Nuance Dictionary / Grammar
아슬아슬 Aseul-aseul
On the absolute verge of physical falling, colliding, or failing by a hair's breadth.
What does 아슬아슬 mean?
아슬아슬 (Aseul-aseul) means: On the absolute verge of physical falling, colliding, or failing by a hair's breadth.
Speakers use this to describe physical heights or vertical drops that induce a sudden, chilling sense of vertigo or dread. It appears when someone climbs up a dangerous drop or looks down from a precipice where a fall is imminent. It combines with verbs describing vertical movement, such as climbing or looking down at sheer drops.
Can convey a sharp sense of physical vulnerability, where the observer feels the literal precariousness of a high or low space.
Can convey a sharp sense of physical vulnerability, where the observer feels the literal precariousness of a high or low space.
Other sides of 아슬아슬
◆ Financial Brinkmanship — Speakers use this to describe a state of nervous tension or anxiety when a situation might not work out. It appears in contexts where someone has narrowly managed to survive or pull through a difficult period, such as surviving a major war. It combines with verbs describing the successful navigation or passing of a turbulent event.
This can evoke a strong sense of a sustained, precarious survival where disaster was only narrowly avoided at each step.
◆ Deadline & Schedule Panic — Speakers reach for this when work or critical tasks teeter on the edge of failure, causing a tight, anxious feeling in the chest. It appears in contexts where events like major national conflicts or difficult survival situations barely manage to avoid total disaster. It combines with verbs describing the successful navigation or passing of critical hurdles.
This can sound like holding one's breath while watching a clock run down to zero.
This can evoke a strong sense of a sustained, precarious survival where disaster was only narrowly avoided at each step.
◆ Deadline & Schedule Panic — Speakers reach for this when work or critical tasks teeter on the edge of failure, causing a tight, anxious feeling in the chest. It appears in contexts where events like major national conflicts or difficult survival situations barely manage to avoid total disaster. It combines with verbs describing the successful navigation or passing of critical hurdles.
This can sound like holding one's breath while watching a clock run down to zero.
🎙️ 아슬아슬은 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [아스라슬]로 소리나요 (연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 손댈 수 없었던 그 녹슨 파편을 빼내기 위해서 아슬아슬 기어오른 택수가 까마득한 절벽을 눈짓하며 혀를 날름 꺼내 보이던 그 기억.
son-dael su eop-de-eot-deon geu nok-seun pa-pyeon-eul ppae-nae-gi wi-hae-seo a-seul-a-seul gi-eo-or-eun taek-su-ga kka-ma-deuk-han jeol-byeog-eul nun-jit-ham-yeo hye-reul nal-reum kkeo-nae bo-i-deon geu gi-eok.
The memory of Taeksu, who climbed up precariously to remove that untouchable rusted fragment, glancing sideways at the dizzying cliff and darting his tongue out.
💡 Shows someone climbing a dangerous, sheer height where a slip is possible. - 아슬아슬하게 높은 담 위를 걸어가는 아이를 보며 어머니는 숨을 죽였다.
a-seul-a-seul-ha-ge nop-eun dam wi-reul geor-eo-gan-neun a-i-reul bom-yeo eo-meo-ni-neun sum-eul jug-yeot-da.
Watching the child walking along the precariously high wall, the mother held her breath.
💡 Shows a physical risk of falling from a narrow elevation. - 발을 헛디디면 바로 떨어질 것 같은 아슬아슬한 발판이었다.
bar-eul heot-di-dim-eyeon ba-ro tteor-eoj-il geot gat-eun a-seul-a-seul-han bal-pan-i-eot-da.
It was a precarious foothold where missing a step would mean an immediate fall.
💡 Shows a physical structure lacking safety against a drop.