다리가 풀리다
dariga pullida
legs become loose
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use this when your legs feel like jelly because you are incredibly shocked, scared, or suddenly relieved.
- Means: To lose strength in your legs due to strong emotion.
- Used in: Scary situations, near-accidents, or hearing shocking news.
- Don't confuse: With '다리를 떨다' (shaking legs), which is often a habit.
Explanation at your level:
मतलब
To feel weak or nervous, making it difficult to stand or move steadily.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
In Korean media, '다리가 풀리다' is often accompanied by a specific physical action: '주저앉다' (slumping down). This is a visual shorthand for 'I am completely overwhelmed.' Traditional Korean views of health often link the legs to the 'Gi' ({기|氣} - energy) of the kidneys. A sudden shock is thought to scatter this energy, leading to physical weakness. Admitting your legs gave out is a way to show vulnerability and the sincerity of your emotion. It's often used to show how much you cared about a situation.
Use with '주저앉다'
To sound like a native, use the pattern '다리가 풀려 주저앉다' to describe a complete collapse.
Not for exercise
If your legs are just tired from the gym, say '다리에 힘이 없어요' instead of '풀렸어요' unless you actually fell down.
मतलब
To feel weak or nervous, making it difficult to stand or move steadily.
Use with '주저앉다'
To sound like a native, use the pattern '다리가 풀려 주저앉다' to describe a complete collapse.
Not for exercise
If your legs are just tired from the gym, say '다리에 힘이 없어요' instead of '풀렸어요' unless you actually fell down.
Drama Reaction
When you see a character collapse in a K-drama, yell '다리 풀렸다!' to practice.
खुद को परखो
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
귀신을 보고 너무 놀라서 (____).
The past tense '풀렸어요' is used to describe the reaction to seeing a ghost.
Which situation best fits the phrase '다리가 풀리다'?
Choose the most appropriate scenario:
This involves a major shock and sudden relief, which is the core context for the idiom.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 괜찮아요? 얼굴이 너무 하얘요. B: 네, 아까 사고가 날 뻔해서 (____).
The speaker is explaining why they look pale—because their legs gave out from a near-accident.
🎉 स्कोर: /3
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
4 सवालYes! If you win the lottery or get proposed to, you can say your legs gave out from the shock of happiness.
In casual speech, the particle '가' is often dropped: '다리 풀렸어.'
The phrase itself is neutral. It becomes polite or casual based on the ending (풀렸어요 vs 풀렸어).
Yes, if you are writing a story and a dog gets very scared, you can say its legs gave out.
संबंधित मुहावरे
맥이 풀리다
similarTo lose energy or motivation
긴장이 풀리다
builds onTension is released
주저앉다
similarTo slump down
간이 콩알만 해지다
similarTo be extremely scared
कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें
After a Rollercoaster
Friend A: 와, 진짜 무서웠지?
Friend B: 응, 나 지금 다리가 풀려서 못 걷겠어.
Hearing Exam Results
Student: 선생님, 저 합격했어요?
Teacher: 네, 합격이에요! 축하해요.
Student: 감사합니다... 너무 긴장해서 다리가 풀렸어요.
A Near-Miss Car Accident
Driver: 괜찮으세요? 정말 큰일 날 뻔했어요.
Pedestrian: 네, 괜찮아요. 그런데 너무 놀라서 다리가 좀 풀렸네요.
Watching a Horror Movie
Person A: 이제 불 켜도 돼?
Person B: 잠깐만... 나 다리 풀려서 못 일어나겠어. 좀 도와줘.
After a Marriage Proposal
Proposer: 나랑 결혼해줄래?
Partner: 응! (주저앉으며) 어떡해, 다리가 풀렸어...
Extreme Hiking
Hiker A: 드디어 정상이에요!
Hiker B: 아이고, 다리가 풀려서 더 이상 못 가겠어요.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of your legs as 'tied' with shoelaces of strength. When you get a shock, the laces are 'untied' (풀리다), and you fall!
Visual Association
Imagine a person standing on two cooked noodles instead of legs. The noodles are soft and wiggly because they've been 'unraveled' in hot water (the heat of the moment).
Rhyme
놀라면 다리가 풀려, 바닥에 털썩 주저앉아.
Story
Min-su was walking home when a huge dog barked. He was so scared that his 'leg-knots' came undone. He tried to run, but his legs were like jelly. He said, '다리가 풀렸어!' and had to wait a minute to walk again.
Word Web
चैलेंज
Next time you finish a workout or watch a scary scene, say '다리가 풀렸어요' out loud three times to associate the feeling with the phrase.
In Other Languages
To have jelly legs / Weak at the knees
English focuses on the material (jelly), Korean focuses on the state of tension (untied).
腰が抜ける (Koshi ga nukeru)
Japanese targets the hips; Korean targets the entire leg.
吓得腿软 (Xià dé tuǐ ruǎn)
Chinese usually requires the cause (scared) to be part of the phrase.
Quedarse sin piernas
Spanish implies the legs are 'gone' or 'missing' rather than 'untied'.
Avoir les jambes en coton
French uses the metaphor of cotton texture.
Wackelige Knie haben
German focuses on the 'wobbling' motion rather than a total collapse.
ارتجفت فرائصه (Irtajafat fara'isuhu)
Arabic focuses on trembling/shaking rather than the legs 'untying'.
Ficar com as pernas bambas
Similar to German, it focuses on the 'bamba' (wobbly) state.
Easily Confused
Both involve legs and nervousness.
다리를 떨다 is a repetitive shaking habit; 다리가 풀리다 is a one-time collapse.
Both involve a strange feeling in the legs.
저리다 is 'pins and needles' from lack of circulation; 풀리다 is weakness from emotion.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (4)
Yes! If you win the lottery or get proposed to, you can say your legs gave out from the shock of happiness.
In casual speech, the particle '가' is often dropped: '다리 풀렸어.'
The phrase itself is neutral. It becomes polite or casual based on the ending (풀렸어요 vs 풀렸어).
Yes, if you are writing a story and a dog gets very scared, you can say its legs gave out.
