Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use '입이 짧다' to describe someone who is a picky eater or has a very small appetite.
- Means: Being a picky eater or eating only small amounts of specific foods.
- Used in: Casual dining, describing children, or explaining why you aren't eating much.
- Don't confuse: It's not about the physical size of your mouth!
आपके स्तर पर व्याख्या:
मतलब
To have a limited range of foods one likes to eat.
सांस्कृतिक पृष्ठभूमि
In Korea, being 'short-mouthed' was traditionally seen as a slight weakness, as eating heartily was linked to health. However, with the 'Small Eater' (소식좌) trend, it's now often discussed openly in media. Grandparents might find the term '입이 짧다' concerning, as they lived through times of food scarcity. They might try to encourage you to eat more if you use this phrase. When invited to someone's home, using '입이 짧다' is a polite way to decline food without insulting the host's cooking skills. On platforms like Instagram or YouTube, '입이 짧다' is used to tag content about small portions or specific food aesthetics.
Use '좀' to be polite
Always add '좀' (a little) when describing yourself as '입이 짧다' to sound more humble and less like you're complaining.
Not for physical size
Never use this to describe the physical size of someone's mouth; it will sound very confusing!
Use '좀' to be polite
Always add '좀' (a little) when describing yourself as '입이 짧다' to sound more humble and less like you're complaining.
Not for physical size
Never use this to describe the physical size of someone's mouth; it will sound very confusing!
The 'Mukbang' irony
Many famous Korean Mukbang stars use this phrase ironically to mean they only eat a lot of things they *actually* like.
Pair with '편이다'
Using '입이 짧은 편이에요' (I'm on the picky side) is the most natural way to use this in conversation.
खुद को परखो
Choose the most natural phrase to complete the sentence.
저는 매운 것도 못 먹고 채소도 안 먹어요. 정말 ( ).
The person is describing their picky eating habits, for which '입이 짧다' is the correct idiom.
Fill in the blank with the correct particle and form of '짧다'.
우리 아이는 입___ _________ 걱정이에요. (My child is a picky eater, so I'm worried.)
We need the subject marker '이' and the 'because' form '짧아서'.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: 음식이 맛없어요? 왜 안 드세요? B: 아니요, 맛있어요. 제가 원래 ( ).
The speaker is giving a reason for their behavior using the explanatory ending '-거든요'.
Match the situation to the correct use of the phrase.
Which situation best fits '입이 짧다'?
Picky eating or limited variety is the core meaning.
🎉 स्कोर: /4
विज़ुअल लर्निंग टूल्स
Picky vs. Small Eater
अभ्यास बैंक
5 अभ्यास저는 매운 것도 못 먹고 채소도 안 먹어요. 정말 ( ).
The person is describing their picky eating habits, for which '입이 짧다' is the correct idiom.
우리 아이는 입___ _________ 걱정이에요. (My child is a picky eater, so I'm worried.)
We need the subject marker '이' and the 'because' form '짧아서'.
A: 음식이 맛없어요? 왜 안 드세요? B: 아니요, 맛있어요. 제가 원래 ( ).
The speaker is giving a reason for their behavior using the explanatory ending '-거든요'.
Which situation best fits '입이 짧다'?
Picky eating or limited variety is the core meaning.
🎉 स्कोर: /5
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल
10 सवालNot usually. It's a neutral description of a trait. However, calling someone else '입이 짧다' can be slightly critical depending on the tone.
Yes! If your cat or dog is picky about their food, you can say '우리 고양이는 입이 짧아요.'
There isn't a single idiom, but '입이 길다' is NOT used. You can say '식욕이 왕성하다' (have a robust appetite) or '아무거나 잘 먹는다' (eat anything well).
Only if you are asked about your weaknesses or eating habits. Otherwise, it's too personal/casual for a formal interview.
Not necessarily, but picky eaters often do eat slowly. The focus is on the *range* and *amount* of food, not the speed.
No, that is not a standard expression in Korean. Use '복스럽게 먹다' (to eat in a way that looks blessed/hearty).
