ANSWER: One means length, and the other means for a long time. In other words, when 길이 is used as a noun, it means length, and when used as an adverb, it means for a long time.
Today I came across the expression 중국사에 길이 남을 쾌사(快事), which can translate as a joyful event (쾌사) in Chinese history that will last the ages. Here 길이 is being used as an adverb, so it means for a long time or forever, and 남다 means to remain, to be left over, or to survive and, therefore, can be translated as tolast. Here are a couple more examples from my dictionary of 길이 being used as an adverb:
그의 이름은 길이 남을 것이다. His name will be immortal [will live forever].
그분의 은혜를 길이 못 잊겠다. I shall never forget his kindness.
And here are some examples of 길이 being used as a noun meaning length or extent:
길이 일곱 자의 뱀 a snake with a length of seven feet
각각 1미터 길이로 잘라주시오. Cut them in lengths of one meter each.
길이는 얼마냐? How long is it?
In my dictionary, both the adverb 길이 and the noun 길이 are listed as very frequently used words, which means they should be at the top of a list of Korean words to learn. And 길이, of course, should be pronounced as /기리/.
ANSWER: "Please say 'hello' for me," or "Please send my regards."
Today I came across a video (See below) of a young Korean man who apparently teaches English expressions on YouTube. His name is Jeon Dae-ho (전대호), but you have to listen carefully to hear it when he introduces himself in Korean because he is a fast talker. I could only hear "안녕하세요, 여러분? ***입니다," so I had to look at the title of his video to get his full name. I am not sure why some Koreans introduce themselves so quickly in Korean, but I used to have to tell my Korean students to slow down their introductions in English because knowing the names of the people they are talking to are important to Americans, and business cards are not commonly exchanged. Anyway, in his video Mr. Jeon teaches the expression "안부 좀 전해주세요," which reminded me of something I wanted to write about the expression and the word 안부.
My Korean-English dictionary defines 안부 (安否) as safety, welfare, health, or well-being, but it also defines it as news or tidings. The literal meaning of 안부, however, is comfortable or not. The Chinese character 安 (안) means comfortable or well, and 否 (부) means not, so since 좀 means please and 전하다 means convey or communicate, the expression 안부 좀 전해주세요 literally means "Please convey comfortable or not," which suggests the expression is an abbreviation of a longer expression. The longer expression is essentially one of the following two:
Polite:
"(부모님께) 안부를 여쭈었다고 좀 전해주세요."
"Please tell (your parents) that I asked how they were doing."
Friendly:
"(동생한테) 안부를 물었다고 좀 전해주세요."
"Please tell (your younger brother) that I asked how he was doing."
As for Mr. Jeon and his English lessons, listening to his rapid-fire explanations might be a good way to practice Korean listening skills.
움찔 means flinching, and 움짤 is an abbreviation of 움직이는 짤방, a moving 짤방. And 짤방 is Korean slang for a JPG file image, so 움짤 literally means a moving JPG image, commonly known as an animated GIFimage. That means 움찔움짤 literally means a flinching (움찔) animated GIF image (움짤).
But what is a flinching animated GIF image? 움찔움짤 may be just a longer, somewhat redundant version of 움짤, or it may be an animated GIF where only a part or parts of the image move, as suggested in the video below. Notice in the video that the only parts of the two women that are moving are essentially their mouths and arms. In other words, they are physically demonstrating what the camera's animation function does to still photos.
DIALOG
Blue: "사진 보여줄까?" "Shall I show you a photo?"
Pink: "그래. 머리카락을 왜 안 움직여?" "Sure. Why don't you move your hair?"
Blue: "이거 사진이거든." "It's a photo."
Pink: "그래도 안 움직이네." "Anyway, it doesn't move."
Blue: "이거 사진이라고." "I said it's a photo."
Pink: "눈도 안 깜박거리네." "And your eyes don't blink."
Blue: "너의 사진 움직이니? "Do your photos move?"
Pink: "응. 움직여. 볼래? "Yeah, they move. Do you want to see?"
Blue: "뭐야? 어떻게 한 거야? "What? How did you do that?"
Pink: "매직. 매직으로 한 거야." "Magic. I did it with magic."
Blue: "이런 거 처음 보는데." "I'm seeing this kind of thing for the first time."
Pink: "당연하지. 신상이니까." "Of course. Because it's a new product."
Blue: "이름이 뭔데?" "What's its name?"
Pink: "이름이 뭐냐하면, LG V40." "If you're asking its name, it's LG V40."
Narrator: "신기한 영상을 손쉽게 만들어주는 매직포토." "Magic Photo easily makes amazing images."
동서남북 (東西南北) are the Sino-Korean words for east (東), west (西), south (南), and north (北), but there are also pure Korean words: 새 means east, 하늬 west, 마 south, and 높 north. Besides referring to directions in general, the pure Korean words are also used by some farmers and sailors to refer to the direction of the wind, which is 바람 in pure Korean and 풍(風) in Sino-Korean.
I like reading the writings of Lee Su-yeol (이수열), who does not hold back when it comes to criticizing Korean media, academics, politicians, and government officials who often use pretentiously silly or incorrect Korean expressions. From Mr. Lee's 1999 book, "우리가 정말 알아야 할 우리말 바로 쓰기," here is a short list of some of the pretentiously silly weather-related expressions he has apparently heard during Korean weather broadcasts:
Silly: 오늘은 구름이 많이 낀 상태를 보이고 있습니다. Good: 오늘은 구름이 많이 끼었습니다.
Silly: 오늘도 맑은 날씨가 이어지고 있는 상태입니다. Good: 오늘도 날씨가 맑습니다. Good: 오늘도 계속해서 갠 날씨입니다. Good: 오늘도 갰습니다.
Silly: 중부지방은 비가 내리고 있는 상태입니다. Good: 중부지방에(는) 비가 내립니다.
