응원하다
eung-wonhada
To cheer in Korean is 응원하다 (eung-wonhada).
The verb 응원하다 is used to mean applauding or encouraging someone with cheers or shouts.
Meaning: to applaud or encourage with cheers or shouts (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 응원하다 is the verb for the act of cheering, other expressions like 파이팅 are used as exclamations to boost morale.
How do you pronounce it?
eung-wonhada
Did you know?
- In Korean baseball, cheering is so integral that teams employ professional 'cheerleaders' who lead the crowd in specific songs for every single player on the roster.
- The noun in 응원하다, 응원, uses the character 應 which historically means 'to respond' and 援 meaning 'to assist'. This suggests that cheering is not just making noise, but is a way of responding to help someone.
- When people cheer for a specific person, they may create a 'cheering banner' called an 응원봉, which is often a customized LED light stick that changes colors to match the artist or athlete.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 응원하다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
