Phrase in 30 Seconds
To dampen someone's enthusiasm or spoil a joyful atmosphere by saying something negative or unexpected.
- Means: To ruin a good mood or stop someone's excitement abruptly.
- Used in: Meetings, social gatherings, or when someone shares good news.
- Don't confuse: It is not about actual water; it is purely metaphorical.
Explication à ton niveau :
Signification
To dampen someone's enthusiasm or spoil a joyful atmosphere.
Contexte culturel
Reflects the importance of 'nunchi' (reading the room).
Context is key
Only use this when the mood is actually positive.
Context is key
Only use this when the mood is actually positive.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct verb.
그가 갑자기 우리 대화에 찬물을 ______.
The idiom is '찬물을 끼얹다'.
🎉 Score : /1
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
2 exercices그가 갑자기 우리 대화에 찬물을 ______.
The idiom is '찬물을 끼얹다'.
🎉 Score : /2
Questions fréquentes
1 questionsNo, it is too informal and metaphorical for professional writing.
Expressions liées
분위기를 깨다
synonymTo break the mood
Où l'utiliser
Office Meeting
Team Lead: We finally finished the project!
Colleague: But we are still over budget. Don't throw cold water on us yet.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Imagine a hot, happy party and someone dumping a bucket of ice water on the floor.
Association visuelle
A bright, sunny room suddenly turning gray because someone opened a window to a storm.
Story
Min-su was excited about his promotion. He told his friend, who replied, 'But you'll have to work weekends now.' Min-su felt like cold water had been poured on his joy.
In Other Languages
English: 'Throwing cold water on something'. Spanish: 'Echar un jarro de agua fría'.
Word Web
Défi
Observe a conversation today and identify one moment where someone could have 'thrown cold water' but didn't.
Review in 1, 3, 7, 14, and 30 days.
Prononciation
The '얹' sound is tricky; ensure the 'ㄴ' and 'ㅈ' are clear.
Spectre de formalité
분위기에 찬물을 끼얹지 마십시오. (General warning)
분위기에 찬물을 끼얹지 마세요. (General warning)
분위기 깨지 마. (General warning)
분위기 좀 망치지 마! (General warning)
Derived from the physical shock of cold water. It became a metaphor for emotional dampening.
Le savais-tu ?
It is one of the few idioms that is almost universally understood across East Asia.
Notes culturelles
Reflects the importance of 'nunchi' (reading the room).
“눈치 없이 찬물을 끼얹지 마세요.”
Amorces de conversation
Have you ever had someone throw cold water on your plans?
Erreurs courantes
찬물을 부었다
찬물을 끼얹었다
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Echar un jarro de agua fría
Spanish uses 'jarro' (jug) while Korean uses the verb '끼얹다' (to splash).
Jeter un froid
It describes the result (a cold atmosphere) rather than the action of pouring.
Jemandem den Wind aus den Segeln nehmen
German focuses on stopping progress; Korean focuses on ruining the mood.
冷や水を浴びせる
None; the cultural usage is nearly identical.
صب الماء البارد على
Used primarily for dampening enthusiasm.
泼冷水
Very concise, often used as a verb-object phrase.
찬물을 끼얹다
N/A
Jogar um balde de água fria
Uses 'bucket' (balde) instead of 'jug'.
Spotted in the Real World
“분위기 파악 좀 해! 찬물 끼얹지 말고.”
Deok-sun scolding a friend for being negative.
Facile à confondre
Both mean to ruin enthusiasm.
김을 빼다 is more about deflating someone's ego or excitement; 찬물을 끼얹다 is about ruining the group's atmosphere.
Questions fréquentes (1)
No, it is too informal and metaphorical for professional writing.
usage contexts
