Korean word

토닥토닥

Pronunciation

Romanizationtodaktodak

Meaning

  • adverbgently pat

Example

엄마가 아이의 등을 토닥토닥 해주었다.eom ma ga a i ui teung eul to dak to dak hae ju eot tta

Mom gently patted the child's back.

Illustration for 토닥토닥 (gently pat)

More examples

아이가 울자 엄마가 머리를 토닥토닥 해주었다.a i ga ul ja eom ma ga meo ri reul to dak to dak hae ju eot tta

When the child started crying, the mother gently patted the child's head.

Core concept

A steady, gentle patting motion used to soothe someone without holding them.

Common phrases

  • 머리를 토닥토닥 해주다meo ri reul to dak to dak hae ju da

    gently pat someone's head

  • 마음을 토닥토닥 달래다ma eu meul to dak to dak tal lae da

    gently soothe someone's feelings

Similar words

부드럽게pudeureopkke: Gentle movement or touch uses little pressure.
살며시salmyeosi: A quiet action takes place without being noticed.
살짝saljjak: A small action happens briefly and lightly.

Definition in Korean

가볍게 여러 번 손으로 두드리거나 쓰다듬어 마음을 달래는 소리와 동작을 본뜬 부사로, 안아주지 않고도 위로를 전할 때 쓰인다.ka byeop kke yeo reo peon so neu ro tu deu ri geo na sseu da deu meo ma eu meul tal lae neun so ri wa tong ja geul pon tteun pu sa ro a na ju ji an ko do wi ro reul cheon hal ttae sseu in da

Word origin

The word repeats a sound-symbolic Korean base to portray the quiet rhythm of repeated comforting touches.

Usage tips

  • It commonly appears with action verbs in conversational Korean, making it useful for describing small gestures of comfort in everyday scenes.

Opposites

  • 무심히musimhiunconcernedlyadverb

Related words

Word lists with this word