# 두발 and 머리카락



## klaus2

Does 두발 means hair? What's the difference for 머리카락?

Thanks.


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## Young Jong

머리카락   sounds more like .. especially one thread of hair.
and yes  두발 also means hair. 

Its kind of hard to explain 
Waiting for a better explanation, ,!


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## wildsunflower

I understand that 두발 means hair in whole (not individual), and is used only for a human. 머리카락 can mean either hair in whole or threads of hair. It can be used for an animal, but very rare. You would usually use 털 for animals.


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## kenjoluma

Just like English where you use Latin or French to sound more sophisticated, (arse to rectum, crazy to insane, dirty to insanitary, eye doctor to optometrist, baby to infant etc.), 두발 makes you sound like you graduated from university.


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## wildsunflower

You wouldn't want to say 두발 to make yourself sound smarter. 두발 and 머리카락 have different usages. 두발 is based on Chinese characters, so it is more formal than 머리카락. My friend or my mother wouldn't say 두발 to me in casual conversations.


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## kenjoluma

I guess my deadpan humour doesn't work here.  But I didn't lie.



wildsunflower said:


> You wouldn't want to say 두발 to make yourself sound smarter. 두발 and 머리카락 have different usages. 두발 is based on Chinese characters, so it is more formal than 머리카락. My friend or my mother wouldn't say 두발 to me in casual conversations.


 
Because your mother and friends don't have to impress you. But your doctors, scientists, and shampoo manufacturers do.

And of course they have different usages. 두발 is used in more scientific or professional manner while 머리카락 is casually used in quite daily-basis conversation.


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## wildsunflower

No worries. I got that joke. I just wanted to clarify the difference.


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## 경상남도로 오이소

When I went to middle school in 1996-1999 we had this "두발규제", presumably the term used for a long time, which dictates the strict hair code for male kids. At the time, (I'm not sure if it's the case now...) most of the middle schools had this "code", which differs from school to school, but basically you have to have a very short hair, less than 1 to 3 centimeters. No waxing and coloring of hair to boot.


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