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Everyday Korean Body-Part Idioms

Tap an idiom to see its meaning and an example sentence.

'Wide feet'

Describes someone with a large network of contacts and connections. 'She has such wide feet β€” she knows someone wherever we go.'

'Big hands'

Describes someone generous with money or who cooks in overly generous portions. 'My mom has such big hands, there's always leftover food.'

'Thin ears'

Describes someone who is easily convinced and swayed by what others say. 'My ears are so thin β€” I made an impulse buy just because a friend talked me into it.'

'Thick face'

Describes someone shameless who feels no embarrassment. 'Making that mistake and acting like nothing happened β€” what a thick face.'

'Big liver'

Describes someone fearless and bold. 'Walking down that dark alley alone at night β€” you've got some nerve.'

'High eyes'

Describes someone with high, picky standards β€” often used when talking about choosing a romantic partner. 'Her standards are so high, she still hasn't found anyone she likes.'

'Heavy mouth'

Describes someone who keeps secrets well and doesn't talk carelessly. 'He's so tight-lipped, I can tell him a secret and feel completely at ease.'

'Nose goes flat'

Describes losing momentum and being embarrassed after being caught out. 'The guy who was talking big got caught in his mistake and his nose went completely flat.'

Why Korean uses so many body-part idioms

Korean has an unusually large number of idioms that use hands, feet, eyes, and mouths to describe someone's personality or attitude. Expressions like 'wide feet' or 'big hands' are not meant literally β€” they carry a fixed figurative meaning, so it is easy to misread them without knowing the idiom.

They don't translate literally, and that's the whole point

Each of these idioms means something entirely different from what the individual words suggest, which is exactly what makes it an idiom rather than a plain description. 'Big hands,' for instance, has nothing to do with actual hand size β€” it means someone is generous or cooks in large portions. Learning the fixed meaning is the only way in, since the literal words won't get you there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't these idioms be understood by translating the words literally?

Because an idiom functions as one fixed unit of meaning rather than the sum of its individual words β€” 'big hands,' for example, is not about actual hand size at all, but about being generous with money or with portions of food.

Can these idioms be used in polite or formal conversation?

Most of them work fine regardless of how formal the conversation is. In very official documents or presentations, though, a direct, literal description is usually clearer than reaching for an idiom.