Vocabulary
갇히다
be trapped / confined
Meaning
Verb: “be trapped”, “be confined in a place”. Passive of 가두다 (“confine, lock up”).
Why this form?
가두다 — “lock someone up”: transitive action by an agent; 갇히다 describes the state or result affecting someone.
막히다 — “be blocked”: used for routes, passages or flows, not necessarily confinement of a person.
Forms not to confuse
- 가두다
사람을 방에 가뒀어요. — Someone was locked in a room.
- 막히다
길이 막혔어요. — The road is blocked.
Useful forms
갇히다 → 갇혀요 (present), 갇혔어요 (past), 갇힌 (completed modifier). Do not confuse it with transitive 가두다.
Examples
우-우리… 갇힌 거예요?! — A-are we… trapped?!
문이 잠겨서 안에 갇혔어요. — The door was locked, so I was trapped inside.