가시 방석에 앉다
gasi bangseoge anta
Uncomfortable situation
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use this when you feel so uncomfortable or guilty in a situation that you just want to leave immediately.
- Means: To feel extremely uneasy, awkward, or restless in a specific social setting.
- Used in: Awkward meetings, situations where you feel guilty, or when being criticized.
- Don't confuse: Physical pain with this; it is almost always used for psychological discomfort.
Explanation at your level:
मतलब
To be in a very awkward, uneasy, or uncomfortable position.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
The 'Bangseok' is more than a cushion; it represents one's place in a social hierarchy. In historical dramas (Sa-geuk), you'll see kings sitting on elaborate cushions while subordinates sit on simpler ones. A 'thorny' cushion implies your social position is currently painful. Japan uses 'Hari no mushiro' (needle mat). This reflects the shared East Asian floor-sitting culture where mats and cushions were the primary furniture. While Westerners say 'hot seat,' it often implies a direct interrogation. The Korean 'gasi-bangseok' can be felt even if no one is talking to you, just by being in the room. In the age of social media, Koreans use this phrase to describe 'group chat' awkwardness. If someone posts something controversial and everyone stops typing, the 'digital room' becomes a gasi-bangseok.
Use it for Guilt
This is the most natural way to describe the feeling of being treated well by someone you've lied to.
Don't use for physical pain
If you have a backache from a chair, just say '허리가 아파요' (My back hurts).
मतलब
To be in a very awkward, uneasy, or uncomfortable position.
Use it for Guilt
This is the most natural way to describe the feeling of being treated well by someone you've lied to.
Don't use for physical pain
If you have a backache from a chair, just say '허리가 아파요' (My back hurts).
Combine with '안절부절'
To sound like a native, say: '가시 {방석|方席}에 앉은 듯 안절부절못했어요.' (I was restless as if sitting on thorns.)
खुद को परखो
Fill in the blank with the correct word to complete the idiom.
거짓말을 하고 나니 마음이 가시 ( )에 앉은 것 같아요.
The idiom specifically uses '방석' (cushion), not other types of furniture.
Which situation best fits the idiom '가시 방석에 앉다'?
어떤 상황에서 이 표현을 쓸까요?
The idiom is used for psychological discomfort, such as feeling guilty or anxious before being scolded.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
가: 어제 상견례(meeting the in-laws) 자리는 어땠어? 나: 말도 마. 너무 긴장해서 ( ).
Meeting in-laws is a classic high-pressure situation where one feels like they are sitting on thorns.
🎉 स्कोर: /3
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
10 सवालYes, if you say it out loud to the host, it implies their company or house is making you miserable. Use it to describe your feelings to a third party later.
No. It is strictly for negative discomfort, anxiety, or guilt.
'불편하다' is a general word for 'uncomfortable.' '가시 방석' is a vivid idiom for a specific *type* of social or moral discomfort.
Very often. It describes high-pressure environments or meetings where someone is being blamed.
No, that is not a recognized idiom. Stick to '방석' (cushion).
It has historical roots but is used daily in modern Korea, including on social media and TV.
'가시 {방석|方席}에 앉은 것 같아요' is the most natural equivalent.
Usually, yes. It's a social idiom. You wouldn't usually feel like you're on a 'gasi-bangseok' alone unless you're thinking about a social mistake.
Not really. For a scary movie, you'd say '무서워요' or '긴장돼요.' 'Gasi-bangseok' is more about social awkwardness than fear.
It is {方席|방석}, meaning a 'square mat.'
संबंधित मुहावरे
안절부절못하다
similarTo be restless and nervous.
바늘방석에 앉다
synonymTo sit on a cushion of needles.
쥐구멍에 들어가고 싶다
similarTo want to hide in a mouse hole (out of embarrassment).
좌불안석
specialized formBeing unable to sit comfortably due to anxiety ({坐不安席|좌불안석}).
कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें
Blind Date
A: 소개팅 어땠어? 분위기 좋았어?
B: 아니, 너무 어색해서 가시 {방석|方席}에 앉은 것 같았어.
