KOREAN LEVEL UP › Korean phrases › Proverbs & idioms › 믿는 도끼에 발등 찍힌다
“Betrayed by the very person you trusted” in Korean
믿는 도끼에 발등 찍힌다
minneun dokkie baldeung jjikinda
Meaning
Betrayed by the very person you trusted.
Usage note
Literally “your trusted axe chops your instep”. It means being harmed by someone you relied on, close to the English “stabbed in the back”.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 믿는 | ||
| 믿 | ㅁ+ㅣ+ㄷ | [민] min |
| 는 | ㄴ+ㅡ+ㄴ | neun |
| 도끼에 | ||
| 도 | ㄷ+ㅗ | do |
| 끼 | ㄲ+ㅣ | kki |
| 에 | ㅇ+ㅔ | e |
| 발등 | ||
| 발 | ㅂ+ㅏ+ㄹ | bal |
| 등 | ㄷ+ㅡ+ㅇ | deung |
| 찍힌다 | ||
| 찍 | ㅉ+ㅣ+ㄱ | jjik |
| 힌 | ㅎ+ㅣ+ㄴ | hin |
| 다 | ㄷ+ㅏ | da |
A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.
Sound changes in this phrase
- Nasalization: a final ㄱ, ㄷ or ㅂ becomes ㅇ, ㄴ or ㅁ before ㄴ or ㅁ (and a ㄹ after ㅁ or ㅇ becomes ㄴ). 믿는 → [민는]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 믿다 | verb | to believe | TOPIK level 3 |
Quick self-check
Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.
Question 1 What does “믿는 도끼에 발등 찍힌다” mean?
Show the answer
Answer: Betrayed by the very person you trusted
Question 2 How do you say “Betrayed by the very person you trusted” in Korean?
Show the answer
Answer: 믿는 도끼에 발등 찍힌다 minneun dokkie baldeung jjikinda
Learn this phrase by playing: typing drills and quizzes help it stick.
Practice in the gameMore phrases for this situation
- 낫 놓고 기역 자도 모른다Can’t even recognize the letter ㄱ with a sickle in hand. (Totally illiterate.)
- 바늘 도둑이 소 도둑 된다Small wrongs, left alone, grow into big ones
- 개구리 올챙이 적 생각 못 한다Once people succeed, they forget their humble beginnings
- 공든 탑이 무너지랴A tower built with devotion won’t crumble
- 발등에 불이 떨어졌다Things have gotten urgent. The heat is on
- 어깨가 무겁다I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders
Read this page in: 日本語 简体中文 繁體中文 Tiếng Việt Bahasa Indonesia Oʻzbekcha Монгол Français Español (México) ไทย