Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
귀에 못이 박히다 Gwi-e mot-i bakhida
To be told something so many times by an elder that the moral lesson is permanently, annoyingly hammered into your brain.
What does 귀에 못이 박히다 mean?
귀에 못이 박히다 (Gwi-e mot-i bakhida) means: To be told something so many times by an elder that the moral lesson is permanently, annoyingly hammered into your brain.
Textbooks translate this literally as 'a nail is driven into one's ear' and leave it at that, missing the entire social ecosystem it lives in. This isn't just about hearing something often; it's the weaponized comeback of an annoyed parent, grandparent, or boss catching you rolling your eyes at advice you've heard a thousand times. Learners often misuse it like 'I've heard that fun fact a lot,' but natives reach for it when they are actively defending themselves against a repetitive, nagging lecture.
Other sides of 귀에 못이 박히다
◆ The 'Broken Record' Complaint — Textbooks love to frame this idiom as a wholesome childhood memory of parents nagging you to study. In the real world of adults, however, it’s a weapon of mild social fatigue used among friends and colleagues. When a coworker loops back to their office grievance for the fourth time today, or a friend rehashing an ex yet again, natives drop this to signal: 'I have heard this exact audio track too many times, and my brain is actively buffering out of boredom.'
◆ Fandom Fatigue — Textbooks teach this as a cute idiom for 'hearing something repeatedly,' but in modern Korean online spaces—especially Stan Twitter and communities like theqoo or DC Inside—it's the battle cry of the overfed fan. When a fandom over-streams a mediocre title track or pushes a forced variety-show meme to death, weary fans drop this to say: 'Please, we get it, give it a rest.' It signals a toxic mix of deep loyalty and utter sensory burnout.
◆ Fandom Fatigue — Textbooks teach this as a cute idiom for 'hearing something repeatedly,' but in modern Korean online spaces—especially Stan Twitter and communities like theqoo or DC Inside—it's the battle cry of the overfed fan. When a fandom over-streams a mediocre title track or pushes a forced variety-show meme to death, weary fans drop this to say: 'Please, we get it, give it a rest.' It signals a toxic mix of deep loyalty and utter sensory burnout.
🎙️ 귀에 못이 박히다는 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [귀에 모시 바키다]로 소리나요 (격음화, 연음법칙). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 그 소리진짜 귀에 못이 박히도록 들었거든요?
Geu sori jinjja gwi-e mot-i bakhidorok deureotdeogungeonyo?
I've honestly heard that nag so many times it's drilled into my skull.
💡 Using '-도록 들었다' amplifies the exasperation, signaling you are entirely over the lecture. - 귀에 못이 박히게 들었는데 왜 또 잔소리야?
Gwi-e mot-i bakhige deureonneunde wae tto jansoriya?
I've heard it until my ears bled, so why are you nagging me again?
💡 Dropping honorables here shows the boiling point of teenage or sibling frustration. - 어르신들 말씀이 귀에 못이 박힐 정도로 뼈가 되고 피가 되죠.
Eoreusin-deul malsseum-i gwi-e mot-i bakhil jeongdoro ppyeoga doego piga doejyo.
You hear elders' words so often they literally become your bones and blood.
💡 A rare polite spin, usually used mock-graciously to appease an annoying superior.
Related words in Social Situations
귀가 솔깃하다 Gwi-ga solgithada귀를 기울이다 Gwi-reul giulida귀가 얇다 gwiga yalda한방 han-bang한눈을 팔다 hannuneul palda