“To be generous” in Korean: 손이 크다 (soni keuda)

손이 크다

soni keuda

Situation: Proverbs & idiomsLevel: Intermediate (TOPIK 3–4)

Meaning

To be generous.

Literally “has big hands.” It describes someone who gives money or food freely, and also someone who cooks generous portions.

Romanization follows the Revised Romanization system and is a guide to pronunciation.

Syllables: 4 · Words: 2

Said aloud, it sounds like [소니 크다].

Syllable	Letters (consonant + vowel + final)	Romanization
손이
손	ㅅ+ㅗ+ㄴ	[소] so
이	ㅇ+ㅣ	[니] ni
크다
크	ㅋ+ㅡ	keu
다	ㄷ+ㅏ	da

A ㅇ at the start of a syllable is silent; at the end of a syllable it sounds like “ng”.

Linking: when a syllable ending in a consonant (patchim) is followed by a syllable that starts with a vowel, the consonant moves over to the next syllable. 손이 → [소니]

Style: Plain form (-다)Sentence type: Statement or set phrase

Ends in -다. Common in proverbs, writing and the news, but not how you normally speak to the person in front of you.

Test yourself before you move on. Tap an answer.

Question 1 What does “손이 크다” mean?

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Answer: To be generous

Question 2 How do you say “To be generous” in Korean?

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Answer: 손이 크다 soni keuda

Question 3 How is “손이 크다” pronounced?

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Answer: [소니 크다]

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