What does 다리 mean?
다리 (da-ri) means: Leg.
Often featured in expressions about losing strength. '다리에 힘이 풀렸다' (My legs lost strength) happens when a character hears devastating news or is incredibly shocked.
Other sides of 다리
◆ bridge_crossing — When natives use '다리' in this architectural sense, it often carries a heavy cinematic weight of transition, departure, or connection between worlds—think of driving across the Han River at night. Learners usually translate it correctly as 'bridge,' but they miss how naturally it anchors spatial metaphors in daily life, like crossing a bridge when you come to it. It’s not just concrete and steel; it’s the physical line that shrinks a city.
◆ anatomy_legs — While textbooks treat 다리 as a simple anatomical item, natives use it with an intense physical awareness of fatigue, beauty, and movement. When you hear someone groan about their 다리 after a long day, it's not just a body part—it’s the weight of gravity. Learners often stumble by over-sanitizing it, forgetting that in casual Korean, your legs are constantly aching, growing numb, or refusing to listen.
◆ mediator_role — While textbooks teach you this word as the physical stilts beneath your torso, natives instinctively reach for it the moment human connection breaks down. If you are the mutual friend brokering a truce between two stubborn coworkers, or the cultural liaison smoothing over a business deal, you are the 'da-ri.' It carries a quiet weight of responsibility—a bridge doesn't just span a gap; it takes the traffic. Learners often default to formal connector words like 'jung-gae-ja,' but natives prefer 'da-ri' because it feels fleshy, warm, and entirely human.
◆ anatomy_legs — While textbooks treat 다리 as a simple anatomical item, natives use it with an intense physical awareness of fatigue, beauty, and movement. When you hear someone groan about their 다리 after a long day, it's not just a body part—it’s the weight of gravity. Learners often stumble by over-sanitizing it, forgetting that in casual Korean, your legs are constantly aching, growing numb, or refusing to listen.
◆ mediator_role — While textbooks teach you this word as the physical stilts beneath your torso, natives instinctively reach for it the moment human connection breaks down. If you are the mutual friend brokering a truce between two stubborn coworkers, or the cultural liaison smoothing over a business deal, you are the 'da-ri.' It carries a quiet weight of responsibility—a bridge doesn't just span a gap; it takes the traffic. Learners often default to formal connector words like 'jung-gae-ja,' but natives prefer 'da-ri' because it feels fleshy, warm, and entirely human.
How it's actually used
- 너무 오래 걸었더니 다리가 너무 아파.
neomu orae georeotdeoni dariga neomu apa.
My legs hurt so much because I walked for too long.
💡 Use '다리가 아프다' when your legs are sore from walking or exercising. - 너무 놀라서 다리에 힘이 풀렸어.
neomu nollaseo darie himi pullyeosseo.
I was so shocked that my legs gave out.
💡 '다리에 힘이 풀리다' is a common idiom for sudden weakness in the legs due to shock or exhaustion. - 너무 긴장했는지 다리에 힘이 풀려서 주저앉을 뻔했어요.
neomu ginjanghaenneunji darie himi pullyeoseo jujeoanjeul ppeonhaesseoyo.
Maybe because I was so nervous, my legs went weak and I almost collapsed.
💡 Use '다리에 힘이 풀리다' to describe legs giving out from extreme shock or fatigue.