Silly: 남쪽 바다에서 태풍이 비바람을 몰고 오고 있는 상태입니다. Good: 남쪽 바다에서 태풍이 비바람을 몰아옵니다.
Silly: 오늘 아침도 쌀쌀한 기온의 날씨를 보이고 있습니다. Good: 오늘 아침도 (기온이) 쌀쌀합니다.
Silly: 비구름이 아직도 머물러 있는 모습이 보이고 있습니다. Good: 비구름이 아직도 머물러 있습니다.
The map below is an old map of Korea that is believed to have been made some time in either the 1700s or the early 1800s. Notice that the shape of Korea on the map is different from the shape of Korea on modern maps. The reason for that is not because Koreans have expanded their territory since the time of the old map but rather because Koreans at the time apparently lacked the expertise to more precisely map their country.
Some say that the shape of Korea on modern maps looks like that of a rabbit, but such a comparison offends many Koreans who fear it gives the impression Koreans are weak and helpless. Instead, many Koreans prefer to think that the shape of their country is more like that of a fierce tiger standing up on its hind legs. If you are curious to know how sensitive Koreans are about the subject, point to Korea on a map and tell a Korean that it looks like a rabbit. I suspect the Korean will likely try to convince you otherwise.
Anyway, trying to describe the shape of Korea by comparing it to something is not new for Koreans. Near the upper right-hand corner of the old map below the following is written:
地形如人立, 海圍東西南
The shape
of the land (地形) is like (如) a person (人) standing (立),
[and] seas (海) surround (圍) the east (東), west (西), and south (南).
ANSWER: 너 못하나? means Can't you do it? and 너 못한가? means Are you inferior?
못하다 can be used as a transitive verb or as an adjective. When it is used as a transitive verb, it means cannot, be impossible, or be unable to. When it is used as an adjective, it means be inferior or be worse than.
Okay. But how can you know 못하나 is being used as a verb and 못한가 as an adjective?
Because the question endings -나 and -는가 are used only with verbs, and -ㄴ/은가 only with adjectives, though -ㄴ가 is also used with the copula (이다). Therefore, when you see 못하나 or 못하는가, you know 못하다 is being used as a verb; and when you see 못한가, you know it is being used as an adjective.
However, these days many Koreans are forgetting these distinctions and are mistakenly using the question ending -나 with both verbs and adjectives, so you have to watch out for that.
ANSWER: I think 참 좋으이더 means either 참 촣습니다 or 참 촣군요.
Today, I came across a song by Sim Jae-kyeong (심재경) entitled "참 좋으이더," which apparently is the Andong (Northern Gyeongsang region) dialect for either 참 좋습니다 or 참 좋군요. The English translation would be "This/That is great!" What I found interesting about the title of the song is that 좋으이, without the 다, is a Korean exclamation for "Good!" or "Great!"
When Koreans want to express surprise or excitement, as if they were talking to themselves, they traditionally add -는구나 (군) to verb stems and -구나 (군) to adjectives and the copula (이다) stems. Optionally, they can add -네 to verb stems, -(으)이 to adjective stems, and -ㄹ세 to the copula stem (이다/아니다). See the following examples:
Action Verbs
비가 오는구나.
먹는구나.
비가 오네.
먹네.
Adjectives (Descriptive Verbs)
산이 높구나.
딸이 예쁘구나.
산이 높으이
딸이 예쁘이
Copula (이다/아니다*)
외국 사람이구나.
한국 사람이 아니구나.
외국 사람일세.
한국 사람이 아닐세.
* Though 아니다 is classified as an adjective, it is also the negative form of the copula 이다 (i.e. 안 이다) and takes the -ㄹ세 ending instead of the adjective ending -(으)이, so 아니다 is not your average adjective.
Though many Koreans still seem to be using -는구나 and -구나, many younger Koreans these days seem to be adding -네 or -네요 to almost everything, thereby, ignoring the above distinctions between verbs, adjectives, and copulas. I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but it is interesting to see that the phrase 좋으이다, suggesting 좋군요, is still being used by some in the provinces.
Below is a music video of the song mentioned above. The song is about a man who returns after a long time to his home village of Andong (안동), in North Gyeongsang Province, where he is greeted by an old friend who greets him using the familiar dialect of his childhood. Though I do not know much about the dialect, I have tried to translate the lyrics into standard Korean just below the video. I have also translated them into English. Anyway, it is a beautiful song.
안녕하시이껴 (안녕하십니까?) How are you?
밥 잡샀니껴 (밥 잡수셨습니까?)
Have you eaten?
우리 참 오랫 마이씨더 (우리 참 오래만입니다.)
It's been a long time.
참 좋으이더 (참 좋습니다.) This is great!
이게 얼마 마이껴 (이게 얼마 만입니까?)
How long has it been?
잘 지냈니껴 (잘 니냈습니까?)
Have you been doing well?
옛모습 고대로씨더 (옛 모습 그대로입니다.)
You look just like your old self.
참 좋으이더 (참 좋습니다!)
This is great!
머 한다고 그리 바빴는지 (뭘 한다고 그렇게 바빴는지)
What has kept you so busy
서로 얼굴도 못보고 지냈니더 (서로 얼굴도 못 보고 지냈습니다.)
That we have not been able to see each other?
우리 인제는 자주 쫌 보시더 (우리 이제는 자주 좀 봅시다.)
From now on, let's please try to see each other frequently.
이래 보이 얼마나 좋으이껴 (이렇게 보니 얼마나 좋습니까?)
How great is it to meet like this.
안글리껴 (안 그렇습니까?)
Right?
안녕하시이껴 (안녕하십니까?) How are you?
밥 잡샀니껴 (밥 잡수셨습니까? Have you eaten? 우리 참 오랫 마이씨더 (우리 참 오래만입니다.) It's been a long time for us.
