A2 Collocation ニュートラル

등에 땀이 나다.

deung-e ttami nada.

To sweat on one's back.

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use this phrase to describe the physical sensation of being extremely nervous or anxious in a high-pressure situation.

  • Means: To feel so nervous that your back starts to sweat.
  • Used in: Job interviews, difficult exams, or scary moments.
  • Don't confuse: With sweating because of hot weather or exercise.
😰 + 😰 = {등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나다

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means you are very nervous. '등' is your back. '땀' is sweat. When you are scared or worried, your back gets wet with sweat. It is like saying 'I am very, very nervous.' You can use it when you have a big test.
This is a common idiom used when you feel a lot of pressure. Literally, it means 'sweat comes out on the back.' We use it for situations like job interviews or speaking in front of many people. It shows that your nervousness is strong enough to cause a physical reaction.
This collocation describes the physiological manifestation of anxiety. While '긴장하다' simply means to be nervous, '{등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나다' provides a more vivid, descriptive image of that tension. It's frequently used in storytelling to emphasize how critical or frightening a specific moment was for the speaker.
This figurative expression captures the essence of being 'in a cold sweat.' It is often employed in professional or social narratives to convey a sense of vulnerability or high stakes. Grammatically, it's versatile, allowing for various endings like '-더라고요' to express personal discovery of one's own physical state during a stressful event.
This idiom functions as a somatic metaphor for psychological distress. It highlights the Korean linguistic tendency to externalize internal emotional states through bodily descriptions. In advanced discourse, it can be used to analyze character motivations in literature or to describe the intense atmosphere of political or economic crises where the 'body politic' feels the heat.
Within the framework of cognitive linguistics, '{등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나다' exemplifies the 'EMOTION IS A PHYSICAL SENSATION' metaphor. It operates on a register that balances idiomatic familiarity with descriptive precision. Mastery involves distinguishing its nuance from '식은땀' (sudden autonomic shock) and '손에 땀을 쥐다' (vicarious suspense), reflecting a deep embodiment of Korean emotional conceptualization.

意味

To feel nervous or anxious, causing one's back to perspire.

🌍

文化的背景

In Korean dramas, you will often see a close-up of a character's neck or back with a single drop of sweat to show they are lying or in trouble. The concept of 'Cold Sweat' ({식|冷}은{땀|汗}) is shared across China, Japan, and Korea, originating from traditional medicine where sweat is linked to heart energy. In the 'Pali-pali' culture, making a mistake that delays a project is a common reason to use this phrase. The extreme pressure of the Suneung (CSAT) exam makes this a very common phrase among high school students.

🎯

Use with '식은땀'

If you want to sound even more native, say '식은땀이 {등|背}줄기를 타고 흘렀어요' (Cold sweat ran down my spine).

⚠️

Don't use for heat

If it's 35 degrees outside, just say '너무 더워요' (It's too hot).

意味

To feel nervous or anxious, causing one's back to perspire.

🎯

Use with '식은땀'

If you want to sound even more native, say '식은땀이 {등|背}줄기를 타고 흘렀어요' (Cold sweat ran down my spine).

⚠️

Don't use for heat

If it's 35 degrees outside, just say '너무 더워요' (It's too hot).

自分をテスト

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence about a job interview.

면접이 너무 어려워서 {___}에 {___}이 났어요.

✓ 正解！ ✗ おしい！ 正解: 등, 땀

The idiom for being nervous is '{등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나다'.

Which situation is the MOST appropriate for using this phrase?

다음 중 '{등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나다'를 쓰기 가장 좋은 상황은?

✓ 正解！ ✗ おしい！ 正解: 중요한 시험 결과를 기다릴 때

This phrase is used for psychological tension or anxiety, like waiting for exam results.

Complete the dialogue naturally.

가: 어제 첫 데이트 잘 했어? 나: 아니, 너무 긴장해서 {________________}.

✓ 正解！ ✗ おしい！ 正解: 등에 땀이 났어

Being nervous on a first date is a perfect context for this idiom.

🎉 スコア： /3

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よくある質問

3 問

No, it's almost always for negative tension, anxiety, or fear.

