Korean Idioms - Part 2 Flashcards
배꼽을 빼다
to laugh very hard slightly vulgar
배꼽을 쥐다
to burst out laughing
배꼽이 빠지도록 웃다
laugh oneself into convulsions
배꼽이 웃다
to be ridiculous, childish, laughable, or absurd
볼
cheek
볼이 붓다
to show an angry expression
비위
the spleen and the stomach
비위가 당기다
be fascinated with; be charmed
비위가 사납다
be displeased with something and in a bad mood
비위가 상하다
be displeased with; be disgusted at
비위가 좋다
be impudent; have a nerve
비위가 틀리다
be displeased with; be in an ugly mood
비위를 거스르다
give offense to; hurt a person’s feelings
비위를 건드리다
give offense to; hurt a person’s feelings
비위를 맞추다
humor a person; let a person have his way; butter up a person
비위에 거슬리다
get on a person’s nerves
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
ㅅ
(S)
살
skin; flesh
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 빠지다
become thinner; lose weight
살이 오르다
become fatter; put on weight
살이 붙다
become fatter; put on weight
삼추
three autumns, i.e. three years
삼추 같다
feels like one has been waiting a long time
새빨갛다
deep red: crimson
새빨간 거짓말
a downright lie; an outright lie
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
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 내밀다
to ask to receive something
손을 넘기다
skip numbers when counting; miscalculate
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 someone
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
be short-handed; be undermanned
손이 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 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
시험대
test table; an examine table
시험대에 오르다
be the first test subject; be the guinea pig
씨
the woof; the threads that run crosswise in a woven fabric
씨가 안 먹힌다
an irrational statement
심장
heart
심장이 강하다
to be pushy and strong-willed
심장이 약하다
to be timid and weak-willed
ㅇ
(-)
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
rank with another; can compare with another
어깨를 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
엉덩방아 를 찧다
to fall on one’s butt
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
외기러기
a wild goose without a mate
외기러기 짝사랑
the one-sided love of a lonely goose used to tease someone who is in love with someone who does not feel the same way
응석
playing the baby
응석을 받다
be indulgent to one’s child; pamper; spoil
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 usually in anger
이를 악물다
clench one’s teeth with determination or strained patience
이
lice
이 잡듯
look for something as thoroughly as if you were looking for head lice.
입
mouth
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 가볍다
be loose-lipped
입이 걸다
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 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 무겁다
be tight-lipped
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
ㅈ
(J)
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
정신
mind; spirit
정신이 나가다
lose one’s presence of mind; be upset
정신이 나다
regain one’s reasoning abilities
정신이 들다
regain consciousness; regain one’s reasoning abilities
정신이 없다
be very busy; lose one’s reasoning abilities
정신을 잃다
lose consciousness; be stunned by the news
정신을 차리다
come to one’s senses; pay attention; regain consciousness
정신이 팔리다
be detracted from one’s work; be absorbed in
진땀
sweat of anxiety
진땀을 빼다
have a hard time with
ㅊ
(CH)
침
spit
침을 삼키다
to crave food, property, or profit
침을 흘리다
to crave food, property, or profit
ㅋ
(C)
카인
Cain–the son of Adam and Eve
카인의 후예
a cursed group; used to refer to convicts
칼
knife
칼을 맞다
be attacked with a knife
칼을 품다
harbor murderous intentions
칼
a cangue; a pillory
칼을 쓰다
wear a cangue; be pilloried
칼자루
the handle of a knife
칼자루를 잡다
have an advantage over an opponent; have the final say
칼자루를 쥐다
have an advantage over an opponent; have the final say
칼침
thrust of a knife
칼침을 맞다
be stabbed
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 빠지다
to lose one’s nerve or spirit
코가 삐뚤어지게 마시다
drink until one is very drunk
코가 세다
to be stubborn and ignore what others say
코를 골다
to snore
코를 맞대다
to be nose-to-nose with someone
코를 찌르다
to be offensive to one’s nose
코를 풀다
to blow 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
코에 걸다
to brag about something
코앞에
under one’s nose
코앞에 닥치다
be close at hand; be imminent
코침
tickle a person’s nose
코침을 주다
tickle a person’s nose
코허리
narrow part of the nose at the base
코허리가 시다
be almost moved to tears; be touched with compassion
코허리가 시큼하다
be almost moved to tears; be touched with compassion
콧구멍
a nostril
콧무멍만하다
a very small hole or something with a very small width
콧김
the breath from the nose
콧김이 세다
to have a strong influence on others
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
콩가루
soybean flour
콩가루 집안이다
a family troubled by domestic violence
콩가루가 되다
be destroyed and turned to dust
콩나물
bean sprouts
콩나물 시루 같다
be packed like sardines; be jammed up
콩노굿
a bean blossom
콩노굿 일다