참 좋으이더 (참 좋습니다.) This is great!
안녕하시이껴 (안녕하십니까?) How are you?
밥 잡샀니껴 (밥 잡수셨습니까?) Have you eaten?
우리 참 오랫 마이씨더 (우리 참 오래만입니다.)
It's been a long time for us.
참 좋으이더 (참 좋습니다.)
This is great!
어른들 편하시니껴 (어른들 편하십니까?)
How are your parents?
아들도 마이 컸겠니더 (아이들도 많이 컸겠습니다.)
Your kids have probably grown a lot.
언제 같이 함 보시더 (언제 같이 한번 봅시다.)
Let's get together sometime.
참 좋으이더 (참 좋습니다.)
This is great!
머 한다고 그리 바빴는지 (뭘 한다고 그렇게 바빴는지.)
What has keep you so busy
서로 얼굴도 못보고 지냈니더 (서로 얼굴도 못 보고 지냈습니다.)
That we have not been able to see each other?
우리 인제는 자주 쫌 보시더 (우리 이제는 자주 좀 봅시다.)
From now on, let's please see each other frequently.
ANSWER: I suspect it is because it is a relatively easy poem to read and understand.
In the video below, the man describes the poem 靜夜思 (정야사) by saying, "Basically, this is the first poem students learn when they begin to study classical Chinese." I suspect the reason for that is because the poem is written with simple characters and simple grammar and communicates a simple message: Homesickness.
Since the man in the video does such a good job of describing the grammar of the poem, I will just post the poem below with the Korean pronunciations of the characters. However, I will say that during the classical period, the character 是 (시) meant this or this is and was used to refer back to something previously stated. Also, I changed the character 舉 (거) to 擧 (거) because, though the two characters have the same meaning, 擧 is the more commonly used character in Korea. Finally, because each line in the poem is limited to only five characters, unnecessary characters with meanings such as at, I, and my are left out.
靜夜思 A Quiet (靜) Night’s (夜) Thought (思)
床前明月光 In front of the bed (床前) [is] bright (明) moon (月) light (光).
疑是地上霜 [I] suspect (疑) this [is] (是) frost on the ground (地上霜).
擧頭望明月 [I] raise (擧) [my] head (頭) [and] gaze (望) [at] the bright (明) moon (月).
低頭思故鄕 [I] lower (低) [my] head (頭) [and] think of (思) home (故鄕).
ANSWER: I'm not sure, but the sentence was used in a 1513 article in the Annals of King Jungjong.
농자천하지대본 (農者天下之大本) literally means "Agriculture (農者) [is] the country's (天下之) foundation (大本)." Though I am unsure of the origin of the quote, it is often used in Korea when giving encouragement to farmers. And Daniel Webster (1782 - 1852) expressed the same sentiment in a May 1844 speech in Trenton, New Jersey:
I look, therefore, upon it as altogether a wrong statement of the question, to say that a tariff for protection is alone beneficial, or mainly beneficial, to manufacturers. I regard it as essential to the interest of agriculture, which may be regarded as the foundation of the country, inasmuch as it creates a market for its productions. And I am disposed to pass the few moments allowed us here, in discussing these things which lie at the foundation of the prosperity of the country, and which, if I understand the matter, form the platform of the Whig principles.
Koreans have literally hundreds of idioms based on body parts. An example would be 눈이 뒤집히다, which has a literally meaning of "eyes turned inside out" but an idiomatic meaning of "to lose one's sober judgment" or "to run wild." There is a good list of Korean body-part idioms HERE.
In case the link someday stops working, I have also copied and pasted the list below. Besides, I may want to add to it, even though it looks like a pretty complete list. Also, I am thinking about adding the literal meanings of the idioms.
간 (liver)
간이 콩알만 해 지다. (be scared stiff, be terrified/I cringed and got sick to my stomach./I was walking alone last night and the cat came out of nowhere, I got the fright of my life!)
간이 배 밖에 나왔다 -
간에 기별도 안가다 - barely begin to satisfy one's hunger
간에 붙었다 쓸개에 붙었다 하다 - be fickle
간을 녹이다 - charm; fascinate; bewitch
간이 뒤집히다 - to rebuke someone for laughing without reason
간이 떨어지다 - to be suddenly surprised
간이 붓다 - to be uppity
간이 작은 - timid; faint-hearted
간이 철렁하다 - be shocked
간이 콩알만해지다 - to be frightened out of one's wits
간이 타다 - be anxious (for) / pine
간(을) 졸이다 - to worry oneself
간(이) 크다 - be plucky, courageous
가랑이 (crotch)
가랑이가 찢어지게 가난하다 - to suffer from extreme poverty
가슴 (chest)
가슴에 맺히다 - to have vengence of fear knotting up inside you
가슴에 못을 박다 - to be hurt emotionally
가슴을 치다 - feel frustration; feel wronged
가슴을 태우다 - be very anxious
가슴이 내려앉다 - be greatly surprised; be startled
가슴이 덜컹하다 - be suddenly surprised or shocked
가슴이 미어지다 - be stricken with grief, pain, sadness, or emotion
가슴이 부풀다 - be buoyant (with)
가슴이 뿌듯하다 - be full of excitement and emotion
가슴이 아프다 - be hearted-broken
가슴이 찢어지다 - be heart-broken
가슴이 철렁하다 - be suddenly surprised or shocked
가슴이 후련하다 - feel relieved
간담 (liver & gall bladder)
간담이 떨어지다 very surprised
간담이 서늘하다 be suddenly frightened
귀 (ear)
귀가 가렵다 to have a feeling someone is talking about you
귀가 따갑다 to be sick of hearing (something); an earache
귀가 먹다 to lose one's hearing; to be deaf
귀가 밝다 to be sharp eared
귀가 번쩍 뜨이다 to come to one's attention; to catch on
귀가 설다 be unfamiliar to one's ears
귀가 솔깃한 welcome to the ears; tempting to the ears
귀가 어둡다 to be hard of hearing; to not be catch up on the news
귀가 여리다 to be easily fooled or seduced by other's words
귀가 얇다 to be easily fooled or seduced by other's words
귀가 울리다 to have a ringing in one's ears
귀가 절벽이다 to be stone deaf; to be out of touch with the world
귀가 질기다 to be mentally slow and have a hard time understanding people
귀를 기울이다 strain one's ears to hear
귀를 뜨다 to begin to discern sound (as with a baby)
귀를 의심하다 to (hear something that makes you) not believe your ears
귀를 주다 to overhear someone
귀 빠진 날 one's birthday
귀에 거슬리다 to be harsh on the ears; grating
귀에 거칠다 to be disagreeable to hear; offensive
귀에 들어가다 to hear about (something)
귀에 못이 박히다 to be tired of hearing (something)
귀에 설다 to be unfamiliar to one's ears
귀에 익다 to be familiar to one's ears
귀청이 떨어지다 to be so loud that it hurts the ears
귓가로 듣다 to listen without paying attention
귓등으로 듣다 to pretend to be listening
귓구멍이 넓다 to readily believe what people say
귓문이 넓다 to readily believe what people say
귓전으로 듣다 to half-way listen to someone
꼬리 (tail)
꼬리가 길다 "Were you born in a barn?" (Used when someone forgets to close a door.)
