Tag: idiomatic expressions

Bodacious Terms

thekimchibear:

This time we look at phrases that come from right under our noses.. literally (excluding the face ones.) ANYWAYS.. We’ll look at some idioms that refer to our bodies. As always, these terms don’t have direct translations, so I wrote some examples down to help understand their uses. 

Let’s dive into it!

얼굴이 두껍다 – Shameless, brazen
회사에서는 얼굴이 두꺼워야 해. 전날 싸우고도 계속 같이 일 해야 하니까 – You have to act brazen at a company. Even if you fought the day before, you have to keep working together.

발이 넓다 – Friends in many places (large reach)
잭은 발이 넓은것 같아. 모든 나라에 친구들이 있더라고. – I guess Jack has friends in many places. He seems like he has friends in every country. (Creative, right!?)

손이 크다 – Positive: Openhanded, generous / Negative: Excessively giving, buying, or making.
폴은 사업가라 손이 크던데요? 선물용 홍삼을 몇백만원치 사더라고요. – Paul is a big spender. It seems like he bought several thousand dollars worth of ginseng.

쑤의 어머니는 손이 크셔서 집에 놀러갈때 마다 부침개를 열장씩 부쳐주셔. – Sue’s mom is so generous. Every time I visit their house she makes me ten Korean pancakes.

엉덩이가 무겁다 – Positive: Tolerant, enduring / Negative: Lazy
한국에서는 학생한테 이런 말을 많이 한데 “학생은 엉덩이가 무거워야지.” – In Korea there’s a saying that “students must endure.”

필은 부르면 한번에 안 나와. 한 열번은 불러야 나와… 내가 아는 사람중에 제일 엉덩이가 무거워. – If you call Phil once he won’t come out. You have to call him several times… He’s the laziest person I know.

간이 크다 – Courageous (can be negative or positive)
간이 큰건지, 죽고 싶은건지, 어떻게 총을 든 강도한테 덤빌 수 있어? – Are you brave, or do you want to die? How could you attack a robber with a gun?

입이 무겁다 – Tight lipped (opposite is 입이 가볍다)
제가 믿을 수 있는 사람은 송이밖에 없어요. 송이는 입이 무겁거든요. – There’s no one I trust more than Songi. She’ll never tell anyone.  

귀가 얇다 – Easily persuaded 
귀가 얇아도 너무 얇은거 아니야? 왜 맨날 생각이 바뀌냐? – Aren’t you a little too easy to persuade? Why do you change your opinion every day?

Hope these were interesting, and there always many more that we can dive into! So if you liked this post, please let me know ^^ More to come soon! (I promise)

김칫국을 마시다

Means “counting chicks before they are hatched”. Assuming someone will do something good for you whilst they have no idea about it.   

Comes from the old saying “떡 줄 사람은 생각도 않는데 김칫국부터 마신다,” (meaning “They’re not even thinking of giving you rice cake, but you already drunk kimchi broth.” Because you need to drink something to wash down the rice cake.) 

김칫국 좀 그만 마셔. 그 상이 진짜 너한테 주어질지 누가 알아? = Don’t drink kimchi broth. Who knows whether you will really get the prize?
그 아이는 내게 관심이 없었는데 나만 먼저 김칫국부터 마시고 있었나보다 = I guess I drank kimchi broth. She wasn’t interested in me.

wiseinit

제일/일등/첫째 가다

hansuuki:

The verb ‘가다’  idiomatically combines with a noun meaning ‘best’ to mean ‘to be the best, to be first rate’. 

우리 형은 자기 반에서 공부가 첫째가요. 

존은 우리 동네에서 제일 가는 미남이예요. 

세계에서 일등가는 단거리 선수. 

가: 여동생이 예뻐요?

나: 네, 학교에서 제일 가는 예쁜 여자예요. 

Note: This construction is a bit old-fashioned, younger people don’t tend to use it.  

Idiomatic ~(아/어)도 expressions

adventuresinkorean:

A few idiomatic expressions using ~(아/어)도 are used as adverbs with fixed meanings implying “at the maximum” or “at the minimum.”

늦어도 = at the latest
적어도 = at the least
많아도 = at the most
일러도 = at the earliest
커도 = at the largest
빨라도 = at the fastest
가까워도 = at the nearest

Examples: 

적어도 한 달에 한 번씩은 시스템과 데이터를 백업하세요. 
You should back up your system and date at least once a month.

