Let’s master two essential compound verbs: 나가다 and 나오다.
Remember my lesson on 가다 and 오다? If I say “나가세요,” I’m staying in this room, and you move out. But if I say “나오세요,” I’m already outside, and I’m waiting for you to join me out here. Simple, right?
One great thing about Native Korean verbs is that one word can express so many things.
나가다
Take “정신이 나가다.” (to go crazy)
“정신” is your consciousness. So if it goes out of your body, you’re left with just a shell—you can’t think straight. It basically means “to go crazy.”
Similar to this “혼나다.” (to be scolded)
“혼” is like your soul or spirit. When you get scolded by someone, you’re so scared that your “혼” literally goes out of your body. It’s like your body is there, but your “혼” is somewhere else! I think Korean ancestors had a wild imagination.
We also use it for technology: “배터리가 다 나갔어요.” (The battery is dead.)
The battery doesn’t have legs to walk away, but just like “running out” in English, the energy has departed from the device.
And for shopping: “다 나갔어요.” (It’s sold out.)
Because the items walked out of the store with customers, we say “잘 나가요” for popular items. It even applies to people! Have you heard the 2NE1 song, “내가 제일 잘 나가!(I’m the best/most popular!)”?
나오다
Now, 나오다. This is about things becoming visible to the speaker.
“이 사람 드라마에 나왔어요. (This person appeared in a drama.)” You can come out in books, movies, news, and even dreams! “어제 꿈에 트럼프 대통령이 나왔어요. (President Trump came out in my dream last night.)” Any thing can appear!
It also describes things outside your control that finally show up. Like “결과” from a doctor or an exam. You have to wait for them to “come out” to you. “결과가 아직 안 나왔어요. (The results haven’t come out yet.)”
Here’s a funny one: “똥 (The #2/poop).”
Even though waste leaves your body, we say “나오다.” Probably because it’s about something finally becoming perceivable to your senses. The same goes for “침(saliva)” or “콧물(a runny nose).”
“나가다” is about exiting or losing function, while “나오다” is about appearing or being revealed.