꼬리를 감추다 cover one's tracks; hide oneself
꼬리를 달다 make an additional comment in support of something; attach a condition to something
꼬리를 물다 continue one after another; in rapid succession
꼬리를 사리다 to shrink from danger; to shrink back in fear
꼬리를 밟히다 give a clue to (police); be traced by
꼬리를 잇다 continue one after another
꼬리를 잡다 discover the hidden mistakes of another
꼬리를 치다/흔들다 (a girl tries to) seduce or entice (a man); flatter or butter up a person
쥐꼬리 - is a rat's tail and used for things that are really small, usually used in conjunction with the grammar 만 한.
쥐꼬리만 한 월급 - a really small salary, getting paid peanuts.
쥐꼬리만 한 돈 - a really small amount of money, chicken feed.
낯 (face)
낯 means face, although 얼굴 is a lot more commonly used.
낯을 못 들다 be ashamed of oneself; cannot hold one's head up
낯이 깎이다 lose (one's) dignity
(너을 볼) 낯이 없다 I am too ashamed (to face you.)
낯가죽 (the skin of the face)
낯가죽이 두껍다 be brazen-faced
눈 (eye)
눈이 높다 - to have high standards, be picky
눈에 쌍심지를 켜다 - ?
눈에서 멀어지면 마음에서도 멀어진다 - out of sight, out of mind
눈도 깜짝 안 한다 to not bat an eyelid
눈뜨고 볼 수 없다 disgusting; shocking
눈먼 돈 an unexpected windfall; receive money unexpectedly
눈밖에 나다 to be out of favor with someone
눈에 거슬리다 to be offensive to the eye; be unpardonable
눈에 넣어도 아프지 않다 be the apple of one's eye
눈에 들다 to be in a person's favor
눈에 띄다 to come in sight
눈에 밟히다 to haunt one's memory
눈에 불을 켜다 to be angry
눈에 불이 나다 to become very angry
눈에서 번개가 번쩍 나다 to see stars (when struck on the head)
눈에 선하다 to have an object or an event flash back into your memory
눈에 설다 to be unfamilar to you
눈에 쌍심지를 켜다 to glare with anger
눈에 어리다 to remain a vivid image in one's memory
눈에 익다 to be familar
눈에 차다 to see something you like
눈에 헛거미가 잡히다 to have your eyes get fuzzy from hunger
눈에 흙이 들어가다 to die
눈썰미가 있다 to have a quick eye for learning things
눈썹 (eyebrow)
눈썹도 까딱하지 않다 to remain unperturbed
눈길을 끌다 to catch one's eye; to attract one's attention
눈을 돌리다 to turn one's attention to
눈을 딱 감다 to stop worrying (thinking) about something
눈을 떼다 to take one's eyes off of something
눈을 맞추다 to make eye contact with someone
눈을 부라리다 to glare upon; to look fiercely at
눈을 붙이다 to fall asleep
눈을 속이다 to trick someone with slight of hand
눈을 의심하다 to watch in disbelief.
눈을 주다 to look toward someone; to signal someone with one's eyes
눈을 피하다 to avoid another's observation
눈을 흘기다 to look at someone sideways
눈이 가다 to have one's eyes drawn to something or someone
눈 깜짝할 사이 happen in the blink of an eye
눈이 꺼지다 to be hallow-eyed
눈이 높다 to have high ambitions; to have a discerning eye
눈이 뒤집히다 to lose one's sober judgment; to run wild
눈이 등잔만하다 to look with round-eyed wonder
눈이 맞다 fall in love
눈이 미치는 한 as far as the eye can see
눈이 빠지게〔빠지도록〕 기다리다 to wait anxiously
눈이 삐었지? Is something wrong with eyes (judgment)?