자동차는 빨라도 한시간에 팔십 마일 밖에 못 가요. 
At its fastest, your car won’t do over 80 miles an hour. 

늦어도 10시까지는 집에 돌아가야 해요. 
We have to return home by 10 o’clock at the latest.

Note that these verbs may also be used in non-idiomatic constructions with ~(아/어)도 with the more typical meaning of “even though/if.” It is only when they are used as adverbs do they take on the idiomatic meaning.

Selected Idioms

눈이 높다 = to be picky, have high standards (lit. your eyes are high)
저 눈 안 높아요. 저는 그냥 성격 좋은 사람이면 다 좋아요 = I’m not picky. Anyone who has a good personality is fine for me 

눈을 붙이다 = to get some sleep (lit. glue your eyelids shut)
피곤하면 눈 좀 붙여요. 나중에 깨워 줄게요 = If you are tired, get some sleep. I’ll wake you up later.

몸을 만들다 = to build up one’s body, to work out to get fit
요즘 몸 만들려고 운동을 열심히 하고 있어요 = These days I am working out hard in order to get fit/build muscles.

~기로 마음을 먹다 = to make up one’s mind
이번에는 정말로 운동을 매일 하기로 마음 먹었어요.= I have made up my mind to really exercise every day this time.

마음대로 하다 = to do as one wants (편하신대로 하세요 (do what is comfortable) is more polite)
저는 그 책 필요 없으니까 마음대로 하세요.= I don’t need that book so do whatever you want with it.

마음에 들다 = to like, to find something likeable (lit. to enter one’s heart, usually used when you first see and begin to like something)
마음에 드는 가방 있어요? = Is there a bag that you like?

~(으)ㄹ 기분이 아니다 = to not be in the mood for, to not feel like doing
저 지금 농담할 기분 아니에요.= I’m not in the mood for jokes).

기분이 상하다 = to be offended (상하다 = to rot, to go bad)
그냥 농담이었는데 기분 상했어요? = I was just joking. Did I hurt your feelings?

기분 탓이다 = to be imagining a problem, to just feel bad (탓 = reason, fault, blame. There’s nothing really wrong but you feel bad just because of your feeling)
기분 탓인가? = It is just me?
그냥 기분 탓일 거예요. 너무 걱정 마세요.= You are just feeling that way. Don’t worry too much. 

~(으/느)ㄴ 기분이 들다 = to get the feeling that..
왠지 오늘은 좋은 일이 있을 것 같은 기분이 들어요.= For some reason, I feel like there is going to be something good (happen to me).

생각만 해도 = even just thinking about it
생각만 해도 소름이 끼쳐요.= Just thinking about it alone gives me goosebumps.

생각하기도 싫다 = to even hate thinking about it
다시 대학생이 되는 건 생각하기도 싫어요.= I don’t even want to think about becoming a university student. 

~라/다는 생각이 들다 = thought enters one’s mind
이거 조금 이상하다는 생각 안 들어요?= Don’t you feel that this is a bit strange?

~(으)ㄹ 생각은 없다 = to not intend to do something
놀래킬 생각은 없었어요.= I didn’t mean to surprise you.

~는 바람에 = because of, as a result of (negative result of an unexpected cause, idiomatic meaning lit ‘in the wind of…’)

(use only with action verbs (descriptive verbs can be used in action form ~어/아지다),

can only use with past tense (and tense only applied to the second clause)

비가 오는 바람에 옷이 다 젖었다 = It rained and my clothes got soaked

화산이 터지는 바람에 3명이 사망했다.= 3 people were killed on the account of the volcano erupting.
사고가 나는 바람에 늦었다.= I was late because of an accident.
눈이 오는 바람에 길이 미끄러웠다.= It snowed and (as a result) the streets were slippery.
컴퓨터가 고장이 나는 바람에 숙제를 못했어요. = My computer broker so I couldn’t do my homework.
어제 밤에 큰 소리가 나는 바람에 깼다. = I woke up last night because there was a loud noise.

생각 idioms

생각이 (좀) 다르다 = to think differently, have different opinions

저는 그 문제에 대해서는 생각이 좀 달라요.= About that matter, I have a different opinion.

생각이 없다 = to not feel like eating/drinking

저는 아침을 늦게 먹어서 점심 생각이 없어요.= I had a late breakfast, so I don’t feel like having lunch (now).

