Korean · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 8 of 12
Idioms and everyday speech
관용어와 일상 표현Gwanyongeowa ilsang pyohyeon
Sound natural in Korean: body-part idioms, well-known proverbs, -거든요, fillers like 아무튼 and 있잖아, and the short forms of everyday speech.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Understand and use common idioms such as 손이 크다 and 발이 넓다
- Recognise well-known proverbs and use them in conversation
- Explain with -거든요 and keep talk flowing with fillers
- Understand spoken short forms: 전, 이건, 게, 근데
Listen
In Jeonju, grandmother Kim Okja, her daughter Park Mijeong and her grandson Park Jihun (Mijeong's nephew) are frying jeon for Seollal, the Lunar New Year. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Grandma
지훈아, 이리 와서 전 부치는 것 좀 도와줘. 올해는 식구들이 다 온다니까 할 게 많아.
Jihuna, iri waseo jeon buchineun geot jom dowajwo. Olhaeneun sikgudeuri da ondanikka hal ge mana.
Jihun, come here and help me fry the jeon. The whole family's coming this year, so there's a lot to do.
Jihun
네, 할머니. 근데 이걸 다 하시려고요? 벌써 전이 세 접시나 되는데요.
Ne, halmeoni. Geunde igeol da hasiryeogoyo? Beolsseo jeoni se jeopsina doeneundeyo.
OK, Grandma. But are you really going to make all of this? There are already three plates of jeon.
Mijeong
우리 엄마가 원래 손이 좀 크시잖아. 뭐 하나 만들면 막 열 명이 먹을 만큼 만드셔.
Uri eommaga wollae soni jom keusijana. Mwo hana mandeulmyeon mak yeol myeongi meogeul mankeum mandeusyeo.
You know Grandma always makes far too much. Whenever she cooks something, she makes enough for, like, ten people.
Grandma
명절에 음식이 모자라면 안 되지. 그리고 이따가 옆집 할머니도 오시거든. 그 할머니가 발이 넓어서 누구를 또 데려올지 몰라.
Myeongjeore eumsigi mojaramyeon an doeji. Geurigo ittaga yeopjip halmeonido osigeodeun. Geu halmeoniga bari neolbeoseo nugureul tto deryeoolji molla.
We can't run out of food at a holiday. And the lady next door is coming later, you see. She knows everyone, so who knows who else she'll bring.
Jihun
아, 그 할머니요? 동네 사람들을 다 아시는 것 같더라고요. 아무튼 전 이런 거 처음 해 봐서 잘할 수 있을지 모르겠어요.
A, geu halmeoniyo? Dongne saramdeureul da asineun geot gatdeoragoyo. Amuteun jeon ireon geo cheoeum hae bwaseo jalhal su isseulji moreugesseoyo.
Oh, her? She seems to know everyone in the neighbourhood. Anyway, I've never done this before, so I'm not sure I'll be any good at it.
Grandma
걱정 마. 누워서 떡 먹기야. 밀가루 묻히고 계란 입혀서 부치면 끝이야.
Geokjeong ma. Nuwoseo tteok meokgiya. Milgaru muchigo gyeran ipyeoseo buchimyeon kkeuchiya.
Don't worry. It's a piece of cake. You dip it in flour, coat it in egg and fry it, and that's it.
Mijeong
엄마, 누워서 떡 먹기는 무슨. 나도 처음엔 다 태웠잖아. 아, 그리고 지훈아, 있잖아, 너 여자 친구 생겼다면서?
Eomma, nuwoseo tteok meokgineun museun. Nado cheoeumen da taewotjana. A, geurigo Jihuna, itjana, neo yeoja chingu saenggyeotdamyeonseo?
Mum, piece of cake, my foot. I burnt the lot the first time, remember? Oh, and Jihun, you know what, I heard you've got a girlfriend?
