Korean word

떨리다

Pronunciation

Romanizationtteollida

Meaning

  • verbshake

Example

겨울이라서 손이 떨려요.kyeo u ri ra seo so ni tteol lyeo yo

Because it is winter, my hands are shaking.

Illustration for 떨리다 (shake)

More examples

면접 볼 때 손이 떨려요.myeon jeop pol ttae so ni tteol lyeo yo

My hands tremble when I have a job interview.

Core concept

The body or one of its parts starts to quiver, whether the cause is physical cold or a strong feeling such as fear or nervousness.

Common phrases

  • 손이 떨리다so ni tteol li da

    hands tremble

  • 가슴이 떨리다ka seu mi tteol li da

    heart pounds

  • 목소리가 떨리다mok sso ri ga tteol li da

    voice trembles

Similar words

떨다tteolda: Making small repeated movements because of cold, fear, or nervousness.
긴장하다kinjanghada: Becoming nervous and unable to stay calm before an important event.
두근거리다tugeungeorida: Having a heart that beats quickly from nervousness or excitement.
초조해하다chojohaehada: Feeling restless and unable to settle because of worry.

Definition in Korean

긴장이나 흥분으로 심장이나 손·목소리에 떨리는 감각이 생기다.kin jang i na heung bu neu ro sim jang i na son mok sso ri e tteol li neun kam ga gi saeng gi da

Word origin

The word developed from a native Korean verb for shaking or trembling, extending physical movement to the visible effects of emotion.

Usage tips

  • A useful usage point is that the subject can be a body part or a voice, so the word helps describe how nervousness shows on the outside.

Other meanings

  • feel nervousverb
  • trembleverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word