Korean word

땀

Pronunciation

Romanizationttam

Meaning

  • nounsweat

Example

더워서 땀이 났어요.teo wo seo tta mi na sseo yo

Because it was hot, sweat formed.

Illustration for 땀 (sweat)

More examples

긴장해서 땀이 났어요.kin jang hae seo tta mi na sseo yo

I started to sweat because I was nervous.

Core concept

A thin, salty moisture released by the skin to lower body temperature.

Common phrases

  • 땀을 흘리다tta meul heul li da

    shed sweat

  • 땀이 나다tta mi na da

    break out in a sweat

  • 땀을 닦다tta meul tak tta

    wipe away sweat

Similar words

식은땀sigeunttam: Chilly sweat that appears during strong fear, stress, or surprise.
땀방울ttambangul: One tiny bead of sweat resting on the skin.
땀자국ttamjaguk: A damp mark made by sweat on a piece of clothing.

Definition in Korean

땀은 체온 조절을 돕기 위해 피부에서 분비되는 투명한 체액으로, 소량의 염분을 포함한다.tta meun che on cho jeo reul top kki wi hae pi bu e seo pun bi doe neun tu myeong han che ae geu ro so ryang ui yeom bu neul po ham han da

Word origin

This is an old native Korean word, with its meaning traditionally linked in writing to the Chinese character for sweat.

Usage tips

  • The Korean noun commonly joins verbs meaning come out or flow, so it is not used as a verb in the same way English sweat can be.

Related words

  • 땀샘ttamsaemsweat glandnoun
  • 땀냄새ttamnaemsaesweat smellnoun

Word lists with this word