Korean word

악수

Pronunciation

Romanizationakssu

Meaning

  • nounhandshake

Example

처음 만났을 때 악수를 했어요.cheo eum man na sseul ttae ak ssu reul hae sseo yo

When we first met, we shook hands.

Illustration for 악수 (handshake)

More examples

회의가 끝나자 참석자들이 서로 악수를 했다.hoe ui ga kkeun na ja cham seok jja deu ri seo ro ak ssu reul haet tta

When the meeting ended, the participants shook hands with each other.

Core concept

Hands meet and join briefly to communicate friendliness or a shared agreement.

Common phrases

  • 악수를 하다ak ssu reul ha da

    shake hands

  • 악수를 나누다ak ssu reul na nu da

    exchange handshakes

  • 악수를 건네다ak ssu reul keon ne da

    offer a handshake

Similar words

인사insa: A brief social exchange that shows courtesy when meeting or parting.
절cheol: A respectful gesture made by bending the upper body and lowering the head.

Definition in Korean

만날 때 손을 맞잡아 인사하거나 약속을 나타내는 행위.man nal ttae so neul mat jja ba in sa ha geo na yak sso geul na ta nae neun haeng wi

Word origin

The word developed from Sino-Korean elements for grasping and hand, describing the physical action behind the social custom.

Usage tips

  • English uses shake hands as a verb phrase, while this Korean word names the action as a noun, which helps learners recognize its use with action verbs.

Related words

Word lists with this word