코 묻은 돈.
ko mudeun don.
Snot-stained money.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
A colorful way to describe a child's tiny savings or a very small, hard-earned amount of money.
- Means: A child's small pocket money or a pittance.
- Used in: Criticizing someone for taking money from the weak or poor.
- Don't confuse: It's not literally about dirty money, but about the owner's vulnerability.
Explanation at your level:
Meaning
Refers to a child's small savings or pocket money.
Cultural Background
The phrase reflects the 'Gung-sang' (poverty) era of the 1950s-70s. It's a linguistic fossil of a time when children's health and hygiene were poor, but their small joys were fiercely protected by the community. In the age of YouTube and Twitch, '코 묻은 돈' is frequently used to describe small donations (donas) from younger viewers to streamers, often with a mix of humor and concern. Korean media uses this phrase as a 'moral barometer.' If a company is accused of targeting '코 묻은 돈,' it faces a much harsher public backlash than if it were just accused of being 'expensive.'
Use with '뺏다'
If you want to sound like a native, use it with '뺏다' (to take away) when you see something unfair.
Not for your boss
Never describe your salary as '코 묻은 돈' to your employer; it sounds like you're calling your work 'child's play.'
Meaning
Refers to a child's small savings or pocket money.
Use with '뺏다'
If you want to sound like a native, use it with '뺏다' (to take away) when you see something unfair.
Not for your boss
Never describe your salary as '코 묻은 돈' to your employer; it sounds like you're calling your work 'child's play.'
Heartwarming usage
Don't forget it can be positive! Use it when a child does something big with their small savings.
Test Yourself
Choose the most appropriate situation to use '코 묻은 돈'.
어떤 상황에서 이 표현을 쓸까요?
The phrase is used to criticize taking small amounts of money from the vulnerable.
Fill in the blank to complete the sentence.
어떻게 아이들 ( ) 돈을 뺏을 수 있니?
The fixed idiom is '코 묻은 돈'.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: 이번에 새로 나온 게임, 아이템이 너무 비싸요. B: 맞아요. 학생들 ( ) 것 같아요.
In this context, B is agreeing that the game is targeting students' small savings.
🎉 Score: /3
Visual Learning Aids
When to use '코 묻은 돈'
Positive
- • Child's gift
- • First savings
- • Charity donation
Negative
- • Corporate greed
- • Scams
- • Bullying
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsIn this specific idiom, no. It's a standard cultural expression that even news anchors use.
Yes, it's often used for students (middle/high school) to emphasize their lack of income.
There isn't a direct opposite idiom, but '거금' (a large sum of money) is the factual opposite.
Yes, similar expressions exist across the peninsula due to shared history.
Related Phrases
푼돈
similarPetty cash / small change
쌈짓돈
similarPocket money kept in a pouch
껌값
similarDirt cheap (price of gum)
피 같은 돈
contrastMoney like blood (very hard-earned)
Where to Use It
Scolding a greedy sibling
Older Sister: 야, 너 왜 동생 저금통에서 돈을 꺼내?
Brother: 그냥 천 원만 빌리는 거야.
Older Sister: 애 코 묻은 돈을 뺏고 싶냐? 당장 넣어 놔!
Discussing a new mobile game
User A: 이 게임 아이템 너무 비싸지 않아?
User B: 맞아. 초등학생들 코 묻은 돈 노리는 게 너무 심해.
A child's sweet gesture
Mother: 이게 뭐야? 나한테 주는 선물이야?
Son: 응, 1년 동안 모은 돈으로 샀어.
Mother: 세상에, 우리 아들 코 묻은 돈을 어떻게 써~ 고마워!
Complaining about bank fees
Person A: 은행 수수료가 또 올랐대.
Person B: 진짜 너무하네. 서민들 코 묻은 돈 뜯어서 뭐 하려고.
Refusing a tip from someone struggling
Passenger: 기사님, 잔돈은 가지세요.
Driver: 아니에요, 학생 코 묻은 돈을 제가 어떻게 받아요. 가져가요.
Political debate about taxes
Politician A: 이번 세금 인상은 불가피합니다.
Politician B: 국민들의 코 묻은 돈을 아껴 쓸 생각부터 하십시오!
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a kid with a 'Cold' (코) who has 'Mud' (묻은) on their 'Dough' (돈). It's messy, small, but it's theirs!
Visual Association
Imagine a 7-year-old boy with a runny nose, holding a single, sticky 100-won coin in his dirty hand, looking longingly at a candy jar.
Rhyme
코 묻은 돈, 뺏으면 나쁜 놈! (Snotty money, if you take it, you're a bad guy!)
Story
Little Min-su saved his 'snotty money' for a year in a piggy bank. When a thief tried to take it, the whole neighborhood was angry because taking 'snotty money' is the lowest thing a person can do.
Word Web
Challenge
Try to find a news article about a scam or a company fee and see if you can use '코 묻은 돈' to describe the money they are taking.
In Other Languages
Taking candy from a baby / Pittance
English focuses on the 'candy' (reward) while Korean focuses on the 'snot' (the messy state of the owner).
El dinero de los dulces
Spanish is more positive/neutral; Korean can be very critical.
Des clopinettes / L'argent de poche
French lacks the visceral 'bodily fluid' imagery found in the Korean idiom.
Groschen / Taschengeld
German focuses on the denomination of the currency.
子供の小遣い / 鼻たれ小僧の金
The usage in Korean is much more frequent in social and political criticism.
فلوس اليتامى
Arabic focuses on the 'orphan' status; Korean focuses on the 'childish/messy' status.
血汗钱 / 零花钱
Chinese emphasizes the effort (sweat); Korean emphasizes the owner's age/state (snot).
Dinheiro de pinga
Portuguese refers to what the money buys (booze); Korean refers to who owns it (a child).
Easily Confused
Both sound like 'dirty' money.
'검은 돈' is illegal/corrupt money (bribes). '코 묻은 돈' is innocent but small money.
Both refer to money in a specific state.
'눈먼 돈' is ownerless money that anyone can take. '코 묻은 돈' has a very clear, vulnerable owner.
FAQ (4)
In this specific idiom, no. It's a standard cultural expression that even news anchors use.
Yes, it's often used for students (middle/high school) to emphasize their lack of income.
There isn't a direct opposite idiom, but '거금' (a large sum of money) is the factual opposite.
Yes, similar expressions exist across the peninsula due to shared history.
