The words Korean uses to imitate a sound or paint the way something moves.
Korean has a large family of words that imitate a sound or paint a manner: 쾅is a door slamming엉금엉금the way a turtle moves Where English packs the picture into the verb (sparkle, trickle, gulp), Korean keeps an ordinary verb and puts the picture in front of it: 물이 졸졸 흘러요, “the water flows, trickle-trickle”. The vowels carry meaning too: 반짝반짝is a small twinkle번쩍번쩍a big flash
The words
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Adverb (40)
반짝반짝twinkling, sparklingAdverb3
밤하늘에 별이 반짝반짝 빛나요.The stars are twinkling in the night sky.
엉금엉금crawling slowly (on all fours)Adverb3
거북이가 모래 위를 엉금엉금 기어가요.The turtle is crawling slowly across the sand.
두근두근with a pounding heartAdverb3
발표하기 전에 가슴이 두근두근했어요.My heart was pounding before my presentation.
Often joined to 하다: 가슴이 두근두근해요.
꼬르륵rumbling (of an empty stomach)Adverb3
점심을 못 먹어서 배에서 꼬르륵 소리가 나요.I missed lunch, so my stomach is rumbling.
쿨쿨soundly, zzz (of sleeping)Adverb3
동생이 소파에서 쿨쿨 자고 있어요.My little brother is fast asleep on the sofa.
깜짝with a start (of surprise)Adverb3
뒤에서 누가 불러서 깜짝 놀랐어요.Someone called me from behind and I jumped.
Almost always with 놀라다: 깜짝 놀랐어요.
살짝lightly, gently; slightlyAdverb3
아기가 자니까 문을 살짝 닫아 주세요.The baby is asleep, so please close the door gently.
펑펑heavily (of snow); (crying) hardAdverb3
어젯밤에 눈이 펑펑 내렸어요.It snowed heavily last night.
Also of crying hard: 펑펑 울었어요.
주룩주룩pouring, streaming (of rain)Adverb3
아침부터 비가 주룩주룩 와요.It has been pouring since this morning.
쾅bang, slamAdverb3
바람 때문에 문이 쾅 닫혔어요.The door slammed shut because of the wind.
멍멍woof (a dog barking)Adverb2
옆집 개가 밤마다 멍멍 짖어요.The dog next door barks every night.
야옹miaowAdverb2
고양이가 문 앞에서 야옹 하고 울어요.The cat is miaowing at the door.
짹짹tweet, chirpAdverb2
아침마다 창밖에서 새들이 짹짹 울어요.Every morning the birds chirp outside the window.
졸졸trickling (of water)Adverb3
바위 사이로 맑은 물이 졸졸 흘러요.Clear water trickles between the rocks.
Also of tagging along behind someone: 졸졸 따라다니다.
보글보글bubbling (of something boiling)Adverb3
냄비에서 찌개가 보글보글 끓고 있어요.The stew is bubbling away in the pot.
지글지글sizzlingAdverb3
불판 위에서 고기가 지글지글 익어요.The meat is sizzling on the grill.
쨍쨍blazing (of the sun)Adverb3
해가 쨍쨍해서 모자를 쓰고 나갔어요.The sun was blazing, so I went out in a hat.
펄펄burning (of a fever); boiling hardAdverb3
아이가 밤새 열이 펄펄 났어요.The child had a burning fever all night.
Also of water boiling hard and of snow coming down thick.
훨훨flying freely, soaringAdverb3
새 한 마리가 하늘을 훨훨 날아가요.A bird is soaring across the sky.
엉엉boohoo, sobbing out loudAdverb3
영화가 너무 슬퍼서 엉엉 울었어요.The film was so sad that I sobbed out loud.
깔깔cackling, laughing out loudAdverb3
아이들이 만화를 보면서 깔깔 웃어요.The children are laughing their heads off at the cartoon.
콜록콜록cough-coughAdverb3
감기 때문에 밤새 콜록콜록 기침을 했어요.I was coughing all night because of my cold.
똑똑knock-knock; drip-dripAdverb3
누가 문을 똑똑 두드려요.Someone is knocking at the door.
Also of water dripping: 물이 똑똑 떨어져요.
따르릉ring-ring (of a phone or bell)Adverb3
아침 일찍 전화가 따르릉 울렸어요.The phone rang early in the morning.
쿵thud, bumpAdverb3
선반에서 상자가 쿵 떨어졌어요.A box fell off the shelf with a thud.
쨍그랑crash (of breaking glass or china)Adverb3
부엌에서 쨍그랑 하고 접시가 깨졌어요.A plate smashed in the kitchen with a crash.
꽁꽁frozen solid; tightlyAdverb3
너무 추워서 호수가 꽁꽁 얼었어요.It was so cold that the lake froze solid.
꾸벅꾸벅nodding offAdverb3
할아버지께서 소파에서 꾸벅꾸벅 조세요.Grandfather is nodding off on the sofa.
성큼성큼with long stridesAdverb3
형이 성큼성큼 걸어가서 제일 먼저 도착했어요.My brother strode off and got there first.
아장아장toddlingAdverb3
아기가 엄마에게 아장아장 걸어가요.The baby toddles over to its mother.
살금살금stealthily, on tiptoeAdverb3
늦게 들어와서 살금살금 방으로 들어갔어요.I came home late and crept into my room.
빙글빙글round and roundAdverb3
아이들이 운동장에서 빙글빙글 돌아요.The children are spinning round and round in the playground.
싱글벙글beaming, grinningAdverb3
시험에 붙은 동생이 하루 종일 싱글벙글 웃어요.My sister passed her exam and has been grinning all day.
활짝wide (open); in full bloomAdverb3
공원에 벚꽃이 활짝 피었어요.The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in the park.
Also wide open: 창문을 활짝 열었어요.
푹soundly, properly (of sleep and rest)Adverb3
주말에는 집에서 푹 쉬세요.Have a proper rest at home this weekend.
With sleep and rest: 푹 자다, 푹 쉬다.
꽉tightly, firmlyAdverb3
버스가 출발하니까 손잡이를 꽉 잡으세요.The bus is setting off, so hold on tight to the strap.
바삭바삭crispy, crunchyAdverb3
이 집 튀김은 정말 바삭바삭해요.The fried food here is really crispy.
쫄깃쫄깃chewy, springyAdverb3
이 떡은 쫄깃쫄깃하고 달아요.This rice cake is chewy and sweet.
소곤소곤in a whisperAdverb3
도서관에서는 소곤소곤 이야기하세요.Please talk in a whisper in the library.
벌컥벌컥in big gulpsAdverb3
운동이 끝나고 물을 벌컥벌컥 마셨어요.After the workout I gulped down some water.
