숨바꼭질
sumbakkokjil[sʰumba̠k͈o̞k̚t͡ɕ͈iɭ]
The English phrase 'hide and seek' is translated into Korean as 숨바꼭질 (sumbakkokjil).
숨바꼭질 is a noun referring to the game of hide and seek. In the context of this game, the person who is designated as the seeker is called 술래.
Meaning: game (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action of playing the game, you add the verb 하다 (meaning 'to do') to the noun, resulting in the phrase 숨바꼭질을 하다.
How do you pronounce it?
sumbakkokjil
Did you know?
- In Korean, the suffix -질 at the end of 숨바꼭질 is often used to denote repetitive or habitual actions, frequently used in words for manual labor or even derogatory slang.
- The term 술래 is believed by some linguists to be derived from a word meaning 'to patrol' or 'to walk a circuit'.
- The word 숨 comes from a root meaning 'to hide', but it is a homonym for the Korean word for 'breath'.
Examples in context
- 술래잡기 하자!Let's play hide and seek!
- 좋아! 난 숨바꼭질 좋아해.Sure! I love playing hide and seek.
- 오늘 친구들과 숨바꼭질 할 거야?Are you going to play hide and seek with friends today?
- 숨바꼭질을 하고 싶어요.sumbakkojireul hago sipeoyo.I want to play hide and seek.
- 어릴 때 숨바꼭질을 자주 했어요.eoril ttae sumbakkojireul jaju haesseoyo.I used to play hide and seek often when I was young.
- 우리 숨바꼭질할까?uri sumbakkojil halkka?Shall we play hide and seek?
Example conversation
Jihoon and Seoyeon are playing at a park.
- 지훈 Ji-hun서연 씨, 숨바꼭질 할까요?Seoyeon ssi, sumbakkokjil halkkayo?Seoyeon, shall we play hide and seek?
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 좋아요! 제가 먼저 숨을게요.ne, joayo! jega meonjeo sumeulgeyo.Yes, sounds good! I'll hide first.
- 지훈 Ji-hun그럼 제가 눈을 감고 숫자를 셀게요.geureom jega nuneul gamgo sutjareul selgeyo.Then I will close my eyes and count.
- 서연 Seo-yeon빨리 찾으러 오세요!ppalli chajeureo oseyo!Come find me quickly!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hide and seek” translations and entries 숨바꼭질, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
