Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
발등에 불이 떨어지다 Bal-deung-e bul-i tteol-eo-ji-da
To experience sudden, blinding panic the night before an exam because your monumental procrastination has finally caught up with you.
What does 발등에 불이 떨어지다 mean?
발등에 불이 떨어지다 (Bal-deung-e bul-i tteol-eo-ji-da) means: To experience sudden, blinding panic the night before an exam because your monumental procrastination has finally caught up with you.
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How it's actually used
- 내일이 시험인데 이제야 발등에 불이 떨어져서 밤을 새우고 있어요.
Nae-il-i si-heom-in-de i-je-ya bal-deung-e bul-i tteol-eo-jyeo-seo bam-eul sae-u-go iss-eo-yo.
The exam is tomorrow and now the fire's hit my feet, so I'm pulling an all-nighter.
💡 The classic confession of the chronic procrastinator realizing tomorrow is judgment day. - 평소에 좀 해두지, 왜 항상 발등에 불이 떨어져야 움직여?
Pyeong-so-e jom hae-du-ji, wae hang-sang bal-deung-e bul-i tteol-eo-jyeo-ya um-jig-yeo?
Why don't you just do things in advance? Why do you only move when the fire's on your feet?
💡 Spoken by an exasperated study partner or parent who saw this disaster coming weeks ago. - 발등에 불이 떨어지니까 평소보다 머리가 훨씬 잘 돌아가네.
Bal-deung-e bul-i tteol-eo-ni-kka pyeong-so-bo-da meor-i-ga hwol-ssin jal dol-a-ga-ne.
Now that the fire's hit my foot, my brain is actually working way better than usual.
💡 The ironic, sleep-deprived delusion of the desperate student experiencing peak panic productivity.
Related words in Social Situations
발목을 잡다 balmogeul japda발을 빼다 Bareul ppaeda비행기 태우다 Bihaeng-gi taeuda보기에는 bogieneun찬물을 끼얹다 Chanmureul kkianhda