In South Korea the focus for the lunar new year is family. With everyone gathering together, paying respects to the elders and ancestors, and of course eating good food! For 2024 the lunar new year is Feb. 10 but people gather for the day before and after as well for a 3 day celebration.
Knowing some common or interesting Korean idioms is a fun way to take your Korean to the next level! Idioms or 관용구 are phrases that people use to express something more than their literal meaning. You’ll hear and see them everywhere; from TV and movies, music, books, and daily conversation.
추석 also known as 한가위, is Koreas autumn harvest festival, similar to thanksgiving or other such celebrations. Its celebrated in both North and South Korea and lands on the 15/8 on the lunar calendar so it changes each year, but for 2023 it lands on September 28 – 30th.
식 is a reoccuring piece in many Korean food words and that’s because it has sino-Korean and hanja origins. 식 comes from 食 which means meal and food. So let’s get into some of the words that it comes up in!