You can say '저는 입이 짧지 않아요' or '저는 가리는 거 없이 다 잘 먹어요.'
Yes, it is a standard Korean idiom used across the peninsula.
Yes, but usually parents use it *about* children. A child saying '저는 입이 짧아요' sounds very mature and cute.
'편식' is the noun for the habit; '입이 짧다' is the idiomatic description of the person.
संबंधित मुहावरे
편식하다
similarTo have an unbalanced diet/picky eating
입맛이 까다롭다
similarTo have a picky/fastidious palate
입맛이 없다
contrastTo have no appetite
대식가
contrastA big eater
소식하다
similarTo eat small portions
कहाँ इस्तेमाल करें
At a friend's dinner party
Friend: 왜 더 안 먹어? 맛없어?
Me: 아니, 진짜 맛있는데 내가 원래 입이 좀 짧아서 그래.
Talking about your kids
Parent A: 우리 아들은 고기만 먹으려고 해요.
Parent B: 우리 애도 입이 짧아서 걱정이에요. 채소를 안 먹어요.
On a first date
Person A: 못 드시는 음식 있어요?
Person B: 저는 입이 좀 짧은 편이라 매운 건 잘 못 먹어요.
Ordering at a restaurant
Waiter: 메뉴 결정하셨나요?
Customer: 친구가 입이 짧아서 양이 적은 걸로 추천해 주세요.
Company Lunch (Hoesik)
Manager: 김 대리, 왜 젓가락을 놓나?
Employee: 죄송합니다, 부장님. 제가 입이 짧아서 벌써 배가 부르네요.
Watching a Mukbang
Viewer 1: 이 유튜버 이름이 왜 '입짧은햇님'이야?
Viewer 2: 원래 입이 짧은데 좋아하는 것만 많이 먹어서 그렇대.
याद करें
स्मृति सहायक
Think of a 'short' menu. If your mouth is short, your menu of liked foods is also short!
दृश्य संबंध
Imagine a person with a tiny, 1-inch wide mouth trying to eat a giant table of food. They can only take one tiny bite of one specific thing.
Rhyme
입이 짧아, 못 먹어 봐! (Mouth is short, can't try it!)
Story
Min-su went to a buffet with 100 dishes. He only ate one piece of bread and a grape. His friend said, 'Your mouth is so short, it didn't even reach the second plate!'
In Other Languages
In English, we say 'picky eater' or 'eats like a bird.' In Japanese, they use 'suki-kirai' (likes and dislikes).
Word Web
चैलेंज
Next time you are eating, identify one food you don't like and say out loud: '저는 [food]에 대해서는 입이 짧아요.'
Review this phrase every time you see a child refusing food or when you feel full quickly.
उच्चारण
The 'p' sound in 'ip' carries over to the 'i', sounding like 'i-bi'.
The double 'jj' is a tense sound, and the 'b' in the bottom is silent before 'da', which becomes tense 'ta'.
औपचारिकता का स्तर
저는 입이 짧은 편입니다. (Describing oneself)
저는 입이 짧아요. (Describing oneself)
나 입 짧아. (Describing oneself)
나 완전 소식좌야. (I'm a total 'small-eater'—modern slang). (Describing oneself)
The phrase dates back to the mid-Joseon period. It stems from the observation that people who are picky or have small appetites spend a 'short' amount of time at the table and have a 'short' reach across the various dishes provided.
रोचक तथ्य
There is no '입이 길다' (mouth is long) as a direct opposite. Instead, we use '입이 짧지 않다' or '잘 먹는다'.
सांस्कृतिक नोट्स
In Korea, being 'short-mouthed' was traditionally seen as a slight weakness, as eating heartily was linked to health. However, with the 'Small Eater' (소식좌) trend, it's now often discussed openly in media.
“요즘은 입이 짧은 '소식좌' 연예인들이 인기가 많아요.”
