My current understanding is that both words indicate a type/kind of thing, and 종류 is more used for classifying / grouping things, but my understanding is still a bit unclear. Could someone help me clarify the difference between these two words, thank you!
1 Answer
종류 is the more formal word for "kind" or "type" as you said.
가지 has a similar meaning but with a more varying uses suitable for everyday situation.
Unlike 종류, 가지 is also used like a count unit sometimes, as in 옷 몇 가지 샀어. Here the speaker is not necessarily saying a few different types but rather a few items of clothing. So 가지 tends to have a wider usage than 종류 which has a narrower and more precise definition.
Here are some sentences where 가지 would sound more natural.
- 이 문제는 세 가지(의) 관점에서 볼 수 있습니다 = You can look at this issue from three different view points.
- 2023년에 있었던 여러 가지(의) 사건들 = Various incidents that happened in 2023.
종류 would sound a bit too fussy for such simple usages.