Yes, it's a very common way to humbly describe how nervous you were during a task.

'긴장하다' is the verb 'to be nervous'. '{등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나다' is a more descriptive idiom for that feeling.

関連フレーズ

🔄

식은땀이 나다

synonym

To break out in a cold sweat.

🔗

손에 땀을 쥐다

similar

To be in great suspense (literally: to hold sweat in one's hands).

🔗

간이 콩알만 해지다

similar

To be terrified (literally: one's liver becomes as small as a bean).

🔗

가슴이 두근거리다

builds on

One's heart is thumping.

どこで使う？

💼

Job Interview

Interviewer: 우리 회사에 왜 지원했나요?

Applicant: (너무 긴장해서) 아... 그게... (속으로: {등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나네...)

formal
❤️

First Date

Friend: 어제 데이트 어땠어?

Me: 너무 떨려서 {등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 났어. 무슨 말을 했는지 기억도 안 나.

informal
🚗

Driving Test

Instructor: 자, 이제 평행 주차 해보세요.

Student: 네... (핸들을 잡은 손이 떨리고 {등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 난다.)

neutral
📱

Sending a Wrong Text

Me: 헐, 부장님 욕을 부장님한테 보냈어! {등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나!

Friend: 대박... 너 이제 어떡해?

informal
🎤

Public Speaking

Colleague: 발표 잘 끝냈어요?

Me: 네, 그런데 긴장을 너무 해서 {등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 다 났어요.

formal
👻

Watching a Scary Movie

A: 이 영화 진짜 무섭다.

B: 맞아, 나 지금 {등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나.

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'Backpack' full of 'Ice' that melts into 'Sweat' when you get 'Scared'.

Visual Association

Imagine standing on a stage with a giant spotlight on you. You realize you forgot your pants. Suddenly, you feel a cold trickle of water running down your spine. That's {등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나다.

Rhyme

긴장하면 {등|背}에 {땀|汗}, 무서우면 {등|背}에 {땀|汗}!

Story

Min-su is at a job interview. He is wearing a nice suit. The interviewer asks, 'Can you speak 5 languages?' Min-su only speaks one. He feels his heart beat fast. Suddenly, his shirt feels sticky against his back. He thinks, 'Ah, {등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나요!'

Word Web

긴장 (tension)불안 (anxiety)식은땀 (cold sweat)당황 (bewilderment)면접 (interview)발표 (presentation)공포 (fear)

チャレンジ

Next time you feel slightly nervous (even just playing a video game), say out loud: '와, {등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나네!'

In Other Languages

English high

To break out in a cold sweat

English focuses on the 'cold' sensation, Korean focuses on the 'back' location.

Japanese high

冷や汗をかく (Hiyase o kaku)

The verb used for sweating differs (kaku vs. nada).

Chinese moderate

捏一把汗 (Niē yī bǎ hàn)

Chinese focuses on the hands, Korean phrase here focuses on the back.

Spanish partial

Sudar la gota gorda

Spanish is more about effort; Korean is more about pure anxiety.

French high

Avoir des sueurs froides

French uses 'avoir' (to have) while Korean uses 'nada' (to occur).

German high

In Schweiß ausbrechen

German is more general; Korean specifically points to the back for emotional stress.

Arabic moderate

يتصبب عرقاً (Yatasabbabu 'araqan)

Focuses on the 'dripping' action rather than the location.

Portuguese high

Suar frio

Focuses on the temperature of the sweat.

Easily Confused

등에 땀이 나다. 対 땀을 흘리다

Learners think it's the same as '땀이 나다'.

'흘리다' is more active (to shed/spill), while '나다' is more passive (to occur).

등에 땀이 나다. 対 피땀을 흘리다

Contains the word 'sweat' (땀).

This means 'blood, sweat, and tears'—extreme hard work, not nervousness.

よくある質問 (3)

No, it's almost always for negative tension, anxiety, or fear.

Yes, it's a very common way to humbly describe how nervous you were during a task.

'긴장하다' is the verb 'to be nervous'. '{등|背}에 {땀|汗}이 나다' is a more descriptive idiom for that feeling.

役に立った？

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