Korean word

토닥거리다

Pronunciation

Romanizationtodakkkeorida

Meaning

  • verbpat

Example

친구가 울어서 제가 토닥거렸어요.chin gu ga u reo seo che ga to dak kkeo ryeo sseo yo

My friend was crying, so I patted them.

Illustration for 토닥거리다 (pat)

More examples

밤에 잠들지 못하는 아기의 등을 어머니가 토닥거려 주셨다.pa me cham deul ji mo ta neun a gi ui teung eul eo meo ni ga to dak kkeo ryeo chu syeot tta

The mother gently patted the baby's back while the baby could not fall asleep at night.

Core concept

A gentle hand movement that repeatedly taps someone to calm and comfort them.

Common phrases

  • 등을 토닥거리다teung eul to dak kkeo ri da

    pat someone on the back

  • 마음을 토닥거리다ma eu meul to dak kkeo ri da

    soothe someone's heart

Similar words

위로하다wirohada: Helping a distressed person feel less alone and regain courage through kind words or support.
달래다tallaeda: Settling a person's troubled feelings through comfort, attention, or gentle distraction.

Definition in Korean

가볍게 손이나 손바닥으로 여러 번 두드리며 상대를 달래는 동사.ka byeop kke so ni na son ba da geu ro yeo reo peon tu deu ri myeo sang dae reul tal lae neun tong sa

Word origin

The word combines a sound-symbolic base for light tapping with a suffix that marks a repeated or continuing action.

Usage tips

  • It belongs to warm, familiar interactions, so it sounds natural with a child, a friend, or someone who needs comfort rather than in a formal exchange.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word