B1 Idiom Neutro

발등에 불 끄다

baldeung-e bul kkeuda

put out an urgent fire

Phrase in 30 Seconds

To deal with an immediate, urgent problem that requires your full attention right now.

  • Means: Solving a pressing issue that is right in front of you.
  • Used in: Work deadlines, sudden emergencies, or last-minute tasks.
  • Don't confuse: It is not about long-term planning; it is about immediate survival.
Fire on feet + urgent action = crisis averted

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means you have a big problem right now. You must fix it fast. It is like a fire on your foot.
When you have a very urgent task, you use this phrase. It means you are busy fixing a problem that needs to be done immediately, like a deadline today.
This idiom describes the act of dealing with an immediate crisis. It is often used when you have procrastinated and now must work quickly to finish something before a deadline. It highlights the pressure of the moment.
Used to characterize reactive problem-solving under extreme time constraints. It implies that the situation has reached a critical point where no further delay is possible. It is a common way to express the stress of 'crunch time' in professional or academic environments.
This idiom serves as a metaphor for crisis management. It denotes the transition from a state of potential negligence to one of frantic, necessary activity. It is linguistically significant for its ability to convey both the urgency of the task and the emotional state of the individual facing the deadline.
The phrase functions as a cognitive marker for 'urgent necessity.' It encapsulates the intersection of temporal pressure and task-oriented behavior. In discourse, it often serves to justify a lack of long-term planning by emphasizing the immediate, existential threat posed by an impending deadline, thereby framing the speaker's frantic activity as a rational response to an acute crisis.

Significado

To deal with an immediate and pressing problem.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Reflects the 'Pali-pali' (hurry-hurry) culture where speed is often prioritized.

💡

Context is key

Always use this when you are under pressure.

Significado

To deal with an immediate and pressing problem.

💡

Context is key

Always use this when you are under pressure.

Teste-se

Fill in the blank with the correct verb.

마감 때문에 지금 발등에 불을 _____.

✓ Correto! ✗ Quase. Resposta certa: 껐어요

You extinguish (끄다) a fire, you don't turn it on (켜다).

🎉 Pontuação: /1

Perguntas frequentes

1 perguntas

No, it is only for immediate, urgent tasks.

Frases relacionadas

🔗

발등에 불이 떨어지다

similar

To be in a crisis

Onde usar

⏰

Work Deadline

Boss: Is the report ready?

Employee: I'm currently putting out the fire on my feet, I'll have it in 10 minutes!

neutral
📚

Student Exam

Friend: Want to go out?

Student: Can't, I'm putting out the fire on my feet for tomorrow's exam.

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine a tiny fire on your toes—you have to stomp it out right now!

Visual Association

A person in a suit jumping up and down because their shoes are on fire, frantically trying to find a fire extinguisher.

Rhyme

Fire on the feet, needs a quick beat.

Story

Min-su had a report due in an hour. He hadn't started. He felt the heat on his feet. He started typing like crazy. He was putting out the fire on his feet.

Word Web

긴급마감위기해결바쁘다대처

Desafio

Write three sentences about a time you had to 'put out a fire' at work or school.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Apagar fuegos

None, the usage is nearly identical.

French high

Éteindre les incendies

None.

German high

Feuer löschen

German often focuses on the action rather than the location (feet).

Japanese moderate

火の車 (Hi no kuruma)

Japanese focuses on financial desperation, Korean on general urgency.

Arabic high

إطفاء الحرائق

None.

Chinese high

救火 (Jiù huǒ)

Chinese doesn't specify the location (feet).

Korean self

발등에 불 끄다

N/A

Portuguese high

Apagar incêndios

None.

Easily Confused

발등에 불 끄다 vs 발등에 불이 떨어지다

Learners confuse the active 'putting out' with the passive 'fire falling'.

Use '끄다' when you are working to fix it, use '떨어지다' when the problem just arrived.

Perguntas frequentes (1)

No, it is only for immediate, urgent tasks.

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