마음을 먹다.
450
Make up one's mind.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
A powerful way to say you've finally made up your mind about something important.
- Means: To firmly decide or resolve to do something.
- Used in: Setting New Year's resolutions or starting a difficult task.
- Don't confuse: It's stronger than just 'choosing' (고르다); it's about internal resolve.
Explanation at your level:
意思
To decide firmly on a course of action.
文化背景
The phrase is often used in the context of 'Sa-hae-da-jim' (New Year's resolutions). Koreans often visit the East Sea to watch the sunrise while 'eating their mind' for the new year. In corporate culture, '마음을 먹다' is used to show loyalty or commitment to a project. A manager might ask if a team has 'eaten their mind' to finish a task on time. Students preparing for the CSAT (Suneung) are often told to '마음 단단히 먹어라' (steel your mind) to handle the immense pressure of the exam. Protagonists in revenge dramas often use this phrase when they finally decide to take action against their enemies, usually accompanied by a dramatic haircut or change in style.
Use with ~기로
Always pair it with the verb ending ~기로 to say 'decided TO [action].'
Not for Food
Never use this when you are actually hungry and want to eat!
意思
To decide firmly on a course of action.
Use with ~기로
Always pair it with the verb ending ~기로 to say 'decided TO [action].'
Not for Food
Never use this when you are actually hungry and want to eat!
Add Adverbs
Use '단단히' (firmly) to sound like a native who is very serious about their goal.
Encouragement
Say '마음만 먹으면 할 수 있어!' to a friend who is doubting themselves. It's very supportive.
自我测试
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '마음을 먹다'.
건강을 위해서 매일 운동하기로 ( ).
In most contexts of stating a decision, the past tense '마음먹었어요' is used to show the decision is already made.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Select the natural Korean sentence.
The idiom '마음을 먹다' is only for decisions, not for eating food.
Complete the dialogue.
가: 이번 시험 공부 많이 했어? 나: 아니, 하지만 지금부터라도 ( ) 공부할 거야.
'단단히 마음먹고' (steeled/firmly decided) is the most natural way to express strong intent in this context.
Match the situation to the correct expression.
You have finally decided to quit your job after months of thinking.
'마음을 먹다' is for making a decision. '마음이 아프다' is for sadness, '마음에 들다' is for liking something, and '마음을 쓰다' is for worrying.
🎉 得分： /4
视觉学习工具
Deciding in Korean
常见问题
12 个问题Yes, it is neutral. You can make it polite by saying '마음을 먹었어요' or '마음을 먹었습니다'.
It sounds a bit dramatic for small things. Use '결정하다' or '고르다' for choosing food.
'결심하다' is more formal/academic. '마음을 먹다' is more idiomatic and common in speech.
No, only '먹다' (eat) is used in this idiom.
You can say '아직 마음을 못 먹었어요' or '아직 결정 못 했어요'.
It's better to use '마음을 먹다' or '결심하다' in formal writing. '맘먹다' is for texting.
In Korean, 'eating' often means internalizing an experience or emotion.
Yes, '마음먹을 거예요' (I will decide), but it's less common than the past tense.
Usually, but you can '마음을 독하게 먹다' to do something difficult or even mean.
Young people might say '맘먹음' in a checklist or status update.
Yes, '그가 마음을 먹었어요' (He decided).
Yes, it is a standard Korean idiom used across the peninsula.
相关表达
결심하다
synonymTo decide/resolve
마음을 굳히다
builds onTo harden one's mind
작정하다
similarTo intend/plan
뜻을 세우다
specialized formTo establish one's will
마음을 돌리다
contrastTo change one's mind
각오하다
similarTo be prepared/braced
在哪里用
New Year's Resolutions
A: 올해 계획이 뭐야?
B: 매일 아침 조깅하기로 마음먹었어!
Job Interview
면접관: 왜 우리 회사에 지원했습니까?
지원자: 이 분야의 전문가가 되기로 마음을 먹었기 때문입니다.
Quitting a Habit
친구: 또 담배 피워?
나: 아니, 이제 진짜 끊기로 마음먹었어.
Encouraging a Friend
A: 내가 할 수 있을까?
B: 네가 마음만 먹으면 뭐든 할 수 있어!
Big Purchase
남편: 우리 차 바꿀까?
아내: 큰돈 드는 일이니까 마음 단단히 먹고 결정하자.
Confessing Feelings
나: 오늘 그녀에게 고백하기로 마음먹었어.
친구: 와, 화이팅!
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of your goal as a delicious meal. To make it yours, you have to 'eat' the decision (마음을 먹다) so it stays inside you forever.
Visual Association
Imagine a person sitting at a dinner table, but instead of food, there is a glowing light (representing their mind/will) on the plate. They eat it and suddenly their body starts to glow with determination.
Rhyme
마음을 먹으면, 꿈을 이뤄요 (If you eat your mind, you achieve your dream).
Story
Min-su wanted to climb Mt. Halla but was scared. One morning, he sat down and told himself, 'I will do this.' He 'ate' that thought like breakfast. That 'mind-meal' gave him the energy to reach the summit.
Word Web
挑战
Write down one thing you want to do this week using the phrase: '[Action]하기로 마음먹었어요!' and say it out loud three times.
In Other Languages
Tomar una decisión / Hacerse a la idea
Spanish focuses on 'taking' or 'making,' while Korean focuses on 'consuming' the intent.
Prendre une décision / Se décider
French uses a reflexive structure (se décider) to show the action is on oneself.
Sich etwas vornehmen
Korean is internal (eating), German is external/spatial (placing before).
腹을 括る (Hara o kukuru) / 決心する (Kesshin suru)
Japanese 'binds' the belly, while Korean 'eats' the mind.
عقد العزم (Aqada al-azm)
Arabic uses a 'binding' metaphor; Korean uses a 'consumption' metaphor.
下定决心 (Xiàdìng juéxīn)
Chinese focuses on the 'settling' of the heart, Korean on the 'internalization' (eating).
To make up one's mind / To set one's heart on
English is about building or placing; Korean is about consuming.
Tomar uma decisão / Mentalizar
Portuguese lacks the visceral 'eating' metaphor.
Easily Confused
Both start with '마음' (mind/heart).
Remember: '먹다' (eat) = Decision; '들다' (enter) = Liking something (it entered your heart).
Both involve doing something with the '마음'.
'쓰다' (use/write) = Caring or worrying about someone; '먹다' (eat) = Making a decision for yourself.
常见问题 (12)
Yes, it is neutral. You can make it polite by saying '마음을 먹었어요' or '마음을 먹었습니다'.
It sounds a bit dramatic for small things. Use '결정하다' or '고르다' for choosing food.
'결심하다' is more formal/academic. '마음을 먹다' is more idiomatic and common in speech.
No, only '먹다' (eat) is used in this idiom.
You can say '아직 마음을 못 먹었어요' or '아직 결정 못 했어요'.
It's better to use '마음을 먹다' or '결심하다' in formal writing. '맘먹다' is for texting.
In Korean, 'eating' often means internalizing an experience or emotion.
Yes, '마음먹을 거예요' (I will decide), but it's less common than the past tense.
Usually, but you can '마음을 독하게 먹다' to do something difficult or even mean.
Young people might say '맘먹음' in a checklist or status update.
Yes, '그가 마음을 먹었어요' (He decided).
Yes, it is a standard Korean idiom used across the peninsula.
