살이 빠지다
sar-i ppajida
To lose weight in Korean is 살이 빠지다 (sar-i ppajida). Wiktionary also lists 체중이 줄다 (chejung-i julda) and 체중을 감소시키다 (chejung-eul gamsosikida).
Meaning: to become less heavy or obese (verb)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 살이 빠지다 | sar-i ppajida | |
| 체중이 줄다 | chejung-i julda | |
| 체중을 감소시키다 | chejung-eul gamsosikida | |
| 여위다 | yeowida | [jʌ̹ɥida̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [jʌ̹yda̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
The phrase is used to describe becoming less heavy or obese.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 살이 빠지다 literally means 'fat falls out' or 'flesh is lost'.
Which one should you use?
While 살이 빠지다 is used to describe the natural phenomenon of weight loss, 살을 빼다 is used when someone is actively dieting. 체중이 줄다 is a more formal and clinical way to say 'lose weight' compared to the more common 살이 빠지다. The form 여위다 carries a nuance of becoming thin due to illness, hardship or lack of nutrition, rather than a healthy weight loss.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more clinical or formal settings, use 체중이 줄다 or the highly formal, technical term 체중을 감소시키다, which is often found in medical or scientific contexts. The terms 체중 감량 and 체중 감소 are also standard formal terms for 'weight loss'.
How do you pronounce it?
sar-i ppajida
Did you know?
- Korean has a specific term 급찐급빠 used in modern slang. It is an abbreviation meaning 'weight gained quickly must be lost quickly', usually referring to post-holiday dieting.
- In Korea, instead of saying 'I am on a diet', people often say they are 다이어트 중 ('dieting middle'). This uses the English word 'diet' as a loanword to describe the active process of weight loss.
- The verb 빠지다 used in 'lose weight' also means 'to fall into' a hole or 'to be addicted' to a hobby. It describes the sensation of something slipping out of place or a person falling deep into a state.
Examples in context
- 지난 주에 1킬로를 뺐어요.Last week, I lost 1 kilogram.
- 정말? 대단해요! 한 달 동안 어떻게 체중을 줄였어요?Really? That's amazing! How did you lose weight in a month?
- 그냥 매일 운동하고 식단 조절했어요.I just exercised every day and controlled my diet.
- 다이어트를 시작하기 전에 목표 체중을 정하는 게 중요해.It's important to set a weight loss goal before starting a diet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lose weight” translations and entries 여위다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