Jihun
네? 고모, 누가 그래요? 아, 민지가 말했구나. 민지는 진짜 입이 가볍다니까요. 고모는 입이 무거우시니까 다른 사람한테 말하지 마세요.
Ne? Gomo, nuga geuraeyo? A, Minjiga malhaetguna. Minjineun jinjja ibi gabyeopdanikkayo. Gomoneun ibi mugeousinikka dareun saramhante malhaji maseyo.
What? Who told you that, Auntie? Oh, Minji told you. I'm telling you, she can't keep a secret. You're good at keeping secrets, so please don't tell anyone else.
Grandma
호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다더니, 저기 민지 온다. 민지야, 너 오빠 얘기 또 했니?
Horangido je mal hamyeon ondadeoni, jeogi Minji onda. Minjiya, neo oppa yaegi tto haenni?
Speak of the devil, here comes Minji. Minji, have you been talking about your brother again?
Mijeong
아무튼 잘됐네. 그런데 그 여자 친구는 어떤 사람이야? 우리 지훈이가 눈이 높아서 아무나 안 만날 텐데.
Amuteun jaldwaenne. Geureonde geu yeoja chinguneun eotteon saramiya? Uri Jihuniga nuni nopaseo amuna an mannal tende.
Anyway, that's great news. So what's she like? Our Jihun is so picky, he wouldn't go out with just anyone.
Jihun
그러니까… 뭐, 착하고 좀 조용한 편이에요. 사실 지난번에 취업 면접에서 미역국을 먹었을 때 옆에서 많이 위로해 줬거든요.
Geureonikka… mwo, chakago jom joyonghan pyeonieyo. Sasil jinanbeone chwieop myeonjeobeseo miyeokgugeul meogeosseul ttae yeopeseo mani wirohae jwotgeodeunyo.
Well… she's kind, and a bit on the quiet side. Actually, when I failed that job interview last time, she was there for me and really comforted me, you see.
Grandma
그래, 힘들 때 옆에 있어 주는 사람이 최고야. 티끌 모아 태산이라고, 너도 그렇게 조금씩 잘해 주면 돼. 자, 이제 말은 그만하고 전이나 부치자.
Geurae, himdeul ttae yeope isseo juneun sarami choegoya. Tikkeul moa taesanirago, neodo geureoke jogeumssik jalhae jumyeon dwae. Ja, ije mareun geumanhago jeonina buchija.
That's right, someone who stands by you when things are hard is the best. Little things add up, so you just be good to her, bit by bit. Right, enough talking, let's get on with the jeon.
Understand
Idioms: 관용어
A (gwanyongeo) is an idiom, a fixed phrase whose meaning isn't the sum of its words. Many Korean idioms are about parts of the body, and they change like any other verb: (soni keusijana), she makes far too much, you know (with -시- for Grandma); (miyeokgugeul meogeosseul ttae), when I failed.
(miyeokgugeul meokda), to eat seaweed soup, means to fail an exam or an interview, because seaweed is slippery and you “slip” out. So people avoid seaweed soup before an exam, although it's the usual birthday dish. Learn idioms as whole phrases and use them with people you know; in formal writing they can sound too chatty.
| Idiom | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (soni keuda) | the hands are big | to be generous, to make or buy far too much |
| (bari neolda) | the feet are wide | to know lots of people |
| (nuni nopda) | the eyes are high | to be picky, to have high standards |
| (gwiga yalda) | the ears are thin | to be easily persuaded |
| (ibi mugeopda) | the mouth is heavy | to keep secrets |
| (ibi gabyeopda) | the mouth is light | to be unable to keep a secret |
| (miyeokgugeul meokda) | to eat seaweed soup | to fail (an exam, an interview) |
Proverbs: 속담
A (sokdam) is a proverb. Koreans use them a lot in conversation, often only the first half, because everyone knows the rest. They're linked to the sentence with -(이)라고 (-(i)rago), as they say: (tikkeul moa taesanirago), as they say, dust gathered makes a mountain. With -더니 (-deoni), the proverb comes true in front of you: (horangido je mal hamyeon ondadeoni), speak of the devil (and here he is).