눈이 어둡다 to have bad eyesight
눈이 흐리다 to see something unclearly
다리 (leg)
다리를 뻗고 자다 to sleep or live one's life with a clean conscience
등 (back)
등을 대다 to rely or depend on someone else's power or influence
등을 돌리다 to turn one's back on (someone)
마음 (mind, heart, spirit)
마음에 두다 bare in mind; be mindful of
마음에 들다 to like something
마음에 새기다 take to heart
마음에 짚이다 to suspect
마음은 굴뚝 같다 be eager to
마음을 고쳐먹다 reform onself; turn over a new leaf
마음을 놓다 put one's mind at ease; relax
마음을 먹다 make up one's mind; be determined
마음을 붙이다 resolve to (do something)
마음을 사다 have an interest in
마음을 쓰다 concentrate on; pay attention to; mind
마음을 열다 open up and speak freely to someone
마음을 잡다 recover one's composure; get a grip on oneself
마음을 졸이다 be anxious about; be uneasy about
마음이 끌리다 be attracted by; take an interest in
마음이 내키다 feel inclined to (do); feel like (doing)
마음이 달다 be very worried about
마음이 든든하다 feel secure; be reassuring
마음이 들뜨다 feel excited; be in a buoyant spirit
마음이 맞다 get along well with; hit it off
마음이 쓰이다 be worried about
마음이 죄이다 feel anxious; feel uneasy about
마음이 커지다 be emboldened
큰 마음 먹다 be generous; finally make a difficult decision
머리 (head, hair)
머리가 나쁘다 - to be stupid
머리하다 do one's hair
머리가 가볍다 to feel refreshed and light
머리가 굳다 to be ingrained (in someone's head); to be dimwitted
머리가 굵다 to become an adult
머리가 돌다 to go insane
머리가 돌아가다 to be a quick thinker
머리가 무겁다 to be in a bad mood; to feel heavy headed
머리가 수그러지다 to take off one's hat to; to admire (someone)
머리가 젖다 to be influenced by
머리가 크다 to become an adult
머리(를) 굽히다 to surrender
머리(를) 깎다 to become a monk; to go to prison
머리(를) 내밀다 to make one's existence known
머리(를) 들다 to make one's views or objective known
머리(를) 모으다 to put one's heads together
머리(를) 숙이다 to show respect and admiration for (someone)
머리(를) 식히다 to cool off
머리(를) 싸매고 to tie a cloth around one's head; to commit to (something)
머리(를) 썩이다 to worry about
머리(를) 쓰다 to think; to view a matter from every angle
머리(를) 얹다 to get married; to lose one's virginity
머리에 들어가다 to understand or remember something
머리(를) 짜다 to rack one's brains; to think hard
머리(를) 풀다 to lose one's parents
머리(를) 흔들다 to refuse; to deny
무릎 (knee)
무릎(을) 꿇다 to submit or surrender
무릎(을) 치다 to slap one's knee in surprise or glee
목 (neck or throat)
목에 핏대를 세우다 to get angry; to get excited
목에 힘을 주다 to act arrogant
목을 베다 to be fired
목을 자르다 to be fired
목을 축이다 to quench one's thirst
목이 곧다 to be stubborn or unyielding
목이 달아나다/떨어지다 to be fired
목이 메어 울다 to be choked with tears
목이 붙어 있다 to still be alive (or employed)
목이 빠지도록 기다리다 to wait anxiously for (someone)
목이 잠기다 to become hoarse
목이 타다 to feel very thirsty
몸 (body)
몸과 마음을 다 바치다 put one's heart and soul into one's work
몸 둘 바를 모르다 not know how to conduct oneself
몸에 배다 get used to something
몸을 두다 to live in a certain place
몸을 망치다 shatter one's constitution; injure one's health
몸을 받다 have an inferior do a difficult job or task in one's place
몸을 바치다 to sacrifice one's life for a cause
몸을 버리다 hurt one's health
몸을 붙이다 to live in a certain place
몸을 사리다 avoid exerting too much physical effort in a job
몸을 쓰다 be physically active
몸을 아끼다 avoid work or hardship
몸이 달다 be anxious and nervous
몸이 부서지도록 일하다 work oneself to the bone
발 (foot)
발에 채다 to be scattered in abundance at one's feet
발을 구르다 stamp one's feet with annoyance or chagrin
발을 끊다 to end relations with (someone); to stop visiting (somewhere)
발을 벗고 나서다 to actively participate in (something)
발을 빼다 to wash one's hands of (an affair); sever connections
발을 뻗고 자다 to feel peace of mind
발이 길다 to arrive just in time for a treat
발이 넓다 to know a lot of people; to get around
발 디딜 틈도 없다 to be crowded with people
발이 맞다 to be in step; to fall in step
발이 묶이다 to be stranded without transport
발이 떨어지지 않다 be unable to leave because of an attraction for the place or people
손이 발이 되도록 빌다 to beg or pray so imploringly that you use both your hands and feet
발목 (ankle)
발목(을) 잡히다 to be busy with (work); tied to a job
발바닥 (the sole of the foot)
발바닥에 흙 안 묻히고 살다 to live a quiet and comfortable life
배 (belly)
배를 채우다 to satisfy one's appetite for material goods
배가 아프다 to feel intense jealousy
배를 앓다 to feel intense jealousy
배를 튕기다 to brazenly ignore someone's requests
볼 (cheek)
볼(이) 붓다 to show an angry expression
뼈 (bone)
뼈도 못 추리다 to boast that one will completely destroy an opponent
뼈를 깎다 to feel unbearable pain (about something)
뼈만 남다 to be skin and bones
뼈만 앙상하다 to be skin and bones
뼈에 사무치다 to have a deep, buring pain or grudge
살 (skin, fat)
살로 가다 What one eats goes to fat.
살을 붙이다 give body or shape to something, like a novel or a sculpture
살을 섞다 have sex; live a married life; cohabit
살을 에다 pain, sadness, or hardship (as from the cold) so intense that it "cuts at the flesh"
살이 깊다 have thick skin; fleshy
살이 내리다 become thinner; lose weight
살이 두껍다 have thick skin; fleshy
살이 빠지다 become thinner; lose weight
살이 오르다/붙다 become fatter; put on weight
불알 (testical)
불알 친구 - this means a really close friend. (origin?)
