KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean phrases › Proverbs & idioms › 귀가 얇다
“To be easily swayed by others” in Korean: 귀가 얇다
귀가 얇다
gwiga yalda
Meaning
To be easily swayed by others.
Usage note
Literally “ears are thin.” It describes a person who quickly believes and follows other people’s opinions.
Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.
How to pronounce it
In natural speech, sounds link and shift across words. The table below reads each word separately, as it sounds when said on its own.
| Syllable | Letters (consonant + vowel + final) | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| 귀가 | ||
| 귀 | ㄱ+ㅟ | gwi |
| 가 | ㄱ+ㅏ | ga |
| 얇다 | ||
| 얇 | ㅇ+ㅑ+ㄼ | yal |
| 다 | ㄷ+ㅏ | da |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Speech style
Ends in -다. Common in proverbs, writing and the news, but not how you normally speak to the person in front of you.
Words in this phrase
These words from the TOPIK vocabulary lists appear in the phrase (shown in dictionary form).
| Korean | Part of speech | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 귀 | noun | ear | TOPIK level 1 |
Quick self-check
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Question 1 What does “귀가 얇다” mean?
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Answer: To be easily swayed by others
Question 2 How do you say “To be easily swayed by others” in Korean?
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Answer: 귀가 얇다 gwiga yalda
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Practice in the gameMore phrases for this situation
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