Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use this phrase when someone stops visiting a place or seeing a person they used to frequent regularly.
- Means: To stop going somewhere or stop meeting someone entirely.
- Used in: Discussing old favorite restaurants, former friends, or abandoned hobbies.
- Don't confuse: With '발을 빼다' which means to withdraw from a situation or project.
Explication à ton niveau :
Signification
To cease going to a particular location or seeing certain people.
Contexte culturel
In Korea, visiting someone's home is a sign of deep respect and intimacy. 'Cutting steps' to a family elder's home is considered a major social taboo and often signifies a 'breaking of the lineage' or a severe family crisis. The phrase is now heavily used in the context of 'Hot-ple' (Hot Places). When a neighborhood becomes too commercialized, Koreans say 'MZ세대가 발길을 끊었다' (The MZ generation stopped visiting), which can lead to the death of that commercial district. Historically, paths between houses were maintained by the constant walking of neighbors. If someone 'cut their steps,' the weeds would literally grow over the path, making the social disconnection visible to the whole village. Korean business owners often use the passive form '발길이 끊기다' to express their hardship during economic crises, appealing to the 'Jeong' of customers to return.
Use with '단골'
This phrase is most naturally used with '단골' (regular customer/spot). It emphasizes that a habit has changed.
Don't use for 'quitting'
If you quit a job, don't say '발길을 끊다'. Use '그만두다'. This is only for the physical act of going somewhere.
Use with '단골'
This phrase is most naturally used with '단골' (regular customer/spot). It emphasizes that a habit has changed.
Don't use for 'quitting'
If you quit a job, don't say '발길을 끊다'. Use '그만두다'. This is only for the physical act of going somewhere.
Passive form for business
If you are writing a formal report or essay about a business failing, use '발길이 끊기다' to sound more professional.
Emotional weight
Be careful using this about family members; it sounds quite serious and might imply a permanent family break.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '발길을 끊다'.
그 식당은 맛이 없어져서 이제 사람들이 ( ).
The sentence describes a completed change in behavior, so the past tense is most natural.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Choose the natural sentence:
The idiom is used for physical locations or visiting people, not digital sites or objects.
Complete the dialogue.
가: 이 카페 왜 이렇게 조용해? 나: ( )
If a place is quiet, it means visitors have stopped coming.
Match the situation to the phrase.
Situation: A person stops going to their local gym because it's too expensive.
'발길을 끊다' is the correct idiom for stopping visits to a place.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Active vs Passive
Banque d exercices
5 exercices그 식당은 맛이 없어져서 이제 사람들이 ( ).
The sentence describes a completed change in behavior, so the past tense is most natural.
Choose the natural sentence:
The idiom is used for physical locations or visiting people, not digital sites or objects.
가: 이 카페 왜 이렇게 조용해? 나: ( )
If a place is quiet, it means visitors have stopped coming.
Situation: A person stops going to their local gym because it's too expensive.
'발길을 끊다' is the correct idiom for stopping visits to a place.
🎉 Score : /5
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsYes, you can say '그 사람 집에 발길을 끊었어' to mean you stopped visiting them because of your dislike.
'안 가다' just means 'I don't go.' '발길을 끊다' implies you *used* to go often but have now stopped completely.
Yes, any physical location you used to frequent is fine.
It is neutral. It's not rude, but it is a very clear and definitive statement.
The opposite could be '발길이 이어지다' (footsteps continue/keep coming) or '찾아가다' (to visit).
Usually, yes. It implies a long-term or permanent cessation of visits.
Use the passive: '손님들의 발길이 끊겼어요.'
Yes, if tourists stop visiting a country, you can say '관광객들의 발길이 끊겼다.'
'발을 끊다' is more common for cutting off bad habits or bad people. '발길을 끊다' is more common for places.
Only if the hobby involves going to a specific place (like a workshop or club).
Very often! Especially when talking about the economy or declining neighborhoods.
It means someone visits much less often than before, but hasn't stopped completely.
Expressions liées
발을 끊다
similarTo cut off a relationship or a habit.
