발목을 잡다
balmogeul japda
to grab one's ankle
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use this phrase when something or someone is preventing you from moving forward or succeeding in your goals.
- Means: To hinder or hold someone back from making progress.
- Used in: Work setbacks, sports competition, or personal weaknesses.
- Don't confuse: With literally grabbing someone's ankle during a physical fight.
Explanation at your level:
मतलब
To hinder or obstruct someone from doing something or making progress.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
In Korean politics, '발목 잡기' (ankle-grabbing) is a very common term used by the ruling party to criticize the opposition for blocking bills. The phrase is often used in performance reviews to describe 'bottlenecks' in a project or a team member's specific area for improvement. Understanding Ssireum (Korean wrestling) is key to visualizing this idiom. It's not just about stopping someone; it's about using their own momentum against them. Often, a character's 'secret' or 'poor background' is described as grabbing their ankle, preventing them from marrying into a rich family.
Use with '부상' (Injury)
This is the most common pairing in news. If an athlete is injured, always look for this phrase.
Don't use for 'Help'
Never use this if you are trying to say someone stopped you from falling safely. It sounds like they were trying to trip you!
मतलब
To hinder or obstruct someone from doing something or making progress.
Use with '부상' (Injury)
This is the most common pairing in news. If an athlete is injured, always look for this phrase.
Don't use for 'Help'
Never use this if you are trying to say someone stopped you from falling safely. It sounds like they were trying to trip you!
Passive Voice
Use '발목이 잡히다' when you want to sound like a victim of circumstances. It sounds more natural when complaining.
Political News
If you watch Korean news, you will hear this every day. It's the #1 word for political gridlock.
खुद को परखो
Fill in the blank with the correct particle and verb form.
어제 너무 아파서 시험 공부의 발목___ _____. (The sickness held back my exam study.)
The sickness (Subject) grabbed the study's ankle (Object).
Which situation best fits the idiom '발목을 잡다'?
Which of these is a figurative use of the phrase?
This is a figurative hindrance to progress.
Complete the dialogue.
가: 왜 아직도 이 일을 다 못 끝냈어요? 나: 갑작스러운 회의가 제 _________.
The meeting acted as an obstacle.
Match the sentence to the context.
Match '과거의 실수가 발목을 잡았다' to its meaning.
The idiom refers to past errors acting as current obstacles.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
Active vs. Passive
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
12 सवालYes, but it's rare. Usually, you'd just say '발목을 잡았다' literally, but people will assume you mean the idiom unless the context is very clear (like a doctor).
No, most often it's an abstract concept like 'money,' 'time,' 'fear,' or 'lack of skill.'
'태클을 걸다' (to tackle) implies someone is intentionally trying to stop you or disagreeing with you. '발목을 잡다' can be unintentional or just a circumstance.
Not inherently, but it is a criticism. If you say a person is 'grabbing your ankle,' you are blaming them for your lack of progress.
Almost never. It's about hindrance and frustration.
Use the passive: '발목을 잡혔어요' or '발목이 잡혔어요'.
Yes, very frequently to describe market factors or internal inefficiencies.
발목 is native Korean. The Hanja equivalent for ankle is {족경|足頸}, but it is rarely used in daily speech.
Yes! '게으름이 제 발목을 잡아요' (Laziness holds me back) is a very common expression.
Yes, because the imagery is so simple. It's a great 'first idiom' to learn.
No, that would be '붙잡다' or '생포하다'. This is specifically about hindering progress.
You could use '도움을 주다' (to give help) or '박차를 가하다' (to spur on/accelerate).
संबंधित मुहावरे
발을 묶다
similarTo tie one's feet (to be stranded)
덜미를 잡히다
similarTo be caught by the scruff of the neck
앞길을 막다
synonymTo block the path ahead
태클을 걸다
similarTo tackle (someone)
걸림돌이 되다
synonymTo become a stumbling block
कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें
Job Interview
Interviewer: 본인의 가장 큰 단점은 무엇인가요?
Applicant: 가끔 완벽주의가 제 업무 속도의 발목을 잡기도 합니다.
