Sensory Paradox

Words in this collection

• 알딸딸하다 (al-ttal-ttal-ha-da) — The good kind of dizzy — one and a half drinks in, room slightly soft at the edges, everything feels a little warmer and funnier than it should. It's mild intoxication described as a cozy physical state, not a warning sign.
• 후끈하다 (hu-kkeun-ha-da) — A crowded room can turn '후끈하다' from body heat, and so can your face when you're caught off guard by an embarrassing compliment — the same word for a room's temperature and your own blush.
• 화하다 (hwa-ha-da) — The paradox is right in the sound of it: '화' usually signals heat or anger elsewhere in Korean, but '화하다' is the cool tingle of menthol gum or a strong mint candy clearing out your sinuses.
• 쨍하다 (jjaeng-ha-da) — Used for a cloudless winter sky so bright it almost hurts to look at, or for a sharp, clear cold that stings your face. The paradox: something that should feel harsh (piercing light, biting cold) is often described this way with a note of admiration.
• 시큰하다 (si-keun-ha-da) — Physically it's the twinge in your knees before rain, or the sting in your nose right before you cry. Koreans also say '코끝이 시큰하다' (the tip of my nose stings) to describe the exact physical sensation of being about to tear up.
• 시원하다 (si-won-ha-da) — The greatest paradox in the Korean language. It literally means 'cool' or 'refreshing', but Koreans will drink boiling hot, spicy soup and loudly exclaim '아 시원하다!' (Ah, refreshing!). It refers to the internal sensation of relief and clearing out the stomach, a knot in the muscles, or even a stressful problem. If you finally get a massage or crack a tough problem, that is also '시원하다'.
• 쓰라리다 (sseu-ra-ri-da) — Works identically for a scraped knee with salt water on it and for a betrayal by a close friend — both are '쓰라리다', a pain sharp enough to notice but not sharp enough to be unbearable.