Eik Podcast 108: 한국어의 속어, 숙어를 영어로
이 글은 원래 외국인에게 한국어를 가르치는 KoreanChamp.com에 올린 내용이지만 영어를 배우는 여러분에게도 도움이 될 것 같아서 여기도 올립니다.
그리고 지난주부터 TBS eFM에서 한국어의 속어나 관용어를 외국인 청취자에게 알리는 코너를 맡았어요. 이 내용도 거기서 다뤘습니다. 듣고 싶으면 금요일 10:30에 TBS FM 101.3, Main Street를 들어보세요 ^^
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In the last round of Explosive Korean Slang, we took a look at some phrases that started with the double consonant, ㅃ . Today we continue on with the series, only this time we’ll be studying idioms and colloquial expressions that start with ㄸ . When pronouncing these letters, the important thing to remember is that you have to let the air pressure build up behind your tongue before releasing in order to create the proper sound. At first, this may take a second or two, but later on, when you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to enunciate the sound faster. Don’t hold back because your embarrassed — just go for it!
The order of today’s words is based on their frequency in day-to-day conversation.
1. 땡땡이 치다 – to skip (class or work), to ditch (class), to play hooky
There is no clear consensus on the origin of this phrase but there are two main schools of thought. Some people say that the genesis of the expression was the mark that teachers used to make in attendance books next to the names of students who were absent. That mark was — and similar marks are still — called “땡땡.”
The other, slightly more broadly believed idea on this idiom is that it comes from the onomatopoeia for a bell sound, which is also “땡땡.” Just as in the West, Korean schools have long used bells to signify the end of periods and the conclusion of the school day. “땡땡이 치다” could’ve have started off meaning that one wasn’t going to wait for the school bell to ring, but instead, ring it themselves — in their minds at least.
This phrase can be used to describe skipping out on any function that one was originally required to attend.
Examples
너 요새 왜 그렇게 자꾸 땡땡이 치니?
Why are you always skipping class lately?
오늘 또 교육 있는 거야? 벌써 몇 번째야? 그냥 땡땡이 치고 어디 놀러 갈래?
We’ve got another training session today? How many times has it been? Wanna just ditch and go hang out somewhere?
2.
대박 터뜨리다: to hit the jackpot
대박나다: to be very successful
Some say that this phrase comes from the gambling term “박,” which is the Korean word for the “pot” (판돈). Attaching the prefix to it gives us “대박,” which just means a large pot that has accumulated over many rounds of betting. This phrase may also have originally meant, “big ship.” In the old days, a large ship coming to port in your town meant increased business and lots of trade for all. There is even a third idea on the matter that says the term originates from the 흥부놀부전 (the Story of Heungboo and Nolboo). Heungboo planted seeds that he got from a swallow and they grew into a giant gourd. Inside were all sorts of treasures. Since the word for gourd in Korean is “박,” it’s easy to see how people would think that the expression “대박” came from this tale.
Irrespective of its roots, the phrase is most often used to describe someone’s very successful business venture.
Examples
존은 장사 잘 된대?
How is John’s new business going?
이번엔 진짜 대박난 것 같던데. 어제 보니까 네이버 ‘요즘 뜨는 이야기’에 걔에 대한 기사도 나왔어.
It seems like he really hit the jackpot this time. I saw an article about him under the trending news section on Naver.
In a new twist on the idiom, youngsters these days use the phrase “대박” to describe anything that is amazing or shocking. Here’s an example dialogue:
어제 코엑스에서 내가 누굴 봤는지 알아?
You’ll never guess who I saw yesterday at Coe[...]
