썰렁하다
[sseol-leong-ha-da]
that’s so lame; NOT funny
Meaning & context
글자 그대로 풀이하면, 으슬으슬하고 추운 것을 뜻한다. 전통적으로 한국인들은 편안하고 재미있는 주제로 얘기하고 있는 분위기를 따뜻하고 화목함을 뜻하는 사자성어, 화기애애 로 표현해왔다. 이것은 그 반대, 불편하고 재미없는 상황에서 쓰인다(또한, 한국인들이 이 표현을 사용할 때에는 마치 차가운 바람이 부는 양, 그들의 팔을 문지르곤 한다).
Literally “it’s cold or chilly.” Traditionally, Koreans would use the old Chinese expression hwagiaeae (화기애애), meaning warm and harmonious, for topics that are comfortable and fun to discuss. Its opposite, then would be something uncomfortable or chilly. (Also, when Koreans use this expression, they often rub their arms as if experiencing a sudden gust of cold wind.)
From As Much as a Rat’s Tail · book pages 156–157. Original published text; historical references and usage are retained.
STORY TIME
See it in conversation
Korean
독도 여행
English
Trip to Dokdo
(벌벌 떨며) 이 춥고 조그만 바위덩어리에 무슨 야단법석들이래용?!
(Shivering) Is this what all the fuss is about? This cold little rock?!
아니지... 이건 한국의 영토권에 대한 아주 중요한 이슈라고!
No . . . it’s a really important issue about sovereign Korean territory!
그리고 놀러오기에도 참 좋네... 넌 여기 살아야 겠다.
And such a great place to visit. . . I think you should live here.
썰렁하다! 완전 썰렁해!
Sseolleonghada! Completely Sseolleonghae!
그럼 니 쟈켓 입어욤, 멍청아!
So put your jacket on, dummy!
아니! 내 말은 농담... 썰렁하다고!
No! I mean the joke. . . it’s sseolleonghada!
From the book: notes & culture
Culturally Speaking
Some Slick Endings for ~Post Appending
Beginnings & Endings – fun prefixes & suffixes and their usage. ~용, ~욤, 하삼, ~하셈, ~하센, ~하염, ~해염, ~하연– all are potential endings to add flavor to any Korean sentence:
•모하삼? [mo-ha-sam] from 뭐하세요? changes the feeling from a simple “What are you doing?” to “What’s up?” or more appropriately, “Sup?”
•어디샘? [eo-di-saem] - from 어디세요? changes the feeling from “Where are you?” to “Where you at?”
•술마셔용 [sul-ma-sheo-yong] - from 술마셔요. changes the meaning from “I’m drinking.” to the deliberately cutesy “I’m drinking-ing-ing.”
•잘했쪄욤 [jal-haess-jjyeo-yeom] - from 잘했어요. changes the feeling from “Good Job” to something cutesy (imagine them giving a pouty look with their lip protruding). Ha! – There are no prefixes in Korean!! Maerrong! (매렁)
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