무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다
mugunghwa kkochi pieotseumnida
The English phrase "red light, green light" refers to the children's game in Korean as 무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다 (mugunghwa kkochi pieotseumnida).
In Korea, the children's game where players move toward a goal and must freeze when a leader turns around is played using the chant 무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다 literally translates to "The Rose of Sharon has bloomed".
How do you pronounce it?
mugunghwa kkochi pieotseumnida
When do people say it?
Korean children use the chant 무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다. The word 초록 specifically means "green".
Did you know?
- The 무궁화 is the national flower of South Korea. Its name comes from the words for 'eternity' and 'flower', symbolizing the resilience and immortality of the Korean people.
- In many versions of the game, the leader does not just say the phrase, but sings it with a specific melody to manipulate the timing of the players' movements.
- The rhythm of the chant is vital to the game, as the length of the sentence 무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다 dictates how much time players have to move before the leader turns around.
Examples in context
- 교통 신호가 빨간 불입니다.The traffic signal is red.
- 우리는 무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다 게임을 했어요.urineun mugunghwa kkochi pieotseumnida geimeul haesseoyo.We played the red light, green light game.
- 무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다를 할 때 멈춰야 해요.mugunghwa kkochi pieotseumnidareul hal ttae meomchwoya haeyo.You have to freeze when playing red light, green light.
Example conversation
Two friends are playing in a park.
- 지은 Ji-eun민준아, 무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다 하자!Minjun-a, mugunghwa kkochi pieotseumnida haja!Minjun, let's play red light, green light!
- 민준 Min-jun좋아, 지은이가 술래 해.joa, Jieun-iga sullae hae.Okay, Jieun, you be the seeker.
- 지은 Ji-eun무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다!mugunghwa kkochi pieotseumnida!Red light!
- 민준 Min-jun앗, 나 움직였나?at, na umjigyeonna?Oops, did I move?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 무궁화, CC BY-SA 4.0.
