This phrase is used when no-one has any idea what happened, or where something is. The reasoning behind this idiom, is that if a ghost doesn’t know what happened, then nobody does!
ANNOUNCEMENT TIME
I’ve now started an Instagram for Korean Idioms! So if you want to see more like this, you’re more than welcome to check it out!
하고 싶은 마음이 없어요
I have no desire to do it.
우와~! Wish I had thought of this.
배부른 소리/이야기 하다 = complain to someone who is worse off than you
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.
Hi, I’m not sure which are the most used in general but I will post a list of the idioms I’ve heard the most and have been most helpful to me from the TalkToMeInKorean idiom series. Thank you for your other message as well I’m glad you find it helpful. 🙂
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
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.
-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?
마음에 걸리다 = to weigh upon one’s mind, to trouble one’s mind (걸리다 = to be stuck, to be hung)
어제 있었던 일이 마음에 걸려요.= I keep thinking about what happened yesterday because I feel bad about it
마음에 두다 = to have something/someone on one’s mind (두다 = to put something somewhere)
효진 씨가 한 말은 너무 마음에 두지 마세요.= Pay no attention to what Hyojin said.
마음에(도) 없는 말을 하다 = to say something without meaning it
마음에도 없는 말 하지 마세요.= Don’t say what you don’t even mean.
마음은 굴뚝 같다 = to wish one could something right now, to want to do something right but can not (lit. one’s heart is like a chimney, means you’re thinking about the result (smoke coming out of a chimney) but you can’t actually do the things)
도와주고 싶은 마음은 굴뚝 같지만, 오늘은 너무 바빠요.= I’d love to help you, but I am too busy today.
마음이 놓이다 = to feel relieved (놓이다 = to be let go)
그 말을 들으니까 마음이 놓이네요.= I feel relieved to hear that.
마음이 통하다 = to understand each other well (통하다 = to go through, to flow through, to circulate)
마음이 통하는 친구들이랑 여행하면 너무 재미있어요.= Traveling with friends that you connect well with is a lot of fun.
마음이 무겁다 = to have a heavy heart, to feel bad (무겁다 = to be heavy)
저 때문에 경기에서 진 것 같아서 마음이 무겁습니다.= I feel bad because it looks like we lost the game because of me
발이 넓다 = to be well connected (넓다 = to be wide)
그 사람은 발이 진짜 넓은 것 같아요. 모르는 사람이 없어요 = I think he’s really well-connected. There is no one that he doesn’t know.
발 벗고 나서다 = to throw oneself into a matter with enthusiasm (벗다 = to take off; 나서다 = to go, to leave)
많은 사람들이 우리를 돕기 위해서 발 벗고 나서 줬어요 = A lot of people went out of their way to help us.
발을 담그다 = to be involved in something (담그다 = to dip, to soak)
드라마 보는 것에 한 번 발을 담그면 빠져나올 수 없어요 = Once you start watching TV dramas, you can’t quit [watching them] easily.
발 디딜 틈이 없다 = to be really packed, there is no space to step (디디다 = to step on something, to tread; 틈 = gap)
요즘 홍대는 밤에 가면 사람이 너무 많아서 발 디딜 틈이 없어요 = These days, if you go to Hongdae at night, there are so many people [that I can barely find a place to step]
한 발 늦다 = to be one step behind, to be late by just one step (늦다 = to be late)
지하철 문이 닫히기 전에 타려고 뛰었는데 한 발 늦었어요 = I ran to get on the train before the door closed, but I fell a step behind.
발 빠르게 움직이다 = to move fast, to act quickly
경화 씨가 발 빠르게 움직인 덕분에 문제가 더 커지지 않았어요 = Thanks to Kyung-hwa who moved fast, the problem didn’t escalate.
발이 묶이다 = to be detained, to be confined, to be shackled (묶이다 = to be tied up)
이 곳에 눈이 너무 많이 와서 발이 묶였어요 = It snowed too much here, I’m snowbound.
발로 뛰다 = to get practical/real experience (뛰다 = to run)
컴퓨터 앞에만 앉아 있는 것보다 나가서 직접 발로 뛰면 더 좋은 정보를 얻을 수 있을 거예요 = Rather than sitting in front of a computer, if you go out and work in the field yourself, you will get better information.
새 발의 피 = a drop in the bucket, to be nothing/insignificant (lit. the blood from a bird’s foot)
이번 일에 비하면 지난 번 일은 정말 새 발의 피예요 = This is nothing compared to what happened last time.
발을 끊다 = to stop visiting (끊다 = to cut off)
살이 많이 쪄서 살을 빼려고 자주 가던 치킨 집에 발을 끊었어요 = I’ve gained a lot of weight, so in order to lose it, I quit going to a chicken restaurant that I used to go often.
Sutdy-Korean 