바늘방석에 앉다
baneulbangseoge anda
sit on pins and needles
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use this when you feel so anxious or guilty that you can't sit still or relax in a situation.
- Means: Feeling extremely uneasy, restless, or uncomfortable due to guilt or external pressure.
- Used in: Job interviews, meeting an ex-partner, or when you've been caught in a lie.
- Don't confuse: It's about mental discomfort, not physical pain from a hard chair.
Explanation at your level:
المعنى
To be in an extremely uncomfortable or anxious situation.
خلفية ثقافية
The idiom reflects the traditional floor-sitting culture where the 'bangseok' (cushion) was a symbol of hospitality and status. To be uncomfortable on one is a strong social metaphor. Japan shares a similar idiom 'Hari no mushiro,' reflecting their shared history of floor-sitting and high-context social pressure. The Chinese 'Rú zuò zhēn zhān' dates back to the Book of Jin, showing the ancient roots of this 'needle' metaphor in East Asian literature. Western cultures often use 'heat' (hot seat, hot coals) instead of 'needles' for social pressure, perhaps reflecting different physical environments of discomfort.
Use with '-은 것 같다'
It sounds much more natural to say '바늘방석에 앉은 것 같아요' (It feels like...) than just '바늘방석에 앉았어요' (I sat on a needle cushion).
Not for physical pain
If you actually sat on something sharp, don't use this. Use '따끔해요' (It pricks) or '아파요' (It hurts).
المعنى
To be in an extremely uncomfortable or anxious situation.
Use with '-은 것 같다'
It sounds much more natural to say '바늘방석에 앉은 것 같아요' (It feels like...) than just '바늘방석에 앉았어요' (I sat on a needle cushion).
Not for physical pain
If you actually sat on something sharp, don't use this. Use '따끔해요' (It pricks) or '아파요' (It hurts).
Interchangeable with 가시방석
You will hear '가시방석' (thorn cushion) just as often. They are perfect synonyms.
اختبر نفسك
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
거짓말을 한 뒤에 어머니와 마주 앉아 있으니 마치 ( ) 것 같았다.
The context of lying and feeling uncomfortable around a parent perfectly fits the idiom.
Which situation is the most appropriate for using '바늘방석에 앉다'?
다음 중 '바늘방석에 앉다'를 사용하기 가장 좋은 상황은?
The idiom is used for psychological discomfort, anxiety, or guilt.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 어제 소개팅 어땠어? B: 상대방이 계속 내 실수만 지적해서 ( ).
Being criticized during a date creates the social anxiety described by the idiom.
Match the idiom to the correct feeling.
바늘방석에 앉다 = ?
The idiom represents extreme psychological unease.
🎉 النتيجة: /4
وسائل تعلم بصرية
الأسئلة الشائعة
4 أسئلةYes! You can say '그는 바늘방석에 앉은 듯 보였다' (He looked like he was sitting on needles).
Not at all. It is used daily in news, dramas, and casual conversations.
바늘 is a man-made needle; 가시 is a natural thorn. In this idiom, they mean the same thing.
No, the idiom is fixed with '방석' (cushion). Changing it to '의자' (chair) makes it no longer an idiom.
عبارات ذات صلة
가시방석에 앉다
synonymTo sit on a cushion of thorns.
안절부절못하다
similarTo be restless and unable to sit still.
쥐구멍에 들어가고 싶다
similarTo want to hide in a mouse hole.
심장이 쫄깃하다
similarHeart feels chewy/tight.
أين تستخدمها
Job Interview
A: 면접 잘 봤어요?
B: 아니요, 질문이 너무 어려워서 내내 바늘방석에 앉아 있는 기분이었어요.
Lying to Parents
엄마: 너 어제 어디 있었니?
나: (거짓말을 하며) 친구랑 공부했어요... (속마음: 아, 바늘방석에 앉은 것 같아.)
Meeting an Ex
친구: 어제 동창회에서 전 남친 만났다며?
나: 응, 바로 앞자리에 앉아서 밥 먹는데 정말 바늘방석이었어.
Corporate Meeting
팀장: 이번 프로젝트 실패 원인이 뭡니까?
대리: (식은땀을 흘리며) 그게... (바늘방석에 앉은 듯 안절부절못한다.)
Blind Date
A: 소개팅 어땠어?
B: 대화가 너무 안 통하고 어색해서 바늘방석에 앉아 있다가 금방 나왔어.
Public Hearing
기자: 의원님, 오늘 청문회 분위기는 어땠습니까?
의원: 날카로운 질문들 때문에 마치 바늘방석에 앉은 기분이었습니다.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine sitting on a 'Bangseok' (cushion) but feeling 'Baneul' (needles) poking your butt. You can't sit still!
Visual Association
A person in a sharp business suit sitting on a fluffy pink cushion, but hundreds of tiny, silver needles are sticking out of it. The person's face is sweating and they are hovering slightly above the seat.
Rhyme
바늘방석 앉으면, 마음이 찌릿찌릿 (Sit on a needle cushion, your heart goes prick-prick).
Story
Min-su forgot his wedding anniversary. Now he is at dinner with his wife, who is staring at him silently. The restaurant is expensive and the chairs are soft, but for Min-su, he is sitting on a '바늘방석'. Every time she clinks her spoon, he feels a needle poke him.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Think of the most awkward social situation you've ever been in. Write three sentences in Korean describing it using '바늘방석에 앉다'.
In Other Languages
To be on pins and needles / To be on the hot seat
Korean only uses it for negative anxiety/guilt, never for excitement.
針のむしろ (Hari no mushiro)
The object is a mat (mushiro) instead of a cushion (bangseok).
如坐针毡 (Rú zuò zhēn zhān)
It uses 'felt' (毡) instead of 'cushion'.
Estar en un ascua / Estar en ascuas
Focuses on heat/burning rather than piercing pain.
Être sur des charbons ardents
Implies a sense of urgency and danger more than social guilt.
Wie auf glühenden Kohlen sitzen
The physical sensation is heat, not sharp pricking.
على أحر من الجمر (Ala aharri min al-jamr)
More about the pain of waiting than the pain of social guilt.
Estar em brasas
Emphasizes agitation over the specific 'sitting' posture.
Easily Confused
Both involve 'sharp' things (needles/thorns).
This phrase means to speak 'thorny' (harsh/spiteful) words, while '바늘방석' is about how you *feel* in a situation.
Both involve physical pain metaphors for stress.
'발등에 불' is about being in a hurry/deadline, while '바늘방석' is about being uncomfortable/anxious.
الأسئلة الشائعة (4)
Yes! You can say '그는 바늘방석에 앉은 듯 보였다' (He looked like he was sitting on needles).
Not at all. It is used daily in news, dramas, and casual conversations.
바늘 is a man-made needle; 가시 is a natural thorn. In this idiom, they mean the same thing.
No, the idiom is fixed with '방석' (cushion). Changing it to '의자' (chair) makes it no longer an idiom.
