Nuance Dictionary / Pacing & Transition
야금야금 ya-geum-ya-geum
Eating or consuming something very slowly, bit by bit, often stealthily so others don't notice
What does 야금야금 mean?
야금야금 (ya-geum-ya-geum) means: Eating or consuming something very slowly, bit by bit, often stealthily so others don't notice.
Can be literally eating a snack secretly, or slowly eating away at a budget or territory.
🎙️ 야금야금은 표기 그대로 읽지 않아요 — 실제로는 [야금냐금]로 소리나요 (ㄴ첨가). 발음 연습하기 →
How it's actually used
- 동생이 내 간식을 몰래 야금야금 다 먹어버렸어.
Dongsangi nae gansigeul mollae yageumyageum da meogeobeoryeosseo.
My younger sibling secretly ate all my snacks bit by bit.
💡 Describes eating something stealthily in small portions. - 비상금을 야금야금 쓰다 보니 벌써 다 떨어졌네.
Bisanggeumeul yageumyageum sseuda boni beolsseo da tteoreojyeotne.
I've been slowly chipping away at my emergency fund, and now it's all gone.
💡 Can metaphorically describe slowly depleting resources. - 다이어트 중이라 간식을 안 사려고 했는데 냉장고에 넣어둔 초콜릿을 밤마다 야금야금 먹고 있다.
daieoteu jungira gansiks-eul an saryeogo haenneunde naengjanggo-e neoeodun chokolit-eul bammada yageumyageum meokgo itda.
I'm on a diet so I tried not to buy snacks, but I keep sneaking tiny bites of the chocolate in the fridge every night.
💡 Implies doing something stealthily in small increments.
Related words in Pacing & Transition
시나브로 si-na-beu-ro쑥쑥 ssuk-ssuk뚝딱 ttuk-ttak꼬박꼬박 kko-bak-kko-bak띄엄띄엄 tti-eom-tti-eom