10 Korean Words for "Carry": 들다, 메다, 안다, 업다

Quick answer: Korean has no single verb for "carry." You choose by how you carry it: 들다 (deulda) in your hand, 메다 on your shoulder, 안다 in your arms, 업다 on your back, 옮기다 from one place to another — and for taking something along with you, 가져가다 (gajyeogada) for things, 데려가다 for people.

That last pair is the one that matters most. In English you "bring" an umbrella and you "bring" your little brother. In Korean, using the object verb for a person sounds like you packed him in a suitcase. Koreans notice instantly.

This is one of those English words that fans out into a whole family in Korean, the same way the Korean verbs for "cut" do. Below are ten, each one you can lift out and use on its own.

1. 들다 — to hold or lift in your hand

가방 들어 드릴까요? — "Shall I carry your bag for you?"

들다 is the default: something is in your hand, off the ground. A grocery bag, a tray, a suitcase handle. The offer 들어 드릴까요? (polite 해요체, with the humble 드리다) is what you say to someone older struggling up stairs, and it always lands well. Note that 들다 has other meanings too — 마음에 들다 "to like," 돈이 들다 "to cost" — but with a physical object in front of it, it means carry.

2. 메다 — to carry on your shoulder (bags with straps)

배낭을 메고 산에 갔어요. — "I went up the mountain with a backpack on."

If it has straps and it sits on your shoulder or back — backpack, cross-body bag, guitar case — the verb is 메다, not 들다 and definitely not 입다 ("wear" clothing). A Korean speaker hears 가방을 메다 and pictures the strap; 가방을 들다 and pictures a hand. Useful if you're heading out for a day of 등산.

3. 안다 — to hold in your arms

아기를 안고 있어요. — "She's holding the baby in her arms."

안다 (pronounced [안따]) is arms wrapped around something in front of you: a baby, a puppy, a bundle of flowers, a big box. It's also the verb for hugging — 안아 주세요 means "give me a hug." So context does a lot of work here, and warmth comes with the word either way.

4. 업다 — to carry on your back (a person)

아빠가 아이를 업고 있어요. — "Dad is carrying the child on his back."

업다 is piggyback, and it's specifically for people — a sleeping toddler, a friend who twisted an ankle. 업어 주세요 is what a tired child says to a parent. You cannot 업다 a backpack (that's 메다), and you cannot 메다 a person.

5. 가져가다 — to take a thing with you (away from here)

우산 가져가세요. — "Take an umbrella with you."

This is the everyday "bring it along" verb for objects. The 가다 on the end means the thing moves away from where you are now. You'll hear 가져가세요 constantly — at a café when something's ready, at someone's house when they're sending you home with leftovers.

6. 가져오다 — to bring a thing here

제가 물 가져올게요. — "I'll go get the water." (literally "I'll bring water")

Same verb, opposite direction: 오다 means it comes toward the speaker. Korean is strict about this where English is lazy — English "bring" covers both. If you're sitting at the table and the water is in the kitchen, it's 가져올게요. If you're walking out the door with it, it's 가져갈게요.

7. 데려가다 / 데려오다 — to take or bring a person

친구도 데려가도 돼요? — "Can I bring my friend too?"

People and animals get 데려가다 / 데려오다, never 가져가다. Saying 친구를 가져갈게요 sounds like your friend is a shopping bag — it's the kind of mistake that gets a laugh and then a correction. You'll also see the spaced form 데리고 가다, which means the same thing and is just as natural.

8. 모시고 가다 — to take someone you should respect

부모님을 모시고 식당에 갔어요. — "I took my parents to a restaurant."

When the person is your parents, your grandparents, your boss, or a teacher, 데려가다 feels too casual — it's the verb you'd use for a child. 모시다 raises the other person and lowers you, so 모시고 가다 is the polite choice. Use it and older Koreans will quietly decide you were raised well.

9. 챙기다 — to remember to take, to pack

여권 꼭 챙기세요. — "Make sure you take your passport."

챙기다 isn't about the physical act of carrying — it's about not forgetting. It carries a little care in it. That's why 잘 챙겨 주세요 means "please look after them," and 밥 잘 챙겨 먹어 means "make sure you eat properly." When a Korean friend texts you 우산 챙겨 가, they're not commenting on your grip; they're worrying about you.

10. 옮기다 and 나르다 — to move something, to haul

이 상자 좀 옮겨 주세요. — "Please move this box."

짐 나르느라 하루가 다 갔어요. — "The whole day went into hauling stuff."

옮기다 is A to B, once: moving a desk, moving seats (자리를 옮기다), even changing jobs (회사를 옮기다). 나르다 is the back-and-forth grind — many trips, heavy loads, moving day. Watch the conjugation: 나르다 is a 르-irregular verb, so it becomes 날라요 and 날랐어요, not 날아요.

Which one, at a glance

This how-you-do-it logic shows up all over Korean verbs — it's the same reason 열다 and 켜다 both become "open/turn on" in English but never swap in Korean.

FAQ

How do you say "carry" in Korean?

There's no single word. The most common is 들다, for carrying something in your hand — 가방을 들다 means "to carry a bag." But if it's on your shoulder it's 메다, in your arms 안다, on your back 업다, and if you mean "take it with you" it's 가져가다 for things and 데려가다 for people.

What's the difference between 가져가다 and 데려가다?

가져가다 is for objects, 데려가다 is for people and animals. 우산 가져가세요 is "take an umbrella," and 동생 데려가세요 is "take your younger sibling." Using 가져가다 for a person sounds like you're carrying them as luggage. For someone older or senior to you, upgrade 데려가다 to 모시고 가다.

Is 메다 the same as wearing a backpack?

Yes — Korean treats a backpack as something you 메다 (carry by strap), not something you 입다 (wear, for clothing). 배낭을 메고 왔어요 means "I came with a backpack on." A handbag you hold by the handle takes 들다 instead.

Practice

Translate into natural Korean (polite 해요체 unless noted).

1. "Shall I carry your bag for you?" (offering to someone older)
2. "Take an umbrella with you."
3. "Can I bring my dog?"
4. "Dad is carrying the child on his back."
5. "Please move this box."