What does 좀 (jom) mean?
- 좀jom
A little / please (softener)
Fine in most situations
좀 (jom) means "a little" or "a bit" in Korean, and it is also used like "please" to soften a request. It is one of the most common words in everyday speech.
Where it comes from
좀 is a shortened form of 조금 (a little).
How to use 좀
As "a bit", 좀 works like English: 좀 더 (a bit more), 좀 비싸요 (it's a bit expensive). As a softener, you slip it into requests to sound gentler: 물 좀 주세요 (Could I have some water, please?).
Said on its own with an annoyed tone, 좀! means something like "Come on!" or "Seriously!", and 좀 그만해 means "Cut it out". So the feeling depends a lot on your voice.
좀 itself has no politeness level, so it fits with both polite and casual sentences. The ending of the sentence decides how polite you sound.
Examples
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Asking a server for water
A parent at dinner
Texting a sibling for help
Other ways to say it
| Korean | Meaning | When |
|---|---|---|
| 조금 | A little | The full form, a bit more careful or written. |
| 좀 더 | A little more | Very common in shops and at meals. |
| 좀 주세요 | Please give me some | Polite request with a softener. |
| 좀 그만해 | Cut it out | Casual, irritated. |
Questions learners ask
Does jom mean please?
Not exactly, but it softens a request in a way that feels like "please". 물 좀 주세요 is like "Some water, please".
What is the difference between jom and jogeum?
좀 is the shortened, everyday form of 조금. Both mean "a little", but only 좀 is commonly used as a request softener.
Is jom rude?
No. It usually makes you sound softer. Only an irritated 좀! on its own sounds sharp.