가슴을 쓸어내리다
gaseumeul sseureonaerida
Stroke one's chest down
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use this phrase to describe the physical and emotional feeling of relief after a scary or worrying moment passes safely.
- Means: Feeling deeply relieved after being very worried or startled.
- Used in: Close calls, finding lost items, or hearing good news after a scare.
- Don't confuse: With '가슴이 아프다' which means feeling sad or heartbroken.
Explanation at your level:
意思
To feel relieved after a period of anxiety or worry.
文化背景
The chest is seen as the emotional center. When Koreans are frustrated, they often hit their chest (가슴을 치다). When relieved, they sweep it. This physical connection to emotions is very strong in the language. The concept of 'Hwa-byeong' (fire illness) involves suppressed anger in the chest. Sweeping the chest is a folk-remedy gesture to prevent 'Hwa' (fire) from rising to the head. Using this phrase for others (e.g., 'You must have been so relieved') is a high-level way to show empathy (Gong-gam) in Korean society. News anchors use this phrase during national emergencies to describe the public's reaction when a threat (like a missile test or a virus outbreak) is de-escalated.
Use with '진짜' or '정말'
This idiom is almost always used with intensifiers like '진짜' (really) or '정말' (truly) to emphasize the depth of relief.
Don't use for small things
If you use it for something like 'I'm relieved the bus came on time,' it sounds like you were having a life-crisis about the bus.
意思
To feel relieved after a period of anxiety or worry.
Use with '진짜' or '정말'
This idiom is almost always used with intensifiers like '진짜' (really) or '정말' (truly) to emphasize the depth of relief.
Don't use for small things
If you use it for something like 'I'm relieved the bus came on time,' it sounds like you were having a life-crisis about the bus.
Combine with '휴~'
Starting your sentence with the sigh '휴~' (Hyu~) makes the idiom sound 100% more natural.
Body Language
When saying this, actually putting your hand on your chest makes you look like a native speaker.
自我测试
Choose the most natural phrase to complete the sentence.
아이를 잃어버린 줄 알았는데 경찰서에 있다는 말을 듣고 정말 ( ).
The context is finding a lost child, which causes intense relief. '가슴을 쓸어내렸어요' is the correct idiom.
Fill in the blanks with the correct particles and verb form.
사고가 날 뻔해서 너무 놀랐지만, 다행히 안 나서 가슴( ) 쓸어( ).
The object marker '을' and the verb '내렸어요' are required for this idiom.
In which situation would you NOT use '가슴을 쓸어내리다'?
다음 중 이 표현을 쓰기에 적절하지 않은 상황은?
This idiom requires a state of worry or danger before the relief. Simply being happy about a meal is not appropriate.
Complete the dialogue naturally.
A: 어제 강아지가 집을 나가서 정말 걱정 많았지? B: 응, 오늘 아침에 찾았어. 정말 ( ).
Finding a lost pet is a classic 'relief' scenario.
🎉 得分： /4
视觉学习工具
Relief vs. Shock
常见问题
10 个问题It's a bit informal for a very stiff business email, but perfectly fine for a Slack message or a friendly email to a colleague after a project is done.
Mostly, yes. It's for avoiding a negative outcome or hearing that a negative situation has been resolved.
'다행이다' is a general 'It's a relief.' '가슴을 쓸어내리다' is more descriptive and emotional, focusing on the physical feeling of relief.
Yes! You can say '그 소식을 듣고 가슴을 쓸어내렸어요' to show you were worried about them.
Yes, in this specific idiom, '가슴' is the only body part used. You can't say '머리를 쓸어내리다' for relief.
No, the idiom itself describes a positive feeling (relief), though it implies a negative situation preceded it.
Yes, it often appears in songs about breakups (relief that the pain is over) or protection (relief that a loved one is safe).
Use the formal polite form: '가슴을 쓸어내렸습니다.'
Only if the weather was going to ruin something very important, like a wedding or a major event.
Younger people might just say '살았다!' (I lived!) or '다행쓰' (slang version of 다행).
相关表达
십년감수하다
similarTo have ten years taken off one's life (due to shock).
마음을 놓다
similarTo set one's mind at ease.
