Korean

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Etymology

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자잘 (jajal) +‎ 하다 (-hada, to do, light verb deriving adjectives).

Pronunciation

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Romanizations
Revised Romanization?jajalhada
Revised Romanization (translit.)?jajalhada
McCune–Reischauer?chajarhada
Yale Romanization?cacal.hata

Adjective

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자잘하다 (jajalhada) (infinitive 자잘해 or 자잘하여, sequential 자잘하니)

  1. (of a large number of things) to be teeny, to be tiny
    Synonym: 깨알 같다 (kkaeal gatda)
    글자 너무 자잘해서 .
    Geulja-ga neomu jajal-haeseo mot il-gess-eo.
    I can't read it because the letters are too teeny.
    자잘한 개미 줄지어 기어간다.
    Jajal-han gaemi tte-ga juljieo gieoganda.
    A swarm of tiny ants are crawling in a line.
  2. (figurative, of a large number of things) to be trivial, to be unimportant
    Synonym: 사소(些少)하다 (sasohada)
    자잘한 신경써?
    Wae jajal-han ir-e-man sin'gyeongsseo?
    Why do you only care about trivial things?

Conjugation

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See also

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  • 작다 (jakda, to be small)