This is an Advanced Idiomatic Expressions lesson related to 몸, the body. In order to fully understand and use the expressions introduced in this series, it is essential that you understand the grammatical structure of the sentences. When you come across a grammar point that you are unfamiliar with, please go back and review the related TTMIK lessons.

Keyword:
몸 = body

1. 몸이 약하다 = to be weak
(약하다 = to be weak)

→ The verb 약하다 itself already means “to be weak” but if you say that someone is 약해요, it means that he/she is in a weak position or his/her athletic ability or skill is not superior, rather than his/her body is weak. A similar expression is 몸이 허약하다.

Ex) 저는 어렸을 때 몸이 약했어요.
= When I was small, I was a weak child.

2. 몸이 튼튼하다 = to be strong, to be healthy
(튼튼하다 = to be strong, to be sturdy, to be solid)

→ 튼튼하다 can be used for many things - furniture, teeth, car, and so on. Therefore, when you want to specify that someone has a robust or healthy body, you need to use the word 몸 together with 튼튼하다.

Ex) 저는 몸이 튼튼해서 감기에 잘 안 걸려요.
= I am healthy/strong so I don’t catch a cold easily.

3. 몸이 근질거리다 = to be anxious/raring to do something
(근질거리다 = to be itchy)

→ When you’re itching to do something, it means that you haven’t done something that you’ve wanted to do for a long time and can’t wait to do it, or that you are anxiously looking forward to starting something.  You can use the expression “몸이 근질거리다” to express how much you want to start moving and get rid of the itch.

Ex) 요즘에 운동을 안 했더니 몸이 근질거려요.
= I haven’t done any exercise recently, so I’m dying to start working out again.

4. 몸이 좋다/안 좋다 = to be in good shape/to be not healthy, to not feel well
(좋다 = to be good)

→ When you say “몸이 좋다”, it means that someone is in good shape or overy fit and well-built. But when you say the opposite, 몸이 안 좋다, it doesn’t mean that the person is not fit; it means that the person is not feeling well.

Ex) 몸이 안 좋을 때에는 충분히 자는 게 좋아요.
= When you are not feeling well, you need to get enough sleep.

5. 몸을 만들다 = to build up one’s body, to work out to get fit
(만들다 = to make)

→ You can’t “make” a body, but in Korean, if you say 몸을 만들다, it means “to build up” one’s body or to build muscles. It can also mean “to lose weight to get fit” in some contexts.

Ex) 요즘 몸 만들려고 운동을 열심히 하고 있어요.
= These days I am working out hard in order to get fit/build muscles.

6. 몸을 사리다 = to spare oneself, to be cautious and not take any risk

→ 몸을 사리다 means to play it safe and keep away from possible risks. It can be used both with positive and negative connotations.

Ex) 저 운동선수는 몸을 안 사리고 위험한 기술을 많이 시도해서, 많이 다쳤어요.
= That athlete has tried many dangerous techniques without worrying about his safety, so he has gotten hurt many times.

7. 몸에 배다 = to become a habit, to get comfortable doing something repeatedly
(배다 = to be saturated)

→ 배다 originally means that color or smell is stained or saturated on clothes or in places, but when a behavior or skill is saturated into your body, it means that it has become a habit or you have grown so used to it that you can do it without effort.

Ex) 처음에는 어색했는데 벌써 몸에 뱄어요.
= It was unfamiliar and awkward at first, but I’ve grown used to it.

8. 몸을 혹사시키다 = to overexert oneself, to overwork
(혹사시키다 = to overexert, to exploit)

→ When you overwork yourself or don’t get enough rest, what you are doing is “exploiting” or “overexerting” your body. In Korean, you say “몸을 혹사시키다”  instead of “자신(oneself)을 혹사시키다”. If you want to emphasize “yourself” you can add the word 자기 and say “자기 몸을 혹사시키다”.

Ex) 왜 그렇게 자기 몸을 혹사시켜요? 쉬면서 하세요.
= Why do you overwork yourself? Get some rest from time to time.

9. 몸을 망치다 = to ruin one’s health
(망치다 = to mess up, to screw up)

→ 망치다 means to screw something up. Therefore, when you say “몸을 망치다”, it means to ruin one’s health, usually by drinking too much, not sleeping enough, or working too much.

Ex) 아무리 젊어도, 잠을 안 자고 공부하면 몸을 망쳐요.
= No matter how young you are, if you only study without sleeping, you will ruin your health.