A2 Idiom 중립

배에 힘을 주다

bae-e him-eul juda

Hold one's stomach in/Tense up

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Literally 'giving strength to the belly,' this means tightening your abs to look better, prepare for effort, or brace for impact.

  • Means: Tensing abdominal muscles for physical or social reasons.
  • Used in: Taking photos, lifting heavy objects, or feeling nervous.
  • Don't confuse: It's not just about exercise; it's often about social appearance.
📸 + 🧘 = 💪 (Photo + Core Tension = Looking Good/Ready)

Explanation at your level:

This phrase is about your stomach. '배' is stomach. '힘' is power. '주다' is to give. It means making your stomach muscles tight. People do this to look good in photos or when they lift something heavy. It is a very simple and useful phrase for daily life.
At this level, you can understand that '배에 힘을 주다' is used both physically and socially. It literally means to tense your abs. You use it when you are at the gym or when you want to look thinner in a picture. It's an 'idiom' because it also means you are bracing yourself for something difficult.
This idiom describes the action of contracting the abdominal muscles. While it has a literal application in sports and health, its figurative use is more common in social contexts. It often implies a conscious effort to maintain a certain appearance or to prepare for a stressful event. You'll often hear it used with the particle '-느라' to explain discomfort.
The phrase '배에 힘을 주다' functions as a somatic metaphor for readiness and self-presentation. It captures the nuance of 'sucking it in' for aesthetic reasons while simultaneously encompassing the physical preparation required for exertion. Understanding the use of intensifiers like '빡' or '꽉' is crucial for mastering the natural, colloquial flow of this expression in various social registers.
This expression serves as a fascinating entry point into the Korean preoccupation with 'form' and 'posture' as reflections of internal discipline. Linguistically, it demonstrates how native Korean verbs like '주다' (to give) are utilized to describe internal bodily states. The phrase often appears in literature and media to symbolize a character's hidden anxiety or their determination to maintain a facade of composure despite external pressures.
An analysis of '배에 힘을 주다' reveals the intersection of traditional 'Gi' (vital energy) philosophy and contemporary hyper-fixation on aesthetic perfection. It is a psychosomatic idiom where the physical act of tensing the core serves as a metonym for psychological resilience. Mastery involves recognizing its subtle deployment in satirical contexts, where it critiques the superficiality of modern social interactions and the exhausting nature of maintaining one's 'social mask' in the public sphere.

뜻

To tighten one's abdominal muscles, often from nervousness or effort.

🌍

문화적 배경

The 'Body Profile' (바디프로필) trend has made this phrase extremely common on Instagram. People post about the struggle of 'giving strength' to their abs during shoots. In Korean traditional medicine (Hanbang), 'giving strength to the Dan-jeon' is believed to improve digestion and circulate 'Gi'. Practitioners are taught to 'give strength to the belly' to maintain balance and generate power from the center of the body. Maintaining a 'tight' core is often associated with being 'diligent' (부지런하다), while a relaxed belly can be seen as 'lazy' (게으르다) in professional settings.

🎯

Use '빡' for emphasis

If you want to sound like a native, add '빡' (ppak) to show you are tensing really hard: '배에 힘 빡 줘!'

⚠️

Don't use with '를'

Saying '배를 힘을 주다' is a common beginner mistake. Stick to '배에'.

뜻

To tighten one's abdominal muscles, often from nervousness or effort.

🎯

Use '빡' for emphasis

If you want to sound like a native, add '빡' (ppak) to show you are tensing really hard: '배에 힘 빡 줘!'

⚠️

Don't use with '를'

Saying '배를 힘을 주다' is a common beginner mistake. Stick to '배에'.

💬

Self-deprecation

Koreans often use this phrase to jokingly admit they are trying to look better than they are.

셀프 테스트

Which particle correctly completes the phrase?

사진을 찍을 때 배___ 힘을 주세요.

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: 에

The idiom always uses the particle '에' to indicate the location where strength is applied.

Complete the dialogue between a trainer and a student.

Trainer: 무거운 걸 들 때는 ( ). Student: 네, 알겠습니다!

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: 배에 힘을 주세요

When lifting heavy things, you must tighten your core (주세요), not relax it (빼세요).

Match the situation to the reason for using '배에 힘을 주다'.

Situation: A person is wearing a very tight dress at a wedding.

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: To look thinner and better

In social settings with tight clothes, the phrase refers to 'sucking it in' for aesthetics.

Fill in the missing word to complete the idiom.

너무 긴장해서 나도 모르게 배에 ( )을 줬어요.

