Different ways of saying ‘to apply’ in Korean - 지원하다, 신청하다, 적용하다 and 응용하다

지원하다

1. to apply to join or to be part of an organization (e.g. 학교(school), 회사(company), 군대(military), etc)

군대에 지원하다 = to apply for the military

회사에 지원하다 = to apply for a company

일자리에 지원하다 = to apply for a job opportunity

대학교에 지원하다 = to apply for a university

2. to support someone with X

장학금을 지원하다 = to support someone with a scholarship

보조금을 지원하다 = to support someone with subsidies

구호물품을 지원하다 = to support someone with emergency relief supplies

신청하다

to apply to request especially in the form of a written application (e.g. a grant, permission, visa, passport, etc)

비자를 신청하다 = to apply for a visa

여권을 신청하다 = to apply for a passport

면허증을 신청하다 = to apply for a driver’s license

보조금을 신청하다 = to apply for subsidies

장학금을 신청하다 = to apply for a scholarship

라디오에 노래를 신청하다 = to apply to request a song on the radio

적용하다

to apply to put to use especially for some practical purpose

배운 것을 실생활에 적용하다 = to apply what I’ve learned to everyday life

이론을 현실에 적용하다 = to apply the theory to a reality

그 규칙은 19세 미만에게는 적용되지 않는다 = That rule is not applied to under 19 years old.

응용하다

응용하다 is a special case of 적용하다. to apply what you have learned, especially scientific or mathematical knowledge, to something new.

배운 공식을 응용하여 문제를 풀다 = to solve the problem by applying the mathematical formula I’ve learned.

맷돌의 원리를 응용한 음식물 쓰레기 처리기를 개발하다. = to create a food waste processor by applying the principle of how a millstone works.

해당하다/해당되다

If something such as a rule or a remark applies to a person or in a situation, it is relevant to the person or the situation.

제가 하는 말은 여러분 중 일부에게만 해당합니다. = What I am saying applies only to some of you.

이 규정은 당신에게 해당되지 않습니다. = This rule does not apply to you.