Meaning
To ensure that accounts align or to kiss someone.
Cultural Background
In Korean dramas, '입을 맞추다' is a common trope in both romantic scenes and legal battles. It reflects the high value placed on loyalty and shared secrets within a group. The emphasis on 'matching' reflects Confucian ideals of social harmony ({화합|和合}). Even if a story is a lie, maintaining the group's unity is sometimes seen as a necessary evil. In modern Korean offices, '입을 맞추다' can be a survival skill. Teams often coordinate their responses to management to avoid individual blame. Korean poetry often uses '입을 맞추다' instead of '키스하다' to create a more traditional and evocative atmosphere.
Context is King
If you are in a restaurant, it's almost never '입을 맞추다.' If you are in a police station or a romantic garden, it probably is!
Don't use with Bosses
Telling your boss '우리 입을 맞췄어요' sounds like you are admitting to a conspiracy. Use '의견을 모았습니다' instead.
Meaning
To ensure that accounts align or to kiss someone.
Context is King
If you are in a restaurant, it's almost never '입을 맞추다.' If you are in a police station or a romantic garden, it probably is!
Don't use with Bosses
Telling your boss '우리 입을 맞췄어요' sounds like you are admitting to a conspiracy. Use '의견을 모았습니다' instead.
The '을' Factor
Remember: 입을 (Object) = Action. 입에 (Location/Direction) = Taste/Suitability.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '입을 맞추다'.
우리는 부모님께 비밀로 하기 위해 미리 ( ).
To keep a secret, you need to 'match mouths' (align stories).
Which sentence uses the phrase in a romantic sense?
다음 중 '입을 맞추다'가 로맨틱한 의미로 쓰인 것은?
Kissing under the sunset is a romantic context.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 왜 두 사람의 이야기가 달라요? B: 아... 우리가 미리 ( ) 않았거든요.
The stories are different because they didn't 'match mouths' beforehand.
Match the situation to the correct phrase.
Match: 1. Food is delicious. 2. Getting stories straight. 3. Many people saying the same thing.
1-B (입에 맞다), 2-C (입을 맞추다), 3-A (입을 모으다).
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
입을 맞추다 vs 입에 맞다
Practice Bank
4 exercises우리는 부모님께 비밀로 하기 위해 미리 ( ).
To keep a secret, you need to 'match mouths' (align stories).
다음 중 '입을 맞추다'가 로맨틱한 의미로 쓰인 것은?
Kissing under the sunset is a romantic context.
A: 왜 두 사람의 이야기가 달라요? B: 아... 우리가 미리 ( ) 않았거든요.
The stories are different because they didn't 'match mouths' beforehand.
Match: 1. Food is delicious. 2. Getting stories straight. 3. Many people saying the same thing.
1-B (입에 맞다), 2-C (입을 맞추다), 3-A (입을 모으다).
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsNot at all! While it can mean lying, it's also used for positive things like surprise parties or romantic kisses.
Technically yes, but '볼에 뽀뽀하다' is much more common for cheek kisses. '입을 맞추다' usually implies lips.
For the figurative meaning (aligning stories), '말을 맞추다' is slightly more common in modern daily speech, but '입을 맞추다' is very frequent in media and literature.
Use '입에 맞다.' For example: '음식이 제 입에 잘 맞아요.'
The phrase itself is neutral, but the conjugation (맞췄어요 vs 맞췄어) determines the formality.
Only if you are describing a romantic scene in a book. Don't use the 'aligning stories' sense with a teacher unless you are confessing to a prank!
The phrase is native Korean, but the concept of matching is {부합|符合} (bu-hap) or {일치|一致} (il-chi).
It's more specific than 'agree.' It means to *make* your stories agree, usually beforehand.
Yes, the literal and figurative meanings are used in North Korean dialect as well.
No, that would be very confusing! Use '악수했다' for handshakes.
Related Phrases
말을 맞추다
synonymTo match words/stories.
입을 모으다
similarTo gather mouths (to speak with one voice).
한목소리를 내다
similarTo speak with one voice.
입을 씻다
contrastTo wash one's mouth (to feign innocence).