가슴이 내려앉다
contrastOne's heart sinks.
안도하다
synonymTo be relieved.
가슴이 벅차다
similarTo be overwhelmed with joy/pride.
在哪里用
Lost Child in Mall
A: 우리 아이 어디 갔지? 어, 저기 있다!
B: 휴, 정말 가슴을 쓸어내렸어. 조심해!
Exam Results
A: 시험 결과 나왔어? 합격이야?
B: 응, 겨우 합격했어. 진짜 가슴을 쓸어내렸어.
Near Car Accident
A: 방금 차랑 부딪힐 뻔했어!
B: 와, 진짜 십년감수했네. 가슴을 쓸어내렸어.
Lost Passport at Airport
A: 여권 찾았어요? 가방 밑에 있었네요.
B: 네, 못 찾는 줄 알고 정말 가슴을 쓸어내렸습니다.
Medical Test Results
A: 검사 결과가 다행히 정상입니다.
B: 선생님 말씀 들으니 이제야 가슴을 쓸어내리게 되네요.
Work Deadline
A: 파일 전송 성공했어요! 1분 남았네요.
B: 와, 다들 고생했어요. 진짜 가슴을 쓸어내렸네요.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine your heart is a dusty shelf of 'worry dust.' When the danger passes, you 'sweep' the dust down to make it clean and calm again.
Visual Association
Picture a person in a K-drama exhaling a huge 'Phew!' while using their flat palm to stroke their chest from their neck down to their stomach.
Rhyme
Worry high, heart in the sky; sweep it low, let the stress go.
Story
You are walking in the dark and see a ghost! Your heart jumps! You get closer and see it's just a white plastic bag. You put your hand on your chest and sweep down, saying '가슴을 쓸어내렸네!'
Word Web
挑战
Next time you find something you thought you lost, say '가슴을 쓸어내렸어요' out loud three times.
In Other Languages
Breathe a sigh of relief / A weight off one's shoulders
Korean uses a specific hand-gesture metaphor.
胸をなでおろす (Mune o nadeorosu)
The verbs are slightly different but mean the same action.
松了一口气 (Sōngle yī kǒuqì)
Focuses on the lungs/breath rather than the chest surface.
Respirar aliviado / Volverle el alma al cuerpo
Spanish uses the 'soul' (alma) as the central metaphor.
Pousser un ouf de soulagement
French is auditory; Korean is tactile/physical.
Ein Stein vom Herzen fallen
German focuses on weight; Korean focuses on the motion of calming.
تنفس الصعداء (Tanaffasa al-su'ada')
Arabic uses a very poetic and classical verb for breathing.
Tirar o peso das costas
Focuses on the back, whereas Korean focuses on the front (chest).
Easily Confused
Both involve the chest and a 'downward' motion (내리다 vs 내려앉다).
Remember: 'Sweeping' (쓸다) is a gentle, intentional action (relief). 'Sinking' (내려앉다) is a sudden, heavy drop (shock).
Both use '가슴' (chest).
'아프다' is for sadness or physical pain. '쓸어내리다' is only for the end of worry.
常见问题 (10)
It's a bit informal for a very stiff business email, but perfectly fine for a Slack message or a friendly email to a colleague after a project is done.
Mostly, yes. It's for avoiding a negative outcome or hearing that a negative situation has been resolved.
'다행이다' is a general 'It's a relief.' '가슴을 쓸어내리다' is more descriptive and emotional, focusing on the physical feeling of relief.
Yes! You can say '그 소식을 듣고 가슴을 쓸어내렸어요' to show you were worried about them.
Yes, in this specific idiom, '가슴' is the only body part used. You can't say '머리를 쓸어내리다' for relief.
No, the idiom itself describes a positive feeling (relief), though it implies a negative situation preceded it.
Yes, it often appears in songs about breakups (relief that the pain is over) or protection (relief that a loved one is safe).
Use the formal polite form: '가슴을 쓸어내렸습니다.'
Only if the weather was going to ruin something very important, like a wedding or a major event.
Younger people might just say '살았다!' (I lived!) or '다행쓰' (slang version of 다행).
