Meaning
To be extremely happy and excited, feeling like jumping for joy.
Cultural Background
In Korean traditional dance (Talchum), jumping represents a release of 'Han' (sorrow) and an embrace of 'Heung' (joy). On platforms like Instagram, Koreans often use the abbreviation '뛸뜻기' in hashtags, though the full phrase is more common. Because of the high pressure of the 'Suneung' (CSAT) exam, this phrase is most frequently associated with university acceptance letters. Korean sports commentators frequently use this to describe the reaction of a player who just scored a winning goal.
Use with -어/아 하다 for others
Remember: '나는 기쁘다' (I am happy) but '그는 기뻐한다' (He is happy). This applies to the idiom too!
Don't overdo it
If you use this for every small thing, you'll sound like a cartoon character. Save it for the 10/10 moments.
Meaning
To be extremely happy and excited, feeling like jumping for joy.
Use with -어/아 하다 for others
Remember: '나는 기쁘다' (I am happy) but '그는 기뻐한다' (He is happy). This applies to the idiom too!
Don't overdo it
If you use this for every small thing, you'll sound like a cartoon character. Save it for the 10/10 moments.
Body Language
When saying this, a small shoulder shrug or a bright smile helps convey the 'jumping' energy.
Test Yourself
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
복권에 당첨된 남자는 너무 좋아서 (______) 기뻐했다.
The idiom for extreme joy is '뛸 듯이 기쁘다'.
Which situation is MOST appropriate for this phrase?
언제 '뛸 듯이 기쁘다'라고 말할까요?
This phrase is for major, life-changing happy events.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 이번에 승진하셨다면서요? 축하드려요! B: 감사합니다. 정말 (______).
Promotion is a happy event, so '기쁘네요' is correct.
Match the Korean phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are all related expressions of high emotion.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercises복권에 당첨된 남자는 너무 좋아서 (______) 기뻐했다.
The idiom for extreme joy is '뛸 듯이 기쁘다'.
언제 '뛸 듯이 기쁘다'라고 말할까요?
This phrase is for major, life-changing happy events.
A: 이번에 승진하셨다면서요? 축하드려요! B: 감사합니다. 정말 (______).
Promotion is a happy event, so '기쁘네요' is correct.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are all related expressions of high emotion.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questionsIt's a bit too informal for a standard business email. Use '매우 기쁘게 생각합니다' instead.
No, it's figurative. You don't actually have to jump, though people often do!
'행복하다' is a long-term state of happiness. '기쁘다' (and this idiom) is a sudden burst of joy.
No, that is grammatically correct but semantically impossible. Jumping is for joy.
Not at all. It is a timeless idiom used by all generations.
Related Phrases
날아갈 듯이 기쁘다
similarTo be happy as if one could fly.
입이 귀에 걸리다
similarTo have a mouth hanging on one's ears (a wide grin).
세상을 다 얻은 것 같다
similarTo feel as if one has gained the whole world.
가슴이 벅차오르다
builds onTo be overwhelmed with emotion.
