Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use this phrase when you feel completely overwhelmed by a massive amount of stress or anxiety.
- Means: To have an immense, overwhelming amount of worries (max 15 words)
- Used in: Exams, financial stress, or major life changes (max 15 words)
- Don't confuse: It's for big worries, not minor inconveniences (max 15 words)
आपके स्तर पर व्याख्या:
मतलब
Describes a situation where one has an overwhelming amount of worries or concerns.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
In Korea, expressing worry is often a social bonding mechanism. By saying your worries are a mountain, you invite others to offer encouragement or help, reinforcing social ties. The reference to Mount Taishan ({태산|泰山}) shows the deep influence of Chinese geography and philosophy on Korean idioms. It represents the 'ultimate' or 'heaviest' thing in the world. In the high-pressure 'Pali-pali' (hurry-hurry) culture of Korea, this phrase is a standard way to signal that a team is over capacity without sounding like they are quitting. Korean parents are known for 'K-worry.' Even if a child is successful, a parent's '걱정' is always '태산' because of the competitive nature of society.
Use with '때문에'
Pair this with '때문에' (because of) to explain the source of your worry: '[Noun] 때문에 걱정이 태산이에요.'
Don't overdo it
If you use this for every small thing, people will think you are a '걱정 인형' (worry doll). Save it for the big stuff!
Use with '때문에'
Pair this with '때문에' (because of) to explain the source of your worry: '[Noun] 때문에 걱정이 태산이에요.'
Don't overdo it
If you use this for every small thing, people will think you are a '걱정 인형' (worry doll). Save it for the big stuff!
Honorifics matter
When talking about a boss or parent, always use '태산이세요' or '태산이십니다' to show respect.
Writing vs Speaking
In writing, you can use '태산과 같다' for a more poetic feel.
खुद को परखो
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the phrase.
내일이 중요한 시험인데 공부를 하나도 안 해서 걱정이 ( ).
The sentence needs a polite ending (-어/아요) and the correct noun-copula form.
Which situation is MOST appropriate for using '걱정이 태산이다'?
어떤 상황에서 이 표현을 쓸까요?
The phrase is for serious, overwhelming worries like a company facing bankruptcy.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
가: 이번 프로젝트 마감일까지 끝낼 수 있을까요? 나: 글쎄요, 일이 너무 많아서 ( ).
The speaker is expressing concern about a heavy workload.
Match the person to their '태산'-sized worry.
Match: 1. 취준생(Job seeker), 2. 예비 신부(Bride-to-be), 3. 수험생(Examinee)
These are the typical life stressors associated with this phrase.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
Taesan vs. Other Mountains
अभ्यास बैंक
5 अभ्यास내일이 중요한 시험인데 공부를 하나도 안 해서 걱정이 ( ).
The sentence needs a polite ending (-어/아요) and the correct noun-copula form.
어떤 상황에서 이 표현을 쓸까요?
The phrase is for serious, overwhelming worries like a company facing bankruptcy.
가: 이번 프로젝트 마감일까지 끝낼 수 있을까요? 나: 글쎄요, 일이 너무 많아서 ( ).
The speaker is expressing concern about a heavy workload.
Match: 1. 취준생(Job seeker), 2. 예비 신부(Bride-to-be), 3. 수험생(Examinee)
These are the typical life stressors associated with this phrase.
🎉 स्कोर: /5
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
14 सवालYes, it is Mount Taishan in China. It's famous for being huge and majestic.
No, it is strictly for worries or concerns.
'태산이다' is more direct ('is a mountain'), while '태산 같다' is a simile ('is like a mountain'). Both are used interchangeably.
It is neutral. You can use it in formal settings with the right ending (-습니다).
No, that's not a standard idiom. For joy, we usually say '기쁨이 넘치다' (joy overflows).
You can say '걱정이 전혀 없어요' or '무사태평이에요'.
Yes, if you are asked about a challenge you faced and how you felt at the time.
Yes, e.g., '그 사람은 걱정이 태산인 것 같아요.'
It means a huge pile, like a mountain of things.
No, it's a traditional idiom that is still very common today.
No, it's only for the 'weight' of worries.
Because Korea is 70% mountainous, mountains are the most familiar symbol of scale and challenge.
