Korean onomatopoeia and mimetic words: 두근두근, 반짝반짝, 꼬르륵 and how to use them
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Korean has thousands of sound and shape words, and they are everywhere: in webtoons, children's books, adverts, drama dialogue and everyday chat. Learning a handful makes Korean sound much more natural, and makes webtoon panels instantly easier to read.
Two kinds of word
- Uiseongeo (의성어): words that imitate a sound, like English "bang" or "buzz".
- Uitaeeo (의태어): words that describe a movement, look or feeling. English has few of these, which is why they are hard to translate.
Many of them are repeated: 두근두근, 반짝반짝, 엉금엉금. The repetition suggests something continuing or happening over and over.
Sound words
- 꼬르륵 (kkoreureuk): a rumbling stomach. 배에서 꼬르륵 소리가 나요. My stomach is rumbling.
- 쿵쿵 (kungkung): heavy thuds, like footsteps upstairs or a heart pounding. A single 쿵 is one thud.
- 똑똑 (ttokttok): knocking on a door, or water dripping.
- 멍멍 (meongmeong): a dog barking. 야옹 (yaong): a cat.
- 쨍그랑 (jjaenggeurang): glass smashing.
- 하하 / 호호 / ㅋㅋ: laughter, from hearty to giggly to the online version.
Shape and feeling words
- 두근두근 (dugeundugeun): a heart beating fast with nerves or excitement. The classic romance word.
- 반짝반짝 (banjjakbanjjak): twinkling or sparkling. It opens the Korean "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star".
- 엉금엉금 (eonggeumeonggeum): crawling slowly, like a tortoise.
- 살금살금 (salgeumsalgeum): tiptoeing, sneaking.
- 말랑말랑 (mallangmallang): soft and squishy.
- 보들보들 (bodeulbodeul): soft and smooth, of skin or fabric.
- 꾸벅꾸벅 (kkubeokkkubeok): nodding off.
- 설렁설렁 (seolleongseolleong): doing something casually, half-heartedly.
- 엉엉 (eongeong): sobbing loudly. 훌쩍훌쩍: sniffling.
How they work in sentences
Most act as adverbs and go before the verb:
- 아기가 엉금엉금 기어가요. The baby crawls slowly along.
- 별이 반짝반짝 빛나요. The stars twinkle.
Many take -하다 to become verbs or adjectives:
- 가슴이 두근두근해요. My heart is pounding.
- 빵이 말랑말랑해요. The bread is soft.
Some take -거리다 or -대다, meaning the sound or movement keeps going:
- 반짝거리다, to keep sparkling; 두근거리다, to keep fluttering.
Vowel and consonant changes
Korean sound symbolism follows patterns:
- Bright vowels (ㅏ, ㅗ) feel small, light or cute; dark vowels (ㅓ, ㅜ) feel big or heavy. 반짝반짝 is a small twinkle, 번쩍번쩍 a big flash. 졸졸 is a trickle, 줄줄 a steady stream.
- Tense or aspirated consonants make it stronger: 빙빙 spinning, 삥삥 spinning harder, 핑핑 dizzily.
Once you notice the pattern, you can often guess the feeling of a new word.
Why they are everywhere in webtoons and dramas
- Webtoons write sound effects into the art: 두근 next to a blushing face, 쾅 for an impact, 스윽 for something sliding. Reading them is part of reading the comic.
- Drama subtitles flatten them into ordinary English, but listen and you will hear them constantly in dialogue, especially from children and in affectionate speech.
- Food adverts and menus love them: 바삭바삭 (crunchy), 쫄깃쫄깃 (chewy), 보글보글 (bubbling stew).
How to learn them
- Learn them as feelings with a scene attached, not dictionary entries.
- Collect the ones you meet in a webtoon or show, with the sentence.
- Say them aloud; they are fun, and the rhythm sticks.
Our slang guide and listening guide pair well with this. Which sound word made you smile the first time you heard it? Share it in the comments.