Luck, Fate, & Superstition

Words in this collection

• 액땜(하다) (aek-ttaem-ha-da) — A mental coping mechanism. If you break your phone, you say 'Well, that was my 액땜 for the year.'
• 악연 (ak-yeon) — The terrible, inescapable opposite of a good In-yeon. You are fated to torture each other.
• 천생연분 (cheon-saeng-yeon-bun) — The ultimate goal of every romantic relationship in Korea. Destined to be together.
• 업보 (eop-bo) — Used heavily in dramas when a villain finally meets their downfall.
• 길몽 / 흉몽 (gil-mong-hyung-mong) — If you dream of pigs (gilmong), you buy a lottery ticket the next morning.
• 인연 (in-yeon) — A deep Buddhist concept. Even brushing sleeves with someone in a crowd is 'In-yeon'.
• 재수(가) 없다 (jae-su-ga-eop-da) — Can literally mean 'bad luck', but is mostly used as an insult for an arrogant jerk.
• 징크스 (jing-keu-seu) — Koreans love jinxes (e.g., 'If I wash my hair before an exam, I wash away the knowledge').
• 팔자 (pal-jja) — Used to resign to one's fate. 'This is just my 팔자.'
• 터(를) 잡다 (teo-reul-jap-da) — Deeply connected to Korean Feng Shui (Pungsu). Finding a 'good spot' to build a life.