발길이 뜸하다
similarVisits have become rare.
발을 들이다
contrastTo start going somewhere or start a new activity.
절교하다
specialized formTo formally end a friendship.
문전성시를 이루다
contrastTo be crowded with visitors.
Où l'utiliser
Bad Restaurant Experience
A: 여기 원래 사람 많지 않았어?
B: 주인이 바뀌고 나서 손님들이 발길을 끊었대.
Family Feud
A: 삼촌은 요즘 왜 안 오셔?
B: 아빠랑 싸우신 뒤로 우리 집에 발길을 끊으셨어.
Economic News
앵커: 경기 불황으로 인해 백화점을 찾는 발길이 끊기고 있습니다.
Old Hobby
A: 요즘도 기타 학원 다녀?
B: 아니, 너무 바빠서 지난달부터 발길을 끊었어.
Gentrification
A: 이 동네도 이제 예전 같지 않네.
B: 맞아, 프랜차이즈만 생기니까 사람들이 발길을 끊는 것 같아.
Ghost Town
A: 이 마을은 왜 이렇게 조용해?
B: 젊은 사람들이 다 도시로 떠나서 발길이 끊긴 지 오래됐어.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Think of 'Bal' (Foot) and 'Gil' (Road). If you 'Cut' (Kkeunta) the road, your feet can't travel it anymore.
Association visuelle
Imagine a red 'X' taped over a doorway where you used to walk through every day. The path is physically snipped by a pair of giant scissors.
Rhyme
발길을 끊다, 마음도 멀다 (Cut the steps, the heart grows distant).
Story
Min-su loved a bakery. He went every morning (making a path). One day, the baker was mean. Min-su took a pair of scissors and 'cut' the invisible line between his house and the bakery. He never walked there again.
In Other Languages
In English, we say 'to stop setting foot in a place.' In Japanese, they use 'ashi ga toonoku' (feet become distant). Both use the 'foot' imagery to describe visiting habits.
Word Web
Défi
Think of one place you used to go to often but don't anymore. Write a sentence: '저는 [Place]에 발길을 끊었어요' and explain why.
Review this phrase in 1 day, 3 days, and 1 week. Focus on the difference between '발길을 끊다' (active) and '발길이 끊기다' (passive).
Prononciation
The 'ㄱ' in '길' is pronounced as a double 'ㄲ' because of the preceding 'ㄹ'.
The 'ㅎ' in the stem '끊-' is silent before '다', but it makes the 'ㄷ' sound like 'ㅌ'.
Spectre de formalité
저는 그 카페에 발길을 끊었습니다. (Personal habit)
저는 그 카페에 발길을 끊었어요. (Personal habit)
나 그 카페에 발길 끊었어. (Personal habit)
거기 이제 손절했어 (I 'son-jeol-ed' that place - modern slang for cutting ties). (Personal habit)
The phrase is a combination of '발' (foot), '길' (way/path), and '끊다' (to sever/cut). It originates from the literal observation of paths in agricultural Korea. A path only exists as long as people walk on it. If the 'foot-way' is 'cut,' the social and physical connection is gone.
Le savais-tu ?
There is a song titled '발길을 끊다' by various Korean artists, usually about a heartbreaking breakup where the singer promises never to visit the places they went with their ex.
Notes culturelles
In Korea, visiting someone's home is a sign of deep respect and intimacy. 'Cutting steps' to a family elder's home is considered a major social taboo and often signifies a 'breaking of the lineage' or a severe family crisis.
“명절인데도 큰집에 발길을 끊은 것을 보니 큰 싸움이 있었나 보다.”
The phrase is now heavily used in the context of 'Hot-ple' (Hot Places). When a neighborhood becomes too commercialized, Koreans say 'MZ세대가 발길을 끊었다' (The MZ generation stopped visiting), which can lead to the death of that commercial district.
“임대료가 오르자 개성 있는 가게들이 떠나고 사람들도 발길을 끊었다.”