the flower of a bean blooms
콩멍석
a straw mat with beans laid on it
콩멍석 같다
welts on the skin from a whip or bug bites
콩밥
bean-mixed rice
콩밥을 먹다
serve time in jail or prison
콩밥을 먹이다
send a person to jail
쾌재
a feeling of relief or joy
쾌재를 부르다
shout with joy
큰마음
a big heart; a generous heart; a great desire
큰 마음 먹다
be generous; finally make a difficult decision
큰문
the main entrance
큰문을 잡다
usher a distinguished guest in and out the door
큰물
a heavy flood; an overflow
큰물이 지다
have a flood; be flooded
큰불
a big fire; a holocaust
큰불을 놓다
set a big fire; fire a shot from a powerful gun when hunting big game
큰상
a formal table of food for an honored guest
큰상을 받다
be honored with a feast
큰집
home of the family head
큰집 드나들듯
to frequent a place so often that one feels very familiar with it
큰춤
a full-dress dance
큰춤을 보다
enjoy the pleasure of being the guest of honor at a formal dance
ㅌ
(T)
타월
towel
타월을 던지다
throw in the towel
탈
mask
탈을 벗다
to reveal one’s true self
탈을 쓰다
to pretend to be someone one is not
탯줄
umbilical cord
탯줄 잡듯 하다
hold very tight
터
a site; the foundation
터가 세다
the site of a home or building is unlucky
터를 다지다
pack down a building foundation; make a foundation strong
터를 닦다
level out a foundation; prepare the groundwork for something
통
caliber; generosity; boldness
통이 크다
generous; broad-minded; bold; daring
통이 작다
be a person of small caliber
통신
communication, news, correspondence
통신의 자유
freedom of the press
트집
a fault; a blemish
트집을 잡다
find fault with; make a false charge
트집이 나다
cause trouble or complain needlessly
틀
frame; mold; a shape
틀에 맞추다
shape to fit a certain mold or form
틀에 박히다
be conventional; be stereotyped
틀이 잡히다
materialize; take a concrete form
티
a chip; a blemish; a flaw
티를 뜯다
needlessly find fault and look for a quarrel
티를 보다
look for a flaw in something
티
an air; a look; a manner; an attitude
티를 내다
intentionally assume an certain attitude or appearance
ㅍ
(P)
파리
a fly
파리를 날리다
be in a business slump so bad that the owner spends all day just shooing away flies
파리 발 드리다
to plead with someone while rubbing one’s hands together as flies often do
팔
arm
팔을 걷고 나서다
to enthusiastically take on a job
팔자
fate; destiny
팔자가 늘어지다
be blessed with good fortune
팔자가 사납다
be unlucky; be ill-fated
팔자가 세다
be unlucky; be ill-fated
팔자가 좋다
be lucky; be blessed with good fortune
팔자를 고치다
a woman remarries; suddenly become rich or rise in status
팔자에 없다
luxury or excess that seems out of place with one’s status
피
blood
피가 거꾸로 솟다
be so excited one’s blood rushes to one’s head
피가 마르다
be very distressed or anxious
피가 켕기다
feel an affinity with a blood relative
피가 통하다
be connected by human compassion or emotion
피가 끓다
one’s blood boils
피 나다
experience great hardship
피는 물보다 진하다
Blood is thicker than water
피도 눈물도 없다
be cold-blooded; be stonehearted
피로 피를 씻다
have a quarrel with a blood relative
피를 나누다
be blood-related
피를 말리다
curdle the blood
피를 받다
to inherit physical or personality traits from one’s parents or ancestors
피를 보다
to have a bloody incident; to suffer a great lose
피를 빨다
to exploit
피에 주리다
be bloodthirsty
ㅎ
(H)
하늘
sky, heaven
하늘은 스스로 돕는 자를 돕는다
Heaven helps those who help themselves
하늘과 땅
a great distance or difference between two things
하늘 높은 줄 모르고 오르다
prices soar sky high
하늘에 맡기다
entrust to Providence
하늘을 지붕 삼다
make the sky your roof; live outdoors
하늘을 찌르다
a mountain or building that soars high into the clouds; full of spirit or vigor
하늘이 노랗다
be so weak or full of despire that even heaven looks hopeless
하늘이 두 쪽이 나도
determine to succeed no matter what the obstacles
허리
waist
허리가 꼿꼿하다
be unusually fit for one’s age
허리가 부러지다
a difficult to manage situation; a physically challenging situation
허리가 휘다
be physically challenged by excessive labor or life’s hardships
허리를 굽히다
bow; show humility; bow in 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 꼬부라지다
be tongue-tied; have a speech impediment; have slurred speech
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
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
혀를 놀리다
make a slip of the tongue; blurt out
혀를 차다
click one’s tongue, usually in disapproval
형장
place of execution
형장의 이슬로 사라지다
die on the scaffolds; be executed
흙탕
muddy water
흙탕을 치다
make water muddy by stirring it up or playing in it
흠빨다
suck hard
흠빨며 깜빨다
suck up food or drink greedily
흥
interest; fun; pleasure
흥에 띄다
be excited and restless
흥정
bargaining; haggling; negotiation
흥정을 붙이다
act as a middleman between buyers and sellers
희다
white; a vain empty boast; brag
흰 눈으로 보다
look sideways at someone
희기가 까치 뱃바닥 같다
be an inflated braggart
희고 곰팡 슨 소리
arrogant, trite talk
희색
a joyful look
희색이 만면하다
be all smiles
흰소리
vain empty boast
흰소리를 치다
talk big; talk through one’s hat
흰죽
rice gruel
흰죽에 고춧가루
be out of character
흰죽에 코
be unable to distinguish the good from the bad
힘
strength; power; ability
힘에 부치다
be beyond one’s power or ability
