피땀
pi-ttam · literally “Blood and sweat”
♪ From the song 피 땀 눈물 (“Blood Sweat & Tears”) by BTS, 2016
Situation: An older relative says 이거 다 피땀 흘려 번 돈이야, and you run it through an AI translator.
✕ What AI tells you
Translates it word for word as 'This is money earned by shedding blood and sweat', which sounds violent or medical.
Why it fails: 피땀 is one fixed word for exhausting effort. 피땀 흘려 번 돈 simply means money earned the hard way. The same image is in BTS's 2016 song title 피 땀 눈물.
✓ How it's used
Read 피땀 as 'hard work' or 'everything someone put in', never literally.
피땀 흘려 번 돈이에요.
pi-ttam heul-lyeo beon do-ni-e-yo
'It's hard-earned money' — often a reason not to waste it
이 프로젝트에 피땀을 쏟았어요.
i peu-ro-jek-teu-e pi-tta-meul sso-da-sseo-yo
'I poured everything into this project'
부모님 피땀으로 대학 다녔어요.
bu-mo-nim pi-tta-meu-ro dae-hak da-nyeo-sseo-yo
'My parents' hard work paid for my college'
Cultural nuance, in depth
English has 'blood, sweat and tears', but Korean 피땀 is an everyday word, not a dramatic phrase. You'll hear it most about money: parents' earnings, savings, a small business. Saying someone wasted your 피땀 is a serious complaint.
- #kpop
- #song
- #idiom
- #money
- #work
More on k-pop & fandom
- K-pop & Fandomv0.7
고민
go-min · “Worry / deliberation”
AI gets it wrong:고민 covers both worrying and weighing a decision. With a choice attached (whether to change jobs, what to eat), it usually just means 'I'm thinking it over' — no distress implied. BTS's 2017 song title 고민보다 Go uses this everyday word.How it's used:뭐 먹을지 고민 중이에요.See why → - K-pop & Fandomv0.7
꽃길
kkot-gil · “Flower road”
AI gets it wrong:꽃길 is a happy, smooth path through life. 꽃길만 걸으세요 means 'I wish you nothing but good things ahead' — a warm wish for graduations, new jobs, weddings, and from fans to their idols. BIGBANG's 2018 song 꽃 길 (English title 'Flower Road') uses the word.How it's used:앞으로 꽃길만 걸으세요.See why → - K-pop & Fandomv0.8
놀아 주다
no-ra ju-da · “Play (for someone)”
AI gets it wrong:놀다 is to play or hang out; adding 주다 makes it a favor. 놀아 주다 is what a parent or older relative does for a child. Between equals, 내가 놀아 줄게 can sound playful-cocky: 'I'll take you on' or 'I'll humor you'. The phrase appears in A2O LITE's 2026 debut song NEON.How it's used:주말에 조카랑 놀아 줘야 해요.See why →