A2 Idiom Neutral

손이 안 맞다.

son-i an matda.

Hands don't match.

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use '손이 안 맞다' when you and another person struggle to work together efficiently.

  • Means: To lack synergy or coordination with someone during a task.
  • Used in: Professional projects, sports, or household chores with a partner.
  • Don't confuse: It is not about physical hand size, but about behavioral rhythm.
Two hands moving in opposite directions = Lack of coordination

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means you and a friend cannot work well together. It is like when you try to carry a big box, but you move in different ways. It is hard to finish the work.
In Korean, we say '손이 안 맞다' when two people have different work styles. If you are cooking with a friend and you keep bumping into each other, your hands do not match. It is a common way to talk about teamwork problems in school or at work.
The idiom '손이 안 맞다' is used to describe a lack of synergy or coordination during a joint task. It implies that the individuals involved are not operating at the same pace or using compatible methods, which hinders productivity. It is frequently used in professional or collaborative environments to explain why a project is not progressing as expected.
This idiom functions as a metaphorical expression for operational friction. By stating that one's 'hands do not match,' the speaker highlights a disconnect in procedural rhythm. It is particularly useful in contexts requiring high levels of cooperation, such as team sports or complex administrative tasks, where individual contributions must align to achieve a collective goal.
From a sociolinguistic perspective, '손이 안 맞다' serves as a pragmatic tool for managing interpersonal conflict in collective-oriented cultures. It allows speakers to externalize the cause of inefficiency, attributing it to a lack of 'rhythm' rather than individual incompetence. This reduces face-threatening acts while still clearly communicating that the current collaborative dynamic is unsustainable.
The idiom '손이 안 맞다' is a prime example of embodied cognition in Korean, where physical labor metaphors are mapped onto abstract social interactions. It reflects a cultural emphasis on 'synchronicity' as a prerequisite for social harmony. By utilizing this phrase, a speaker navigates the tension between individual agency and group cohesion, effectively signaling a breakdown in the 'joint action' required for successful task completion.

Significado

To not work well together with someone.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Emphasis on collective harmony (조화) makes this a common way to address group friction.

💡

Use with '와/과'

Always use '와/과' to specify who you are not in sync with.

Significado

To not work well together with someone.

💡

Use with '와/과'

Always use '와/과' to specify who you are not in sync with.

Ponte a prueba

Fill in the blank with the correct phrase.

우리는 팀 프로젝트를 할 때 ____.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: 손이 안 맞아요

The phrase describes a lack of coordination in a project.

🎉 Puntuación: /1

Ayudas visuales

Preguntas frecuentes

1 preguntas

It is better to use more formal language like '업무 방식이 다릅니다'.

Frases relacionadas

🔄

손발이 맞다

synonym

To be in perfect sync

🔗

호흡이 잘 맞다

similar

To have good chemistry

Dónde usarla

📚

Group Project

A: 우리 이번 과제는 손이 안 맞는 것 같아.

B: 맞아, 역할을 다시 나누자.

neutral
🍳

Cooking

A: 비켜봐, 우리 손이 너무 안 맞아!

B: 미안, 내가 천천히 할게.

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine two people trying to high-five, but one reaches left and the other right. Their hands miss—they don't match!

Visual Association

Two office workers trying to assemble a desk, but one is holding the screwdriver while the other is holding the wrong screw. They look frustrated.

Story

Min-su and Ji-eun were assigned to bake a cake. Min-su wanted to stir fast, but Ji-eun wanted to stir slow. They kept hitting the bowl. They realized their hands didn't match, so they decided to take turns instead.

Word Web

협동 (cooperation)호흡 (breath/rhythm)팀워크 (teamwork)효율 (efficiency)맞추다 (to match)어긋나다 (to be misaligned)

Desafío

Spend 5 minutes describing a time you worked with someone who had a different pace than you.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

No estar en sintonía

Spanish focuses on 'tuning', Korean focuses on 'hand usage'.

French moderate

Ne pas être sur la même longueur d'onde

French is more abstract; Korean is more grounded in physical action.

German moderate

Nicht auf einer Wellenlänge sein

German focuses on mental alignment, Korean on task execution.

Japanese high

息が合わない

Japanese uses 'breath', Korean uses 'hands'.

Arabic moderate

لا يوجد انسجام

Arabic is more formal/abstract than the idiomatic Korean.

Chinese high

配合不好

Chinese is more direct; Korean uses the 'hand' idiom.

Korean high

손발이 안 맞다

Adding 'feet' makes it more intense.

Portuguese high

Não estar em sintonia

Portuguese focuses on 'tuning', Korean on 'physical labor'.

Easily Confused

손이 안 맞다. vs 손이 크다

Learners think it means 'to be generous' or 'to have big hands'.

손이 크다 means to be generous with food/money, not about coordination.

Preguntas frecuentes (1)

It is better to use more formal language like '업무 방식이 다릅니다'.

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