| Proverb | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (nuwoseo tteok meokgi) | eating rice cake lying down | a piece of cake, very easy |
| (tikkeul moa taesan) | gather dust, and it becomes a mountain | every little helps, little things add up |
| (horangido je mal hamyeon onda) | talk about the tiger and it comes | speak of the devil |
| (ganeun mari gowaya oneun mari gopda) | kind words out bring kind words back | treat others as you want to be treated |
-거든요, fillers and short forms
-거든요 (-geodeunyo), in (banmal) -거든 (-geodeun), gives a reason or background that the listener doesn't know yet: “you see”. (yeopjip halmeonido osigeodeun), the lady next door is coming, you see. Compare -잖아요 (-janayo), which reminds people of something they already know.
Fillers give you time and make you sound natural: (geureonikka), well, I mean; (mwo), well, you know; (jom), a bit, softening anything; (mak), like, just, for emphasis; (amuteun), anyway, to get back on track; (itjana), (itjanayo), you know what, to start a new topic.
In relaxed speech, particles merge with the word before, and some words shrink. Understand these forms from the start; use them yourself with people you know well. Notice Jihun's (jeon), which here means “I” and not the pancake.
| Full form | Spoken | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (jeoneun) | (jeon) | I (topic) |
| (igeoneun) | (igeon) | this (topic) |
| (igeoseul) | (igeol) | this (object) |
| (geosi) | (ge) | the thing (subject) |
| (geureonde) | (geunde) | but, by the way |
| (cheoeumeneun) | (cheoeumen) | at first |
| (iyagi) | (yaegi) | talk, story |
| (Mworago hae?) | (Mworae?) | what does he say? |
More in the grammar: Idioms, proverbs and spoken Korean · Nuanced endings: -네요, -잖아요, -거든요 and more
New words
- 관용어gwanyongeoidiom
- 속담sokdamproverb
- 전jeonjeon, savoury Korean pancake · also called (buchimgae); (jeoneul buchida), to fry jeon; (milgaru), flour; (taeuda), to burn
- 손이 크다soni keudato be generous, to make far too much · literally “the hands are big”; (sikgu), the people in a family; (eumsigi mojarada), to run short of food
- 막maklike, just (filler); carelessly · (mak yeol myeongi meogeul mankeum), enough for, like, ten people
- 발이 넓다bari neoldato know lots of people · literally “the feet are wide”
- 아무튼amuteunanyway · gets a conversation back on track
- 누워서 떡 먹기nuwoseo tteok meokgia piece of cake, very easy · literally “eating rice cake lying down”
- 있잖아itjanayou know what, listen · starts a new topic; polite (itjanayo)
- 입이 무겁다ibi mugeopdato be good at keeping secrets · opposite: (ibi gabyeopda)
- 호랑이도 제 말 하면 온다horangido je mal hamyeon ondaspeak of the devil · literally “talk about the tiger and it comes”
- 눈이 높다nuni nopdato be picky, to have high standards · literally “the eyes are high”
- 미역국을 먹다miyeokgugeul meokdato fail (an exam, an interview) · literally “to eat seaweed soup”; (wirohada), to comfort
- 티끌 모아 태산tikkeul moa taesanevery little helps, little things add up · literally “gather dust, and it becomes a mountain”
Practise
1.Your friend always cooks enough for twenty people. Which idiom describes her?
2.A colleague says (jeo ibeon siheomeseo miyeokguk meogeosseoyo). What happened?
3.Talk about the neighbour. Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.That lady really knows everyone.
4.Match the Korean with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.You arrive late and explain to a new colleague, who doesn't know why. What do you say?
6.What is the relaxed spoken form of (jeoneun igeoneun an meogeoyo)?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
누워서 떡 먹기예요.
Nuwoseo tteok meokgiyeyo.
It's a piece of cake.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.