Emotion and Situation Idioms

These idioms paint emotions or particular situations in figurative terms. Master them and you'll sound far more like a native speaker.

Standards and pickiness: 눈이 높다

눈이 높다 ('high eyes') means having lofty standards — being hard to please, picky.

그 친구는 눈이 높아서 아직 연애를 안 해요.

Geu chinguneun nuni nopaseo ajik yeonaereul an haeyo.

That friend has sky-high standards, so she still isn't dating anyone.

Failure: 미역국을 먹다

미역국을 먹다 literally means 'to eat seaweed soup,' but it means to fail an exam. Because seaweed is slippery, it links to the idea of 'slipping' — that is, failing.

이번 입사 시험에서 또 미역국을 먹었어요.

Ibeon ipsa siheomeseo tto miyeokgugeul meogeosseoyo.

I flunked the company entrance exam yet again this time.

발표를 망쳐서 얼굴이 화끈거렸어요.

Balpyoreul mangchyeoseo eolguri hwakkeungeoryeosseoyo.

I botched the presentation, and my face burned with embarrassment.

합격 소식을 듣고 어깨가 으쓱했어요.

Hapgyeok sosigeul deutgo eokkaega eusseukhaesseoyo.

When I heard I'd passed, I swelled with pride.

Shock and relief: 간 떨어지다

간 떨어지다 ('the liver drops') means to be scared out of your wits, while 발 뻗고 자다 ('to sleep with legs stretched out') means to sleep easy, free of any worry.

갑자기 소리를 질러서 간 떨어질 뻔했어요.

Gapjagi sorireul jilleoseo gan tteoreojil ppeonhaesseoyo.

He suddenly shouted and nearly scared me half to death.

빚을 다 갚고 나니 이제 발 뻗고 자요.

Bijeul da gapgo nani ije bal ppeotgo jayo.

Now that I've paid off all my debt, I sleep with my mind completely at ease.

약속 장소에서 한 시간이나 바람을 맞았어요.

Yaksok jangsoesseo han siganina barameul majasseoyo.

I got stood up at the meeting spot for a whole hour.

그 말을 듣고 코가 납작해졌어요.

Geu mareul deutgo koga napjakhaejyeosseoyo.

After hearing that, I was thoroughly humbled and taken down a peg.

Idiom	Meaning
눈이 높다	Have high standards, picky
미역국을 먹다	Fail an exam
얼굴이 화끈거리다	Feel embarrassed (face burns)
어깨가 으쓱하다	Feel proud
바람을 맞다	Be stood up
간 떨어지다	Be badly startled
발 뻗고 자다	Sleep at ease, free of worry
코가 납작해지다	Be humbled, taken down a peg

💡 Tip: Thanks to this idiom, Koreans jokingly steer clear of seaweed soup before a big exam.

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