Eat, Eat!

1. Have you eaten yet? 식사했어요?
A casual greeting that dates from an era of war and famine. Hunger was widespread in South Korean till the 1960's and still is in North Korea. Another common greeting was, " 밤새 별일 없으셨어요? " The expression is also known to have originated in a time when bad things happened overnight.

2. When will I have a chance to eat (your) a bowl of noodles? 언제 국수 먹어요?
When are you getting married?

3. I ate water! 물 먹었다!
I lost out. If you miss a promotion/ party.

4. It is like having col porridge! 식은 죽 먹기!
It is a piece of cake!  = so easy!

5. You should eat even before sightseeing at Diamond Mt.! 금강산도 식후경!
Eat first, no matter what temptation of chore awaits. Let's stop work for a bit and eat!

6. It will not fill me up with rice! 밥 먹여 주냐?
Let's be practical! When you against someone's idea, they say like this.

7. It is not either rice nor porridge.  죽도 아니고 밥도 아니다!
A gray area, somewhere in between. A bit project that goes now where.

8. Did you eat crow meat? 까마귀 고기 먹었니?
Can you remember anything?

배고파 죽겠어요~!

간이 크다! (Your liver is really big!)

간이 크다! (Your river is really big!)

겁이 없고 뭐든지 시도하는 사람들을 보고 주로 말한다.
For those people who try anything without hesitation or reconsideration. 

반대로, 무슨 일에 크게 놀랐을 때 “간이 콩 알만 해졌어요” 라고 말한다.
In contrast, when people are shocked, we say like my liver became a bean size!

니돈이 내돈이고, 내돈이 내돈이지

니돈이 내돈이고, 내돈이 내돈이지.


nidoni naedonigo, naedoni naedoniji

(Your money is mine and my money is mine)

새 발의 피 (Blood on a bird's food)

"No problem!"
When people feel things are so easy to be done, Koreans say like this.

예문: 걱정하지마! 내가 다 알아서 할거야. 뭐 "새 발에 피"지 뭐~

발이 넓다 (He/she has got big feet!)

Someone with good and many connections. Also, we call the person as "Madangbal" (마당발). It means a foot as big as a front yard at home. Madang is the front yard of a traditional Korean house. If a homemaker has "big hand"(큰 손), she is generous in her cooking and spending for others. Also, this "big hand"(큰 손) means for someone who control the biz largely such as property and stocks in the market. There was a lady whose name was Jang Yong Ja, was greatly involved in those markets to move the numbers up and down in 1980's.

예문: 영자씨는 정말 아는 사람도 많아요~ 어떤 문제가 생겨도 영자씨한테 부탁하면 해결이 되지요. 역시 "마당 발"이야...

장영자씨는 강남의 "큰 손"으로 유명했지요.

우리 어머니는 손님을 초대하면 음식을 많이 준비하세요 왜냐하면 어머니는 준비한 음식이 모자를까봐 늘 더 많이 준비하세요. "큰 손"이라니까요..!

말에 뼈가 있다 (His words have bones)

Sometimes, although you learn Korean langauge for sometime, when you watch dramas, you may hear the sentences right but you may see different reactions from the parties. His/her comments harbor hidden meaning or criticism. You may know as this as "His word brstle with thorns."

한국 사람들이 비꼴때...

예문: 다음 대통령은 정치를 잘 아는 정치인 중에서 선택하는 것이 옳은 일이다.

Do not fight! 싸우지마!

싸우다: to fight.

언제 국수 먹지?

In olden days, many couples could not afford to have grand weddings due to poverty.

In a wedding, a bowl of noodle soup is given to each guests after the wedding ceremony and that was very common. When people ask “When can I have a bowl of noodle soup?” (언제 국수 먹지요?) means "when are you going to marry?" indirectly.
When I was twenties, my carrier was important so I did not think of marriage too much although my friends were married on time (early 20's ~ mid 20's). After my mid 20's, hearing this question like "언제 국수 먹지?" became a pressure. So, you may have to be careful to use... it can be fun for someone but it can be a stressful question for someone.

When I was young, I used to eat this noodle soup when I went to old type of markets with my mother... I still like the taste and I still make this for my family sometimes at home.

김망재선생 언제 국수를 먹지요? (언제 결혼해요? 중매를 해 준 사람으로서 당연히 궁금한데... )

원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다. (Even a monkey falls from the tree)

It means, even an expert makes a mistake.

예문: 선생님도 실수해요. 아무리 한국사람이라도 쓸 때 철자도 틀리고요.. 하하.

죽도 아니고 밥도 아니다. (it is neither rice nor porridge.)

When a project or an event that goes nowhere, Koreans say this.
When someone wants to cook rice but it turns neither rice nor porridge.

예문: 일을 시켰는데... 이게 뭐야?  죽도 밥도 아니네... 처음부터 다시 하세요!

지금 포기하면 어떻게해? 거의 다 했는데... 조금만 더 잘 해서 끝내봐... 지금 끝내면 "죽도 밥도 아니야". 알았지!

The grass always looks greener on the other side. 남이 떡이 커 보인다.

Pronouciation: Namui tteoki keoboinda.

We all love to compare and when a person often do and complain, people often advise with this idiom.

예문: 너무 효리를 부러워 하지마.. 항상 남이 떡이 더 커보이는 거야.. 자기 만족! 알았지!

Konglish?

Koreans culd not find nor bother to find nor proper translations. Ha ha, Koreans use English into Korean slang. When Soulth Korea adopted English, the words flooded into our culture as all internet new languages are made among new generation and used... They shorten the word or put the word together with Korean "하다" often and use conveniently.

오늘 뭐 했어? 응~ 쇼핑도 하고 인터넷에서 채팅도 하고.... 해피한 날이야!

The empty cart makes more noise. (빈수레가 요란하다)

Binsurae ga yoranhada.


For centuries, Koreans have applauded tacifurnity and frowned on chaterboxes. In the culture, people prefer to a man with less words.

요란하다: noisy, loud, boisterous..
요란한, 요란스럽다, 요란하게

오토바이가 요란한 소리를 내면서 지나갔다.
콘서트가 아주 요란하게 시작했다.
배가 고파서 "꼬로록" 소리가 요란스럽다.
옆 집 아줌마가 옷을 요란스럽게 차려 입었다.

Ppalli, Ppalli!!! (빨리, 빨리!!!)

Be Hurry, hurry!!! Koreans say "Ppalli ppalli' when they want to other to speed up. The term now symbolizes Korean's penchant for rushing things. Although Koreans do not need to be hurried, they seem always in a hurry to do things.

예문: 빨리 빨리 가, 빨리 빨리 숙제 해! 빨리 빨리 샤워 하고! 빨리 빨리 자! 한국사람들은 그저 빨리 빨리...