Grandparents might find the term '입이 짧다' concerning, as they lived through times of food scarcity. They might try to encourage you to eat more if you use this phrase.
“할머니 앞에서는 입이 짧다고 하면 걱정하실 거예요.”
When invited to someone's home, using '입이 짧다' is a polite way to decline food without insulting the host's cooking skills.
“죄송해요, 제가 입이 짧아서 더 못 먹겠어요.”
On platforms like Instagram or YouTube, '입이 짧다' is used to tag content about small portions or specific food aesthetics.
“#입짧은 #소식 #다이어트”
बातचीत की शुरुआत
혹시 입이 짧은 편이세요?
주변에 입이 정말 짧은 사람이 있나요?
입이 짧은 아이들에게 어떻게 음식을 먹여야 할까요?
सामान्य गलतियाँ
입이 작다
입이 짧다
L1 Interference
입이 짧은 음식
입에 안 맞는 음식
L1 Interference
입을 짧다
입이 짧다
L1 Interference
입이 짧게 먹다
입이 짧다
L1 Interference
In Other Languages
Picky eater / Eats like a bird
English 'picky' can sound slightly more negative than the Korean idiom.
好き嫌いが多い (Suki-kirai ga ooi)
Japanese is more descriptive of the preference, Korean is more of a character trait.
挑食 (Tiāoshí)
Chinese focuses on the 'picking' action.
Ser tiquismiquis con la comida
Spanish 'tiquismiquis' is more about being overly meticulous.
Faire la fine bouche
French implies being 'refined' or 'hard to please,' whereas Korean can just mean having a small appetite.
Ein wählerischer Esser sein
German is more formal and descriptive.
انتقائي في الأكل (Intiqa'i fi al-akl)
Arabic focuses on the psychological choice.
Ser fresco para comer
Portuguese 'fresco' is more of a general personality critique.
Spotted in the Real World
“안녕하세요, 입짧은햇님입니다!”
The most famous Mukbang YouTuber in Korea uses this as her stage name.
“코드 쿤스트는 진짜 입이 짧네요.”
Describing the musician Code Kunst, who is famous for eating very little.
“너 입 짧은 거 다 알아!”
Teasing a member who is being picky about a game-related food.
“입이 짧은 나도 여기 음식은 다 먹게 돼.”
The protagonist describing how the fresh country food cures her pickiness.
“입이 짧아 난...”
Lyrics describing a girl who is picky not just with food, but with everything.
आसानी से भ्रमित होने वाले
Both start with '입이' and describe a person's trait.
Remember: 'Short' (짧다) is about food duration. 'Light' (가볍다) is about secrets falling out easily.
Opposite of '입이 가볍다', but learners might think it means 'eating a lot'.
Heavy mouth = keeps secrets. It has nothing to do with food quantity.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल (10)
Not usually. It's a neutral description of a trait. However, calling someone else '입이 짧다' can be slightly critical depending on the tone.
basic understandingYes! If your cat or dog is picky about their food, you can say '우리 고양이는 입이 짧아요.'
usage contextsThere isn't a single idiom, but '입이 길다' is NOT used. You can say '식욕이 왕성하다' (have a robust appetite) or '아무거나 잘 먹는다' (eat anything well).
comparisonsOnly if you are asked about your weaknesses or eating habits. Otherwise, it's too personal/casual for a formal interview.
practical tipsNot necessarily, but picky eaters often do eat slowly. The focus is on the *range* and *amount* of food, not the speed.
grammar mechanicsNo, that is not a standard expression in Korean. Use '복스럽게 먹다' (to eat in a way that looks blessed/hearty).
common mistakesYou can say '저는 입이 짧지 않아요' or '저는 가리는 거 없이 다 잘 먹어요.'
usage contextsYes, it is a standard Korean idiom used across the peninsula.
cultural usageYes, but usually parents use it *about* children. A child saying '저는 입이 짧아요' sounds very mature and cute.
usage contexts'편식' is the noun for the habit; '입이 짧다' is the idiomatic description of the person.
comparisons
