, and transformation all in one —
a single verb that teaches us the many ways of being human in language.

 

 

 

© MisoEnglish / Michelle Kim. 이 글은 제가 직접 작성한 오리지널 콘텐츠입니다. 전체 복제나 무단 재게시를 금하며, 일부 인용 시에는 반드시 출처(MisoEnglish)와 링크를 남겨 주세요.