조금
jogeum
a little / a small amount (natural spoken form)
약간
yakgan
slightly / somewhat (more formal/precise)
조금 vs 약간: "A Little" vs "Slightly" in Korean
조금 is the more natural and versatile word for "a little" used across all spoken situations, while 약간 conveys a slightly smaller or more precise degree and is more common in formal or written Korean.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| 조금 (jogeum) | 약간 (yakgan) | |
|---|---|---|
| Register | Casual to neutral — widely used in speech | Slightly more formal — common in writing and formal contexts |
| Degree of Smallness | A little (general small amount) | Slightly — often implies a more precise, smaller degree |
| Shortened Form | 조금 → 좀 (informal abbreviation used very frequently) | No common abbreviation |
| Common Usage | Requesting, modifying quantity, softening statements | Qualifying adjectives and adverbs precisely |
| Example | 조금만 기다려 주세요 (please wait a little) | 약간 피곤해요 (I'm slightly tired) |
Examples in Context
Asking someone to wait briefly — using 조금
조금만 기다려 주세요.
Please wait just a little.
Saying you ate a small amount — using 조금
저는 조금밖에 안 먹었어요.
I only ate a little.
Describing feeling slightly cold — using 약간
오늘은 약간 쌀쌀한 것 같아요.
It seems slightly chilly today.
Noting a situation is somewhat awkward in writing — using 약간
상황이 약간 어색했다.
The situation was somewhat awkward.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✗Using 약간 in casual requests — 약간 기다려 sounds unnatural. Use 조금 or 좀 for requests and everyday speech.
- ✗Forgetting 좀 — the shortened form of 조금, used constantly in Korean conversation (좀 도와줘, 좀 비켜 주세요).
- ✗Treating them as perfectly interchangeable — while overlap exists, 약간 often implies a more deliberately small or qualified degree than 조금.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 조금 and 좀?
좀 is simply the informal spoken abbreviation of 조금. They mean the same thing, but 좀 is more colloquial and appears very frequently in everyday requests and conversation.
Can 약간 be used in speech?
Yes, Koreans do use 약간 in spoken language, especially when they want to sound precise or slightly formal. It is more natural in speech than purely formal words like 매우.
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