속 (one's insides, one's heart)
속을 긁다 hurt a person's feelings, offend (a person)
속을 끓이다 to worry about (something); be frustrated
속을 떠보다 guess a person's mind or feelings
속을 뽑다 sound out a person's views
속을 썩이다 be bothered by a bad outcome or situation
속을 주다 take a person into one's confidence
속을 차리다 behave responsibly
속을 태우다 worry oneself (about)
속이 달다 be anxious or eager; be impatient
속이 뒤집히다 feel nauseous
속이 보이다 be transparent; easy to see through
속이 살다 look calm on the outside, but be defiant on the inside
속이 상하다 be distressed; be unhappy; feel depressed
속이 시원하다 a refreshing feeling; feel relieved
속이 썩다 be very troubled
속이 앉다 the inside of cabbage develops
속이 타다 be distressed (about); be nervous
속이 트이다 be broadminded and open
속이 풀리다 to calm down after being angry
손 (hand)
손바닥 보듯이 알다 - know something like the back of your hand. However the Korean version actually says the palm instead of the back of the hand. In many Asian cultures, people know their palms because of the common belief that there's information of one's life in their palms, i.e. the length of the lines on one's palms shows how long a person will live.
손에 걸리다 to catch with one's hand
손에 넣다 to get; to gain possession of
손에 달리다 an outcome rests in someone else's hands
손에 땀을 쥐다 to be in breathless suspense or with suppressed excitement
손에 떨어지다 to have power or authority fall in one's hands
손에 붙다 to get good at something
손에 익다 to get used to doing something
손에 잡히지 않다 be in no mood to work
손에 쥐다 to gain possession of something
손을 거치다 to pass through someone's hands; to go through an intermediary
손을 끊다 sever one's connections with; cease to deal with
손을 나누다 to seperate from someone.
손을 넘기다 skip numbers when counting; miscalculate
손을 내밀다 to ask to receive something
손을 떼다 to quit a job
손을 멈추다 to pause in one's work
손을 붙이다 be begin; set one's hand to
손을 벌리다 to irritatingly demand something (like money)
손을 보다 show one's anger by using violence against somene
손이 비다 have no work to do; be at leisure
손을 빌리다 ask for help on a job
손을 빼다 to quit a job before it is finished
손을 뻗치다 to try a new line of work; to expand one's power or influence
손을 씻다 to disassociate oneself from some questionable act or job
손을 젓다 to turn down a request or to deny something
손을 주다 use a stake to support a plant or vine
손을 타다 have (one's rice) stolen little by little
손을 털다 to lose all of one's investiment
손이 거칠다 to be inclined to steal
손이 곱다 have numb hands (fingers)
손이 나다 to get a short break from work
손이 놀다 to be at leisure
손이 달리다 be short-handed; be undermanned
손이 떨어지다 to be finished with a job
손이 뜨다 to be a slow worker
손이 많이 가다 require much work; be troublesome
손이 맑다 be unlucky and have nothing; be stingy
손이 맞다 be in cahoots with (someone)
손이 맵다 to have a stinging hand (when hitting someone)
손이 모자라다/부족하다 be short-handed; be undermanned
손이 서투르다 be clumsy with one's hands; unskillful
손이 설다 to be clumsy with one's hands; unskillful
손이 싸다 to be quick-handed
손이 미치다 to be within one's power or influence
손이 작다 to have few options; to have few resources
손이 잠기다 be busy; have one's hands full
손이 크다 generous; open-handed; resourceful
손목 (wrist)
손목을 잡고 말리다 to stop someone from doing something
손톱 (fingernail)
손톱도 안 들어가다 to be firm and stingy
손톱만큼도 not even the slightest ...
손톱 여물을 썬다 to deal with a difficult situation on one's own
손톱을 튀기다 to not work and only seek to enjoy oneself
손톱 하나 까딱하지 않는다 to not lift a finger to help with work
쓸개 (gallbladder)
간에 붙었다가 쓸개에 붙었다가 한다.
심장 (heart)
심장이 강하다 to be pushy and strong-willed
심장이 약하다 to be timid and weak-willed
어깨 (shoulder)
어깨가 가벼워지다 be relieved of one's burden (responsibility)
어깨가 무겁다 bear a heavy responsibility; be burdensome
어깨가 움츠러들다 to shrink back in shame or embarrassment
어깨가 으쓱거리다 to feel righteous and proud
어깨가 처지다 one's shoulders drop
어깨로 숨을 쉬다 breathe hard; pant
어깨를 겨누다/겨루다 rank with another; can compare with another
어깨를 나란히 하다 stand shoulder to shoulder; stay side by side
어깨를 으쓱거리다 square one's shoulders
어깨를 짓누르다 to feel strong pressure from duty, reponsibility, or restrictions
얼굴 (face)
얼굴에 똥칠을 하다 cause someone to lose face; shame a person
얼굴에 먹칠을 하다 cause someone to lose face; shame a person
얼굴에 철판을 깔다 be brazen-faced
얼굴을 고치다 fix one's makeup
얼굴을 깎다 cause someone to lose face; shame a person
얼굴을 내밀다 make an appearance: show oneself
얼굴을 붉히다 to turn red in the face from embarrassment or rage
얼굴을 하다 to show some facial expression
얼굴이 깍이다 lose face; lose one's honor
얼굴이 두껍다 bold self-assurance
얼굴이 뜨겁다 to feel embarrassment
얼굴이 반반하다 have regular (facial) features
얼굴이 반쪽이 되다 look very haggard from sickness or pain
어굴이 서다 save one's face
얼굴이 팔리다 become famous or well-known
얼굴이 피다 have a full, healthy-looking face
엉덩이 (the buttocks)
엉덩이가 가볍다 do not stay long in one place; change jobs frequently
엉덩이가 근질근질하다 be restless; fidgety
엉덩이가 무겁다 be lazy; be indolent
엉덩이를 붙이다 to sit down
엉덩방아(를) 찧다 to fall on one's butt
이 (teeth)
이가 갈리다 get angry about something
이가 맞다 to be a perfect fit or match
이가 빠지다 a piece chips off the edge of a dish or knife
이를 갈다 lose one's baby teeth; grind one's teeth in anger
이를 악물다 clench one's teeth with determination or strained patience
입 (mouth)
입이 가볍다 - not good at keeping secrets, can't keep their mouth shut. literally means your lips are light.