Job Interview
Applicant: (속마음) 질문이 너무 어려워서 가시 {방석|方席}에 앉아 있는 기분이야.
Family Dinner after a Lie
Mom: 우리 아들, 공부하느라 힘들지? 많이 먹어.
Son: (거짓말한 상태) 네... (가시 {방석|方席}이 따로 없네.)
Mistake at Work
Manager: 이번 프로젝트 결과가 왜 이렇죠?
Employee: 죄송합니다. 지금 이 자리가 제게는 가시 {방석|方席}입니다.
Unexpected Encounter
Friend A: 어제 파티에서 전 남친 만났다며?
Friend B: 응, 같은 테이블이라 가시 {방석|方席}에 앉은 듯 불편했어.
Being the Only Outsider
A: 동호회 모임 어땠어요?
B: 다들 친한데 저만 처음이라 가시 {방석|方席}이었어요.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a 'Gasi' (Thorn) on your 'Bangseok' (Cushion). You can't sit still!
Visual Association
Imagine a CEO in a very expensive suit sitting on a beautiful silk cushion, but suddenly thousands of tiny cactus needles poke through. He has to stay for the meeting, but he is sweating and twitching.
Rhyme
가시 방석, 마음은 분석 (Gasi bangseok, maeumeun bunseok - Thorns on the cushion, my mind is analyzing/restless)
Story
Min-su broke his mother's favorite vase. That evening, his mother made his favorite dinner and was very kind. Min-su sat on his 'bangseok' to eat, but because of his guilt, it felt like it was made of 'gasi.' He couldn't enjoy the food and wanted to run away.
Word Web
चैलेंज
Next time you feel slightly awkward in a Zoom meeting or a social gathering, whisper to yourself '가시 방석에 앉아 있네' (I'm sitting on a cushion of thorns).
In Other Languages
To be on pins and needles / To be on the hot seat
English uses 'pins' or 'heat,' Korean uses 'thorns' on a 'cushion.'
Estar en ascuas
Spanish focuses on heat/burning, Korean focuses on piercing pain.
Être sur des charbons ardents
The French version often implies impatience or anticipation, whereas the Korean one is more about guilt or awkwardness.
Wie auf glühenden Kohlen sitzen
German emphasizes the 'glowing' heat, while Korean emphasizes the 'thorns' of a cushion.
針のむしろに座る (Hari no mushiro ni suwaru)
Japanese uses 'needles' (hari), Korean uses 'thorns' (gasi).
على أحر من الجمر (Ala ahar min al-jamr)
Arabic focuses on the intensity of the heat and the passage of time.
如坐针毡 (Rú zuò zhēn zhān)
Chinese uses 'needles' and 'felt/rug,' Korean uses 'thorns' and 'cushion.'
Estar em brasas
Like other Romance languages, it favors the 'fire' metaphor over the 'sharp object' metaphor.
Easily Confused
Both use 'gasi' (thorn).
This phrase means 'to speak thorny (harsh) words,' whereas 'gasi-bangseok' is about how you *feel* in a situation.
Both mean sitting in an uncomfortable place.
'불편한 자리' is literal or general; '가시 방석' is a specific idiom for intense psychological pressure.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (10)
Yes, if you say it out loud to the host, it implies their company or house is making you miserable. Use it to describe your feelings to a third party later.
No. It is strictly for negative discomfort, anxiety, or guilt.
'불편하다' is a general word for 'uncomfortable.' '가시 방석' is a vivid idiom for a specific *type* of social or moral discomfort.
Very often. It describes high-pressure environments or meetings where someone is being blamed.
No, that is not a recognized idiom. Stick to '방석' (cushion).
It has historical roots but is used daily in modern Korea, including on social media and TV.
'가시 {방석|方席}에 앉은 것 같아요' is the most natural equivalent.
Usually, yes. It's a social idiom. You wouldn't usually feel like you're on a 'gasi-bangseok' alone unless you're thinking about a social mistake.
Not really. For a scary movie, you'd say '무서워요' or '긴장돼요.' 'Gasi-bangseok' is more about social awkwardness than fear.
It is {方席|방석}, meaning a 'square mat.'