Yes, it's very common in KakaoTalk.
Not necessarily, but it does imply that the situation is very difficult.
संबंधित मुहावरे
산 넘어 산
similarOne mountain after another.
걱정도 팔자다
contrastWorrying is your destiny.
기우
specialized formUnnecessary worry.
설상가상
builds onSnow on top of frost.
कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें
Job Interview
A: 내일 대기업 면접이라면서요? 준비 잘 됐어요?
B: 아니요, 너무 떨려서 걱정이 태산이에요.
Wedding Planning
Friend: 결혼 준비는 잘 돼가?
Bride: 예약할 게 너무 많아서 진짜 걱정이 태산이야.
Financial Stress
Husband: 이번 달 카드값이 너무 많이 나왔네.
Wife: 그러게나 말이에요. 다음 달 생활비 걱정이 태산이에요.
Exam Season
Student 1: 너 이번 기말고사 공부 다 했어?
Student 2: 전혀. 범위가 너무 넓어서 걱정이 태산이야.
Health Concerns
Doctor: 검사 결과는 내일 나옵니다.
Patient: 네, 혹시 큰 병일까 봐 걱정이 태산입니다.
Moving Abroad
Neighbor: 다음 주에 미국 가신다면서요?
Traveler: 네, 영어도 못 하고 아는 사람도 없어서 걱정이 태산이에요.
याद करें
स्मृति सहायक
Think of 'Tae' as 'Titanic' (huge) and 'San' as 'Mountain'. A Titanic Mountain of worries!
दृश्य संबंध
Imagine yourself standing at the foot of a massive, dark mountain made entirely of sticky notes, each with a problem written on it. The mountain is so high it touches the clouds.
Rhyme
걱정이 태산, 마음은 답답 (Gokjeongi Taesan, maeumeun dapdap) - Worries are a mountain, my heart is frustrated.
Story
You are trying to walk home, but suddenly a giant mountain (Taesan) appears in the middle of the road. You can't climb it, and you can't go around it. This mountain is made of your upcoming exams and bills. You stand there saying, 'Gokjeongi Taesan-ida!'
In Other Languages
English has 'a mountain of debt' or 'piles of work,' but Korean specifically applies the mountain metaphor to the internal feeling of worry itself.
Word Web
चैलेंज
Write down three things you are currently stressed about. Then, say out loud: '[Thing 1], [Thing 2], [Thing 3] 때문에 걱정이 태산이에요.'
Review this phrase whenever you feel slightly stressed. Associate the physical feeling of a 'heavy chest' with the 'heavy mountain' of Taesan.
उच्चारण
The 'ㄱ' in '걱' makes the following 'ㅈ' sound like 'ㅉ'.
The '태' is an aspirated 'T' sound.
औपचारिकता का स्तर
프로젝트 결과에 대해 걱정이 태산입니다. (Workplace)
프로젝트 때문에 걱정이 태산이에요. (Workplace)
프로젝트 때문에 걱정이 태산이야. (Workplace)
프로젝트 망할까 봐 걱정 태산임. (Workplace)
The phrase originates from the literal Mount Taishan in China. In ancient East Asian literature, Taishan was the symbol of the highest achievement and the heaviest weight. It appears in the 'Classic of Poetry' and works of Mencius.
रोचक तथ्य
There is a famous Korean poem that starts with '태산이 높다 하되 하늘 아래 뫼이로다' (Even if Mt. Taishan is high, it is still a mountain under heaven), which encourages people to keep trying despite big obstacles.
सांस्कृतिक नोट्स
In Korea, expressing worry is often a social bonding mechanism. By saying your worries are a mountain, you invite others to offer encouragement or help, reinforcing social ties.
“A: 걱정이 태산이에요. B: 너무 걱정 마세요. 제가 도와줄게요.”
The reference to Mount Taishan ({태산|泰山}) shows the deep influence of Chinese geography and philosophy on Korean idioms. It represents the 'ultimate' or 'heaviest' thing in the world.
“The phrase '태산보다 무겁다' (heavier than Mt. Taishan) is also used for duty or death.”
In the high-pressure 'Pali-pali' (hurry-hurry) culture of Korea, this phrase is a standard way to signal that a team is over capacity without sounding like they are quitting.