입이 무겁다 - tight lipped, good at keeping secrets, holding your tongue. Literally means your lips are heavy.
입이 열 개라도 할 말이없다 - no words can justify my actions. Literally means even if I have ten mouths, I would have nothing to say.
입만 살다 be all talk and no deed; be bold in word only
입만 아프다 to talk in vain
입 밖에 내다 speak of; mention
입에 거미줄 치다 lose one's means of living
입에 담다 speak of; mention
입에 대다 taste; touch; eat
입에 맞는 떡 an agreeable food or thing
입에 맞다 suit one's taste or palate
입에 발린 소리 lip service
입에서 신물이 난다 be fed up with
입에서 젖내가 난다 be babyish; be green
입에 오르내리다 be the talk of the town
입에 오르다 be the talk of the town
입에 올리다 speak of; mention
입에 침이 마르도록 speak highly of someone
입에 풀칠을 하다 make one's living; win one's daily bread
입을 놀리다 talk at random
입을 다물다 keep silent
입을 딱 벌리다 one's mouth drops in shock or amazement
입을 떼다 begin to talk; break the silence; broach a subject
입을 막다 silence a person
입을 맞추다 kiss
입을 모으다 a group of people all speak with one voice
입을 씻기다 pay hush money; buy a person's silence
입을 씻다 feign innocence
입을 열다 tell; confess; disclose a secret
입이 걸걸하다 be foulmouthed
입이 고급이다 be a discriminating eater
입이 궁금하다 desire to eat something
입이 근질근질하다 be anxious to tell people about something you know
입이 까다롭다 - ?
입이 닳도록 over and over again
입이 더럽다 be abusive; swear at
입이 되다 try to eat only good-tasting food
입이 떨어지다 to talk (usually used with negative verbs and adverbs)
입이 뜨다 be silent or taciturn
입이 많다 have a big family to feed
입이 바르다 be frank; be outspoken
입이 빠르다 one who spreads rumors
입이 벌어지다 be in openmouthed amazement
입이 싸다 be talkative; be loose-lipped
입이 쓰다 be bitter, displeased, or unhappy
입이 짧다 have a small appetite
젖 (breast)
젖 떨어진 강아지 같다 fret or whine (like a puppy that has lost its mom's teat)
젖 먹던 힘이 다 든다 to require a great deal of effort
젖을 떼다 to wean a child
젖이 지다 mother's milk seeping from swollen breasts
코 (nose)
코가 꿰이다 be restricted or hindered by something or someone
코가 납작해지다 be shamed by someone; lose one's nerve
코가 높다 to put on airs; to act proud
코가 석자 to be in way over one's head
코를 골다 to snore
코를 맞대다 to be nose-to-nose with someone
코를 찌르다 to be offensive to one's nose
코 먹은 소리 to speak through one's nose; to nazalize
코 묻은 돈 used to make fun of the pocket change kids carry around
코가 빠지다 to lose one's nerve or spirit
코에 걸다 to brag about something
코를 풀다 to blow one's nose
코앞에 닥치다 be close at hand; be imminent
콧구멍 (a nostril)
콧구멍만하다 a very small hole or something with a very small width
콧대 (the bridge or ridge of the nose)
콧대가 높다 put on airs; to be puffed up with pride
콧대가 세다 to be stubborn and ignore what others say
콧대를 꺾다 put a person in his or her place; knock a person down a peg
콧대를 세우다 act arrogant and conceited
탯줄 (umbilical cord)
탯줄 잡듯 하다 hold very tight
팔 (arm)
팔을 걷고 나서다 to enthusiastically take on a job
허리 (waist)
허리가 꼿꼿하다 be unusually fit for one's age
허리가 부러지다 be in a difficult to manage or a physically challenging situation
허리가 휘다 be physically challenged by excessive labor or life's hardships
허리를 굽히다 bow; show humility; show submission to a person
허리를 못 펴다 be intimidated by someone
허리를 잡다 to fall over laughing
허리를 쥐고 웃다 to fall over laughing
허리를 펴다 overcome personal economic hardships
혀 (tongue)
혀가 꼬이다 - Literally means one's tongue is tangled. Can be used for when one is speaking too fast, tongue twitters or even when one slurs when drunk.
혀가 잘 안 돌아가다 to be uneloguent in speech; mispronounce (a foreign language)
혀가 잘 돌아가다 have a glib tongue; talk a lot; be eloguent in speech
혀가 짧다 to stutter or not pronounce clearly
혀가 꼬부라지다 be have slurred speech because of drink or sickness
혀를 굴리다 make a slip of the tongue; blurt out; trill (the "r")
혀를 내두르다 to be dumbstruck
혀를 내밀다 make fun of someone behind their back; a gesture done to hide one's embarrassment
민주주의 means democracy. The 의 immediately following 민주주의 is the Korean possessive marker, which translates as of. And the final 의의 means significance. Therefore, the Korean phrase 민주주의의 의의 translates as the significance of democracy. But how do you pronounce the Korean phrase?
When 의 is the first syllable of a word, it is pronounced as the diphthong 의, which is pronounced with the sound 으 quickly blending into the sound 이. When 의 is the last syllable of a word, it is pronounced /이/, so the Korean word for democracy (민주주의) is pronounced /민주주이/, and the Korean word for significance (의의) is pronounced /의이/. As for the possessive marker 의, it is pronounced /에/. Therefore, the Korean phrase 민주주의의 의의 is pronounced as follows:
These days I am amazed by many of the Korean instructional videos I see on YouTube, especially videos of younger Koreans teaching the Korean language. Their teaching style seems much more pleasant and professional than the style I remember from when I was receiving instruction in Korean in the early 1980s. I had some good teachers back then, but they did not have the same level of skill, poise, and understanding that Korean language instructors seem to have today. Of course, it was thirty-five years ago that I studied, so one would expect to see advancements in the field of Korean language teaching, but many of the young Korean instructors I have seen in videos on YouTube recently have turned teaching into a beautiful art form that is fascinating to watch.