Historically, paths between houses were maintained by the constant walking of neighbors. If someone 'cut their steps,' the weeds would literally grow over the path, making the social disconnection visible to the whole village.
“사람의 발길이 끊긴 오솔길에는 잡초만 무성했다.”
Korean business owners often use the passive form '발길이 끊기다' to express their hardship during economic crises, appealing to the 'Jeong' of customers to return.
“코로나19로 인해 손님들의 발길이 끊겨 상인들이 어려움을 겪고 있다.”
Amorces de conversation
요즘 발길을 끊은 단골집이 있어요? 왜 안 가게 됐어요?
사람들이 전통 시장에 발길을 끊는 이유가 뭐라고 생각하세요?
친구와 싸우고 나서 그 친구 집에 발길을 끊어본 적이 있나요?
어떤 상황에서 사람들이 고향에 발길을 끊게 될까요?
Erreurs courantes
발길을 자르다
발길을 끊다
L1 Interference
인터넷 사이트에 발길을 끊다
인터넷 사이트에 접속을 안 하다 / 탈퇴하다
L1 Interference
발길이 끊다
발길을 끊다 (Active) or 발길이 끊기다 (Passive)
L1 Interference
발길을 멈추다
발길을 끊다
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Dejar de poner un pie
Spanish is more likely to use 'dejar de ir' for simple places.
Cesser de fréquenter
French feels more clinical/formal than the Korean 'foot-path' imagery.
Einen Ort meiden
German implies a conscious avoidance, while Korean can imply a natural fading away.
足が遠のく (Ashi ga toonoku)
Japanese emphasizes the 'distance' growing, while Korean emphasizes the 'cutting' of the path.
قطع الزيارة (Qata'a al-ziyara)
Arabic focuses on the 'visit' itself rather than the 'foot-path'.
断绝往来 (Duànjué wǎnglái)
Chinese is often more formal and used for diplomatic or serious social breaks.
To stop setting foot in
English 'stop setting foot' is often used for places you are angry at.
Parar de frequentar
Lacks the specific 'path' (길) imagery found in Korean.
Spotted in the Real World
“그대 집 앞을 서성이다 결국 발길을 끊죠”
A sad ballad about a person trying to forget their ex by not visiting their house anymore.
“대형 화재 이후 시장에 손님들의 발길이 끊겼습니다.”
A report on a traditional market struggling after a fire.
“그 가게, 사람들 발길 끊긴 지 오래됐어.”
Characters discussing a lonely, abandoned bar in their neighborhood.
Facile à confondre
Both involve 'feet' and 'stopping' something.
'발길을 끊다' is about visiting a place. '발을 빼다' is about quitting a project, a business, or a sticky situation (like 'washing your hands' of something).
Learners might forget the '발' (foot) part.
'길을 끊다' usually refers to physically blocking a road (like a landslide). '발길을 끊다' is the human action of not visiting.
Questions fréquentes (12)
Yes, you can say '그 사람 집에 발길을 끊었어' to mean you stopped visiting them because of your dislike.
usage contexts'안 가다' just means 'I don't go.' '발길을 끊다' implies you *used* to go often but have now stopped completely.
basic understandingYes, any physical location you used to frequent is fine.
usage contextsIt is neutral. It's not rude, but it is a very clear and definitive statement.
practical tipsThe opposite could be '발길이 이어지다' (footsteps continue/keep coming) or '찾아가다' (to visit).
basic understandingUsually, yes. It implies a long-term or permanent cessation of visits.
usage contextsUse the passive: '손님들의 발길이 끊겼어요.'
grammar mechanicsYes, if tourists stop visiting a country, you can say '관광객들의 발길이 끊겼다.'
usage contexts'발을 끊다' is more common for cutting off bad habits or bad people. '발길을 끊다' is more common for places.
comparisonsOnly if the hobby involves going to a specific place (like a workshop or club).
usage contextsVery often! Especially when talking about the economy or declining neighborhoods.
cultural usageIt means someone visits much less often than before, but hasn't stopped completely.
comparisons
