눈을 깜박이다
nuneul kkambagida
To blink in Korean is 눈을 깜박이다 (nuneul kkambagida). Wiktionary also lists 눈을 깜박거리다 (nuneul kkambakgeorida).
Meaning: to close and reopen both eyes quickly (verb)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 눈을 깜박이다 | nuneul kkambagida |
| 눈을 깜박거리다 | nuneul kkambakgeorida |
Both 눈을 깜박이다 and its variations are used to describe the action of closing and reopening both eyes quickly.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 눈을 깜박이다 is composed of 눈 (eye), the object marker 을 and the verb 깜박이다 (to blink).
Which one should you use?
The form 눈을 깜박이다 can refer to a single blink or the general act of blinking. In contrast, 눈을 깜박거리다 implies a repetitive or continuous action, such as blinking repeatedly or keep blinking. Additionally, 눈을 깜빡이다 is a common alternative spelling for 눈을 깜박이다 and both are widely accepted in standard Korean.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the past tense of 깜박이다, you add 었 to the stem to form 깜박였다 (blinked).
How do you pronounce it?
nuneul kkambagida
Did you know?
- The verb 깜박하다 is used idiomatically to say you forgot something, similar to the English phrase 'it slipped my mind'. This suggests the memory vanished as quickly as a blink.
- The word 깜박이다 is also the standard term used to describe the rhythmic flashing of a car's turn signal or a neon sign.
- The root 깜박 can be used metaphorically to describe a memory 'blinking' or fading in and out of one's mind.
Examples in context
- 그의 눈은 깜빡였다.His eyes blinked.
- 그는 눈 깜빡임이 자연스럽다.His blinking is natural.
- 그녀는 눈을 깜빡거렸다.She blinked her eyes.
- 나는 눈 깜빡임을 자주 한다.I blink frequently.
Example conversation
Minji and Minjun are talking about a magic trick.
- 민지 Min-ji지금 눈을 깜박이다 보면 사라질 거야.jigeum nuneul kkambakida bomyeon sarajil geoya.If you blink now, it will disappear.
- 민준 Min-jun절대 안 할게. 계속 보고 있어.jeoldae an halge. gyesok bogo isseo.I won't. I'm watching closely.
- 민지 Min-ji앗, 방금 눈을 깜박이다 그랬지?at, banggeum nuneul kkambakida geuraetji?Ah, you just blinked, didn't you?
- 민준 Min-jun응, 아주 잠깐 깜박였어.eung, aju jamkkan kkambakyeosseo.Yes, I blinked for just a second.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blink” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
