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chin.billy.leung
국물도 없다
i came across this expression but still not entirely sure the right situation to use it.
naver defines it as follows:
아무것도 돌아오는 몫이나 이득이 없다는 것을 비유적으로 이르는 말
here is one example that i encounter in a book but i think the translation is a bit off as compared to the definition from naver:
또 한번 내 동생 골탕 먹이면 내가 가만히 안 있을 거야. 국물도 없을 줄 알어.
If you play that prank on my brother again, you will hear from me. And you can be sure that you’ll be dead meat.
The second part seems more like a threat to the other party. However, i am not quite sure by employing this expression really achieves an effect as such, per definition from naver.
I need more examples on the circumstances where this expression can be used appropriately.
May 19, 2018 2:45 PM
Answers · 2
XXXX 하면, 국물도 없을 줄 알아
First, the purpose of this sentence is emphasizing that another person should not do it. It's like a warning message.
Second, the meaning is from the metaphor - In Korea, often we eat Korean style meal which is served with 밥, 국, and 반찬. For 국, it consists of something that we can chew(eg. vegetables or meats) and a liquid(국물). So the meaning is if I say I won't give you even 국물, which means I won't give you the least/trivial part of the meal.
So, it's like a warning saying, "If you do the similar thing again, I won't give you any benefits that I used to give you"
Third, I want to note that this expression is not that widely used except for a particular scenario. It depends on people, but I don't use this expression at all.
May 19, 2018
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chin.billy.leung
Language Skills
English, French, Korean, Spanish
Learning Language
French, Korean, Spanish
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