Sports Commentary
Commentator A: 손흥민 선수가 오늘 컨디션이 안 좋아 보이네요.
Commentator B: 네, 지난 경기에서의 부상이 발목을 잡고 있는 것 같습니다.
Talking to a Friend
Friend A: 왜 아직도 그 회사에 다녀? 힘들다며.
Friend B: 대출금이 내 발목을 잡아서 그만둘 수가 없어.
Business Meeting
Manager: 프로젝트가 왜 늦어지고 있죠?
Staff: 부품 공급 지연이 우리 발목을 잡고 있습니다.
Dating Advice
Older Sister: 새로운 사람 좀 만나봐.
Younger Brother: 전 여자친구에 대한 기억이 자꾸 내 발목을 잡아.
Exam Preparation
Student A: 시험 공부 다 했어?
Student B: 아니, 영어 단어가 내 발목을 잡네. 너무 안 외워져.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a 'Ball' and a 'Mog' (Mug). If you have a ball and a mug tied to your ankle, you can't run!
Visual Association
Imagine a sprinter in a race. Just as they are about to cross the finish line, a giant hand reaches out from the ground and grabs their ankle, pulling them back.
Rhyme
발목을 잡으면, 성공은 멀어져 (If you grab the ankle, success gets further away).
Story
Min-su was the fastest runner in school. But on the day of the big race, he wore shoes that were too small. Those shoes 'grabbed his ankle' (figuratively), and he lost the race. Now he always remembers: don't let small things grab your ankle!
Word Web
चैलेंज
Try to find one thing today that is 'grabbing your ankle' (e.g., social media, lack of sleep) and say it in Korean: '[Something]이 내 발목을 잡아요.'
In Other Languages
To hold someone back / To trip someone up
Korean specifically focuses on the ankle.
Poner la zancadilla
Spanish implies a more intentional, malicious act of tripping.
Mettre des bâtons dans les roues
The French metaphor is about a vehicle/machine, Korean is about a person's body.
Jemandem Steine in den Weg legen
German is about the environment, Korean is about direct physical restraint.
足を引っ張る (Ashi o hipparu)
Japanese uses 'pulling the leg' while Korean uses 'grabbing the ankle'.
وضع العصا في الدولاب (Wada' al-'asa fi al-dulab)
Focuses on sabotage rather than a general weakness holding one back.
拖后腿 (Tuō hòutuǐ)
Chinese specifically mentions the 'back' leg.
Passar a perna
Portuguese implies deception; Korean implies obstruction.
Easily Confused
Both involve 'feet' (발) and taking action.
This means to throw oneself into a task with enthusiasm (barefoot), which is the opposite of being held back.
Both involve 'grabbing' (잡다) a body part.
This means to cooperate or hold hands, whereas '발목을 잡다' is about hindrance.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (12)
Yes, but it's rare. Usually, you'd just say '발목을 잡았다' literally, but people will assume you mean the idiom unless the context is very clear (like a doctor).
No, most often it's an abstract concept like 'money,' 'time,' 'fear,' or 'lack of skill.'
'태클을 걸다' (to tackle) implies someone is intentionally trying to stop you or disagreeing with you. '발목을 잡다' can be unintentional or just a circumstance.
Not inherently, but it is a criticism. If you say a person is 'grabbing your ankle,' you are blaming them for your lack of progress.
Almost never. It's about hindrance and frustration.
Use the passive: '발목을 잡혔어요' or '발목이 잡혔어요'.
Yes, very frequently to describe market factors or internal inefficiencies.
발목 is native Korean. The Hanja equivalent for ankle is {족경|足頸}, but it is rarely used in daily speech.
Yes! '게으름이 제 발목을 잡아요' (Laziness holds me back) is a very common expression.
Yes, because the imagery is so simple. It's a great 'first idiom' to learn.
No, that would be '붙잡다' or '생포하다'. This is specifically about hindering progress.
You could use '도움을 주다' (to give help) or '박차를 가하다' (to spur on/accelerate).
