Useful Korean Expressions
Terms
undefined, object
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- ì‹ì‚¬í–ˆì–´ìš”?
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(lit.)Have you eaten yet?
Casual greeting--not an invitation to dinner - êµìˆ˜ ì–¸ì œ 먹지?
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(lit.) When will I have a chance to eat your noodles?
When are you getting married? - 물먹었다!
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(lit.) I ate water!
Means to lose out on an opportunity - ì‹ì€ì£½ 먹기
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(lit.) It's like slurping cold porridge.
It's a piece of cake. - ê¸ˆê°•ì‚°ë„ ì‹í›„ê²½
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(lit.) You should eat even before sightseeing at Diamond Mountain.
Eat first, no matter what temptation or chore awaits. - ë¨¹ê³ ì£½ì€ ê·€ì‹ ì´ ë•Œê¹”ì´ ì¢‹ë‹¤
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(lit.) Not all corpses looke the same; the person who died eating looks healthier.
Whatever the situation, you've got to eat. - 밥 먹여 주나!
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(lit.) It won't fill me up with rice!
Let's be practical! (when something won't do you any good) - ì£½ë„ ì•„ë‹ˆê³ ë°¥ë„ ì•„ë‹ˆê³
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(lit.)It's neither rice nor porridge.
A gray area, somewhere in between - 까마귀 ê³ ê¸° 먹었나?
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(lit.) Did you eat crow meat?
Can't you remember anything? - ê°€ì°¨í™”í†µì„ ì‚¶ì•„ 먹었나?
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(lit.) Did you boil and eat the locomotive's smokestack?
You sound like a foghorn. - 떡줄 ì‚¬ëžŒì€ ìƒê°ë„ 않는ë°, 김칫êµë¶€í„° ë§ˆì‹ ë‹¤
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(lit.) Don't drink kimchi soup before somebody offers you rice cake.
Don't jump the gun. - ë‚¨ì˜ ë–¡ì´ ì»¤ë³´ì¸ë‹¤
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(lit.) the other man's rice cake always looks bigger.
The grass always looks greener on the other side. - ë³´ê¸°ì¢‹ì€ ë–¡ì´ ë¨¹ê¸°ë„ ì¢‹ë‹¤
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(lit.) A rice cake that looks good tastes good.
You can't judge a book by its cover. - ê·¸ë¦¼ì˜ ë–¡
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(lit.) Rice cake in the picture
You can see it, but you can't eat it. - 나는 찬밥ì´ë‹¤
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(lit.) I am cold rice.
I get the cold shoulder from everybody. - 쌀밥 보리밥 가를 수 있나?
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(lit.) I'm not in a position to choose between rice and barley.
I'll take whatever is handy - 미운 놈 ë–¡ 하나 ë” ì¤€ë‹¤
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(lit.) Give one more rice cake to a person you don't like.
If treated well, a miscreant will shape up. - ë‘˜ì´ ë¨¹ë‹¤ê°€ 하나 ì£½ì–´ë„ ëª¨ë¥¸ë‹¤
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(lit.) You wouldn't notice even if your friend at the same table dies.
Praise for a good meal. - 송충ì´ëŠ” ì†”ìžŽì„ ë¨¹ì–´ì•¼ 한다
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(lit.) Pine caterpillars must eat pine needles.
Accept who you are and what you have. - 뱃ì†ì— 거지가 들어앉았나?
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(lit.) Is a beggar squatting in your stomach?
You eat too much, too quickly. - 죽 쒀서 개준다
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(lit.) You made porridge but ended up giving it to the dog.
A waste of time and energy. - ìž‘ì€ ê³ ì¶”ê°€ 맵다
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(lit.) A small pepper is hotter.
You can judge based on the size of a person. - 콩으로 메주 ì‘¨ë‹¤í•´ë„ ì•ˆ 믿는다
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(lit.) I won't believe you even if you say the meju is made of soybeans.
I will never believe you. (Every Korean knows that meju is made of soybeans.) - 구ë”기 무서워 장 못 담그나
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(lit.) Just because you fear maggots doesn't mean you should give up making soybean sauce.
Don't let obstacles deter you. - ì†ì— ìž¥ì„ ì§€ì§„ë‹¤.
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(lit.) I'll cook bean paste soup on my palm.
I'll eat my hat. - 귀가 얇다
- You're so gullible.
- ìž…ë§›ì´ ì—†ë‹¤.
- I have no appetite.
- ë”위를 타요.
- I'm very sensitive to hot, humid weather.
- ì´ì—´ì¹˜ì—´(以熱治熱)
- Fight fire with fire.
- 나ì´ë¥¼ í•œ ì‚´ ë” ë¨¹ë‹¤.
- To turn a year older.
- ì‚´ì„ ë¹¼ê³ ì‹¶ì–´ìš”.
- I want to lose weight.
- í•˜ëŠ˜ì˜ ë³„ë”°ê¸°ì˜ˆìš”.
- It's like reaching for the stars. (It's impossible)
- ë°œë””ë”œí‹ˆì´ ì—†ë‹¤
- to be very crowded (there is no space to put your feet)
- ì†ê¼½ì•„ 기다리다
- to count one's fingers and wait, used when looking forward to something
- í°ì¼ë‚¬ë„¤!
- We're in really big trouble!
- ì¥êµ¬ëª…ì—ë¼ë„ ë“¤ì–´ê°€ê³ ì‹¶ë‹¤
- I'm so ashamed that I feel like hiding in a mouse hole.
- 엎질러진 물ì´ë‹¤
- It's no use crying over spilt milk.
- í•˜ëŠ˜ì˜ ë³„ë”°ê¸°
- It's beyond my ability.
- 아니 ë• êµ´ëšì— 연기 나랴
- Where there's smoke, there's fire.
- ì Šì–´ ê³ ìƒì€ ëˆ ì£¼ê³ ë„ ëª» 산다.
- You must undergo hardships when you're young. (learning experience)
- ì¼ì„ì´ì¡°
- killing two birds with one stone
- ê¿© ë¨¹ê³ ì•Œ 먹ê³
- having your cake and eating it, too
- 서당 ê°œ 삼 ë…„ì´ë©´ í’ì›”ì„ ìŠëŠ”다
- you are influenced by your environment (like: a saint's maid quotes Latin)
- 주ê°ì´ ì „ë„ë˜ë‹¤
- putting the cart before the horse
- 뒤로 ë‹¤ë¹ ì ¸ë„ ì½”ê°€ 깨진다
- to be extremely unlucky
- 가까운 ì´ì›ƒì´ 먼 친척보다 낫다
- a good neighbor is better than a far off relative
- ëë¼ê³ ê°ì‚¬ì˜ ë§ì”€ì„ ë“œë ¤ì•¼ í• ì§€ ëª¨ë¥´ê² ë‹¤.
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I can never thank you enough
(very humble) - ìž…ì´ ì—´ì´ë¼ë„ í• ë§ì´ 없다
- words cannot express how sorry I am
- 지푸ë¼ê¸°ë¼ë„ ìž¡ê³ ì‹¶ì€ ì‹¬ì •ì´ë‹¤
- I want to hang on to any ray of hope (even though situation is hopeless)
- ëŠ¦ë°”ëžŒì´ ë¶ˆë‹¤
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(lit.) A late wind blows.
expression used when you start something new later in life, like starting college in your 40's.