Significado
To be short-staffed or lack enough helpers for a task.
Contexto cultural
During 'Kimjang' (the season of making large amounts of Kimchi), '손이 모자라다' is the most common phrase heard as neighbors and family gather to help each other. Koreans often use this phrase to indirectly ask for a promotion or more budget for their department without being confrontational. The 'Dure' system was a collective labor group where if one 'hand' was missing, the whole village's harvest was at risk. In 'Baedal' (delivery) culture, apps often show a notice saying '주문 폭주로 손이 모자랍니다' to explain delays.
Use with '일'
Adding '일' (work) to make it '일손' makes you sound more like a native speaker in professional contexts.
Don't use for money
If you lack money, use '돈이 부족하다' or '돈이 없다'. '손' only refers to human labor.
Significado
To be short-staffed or lack enough helpers for a task.
Use with '일'
Adding '일' (work) to make it '일손' makes you sound more like a native speaker in professional contexts.
Don't use for money
If you lack money, use '돈이 부족하다' or '돈이 없다'. '손' only refers to human labor.
The 'Excuse' Power
This is a very polite way to explain why you haven't replied to a text or finished a task. It blames the 'situation' rather than your own laziness.
Offering Help
If you see a Korean friend struggling, saying '손이 모자라 보여요. 도와줄까요?' is a great way to build 'Jeong'.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '손이 모자라다'.
식당에 손님이 너무 많아서 (____).
The context of 'too many customers' implies a need for more staff.
Which situation is best described by '손이 모자라다'?
Choose the correct scenario:
This scenario involves an overwhelming task with insufficient help.
Complete the dialogue.
가: 이삿짐 옮기는 거 도와줄까? 나: 응, (____). 와주면 정말 좋지!
'손이 모자라' is the natural response when accepting help for a big task.
Match the phrase to the reason.
왜 '손이 모자라다'고 할까요?
Having too much work is the primary reason for being short-handed.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Formal vs. Informal 'Short-handed'
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejercicios식당에 손님이 너무 많아서 (____).
The context of 'too many customers' implies a need for more staff.
Choose the correct scenario:
This scenario involves an overwhelming task with insufficient help.
가: 이삿짐 옮기는 거 도와줄까? 나: 응, (____). 와주면 정말 좋지!
'손이 모자라' is the natural response when accepting help for a big task.
왜 '손이 모자라다'고 할까요?
Having too much work is the primary reason for being short-handed.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
14 preguntasYes, but it usually implies that the *task* requires more people than just you. If you're just personally busy, '바빠요' is better.
Yes, '부족하다' is the Hanja equivalent of '모자라다'. It's slightly more formal.
No, that doesn't exist. However, '발이 넓다' (wide feet) means to have many social connections!
No, as long as you use the polite ending '모자랍니다' or '모자라요'. It's a factual report of the workload.
Never. In 99.9% of cases, it is purely figurative for 'understaffed'.
You can say '손이 충분해요' (Hands are sufficient) or '사람이 많아요'.
No, use '성능이 부족하다' (performance is lacking).
There isn't a direct single idiom, but '일손이 남다' (to have leftover hands/labor) is used.
Yes, it is a standard Korean expression used across the peninsula.
Yes, if a team doesn't have enough players for a match, you can say '손이 모자라다'.
Because Korean culture historically valued physical labor and communal farming over abstract 'heads'.
Yes, it always implies a deficit or a shortage.
No, for time use '시간이 부족하다' or '시간이 없다'.
Not a specific slang word, but people often say '사람 없어 죽겠다' (I'm dying because there are no people).
Frases relacionadas
일손이 부족하다
synonymTo lack labor/hands.
손을 빌리다
builds onTo borrow a hand.
손을 보태다
builds onTo add a hand.
손이 크다
contrastTo have a big hand (be generous).
고양이 손이라도 빌리고 싶다
similarWanting to borrow even a cat's paw.
