Hanja

Hanja — 형세 勢(세) 1. power, force 권세 ‘權勢’ influence 세력 '勢力’ power 여세 '餘勢’ momentum 파죽지세 '破竹之勢’ irresistible force 수세 '守勢’ defense 공세 '攻勢’ offense 2. tendency 추세 trend, tendency 성장세 '成長勢’ growing trend (growth) 상승세 '上昇勢’ upward trend 하락세 '下落勢’ downward trend 급락세 '急落勢’ sharp drop 환시세 '換時勢’ rate exchange 대세 '大勢’ general trend

간 (肝)간 = liver The liver is an important part of Korean culture and is at the center of a lot of traditional fairy tales. For example, according to the myth, the 구미호 (nine-tailed fox) eats livers to survive. It is often associated with either fear/surprise, or energy (기). For that reason, you will often find the word in expressions associated with the emotions of fear or surprise, the concept of chi (vital force, 생명력) or generally the idea of something being unsatisfactory (because the food supposedly gives us the most energy when it reaches the liver). Let’s look at a few expressions using the word 간: 간에 기별도 안가다 (lit. for a message to fail to reach the liver) to barely begin satisfying one’s hunger (= 간에 차지 않다) 간에 붙었다 쓸개에 붙었다 하다 (lit. to stick to the liver then the gallblader) to be fickle, to switch sides easily 간을 녹이다 (lit. to thaw one’s liver) to charm, to fascinate, to bewitch 간이 뒤집히다 (lit. for one’s liver to turn upside down) to keep laughing for no reason 간이 떨어지다 (lit. for one’s liver to drop) to be surprised 간(땡)이 붓다 (lit. for one’s liver to be swollen) to be audacious, impertinent 간(이) 크다 (lit. for one’s liver to be big) to be audacious, impertinent, courageous 간이 작다 (lit. for one’s liver to be small) to be skittish and cowardly 간(을) 졸이다 (lit. to boil down one’s liver) to be extremely worried 간이 철렁하다/덜렁하다/덜컹하다 (lit. to have a weak liver) to be shocked 간이 콩알만해지다 (lit. for one’s liver to be as big as a bean) to be frightened out of one’s wits 간이 쪼그라들다 (lit. to shrink one’s liver) to be frightened out of one’s wits 간이 떨리다 (lit. for one’s liver to shake) to be scared 간이 타다 (lit. to have a burnt liver) to be anxious 간이 서늘해지다 (lit. for the liver to be chilled) to be slightly scared 간을 꺼내어 주다 (lit. to take out and give one’s liver) to be willing to cater to the need of others 간도 쓸개도 없다 (lit. to be without the liver and the gallblader) to give up one’s self-respect and stoop to other people’s level 간을 빼 먹다 (lit. to take out and eat sb else’s liver) to be willing to take something important from someone else in order to seek one’s own interest, all under the guise of kindness 간에 바람이 들다 (lit. for one’s liver to become porous) to become unreliable 간에 불이 붙다 (lit. for one’s liver to catch fire) to be extremely anxious 간이 마르다 (lit. for one’s liver to dry up) to be extremely upset or nervous 간이 벌름거리다 (lit. for one’s liver to flare) for one’s heart to pound out of astonishment or fear 간이 조마조마하다 (lit. for one’s liver to flutter) to feel anxious, agitated or nervous