A1 Idiom Neutre 1 min de lecture

가슴에 손을 얹다.

gaseume soneul eonda.

Put hand on heart, be honest.

Entraîne-toi

Phrase in 30 Seconds

A phrase used to emphasize that you are speaking with complete honesty and sincerity.

  • Means: To speak truthfully, as if taking a solemn oath.
  • Used in: Serious apologies, confessions, or when defending your integrity.
  • Don't confuse: It is not a literal medical check for heart pain.
Hand on chest + Sincere eyes = Trustworthy statement

Explication à ton niveau :

This phrase means to speak the truth. You use it when you want people to believe you. It is like saying, 'I promise I am telling the truth.'
When you say '가슴에 손을 얹다', you are telling the listener that your words come from your heart. It is a common way to show you are serious and honest. People use it when they are apologizing or explaining something important.
This idiom is used to emphasize sincerity. By invoking the physical act of placing a hand on the chest, the speaker signals that they have consulted their conscience. It is particularly effective in situations where trust has been broken or when making a significant confession.
The phrase '가슴에 손을 얹다' serves as a rhetorical device to underscore the veracity of a statement. It functions as a meta-communicative marker, signaling that the following discourse is free from deception. It is deeply rooted in the cultural belief that the heart is the repository of truth and moral judgment.
In Korean discourse, '가슴에 손을 얹다' functions as an illocutionary force-indicating device. It commits the speaker to the truth-value of their utterance by metaphorically grounding it in the somatic experience of self-reflection. This idiom bridges the gap between subjective experience and objective truth, making it a powerful tool for interpersonal negotiation and moral accountability.
From a cognitive linguistic perspective, '가슴에 손을 얹다' utilizes the conceptual metaphor 'THE HEART IS THE SEAT OF CONSCIENCE.' By performing the physical gesture of placing a hand on the chest, the speaker externalizes their internal moral state. This idiom is a quintessential example of how embodied cognition shapes linguistic expression, allowing speakers to leverage physical metaphors to negotiate social trust and verify the sincerity of their communicative intent in high-stakes social interactions.

Signification

To speak honestly and sincerely, as if swearing an oath.

🌍

Contexte culturel

The gesture is often accompanied by a serious facial expression.

💡

Use it for emphasis

Don't overuse it, or it loses its power.

💡

Use it for emphasis

Don't overuse it, or it loses its power.

Teste-toi

Fill in the blank with the correct verb.

가슴에 손을 ____ 말해 봐.

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : 얹고

The standard idiom uses '얹다'.

🎉 Score : /1

Banque d exercices

2 exercices
Choisis la bonne réponse Fill Blank

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte :
Fill in the blank with the correct verb. Fill Blank A1

가슴에 손을 ____ 말해 봐.

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : 얹고

The standard idiom uses '얹다'.

🎉 Score : /2

Questions fréquentes

1 questions

Yes, it is polite and shows sincerity.

Expressions liées

🔗

양심에 찔리다

contrast

To feel guilty

Où l'utiliser

😔

Admitting a mistake

Friend: Did you break my phone?

You: 가슴에 손을 얹고 말하는데, 내가 그랬어. 미안해.

neutral
🛡️

Defending your integrity

Boss: Did you leak the report?

You: 가슴에 손을 얹고 맹세합니다. 저는 절대 아닙니다.

formal

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Imagine a heart-shaped stamp on your chest that says 'TRUTH'. When you put your hand there, you are stamping your words as 'Certified Truth'.

Association visuelle

A person standing in front of a mirror, hand pressed firmly against their chest, looking into their own eyes while speaking.

Rhyme

가슴에 손을 얹고, 진실을 말하고.

Story

Min-su broke his mom's vase. He was scared. He put his hand on his chest, took a deep breath, and said, 'Mom, I broke it.' His mom appreciated his honesty.

In Other Languages

English: 'Hand on heart'. Spanish: 'Poner la mano en el corazón'. These idioms are nearly universal, reflecting the shared human belief that the heart is the center of truth.

Word Web

진실양심맹세정직고백반성

Défi

For the next 24 hours, whenever you feel you are being truly honest about a difficult topic, physically place your hand on your chest.

Review in 1, 3, 7, and 14 days.

Prononciation

Stress Neutral

Standard pronunciation.

Spectre de formalité

Formel
가슴에 손을 얹고 말씀드립니다.

가슴에 손을 얹고 말씀드립니다. (Confession)

Neutre
가슴에 손을 얹고 말해요.

가슴에 손을 얹고 말해요. (Confession)

Informel
가슴에 손을 얹고 말하는데.

가슴에 손을 얹고 말하는데. (Confession)

Argot
진짜 가슴에 손 얹고!

진짜 가슴에 손 얹고! (Confession)

Derived from the ancient belief that the heart is the center of the human spirit.

Ancient:
Modern:

Le savais-tu ?

It is one of the few idioms that is almost universally understood across different cultures.

Notes culturelles

The gesture is often accompanied by a serious facial expression.

“가슴에 손을 얹고 진지하게 말한다.”

Amorces de conversation

“

가슴에 손을 얹고 말할 수 있는 가장 솔직한 것은 무엇인가요?

Erreurs courantes

✗

가슴에 손을 대다

✓

가슴에 손을 얹다

wrong preposition
While '대다' means to touch, '얹다' (to place/lay) is the standard idiomatic verb used in this specific phrase.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Poner la mano en el corazón

None; the cultural metaphor is identical.

French Very Similar

La main sur le cœur

Often used as a noun phrase to describe a person's character.

German Very Similar

Die Hand aufs Herz legen

Slightly more formal than the Korean usage.

Japanese Very Similar

胸に手を当てる

The verb '当てる' is used instead of '얹다'.

Arabic Very Similar

وضع اليد على القلب

Often carries a stronger religious connotation.

Chinese moderate

扪心自问

More introspective than communicative.

Portuguese Very Similar

Com a mão no coração

None.

Korean self

가슴에 손을 얹다

N/A

Spotted in the Real World

🎬

(2020)

“가슴에 손을 얹고 말해봐.”

Confrontation scene.

Facile à confondre

가슴에 손을 얹다. vs 가슴이 아프다

Learners think it means 'to be honest'.

It means 'to be heartbroken'.

Questions fréquentes (1)

Yes, it is polite and shows sincerity.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

C'tait utile ?

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