용하다

Nativisation of the Sino-Korean term 영하다 (靈—, yeonghada, “to be supernaturally potent”).

Equivalent to 용 (yong) +‎ 하다 (-hada, “to do”, light verb deriving adjectives).

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

용하다 • (yonghada) (infinitive 용해 or 용하여, sequential 용하니)

1. to be skilled, to be excellent (especially of a shaman)

   먼 무당이 용하다

   meon mudang-i yong-hada

   The grass is greener on the other side

   (literally, “The shaman from far away is more skilled (proverb)”)

   내 점이 용네. (Gyeongsang dialect, Changwon)

   Nae jeom-i yongne.

   It happened just as I thought it would.

   (literally, “My fortune-telling is skilled.”)

2. (of a task or positive event) to be accomplished or to have occurred despite difficulty or unlikely circumstances

   용하게 눈물을 참았네.

   Yong-hage nunmur-eul chamanne.

   You managed to hold in your tears.

3. (of a person) to have accomplished a difficult task