Korean word

씨름

Pronunciation

Romanizationssireum

Meaning

  • nounKorean wrestling

Example

어제 마을 축제에서 씨름을 봤어요.eo je ma eul chuk jje e seo ssi reu meul pwa sseo yo

I watched Korean wrestling at the village festival yesterday.

Illustration for 씨름 (Korean wrestling)

More examples

동네 문화센터에서 씨름 교실을 열었어요.tong ne mun hwa sen teo e seo ssi reum kyo si reul yeo reo sseo yo

A Korean wrestling class was opened at the neighborhood cultural center.

Core concept

A pair of wrestlers lock onto each other's belt and try to upset the other's balance until one falls.

Common phrases

  • 씨름을 하다ssi reu meul ha da

    practice Korean wrestling

  • 씨름을 보다ssi reu meul po da

    watch Korean wrestling

  • 씨름 대회ssi reum tae hoe

    Korean wrestling tournament

Similar words

레슬링reseulling: A modern combat sport uses throws, takedowns, points, and pins to determine victory.
민속놀이minsongnori: Traditional activities shared by a community are often played during festivals and special holidays.

Definition in Korean

씨름은 두 사람이 샅바를 잡고 서로를 넘어뜨려 승부를 가리는 한국의 민속 경기이다.ssi reu meun tu sa ra mi sat ppa reul chap kko seo ro reul neo meo tteu ryeo seung bu reul ka ri neun han gu gui min sok kyeong gi i da

Word origin

The word belongs to native Korean vocabulary, but its original formation is uncertain, so its traditional sporting use is the safest association to learn.

Usage tips

  • Unlike the broad English idea of wrestling, this word strongly points to a Korean cultural tradition, which makes it useful in TOPIK passages about customs and events.

Related words

  • 씨름꾼ssireumkkunKorean wrestlernoun
  • 씨름대회ssireumdaehoeKorean wrestling tournamentnoun

Word lists with this word