A2 Collocation Neutral

귀가 따갑다.

gwiga ttagapda.

To have ringing/sore ears.

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use this when you're tired of hearing someone nag or a very loud noise is bothering you.

  • Means: Your ears feel a stinging sensation from noise or nagging.
  • Used in: Family arguments, loud environments, or hearing the same advice repeatedly.
  • Don't confuse: With '귀가 얇다' which means being easily persuaded or gullible.
👂 + 🔥 = 😫 (Too much talking/noise makes ears sting)

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means 'my ears sting.' We use it when a sound is very loud. We also use it when someone talks too much. For example, 'The music is too loud, my ears sting.' It is a simple way to say you are tired of a sound.
In Korean, '귀가 따갑다' is used when you feel a stinging sensation in your ears. This can be from a loud noise or from someone nagging you (잔소리). It's an idiom, so it's not always about real pain. It means you are annoyed by hearing the same thing many times.
This idiom describes the unpleasant sensation of auditory overload. Whether it's the literal stinging from a sharp noise or the metaphorical irritation of repetitive scolding, '귀가 따갑다' conveys a sense of being overwhelmed. It's frequently used with the grammar pattern '-도록' to show the extent of the annoyance.
The phrase '귀가 따갑다' functions as a vivid somatic metaphor. It captures the transition from mere hearing to a painful sensory experience. It is particularly prevalent in Korean family dynamics to describe the reaction to 'jansori' (nagging). It implies that the repetition has become so intense that it manifests as a physical stinging sensation, demanding the listener's attention or withdrawal.
Linguistically, '귀가 따갑다' exemplifies the embodiment of cognitive and emotional states in Korean. The choice of '따갑다' (stinging) over '아프다' (aching) specifies a sharp, localized irritation characteristic of high-frequency sounds or pointed criticisms. It serves as a pragmatic marker of social fatigue, often used to indirectly signal that a conversation has become redundant or excessively critical.
This collocation resides at the intersection of sensory perception and social pragmatics. Within the framework of cognitive linguistics, it illustrates how the Korean language utilizes tactile descriptors to categorize auditory experiences that violate the listener's psychological boundaries. Mastery involves navigating its nuances—distinguishing it from '귀에 못이 박히다' while employing it to manage social interactions involving repetitive discourse or environmental stressors.

Significado

To feel an irritating sensation in the ears, often from loud noise or scolding.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Nagging (잔소리) is often seen as a parental duty. Parents believe that if they don't nag, they aren't caring for their children's future. This phrase is the child's typical response. In online gaming or group chats, if someone 'spams' messages or uses voice chat too loudly, Koreans will use '귀 따갑다' to tell them to stop. Korean hierarchy means bosses often give long 'reprimands' (훈계). Employees use this phrase among themselves to vent about the experience. The concept of 'stinging' is often linked to 'fire' energy (화기) in traditional thought. Excessive noise is seen as a form of 'fire' that irritates the sensory organs.

🎯

Use with '-도록'

To sound more like a native, use '귀가 따갑도록'. It adds a dramatic flair to your complaint.

⚠️

Don't use with your boss

Telling your boss '귀가 따가워요' while they are talking to you is a quick way to get fired!

Significado

To feel an irritating sensation in the ears, often from loud noise or scolding.

🎯

Use with '-도록'

To sound more like a native, use '귀가 따갑도록'. It adds a dramatic flair to your complaint.

⚠️

Don't use with your boss

Telling your boss '귀가 따가워요' while they are talking to you is a quick way to get fired!

💬

Jansori is Love

Remember that in Korea, nagging is often a sign of affection. Don't take the 'stinging' too seriously!

Ponte a prueba

Fill in the blank with the correct form of '귀가 따갑다'.

어제 엄마한테 한 시간 동안 잔소리를 들어서 ______.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 귀가 따가웠어요

The context is nagging (잔소리), so '귀가 따갑다' is the correct idiom.

Which situation is NOT appropriate for '귀가 따갑다'?

다음 중 '귀가 따갑다'를 쓰기에 적절하지 않은 상황은?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 누가 내 욕을 하는 것 같을 때

When you think someone is talking behind your back, you use '귀가 간지럽다' (ears are itchy).

Complete the dialogue.

A: 음악 소리 좀 줄여 줄래? B: 왜? 별로 안 큰데. A: 아니야, 너무 커서 ______.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 귀가 따가울 정도야

The speaker is complaining about the volume, so '귀가 따가울 정도야' (to the point my ears sting) is natural.

🎉 Puntuación: /3

Ayudas visuales

Preguntas frecuentes

10 preguntas

Yes, high-pitched sounds are the most likely to cause a 'stinging' sensation literally.

Yes, it's very common among friends to complain about others or even to jokingly tell a friend they are being too loud.

'따갑다' is a sharp, pricking pain. '쓰리다' is a burning, aching pain (like a stomach ache or a deep cut).

Yes, if you have a physical stinging sensation in your ear, you should use this phrase.

Idioms are generally informal. In a formal report, you would say '청각적 불쾌감을 느끼다' (to feel auditory discomfort).

No, it can be literal noise, repetitive praise, or even just a very long, boring story.

