What does 달리기 mean?
달리기 (dal-li-gi) means: Running (Noun).
Youth, desperation, or escaping. Countless K-Pop music videos feature the members running as fast as they can, symbolizing chasing a dream or escaping the past.
Other sides of 달리기
◆ sports_meet — Textbooks teach you that '달리기' simply means running, but on *undonghoe* (sports day) morning, it transforms into an emotional rite of passage. It isn't just about athletic speed; it’s about the collective dread of being the slow kid, the roar of your class screaming your name from the sidelines, and the sticky, sweaty taste of boxed lunch afterwards. When natives use the word in this context, they aren't talking about cardio—they're invoking a specific, bittersweet flavor of childhood memory.
◆ stamina_test — While '달리기' is technically just running, mention it to anyone who went through the Korean school system and watch them shudder. It immediately conjures the shared trauma of the annual fitness test (체력검정) or the dreaded endurance run around the school perimeter while gym teachers yell through megaphones. Natives use it here not as a sport, but as a universal measure of physical misery and peer-pressure-induced agony.
◆ stamina_test — While '달리기' is technically just running, mention it to anyone who went through the Korean school system and watch them shudder. It immediately conjures the shared trauma of the annual fitness test (체력검정) or the dreaded endurance run around the school perimeter while gym teachers yell through megaphones. Natives use it here not as a sport, but as a universal measure of physical misery and peer-pressure-induced agony.
How it's actually used
- 체육 시간에 100미터 달리기를 했는데 너무 힘들었어.
cheyuk sigane baekmiteo dalligireul haetneunde neomu himdeureotseo.
We had a 100-meter running race in PE class and it was so exhausting.
💡 Used for physical running activities. - 요즘 스트레스 해소용으로 밤에 가벼운 달리기를 하고 있어.
yojeum seuteureseu haesoyong-euro bame gabyeoun dalligireul hago isseo.
Lately, I've been going for light runs at night to relieve stress.
💡 '달리기를 하다' is the standard verb phrase. - 어릴 때는 달리기 하나만으로도 온 세상이 내 것 같았다.
eoril ttaeneun dalligi hanamaneurodo on sesangi nae geot gatatda.
When I was young, just running made me feel like I owned the whole world.
💡 Used to evoke a sense of nostalgic youth.