Consider the young lady in the video below. She gives a beautiful presentation and does some very creative things with her hands. And the voice and language she uses are great examples of how beautiful the Korean language can be. I may add to this post later.
Starting at about 1:53 in the video below, the Korean pronunciation instructor starts talking about a problem some Koreans have when pronouncing words that start with the Korean consonant 시옷 (ㅅ), which is equivalent to the English consonant "s." The problem is that some Koreans put too much emphasis on pronouncing the ㅅ, instead of on the vowel sound to which it is attached. She says the ㅅ is an alveolar consonant (치조음) and, therefore, does not actually have a sound without the attached vowel sound. Anyway, she says the problem is referred to as "시옷이 샌다," which translates as "The 시옷 leaks."
To keep your ㅅ from leaking, the instructor says you need to focus on pronouncing the vowels to which the ㅅ is attached, rather than on pronouncing the ㅅ. You can do this by pronouncing the vowel sounds more slowly and more precisely. She suggests you could try first pronouncing just the vowels, without the ㅅ, to help you keep your focus on them. When you pronounce the word 소송, for example, first say slowly and clearly 오옹, and then add the ㅅ to pronounce 소송, while remembering to keep the focus on the vowel sounds. If you do this, the problem should solve itself.
The instructor also says some Koreans have a similar problem pronouncing syllables with the consonants ㅈ and ㅊ, a problem that can also be solved by simply focusing more attention on pronouncing the vowels to which they are attached. For example, when pronouncing the word 시작, she suggests stretching out the vowels sounds to help you add focus to them, such as saying 시작 as /시이자악/.
So, that is how you stop your 시옷 (ㅅ) from leaking.
The lady in the video below talks about three problems some provincial Koreans have with intonation and pronunciation, and since it is something foreign learners of Korean can also benefit from, I decided to post it below.
First
The first problem she talks about is a problem some Koreans have with the intonation of the Korean consonant 이응 (o) when it comes at the beginning of a word, such as in 이마트 (E-mart), 억양, 에스케이 (SK), 오백 원, 인덕원, and 이의 이승 (2²). She says some Koreans tend to put too much stress on that first "o" consonant syllable, especially Koreans from the Gyeongsang region. To correct the problem, she suggests relaxing the lips, lowering the tone, shortening the vowel sound, and pronouncing it by coming up from the bottom rather than from over the top, which suggests a slight rising tone on the first syllable. She even suggests physically using your hand, as I do, to help you visualize yourself correcting he problem. Finally, she says that when pronouncing a multi-syllable phrase like 이의 이승 that you must keep the intonation smooth and level, being careful not to give stronger stress to the second 이, as people from the Gyeongsang region tend to do.
Second
The second problem she talks about is the problem of not changing the pronunciation of the consonants ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, and ㅈ to their aspirated versions (ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ, ㅊ) when they are followed by the consonant ㅎ. For example, many Koreans in the Jolla region mispronounce 도착해서 as /도차개서/, ignoring the influence of the ㅎ sound. Instead, it should be pronounced as /도차캐서/. This is because the ㄱ in 착 and the ㅎ in 해서 are back-to-back to each other, causing the ㄱ and ㅎ to combine to form ㅋ. She says many Koreans from the Jolla region also tend to mispronounce 약하다 as /야가다/ instead of /야카다/ and 곱하기 as /고바기/ instead of /고파기/. Other practice examples she gives are the following:
급격히 -- /급겨키/
급하게 -- /그파게/
노력했어요 --/노려캐써요/
충당을 못해 -- /충당을 모태/ (The ㅅ is pronounced as ㄷ, so becomes ㅌ.)
국하고 밥하고 -- /구카고 바파고/
갑갑하다 -- / 갑가파다/
졸업하고 /조러파고/
약해 빠졌다 -- 야캐 빠졌다
Third
The third problem she talks about is how some Koreans, especially those in the Gyeongsang region, do not smoothly connect the syllables of words. She also says they sometimes mistakenly put the stress on the second syllable of the word instead of the first.
To solve the problem, she suggests they use their index finger to draw an arch in the air as they are saying the words to help them smoothly connect the syllables. First, she gives examples of how the words are mispronounced and then gives examples of how they should pronounced. The examples she gives are 경영, 안양, and 영양사.
Fourth
Finally, the video ends with the instructor explaining how to pronounce combined words and gives 뉴로얄 and 쌍철창살 as examples.
뉴 is, of course, the Korean pronunciation of the English word "new," and 로얄 is the Korean pronunciation of the English word "royal," so words that would normally be separated in English are combined into one word in Korean to form the name 뉴로얄. These sentences seem to be tongue-twister pronunciation exercises, so the first sentence actually begins with "로얄 뉴로얄," which translates as the royal New-Royal.
Anyway, she says that even though 뉴로얄 is written as one word, you need to pause slightly after 뉴 to separate it from 로얄 when pronouncing it.
As for 쌍철창살, the syllable 쌍 means double, 철 means iron, and 창살 can mean wooded lattice or iron bars, such as those used in a prison or a zoo. By adding 철 to 창살, you are confirming that it should be translated as iron bars, not wooden lattice. Since 쌍 and 철 are describing the 창살, you should pause slightly between 쌍 and 철 and 창살, similar to the pause between 뉴 and 로얄 above. She added that to avoid mispronouncing the second syllable, 철, you could give it extra stress to help ensure it is understood.
