피 땀 눈물
pi ttam nunmul
'blood sweat and tears' in Korean is 피 땀 눈물 (pi ttam nunmul).
This phrase is used to describe the extreme hard work and sacrifice put into achieving a goal. It is frequently used in Korean media, music (notably by the group BTS) and motivational contexts to emphasize intense devotion and struggle.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of the English idiom, consisting of the nouns 피 (blood), 땀 (sweat) and 눈물 (tears).
How does it change in a sentence?
In more formal or complete written sentences, the particles 와/과 (and) can be inserted between the nouns to form 피와 땀과 눈물.
How do you pronounce it?
pi ttam nunmul
Did you know?
- Because the phrase is a translation of an English idiom, it is sometimes referred to as a 'translation style' expression. While perfectly understood, native speakers might occasionally use more traditional Korean four-character idioms, or 'saja-seong-eo', to convey similar feelings of intense struggle.
- The word for 'sweat' 땀 was written as ᄯᆞᆷ in Middle Korean documents from 1459. It used a reinforced consonant and a vowel that no longer exists in the modern alphabet.
- While 피 땀 눈물 is a translation of the English idiom, Korean culture has a long history of using 'blood' 피 in metaphors for kinship and deep sacrifice that predates the English phrase.
Examples in context
- 그 프로젝트는 피 땀 눈물의 결과예요.geu peurojekteuneun pi ttam nunmului gyeolgwayeyo.That project is the result of blood, sweat, and tears.
- 피 땀 눈물을 흘리며 노력했어요.pi ttam nunmureul heullimyeo noryeokaesseoyo.I worked with blood, sweat, and tears.
- 이 승리는 피 땀 눈물의 결실입니다.i seungrineun pi ttam nunmului gyeolsirimnida.This victory is the fruit of blood, sweat, and tears.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a successful product launch.
- 서연 Seo-yeon도현 씨, 이번 신제품 출시 정말 축하해요!Dohyeon ssi, ibeon sinjepum chulsi jeongmal chukahaeyo!Dohyun, congratulations on the new product launch!
- 도현 Do-hyeon고마워요, 서연 씨. 정말 힘들었거든요.Gomawoyo, Seoyeon ssi. Jeongmal himdeureotgeodeunyo.Thank you, Seoyeon. It was really difficult.
- 서연 Seo-yeon그동안 피 땀 눈물을 흘리며 고생 많으셨어요.Geudonggan pi ttam nunmureul heullimyeo gosaeng maneusyeosseoyo.You went through so much with blood, sweat, and tears.
- 도현 Do-hyeon노력한 보람이 있어서 다행이에요.Noryeokhan borami isseoseo dahaeng-ieyo.I'm glad the effort was worth it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 땀, 피, CC BY-SA 4.0.