Use '귀가 가렵다' (ears are itchy) instead.

Yes, if the music is painfully loud, '귀가 따갑다' is perfect.

Usually, yes. It implies discomfort or annoyance.

There isn't a direct opposite idiom, but '귀가 즐겁다' (ears are joyful) is used for pleasant sounds.

Frases relacionadas

🔗

귀에 못이 박히다

similar

To have calluses in one's ears.

🔗

귀가 얇다

contrast

To have thin ears.

🔗

귀를 의심하다

related

To doubt one's ears.

🔗

귀가 가렵다

confusing

Ears are itchy.

Dónde usarla

🏠

At home with a nagging parent

엄마: 방 청소 좀 해! 공부는 언제 할 거니?

아들: 아, 진짜 귀가 따가워 죽겠어요. 알았다고요!

informal
🚧

Walking past a construction site

친구 A: 와, 저 기계 소리 진짜 크다.

친구 B: 그러게. 너무 시끄러워서 귀가 따가울 정도야.

neutral
🏢

Hearing the same gossip at work

동료 A: 김 대리님 결혼한다는 소식 들었어요?

동료 B: 네, 오늘만 열 번 넘게 들어서 귀가 따가워요.

neutral
💼

After a long scolding from a boss

직원 A: 부장님한테 한 시간 동안 혼났다면서요?

직원 B: 네, 귀가 따갑게 혼나서 정신이 하나도 없어요.

informal
🎸

At a loud concert

지수: 스피커 바로 옆이라 소리가 너무 커!

민호: 나도! 귀가 따가워서 잠깐 나갔다 오자.

informal
😊

Receiving too many compliments

친구: 너 오늘 진짜 예쁘다! 옷도 잘 어울려!

나: 고마워, 근데 그 말 너무 많이 들어서 귀가 따갑다 야~

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'stinging' (따갑다) bee flying into your 'ear' (귀) because it's attracted to the loud noise of nagging.

Visual Association

Imagine your ears turning bright red and sparking like they've been pricked by a thousand tiny needles while someone is shouting through a megaphone.

Rhyme

귀가 따갑다, 잔소리 싫다! (Gwi-ga ttagap-da, jansori sil-ta!)

Story

Min-su's mom was worried about his grades. She talked for three hours. Min-su felt a sharp, stinging pain in his ears. He told his friend, 'My ears sting (귀가 따가워) from all that nagging!'

Word Web

귀 (Ear)따갑다 (Sting)잔소리 (Nagging)소음 (Noise)듣다 (Hear)아프다 (Hurt)시끄럽다 (Noisy)

Desafío

Try to use '귀가 따갑다' in a sentence today when you hear a loud noise or when a friend tells you the same story twice.

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Me zumban los oídos / Dar la lata

Spanish focuses on the 'buzzing' or the 'annoyance' itself rather than a stinging sensation.

French high

Casser les oreilles

French uses 'breaking' (destruction) while Korean uses 'stinging' (surface pain).

German moderate

Jemandem die Ohren vollquatschen

German is about the volume of words; Korean is about the painful sensation of those words.

Japanese high

耳にたこができる (Mimi ni tako ga dekiru)

Japanese focuses on the long-term result (callus), while Korean focuses on the immediate sensation (stinging).

Arabic moderate

صدعت لي راسي (Sada't li rasi)

Arabic shifts the pain from the ears to the entire head.

Chinese high

耳朵都起茧子了 (Ěrduo dōu qǐ jiǎnzi le)

Like Japanese, it emphasizes the 'thickening' of the ear rather than the 'stinging'.

English moderate

To get an earful / My ears are burning

English uses 'burning' for being talked about, whereas Korean uses 'stinging' for being talked *to*.

Portuguese low

Alugar o ouvido

Portuguese focuses on the social 'cost' of listening.

Easily Confused

귀가 따갑다. vs 귀가 가렵다

Both involve a physical sensation in the ear caused by others' words.

If you are *hearing* the words, it's '따갑다'. If you *suspect* people are talking elsewhere, it's '가렵다'.

귀가 따갑다. vs 귀가 아프다

Both mean the ears hurt.

Use '아프다' for medical pain or general aches. Use '따갑다' for stinging noise or nagging.

Preguntas frecuentes (10)

Yes, high-pitched sounds are the most likely to cause a 'stinging' sensation literally.

Yes, it's very common among friends to complain about others or even to jokingly tell a friend they are being too loud.

'따갑다' is a sharp, pricking pain. '쓰리다' is a burning, aching pain (like a stomach ache or a deep cut).

Yes, if you have a physical stinging sensation in your ear, you should use this phrase.

Idioms are generally informal. In a formal report, you would say '청각적 불쾌감을 느끼다' (to feel auditory discomfort).

No, it can be literal noise, repetitive praise, or even just a very long, boring story.

Use '귀가 가렵다' (ears are itchy) instead.

Yes, if the music is painfully loud, '귀가 따갑다' is perfect.

Usually, yes. It implies discomfort or annoyance.

There isn't a direct opposite idiom, but '귀가 즐겁다' (ears are joyful) is used for pleasant sounds.

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