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: 힘

'힘' (strength/power) is the key noun in this idiom.

🎉 점수: /4

시각 학습 자료

자주 묻는 질문

5 질문

No, even very fit people use it to define their muscles more clearly in photos.

Yes, it is the perfect phrase for physically bracing for impact.

The opposite is '배에 힘을 빼다' (to relax the stomach).

Between close friends, it's a common joke. To a stranger, it would be very rude as it implies they look fat.

While the phrase is native Korean, the concept is related to {복압|腹壓} (abdominal pressure).

관련 표현

🔗

배를 집어넣다

similar

To suck in one's stomach

🔗

배에 힘을 빼다

contrast

To relax one's stomach muscles

🔗

기운을 내다

similar

To cheer up / To find strength

🔗

어깨에 힘을 주다

builds on

To act arrogant / To put on airs

🔗

목에 힘을 주다

similar

To be stiff-necked / Arrogant

어디서 쓸까?

🏋️

At the Gym

Trainer: 스쿼트 할 때 배에 힘을 주세요.

Student: 네, 배에 힘을 꽉 주고 있어요!

neutral
📸

Group Photo

Friend A: 자, 찍는다! 하나, 둘, 셋!

Friend B: 잠깐만! 나 배에 힘 좀 줄게.

informal
💼

Job Interview

Applicant: (Thinking) 너무 떨려. 배에 힘을 주고 당당하게 말하자.

Interviewer: 자기소개 부탁드립니다.

formal
👩‍❤️‍👨

First Date

Person A: 오늘 옷이 좀 타이트하네?

Person B: 응, 그래서 계속 배에 힘을 주고 있어. 힘들어.

informal
🩺

Doctor's Exam

Doctor: 여기를 누를 테니 배에 힘을 빼보세요.

Patient: 자꾸 긴장돼서 배에 힘이 들어가요.

formal
🎤

Singing Lesson

Teacher: 고음을 낼 때는 배에 힘을 더 줘야 해요.

Student: 배에 힘을 주니까 소리가 더 잘 나와요.

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'Bae' (stomach) who wants to look 'Him' (powerful/strong) for a photo.

Visual Association

Imagine a person standing in front of a mirror, taking a deep breath and pulling their belly in as hard as they can before a camera flashes.

Rhyme

배에 힘을 줘, 멋진 모습 보여줘! (Bae-e himeul jwo, meotjin moseup boyeojwo! - Give strength to the belly, show a cool look!)

Story

Min-su is at the beach. He sees his crush. He immediately 'gives strength to his belly' (배에 힘을 주다) to hide his lunch. He holds it so long he turns red, but he looks fit!

Word Web

배 (Stomach)힘 (Strength)주다 (Give)복근 (Abs)긴장 (Tension)사진 (Photo)자세 (Posture)단전 (Core)

챌린지

Next time you take a selfie, say '배에 힘을 주자!' out loud and do the action. It will link the physical sensation to the phrase.

In Other Languages

English moderate

Suck it in / Brace yourself

English uses different phrases for aesthetics vs. preparation.

Japanese high

腹に力を入れる (Hara ni chikara o ireru)

Almost no difference; very high cultural overlap.

Chinese high

肚子使劲 (Dùzi shǐjìn)

Chinese often specifies the 'retracting' action for aesthetics.

Spanish partial

Meter la panza

Spanish focuses on the 'moving in' of the belly rather than 'giving strength'.

French partial

Rentrer le ventre

Lacks the 'strength/power' nuance of the Korean '힘'.

German partial

Den Bauch einziehen

German is more literal about the direction of movement.

Arabic high

شد بطنك (Shid batnak)

Very similar in the 'tightening' concept.

Portuguese partial

Encolher a barriga

Uses the verb 'shrink' rather than 'give strength'.

Easily Confused

배에 힘을 주다 대 배가 부르다

Both start with '배' (stomach).

Remember '부르다' is 'full/bloated', while '힘을 주다' is an 'action' you do.

배에 힘을 주다 대 배짱이 좋다

Both involve 'belly' and 'strength/guts'.

'배짱' is a noun meaning 'boldness', while '배에 힘을 주다' is a physical action.

자주 묻는 질문 (5)

No, even very fit people use it to define their muscles more clearly in photos.

Yes, it is the perfect phrase for physically bracing for impact.

The opposite is '배에 힘을 빼다' (to relax the stomach).

Between close friends, it's a common joke. To a stranger, it would be very rude as it implies they look fat.

While the phrase is native Korean, the concept is related to {복압|腹壓} (abdominal pressure).

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