Signification
To keep a secret or sorrow hidden deep within oneself.
Contexte culturel
The phrase is most famously associated with the 'death of a child.' It is considered the ultimate 'unfilial' act for a child to die before their parents, and the parents' grief is so large it can only be contained in the 'gaseum'. Confucian values emphasize internalizing pain to maintain social order and family dignity. 'Burying in the heart' is seen as a stoic virtue. In modern dating culture, it's used to describe 'cleaning up' one's past before starting a new relationship, though it still carries a heavy, serious tone. Many Korean poems and songs use this phrase to evoke a sense of 'Han' (unresolved longing/grief). It is a staple of the 'Shinpa' (melodrama) genre.
The 'ㄷ' Regularity
Always remember that 'bury' is regular. If you say '물어' (mureo), people will think you are asking a question or that something is biting you!
Use with Empathy
When someone uses this phrase about a loss, don't ask for details. They are telling you they don't want to talk about it.
Signification
To keep a secret or sorrow hidden deep within oneself.
The 'ㄷ' Regularity
Always remember that 'bury' is regular. If you say '물어' (mureo), people will think you are asking a question or that something is biting you!
Use with Empathy
When someone uses this phrase about a loss, don't ask for details. They are telling you they don't want to talk about it.
Too Dramatic?
Avoid using this for small things like 'I buried the fact that I broke your pen.' It sounds like the pen's death was a national tragedy.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
그녀는 죽은 남편을 평생 ________ 살았다.
'가슴에 묻고 살다' is a standard pattern meaning 'to live while burying [someone] in one's heart.'
Which situation is MOST appropriate for using '가슴에 묻다'?
다음 중 '가슴에 묻다'를 사용하기에 가장 적절한 상황은?
The idiom is used for deep, unspoken sorrows or significant secrets.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 이 비밀, 정말 아무한테도 말 안 할 거지? B: 응, 걱정 마. 내가 ________.
The future tense '묻을게' is used to make a promise to keep a secret.
Match the Korean phrase with its English equivalent nuance.
Match the following:
Each is a common Korean idiom related to body parts.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercices그녀는 죽은 남편을 평생 ________ 살았다.
'가슴에 묻고 살다' is a standard pattern meaning 'to live while burying [someone] in one's heart.'
다음 중 '가슴에 묻다'를 사용하기에 가장 적절한 상황은?
The idiom is used for deep, unspoken sorrows or significant secrets.
A: 이 비밀, 정말 아무한테도 말 안 할 거지? B: 응, 걱정 마. 내가 ________.
The future tense '묻을게' is used to make a promise to keep a secret.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
Each is a common Korean idiom related to body parts.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYes, almost always. It implies a burden or a secret that causes some level of emotional weight or pain.
Not really. For a happy secret, use '비밀로 간직하다' (to cherish as a secret). 'Burying' implies something you want to hide or can't bear to look at.
They are interchangeable, but '가슴' (chest) is more common in emotional/tragic contexts, while '마음' (mind/heart) is slightly more neutral.
It is '묻었다' (mut-eot-da). Example: '가슴에 묻었어요.'
Only if you are talking about a very serious corporate secret or a tragedy. Otherwise, it's too emotional for a professional setting.
It's a cultural metaphor. Since children are supposed to bury their parents in the ground, a parent burying a child feels 'unnatural,' so they keep them in their heart instead.
Only metaphorically. If you literally bury a box in your chest, that's a medical emergency!
No, it means the opposite. You remember it so well that you've hidden it deep inside yourself.
Maybe '털어놓다' (to pour out/confess) or '세상에 알리다' (to let the world know).
Yes, very often in ballads about breakups and longing.
Expressions liées
마음에 새기다
similarTo engrave in one's heart
무덤까지 가져가다
synonymTo take to the grave
입을 다물다
builds onTo shut one's mouth
한을 풀다
contrastTo resolve one's deep grief (Han)