“During a meeting: '인력이 부족해서 향후 일정이 걱정이 태산입니다.'”
Korean parents are known for 'K-worry.' Even if a child is successful, a parent's '걱정' is always '태산' because of the competitive nature of society.
“자식이 서른 살인데도 부모님은 늘 걱정이 태산이시다.”
बातचीत की शुरुआत
요즘 가장 큰 고민이 뭐예요? 걱정이 태산인 일이 있나요?
한국어 공부하면서 가장 걱정이 태산인 부분은 뭐예요?
만약 친구가 걱정이 태산이라고 하면 어떻게 위로해 줄 거예요?
सामान्य गलतियाँ
걱정이 태산해요.
걱정이 태산이에요.
L1 Interference
걱정을 태산이다.
걱정이 태산이다.
L1 Interference
커피를 쏟아서 걱정이 태산이에요.
커피를 쏟아서 속상해요.
L1 Interference
걱정이 태산 같아요.
걱정이 태산이에요. (or 태산 같아요 is also okay, but '이다' is more idiomatic)
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Tener un mar de dudas / Estar cargado de preocupaciones
The Spanish 'mar' often implies confusion, while the Korean '태산' implies a heavy burden.
Se faire une montagne de quelque chose
French implies overreaction; Korean implies genuine scale.
Ein Berg von Sorgen haben
The German version is slightly less idiomatic/fixed than the Korean 'Taesan' reference.
心配가 山積みだ (Shinpai ga yamazumi da)
Japanese focuses on the 'piling' action, while Korean focuses on the 'mountain' as a single entity.
هموم كالجبال (Humum kal-jibal)
Arabic often uses it in a more poetic or dramatic sense.
愁如泰山 (Chóu rú Tàishān)
In modern Mandarin, other idioms like '忧心忡忡' are more common for 'worry,' while the Taesan reference is more literary.
A mountain of worries / Worried sick
English rarely says 'My worry IS a mountain' directly; it usually says 'I HAVE a mountain of worries.'
Estar com a cabeça cheia de preocupações
Focuses on the internal state (head) rather than external scale (mountain).
Spotted in the Real World
“신입사원이라 걱정이 태산이겠지만, 힘내세요.”
A manager encouraging a new intern who is overwhelmed by work.
“그대여 아무 걱정 하지 말아요...”
While the phrase isn't in the lyrics, it's the most common phrase used in interviews to describe the 'mountain of worries' the song aims to soothe.
“고물가에 서민들 장바구니 걱정이 태산”
A headline about how high inflation is making people worry about grocery prices.
“내일 개강이라니... 걱정이 태산이다 진짜 ㅠㅠ”
A student venting about the start of a new semester.
आसानी से भ्रमित होने वाले
Learners think it only applies to physical objects like laundry.
It can be used for both physical piles and abstract worries, just like 태산.
Learners might use this to mean 'very worried'.
This is usually used for 'grace' (은혜) or 'duty' (의무), not worry.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (14)
Yes, it is Mount Taishan in China. It's famous for being huge and majestic.
basic understandingNo, it is strictly for worries or concerns.
usage contexts'태산이다' is more direct ('is a mountain'), while '태산 같다' is a simile ('is like a mountain'). Both are used interchangeably.
grammar mechanicsIt is neutral. You can use it in formal settings with the right ending (-습니다).
usage contextsNo, that's not a standard idiom. For joy, we usually say '기쁨이 넘치다' (joy overflows).
common mistakesYou can say '걱정이 전혀 없어요' or '무사태평이에요'.
comparisonsYes, if you are asked about a challenge you faced and how you felt at the time.
practical tipsYes, e.g., '그 사람은 걱정이 태산인 것 같아요.'
usage contextsIt means a huge pile, like a mountain of things.
grammar mechanicsNo, it's a traditional idiom that is still very common today.
basic understandingNo, it's only for the 'weight' of worries.
usage contextsBecause Korea is 70% mountainous, mountains are the most familiar symbol of scale and challenge.
cultural usageYes, it's very common in KakaoTalk.
practical tipsNot necessarily, but it does imply that the situation is very difficult.
basic understanding