생각에 잠기다 = to be lost in thought (잠기다 = to be submerged, flooded)

무슨 생각에 잠겨 있었길래 전화 온 줄도 몰랐어요? = What were you thinking about so hard that you didn’t even know your phone was ringing?

생각만 해도 = even just thinking about it

생각만 해도 소름이 끼쳐요.= Just thinking about it alone gives me goosebumps.

생각하기도 싫다 = to even hate thinking about it

다시 대학생이 되는 건 생각하기도 싫어요.= I don’t even want to think about becoming a university student. 

생각이 나다 = thought comes to mind, to remember

그냥 니 생각 나서 전화했어.= I just thought of you, so I am calling you now.

~라/다는

생각이 들다 = thought enters one’s mind

이거 조금 이상하다는 생각 안 들어요?= Don’t you feel that this is a bit strange?

~(으)ㄹ 생각은 없다 = to not intend to do something

놀래킬 생각은 없었어요.= I didn’t mean to surprise you.

생각이 간절하다 = to really want to have (usually a certain food/drink) (간절하다 = ardent, desperate)

요즘에 다이어트 하고 있는데, 운동하고 나면 콜라 생각이 간절해요.= I am on a diet (to lose weight) these days, and after I work out, I really want some cola.

생각지도 못 했던 일이다 = to not have been thought of, unforeseen

이건 정말 생각지도 못 했던 결과네요.= This is an unforeseen result.

생각해 보고 말 것도 없다 = to not even be worth thinking about it (말다 = to not do something, ~아/어/여 보고 말 것도 없다 = it’s not even worth trying) 

생각해 보고 말 것도 없이, 그 사람은 무조건 안 돼요.= It’s needless to think about, he just can’t do it.

~을/를 생각해서라도 = at least for the sake of (someone) 

가기 싫겠지만, 나를 생각해도 한 번만 참석해 줘.= I know you don’t want to go there, but please attend it just this once, at least for me 

기분 idioms

image

기분이 좋다 = to feel happy, to feel upbeat

오늘 기분이 좋아 보이는데, 좋은 일 있어요? = You look happy today. Is there anything good happening?

기분이 나쁘다 = to be in a bad mood, to be unpleasant

그 사람이 저를 보고 웃으면 왠지 기분이 나빠요.= When he smiles at me, for some reason, I feel unpleasant.

기분 좋게 = willingly, with good cheer

원래는 기분 좋게 도와주려고 했는데, 기분 나빠졌어요. 혼자 하세요.= At first I was going to help you with good cheer, but I feel angry now. You do it by yourself.

기분을 풀다 = to relieve one’s feelings (풀다 = to resolve, untangle)

제가 맛있는 거 사 줄 테니까 이제 기분 좀 풀어요.= I will buy you something delicious, so please stop being angry at me.

-(으)ㄹ 기분이 아니다 = to not be in the mood for, to not feel like doing

저 지금 농담할 기분 아니에요.= I’m not in the mood to play jokes (with you).

기분이 상하다 = to be offended (상하다 = to rot, to go bad)

그냥 농담이었는데 기분 상했어요? = I was just joking. Did I hurt your feelings?

기분 내키는 대로 = just the way one wants (내키다 = to feel like, to be inclined. Has a negative nuance) 

그 사람은 기분 내키는 대로 행동하는 게 꼭 어린 아이 같아요.= He does whatever he feels like; he’s like a child.

기분이 들뜨다 = to be excited, to be exhilarated (들뜨다 = to be excited)

내일 런던에 갈 생각에 기분이 들떴어요.= I’m very excited by the thought of going to London tomorrow.

기분 전환을 하다 = to refresh oneself (전환 = transition, change)

기분 전환 하러 잠시 밖에 나갔다 왔어요.= I went out for a bit to refresh myself.

기분 탓이다 = to be imagining a problem, to just feel bad (탓 = reason, fault, blame. There’s nothing really wrong but you feel bad just because of your feeling)

기분 탓인가? = It is just me?
그냥 기분 탓일 거예요. 너무 걱정 마세요.= You are just feeling that way. Don’t worry too much. 

~(으/느)ㄴ 기분이 들다 = to get the feeling that.. 

왠지 오늘은 좋은 일이 있을 것 같은 기분이 들어요.= For some reason, I feel like there is going to be something good (happen to me).

기분이 가라앉다 = one’s feeling sink, to feel low (가라앉다 = to sink)

그 얘기를 들으니 기분이 가라앉았어요.= After hearing that news, I felt down.