Nuance Dictionary / Tangled & Untangled States
얽히고설키다 eol-ki-go-seol-ki-da
Complexly tangled and intertwined, like messy wires or highly complicated relationships
What does 얽히고설키다 mean?
얽히고설키다 (eol-ki-go-seol-ki-da) means: Complexly tangled and intertwined, like messy wires or highly complicated relationships.
Used heavily in K-Dramas to describe complicated love triangles or intertwined fates.
🎙️ 얽히고설키다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [얼키고설키다]로 소리나요 (격음화, 자음군단순화). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 두 사람의 관계가 너무 복잡하게 얽히고설켜서 헤어나오기 힘들어요.
Du saramui gwangyega neomu bokjaphage eolkhigoseolkyeoseo heeonaogi himdeureoyo.
The two people's relationship is so intricately tangled up that it's hard to get out of it.
💡 Perfect for dramatic descriptions of complicated relationships. - 이 드라마는 여러 사건들이 얽히고설켜 있어서 끝까지 봐야 해요.
I deuramaneun yeoreo sageondeuri eolkhigoseolkyeo isseoseo kkeutkkaji bwa-ya haeyo.
This drama has various events intertwined together, so you have to watch it till the end.
💡 Used for complex plots, mysteries, or fates. - 두 사람의 복잡한 과거가 얽히고설켜서 쉽게 헤어질 수가 없다.
du saramui bokjaphan gwageoga eolkhigoseolkyeoseo swipge heeojil suga eopda.
Their complicated pasts are so intertwined that they can't easily break up.
💡 Frequently used metaphorically for complex human relationships or fates.
Related words in Tangled & Untangled States
가닥가닥 ga-dak-ga-dak치렁치렁 chi-reong-chi-reong쭈글쭈글 jju-geul-jju-geul빳빳(하다) ppat-ppat-ha-da너풀너풀 neo-pul-neo-pul