Tuesday, September 25, 2018

What does 매화 mean?

Answer: either the blossom of a Japanese apricot tree or a royal dump

매화 (梅花) literally means "Japanese apricot tree (梅) flower (花)," but, apparently for those who do not know that the Chinese character 花 (화) already means flower, Koreans usually add the pure Korean word for flower (꽃) to it and say 매화꽃 for clarification.

Interestingly, however, during the Joseon Dynasty, the word 매화 was also used in the royal palace to mean poop, apparently because the pure Korean word for poop (똥) was not regal enough.

So, if you feel like you must announce the reason for your going to the bathroom, you could try softening the language by using the royal expression:
매화를 보러 간다.
"I'm going to go see the Japanese apricot blossoms."

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