The weather in Korea has gotten really cold lately, right?
You may have learned that “I’m cold” is said as "추워(요)" in textbooks, but real Koreans don’t just say it that simply. Anyone who has ever talked to a Korean can relate to this.
So today, we’re going to share some expressions that will level up your Korean skills for these chilly winter days. Use them naturally, and Koreans might even say, “Wow, you speak Korean so well! Are you Korean?” Let’s get started!
🖐 If Korean Listening Is Challenging?
You can listen to the Korean pronunciation of each expression below. 🎧
🖐 If You’re Comfortable Listening to Korean?
Listen to the full Korean audio version of the English post below on Spotify Podcast. 🎧
Today's Key One-liner
4 Ways to Say "I'm Cold"
Just Remember This Formula
🎤💋 The Korean pronunciation
for each expression is below.
↓↓↓↓↓
⛄ First, Keep It Simple!
🔊 추워[chu-wo]
🔊 추워요[chu-wo-yo]
This is what you say when it’s a bit chilly, but you can handle it. It’s like saying “I’m cold.” in English. It’s simple yet gets the point across and works perfectly for slightly cold weather.
⛄⛄ Second, Add Emphasis with Adverbs!
🔊 진짜 추워[jin-jja chu-wo], 너무 추워[neo-mu chu-wo], 정말 추워[jeong-mal chu-wo]
🔊 진짜 추워요[jin-jja chu-wo-yo], 너무 추워요[neo-mu chu-wo-yo], 정말 추워요[jeong-mal chu-wo-yo]
Just like 'very' in English, Korean has adverbs to add emphasis. Common ones include 진짜[jin-jja], 너무[neo-mu], 정말[jeong-mal].
🎁 Bonus Tip
Want to sound even more expressive? Stretch out the first syllables of these words to say, [jin~jja], [neo~mu], or [jeong~mal]. It’s a great way to make your feeling extra clear.
🔎 And try speaking as if you’re adding punctuation like '~' or '!' It makes your words sound even livelier.
🔎 For more on adding punctuation for effect, check out Related Posts below.
⛄⛄⛄ Third, Add ‘죽겠어(요)’ Which Means ‘I Feel Like I’m Dying’!
🔊 추워 죽겠어[chu-wo juk-kke-sseo]
🔊 추워 죽겠어요[chu-wo juk-kke-sseo-yo]
This expression is a total exaggeration. It doesn’t actually mean "I'm dying.", but saying, “I feel like I’m freezing to death.” really shows just how cold I am! A lot of Koreans add those emphasis words we learned earlier, like 진짜[jin-jja], 너무[neo-mu], or 정말[jeong-mal], before 죽겠어[juk-kke-sseo] to make it sound even stronger.
⛄⛄⛄⛄ Fourth. Let’s use a part of our body to say it!
✅ Literal translation of Korean
(1) 코끝이 시려(요)
[ko-kkeu-chi si-ryeo-(yo)]
The tip of my nose is cold.
(2) 귀가 떨어져 나갈 것 같아(요)
[gwi-ga tteo-reo-jeo na-gal kkeot ga-ta-(yo)]
It feels like my ears are going to fall off.
(3) 머리가 통째로 얼 것 같아(요)
[meo-ri-ga tong-jjae-ro eol kkeot ga-ta-(yo)]
It feels like my entire head is freezing solid.
(4) 얼굴이 떨어져 나갈 것 같아(요)
[eol-gu-ri tteo-reo-jeo na-gal kkeot ga-ta-(yo)]
It feels like my face is going to fall off.
You get the vibe from the literal translations, right? 😁
These expressions describe how some parts of your body - like your nose, ears, head, and face - feel like they're frozen solid or about to fall off because of the cold. It's literally saying, 'My body feels like this!' to paint a real picture of how cold you are.
We’ve just explored four real ways Koreans express the cold!
These are perfect for the chilly winter days in Korea, so make sure to jot them down and try them out in conversations with Koreans.
Alright, we’ll catch up next time. 🖐
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