Vocabulary
온 힘을 다하다
use all one’s strength
Meaning
Expression: “use all one’s strength”, “give one’s all”.
Why this form?
힘을 쓰다 — “exert effort or strength”: does not imply using all available strength.
최선을 다하다 — “do one’s best”: covers best possible effort, physical or otherwise, rather than necessarily total physical strength.
Forms not to confuse
- 힘을 쓰다
조금 더 힘을 써 보세요. — Try using a little more strength.
- 최선을 다하다
시험에서 최선을 다했어요. — I did my best on the exam.
Examples
태형과 지민은 병원 문을 열어 보려고 온 힘을 다하지만, 소용이 없다. — Taehyung and Jimin use all their strength to try to open the hospital door, but to no avail.
온 힘을 다해 밀었어요. — I pushed with all my strength.