Tongue twisterTricky
Korean
Korean네가 그린 기린 그림은 못 그린 기린 그림이고 내가 그린 기린 그림은 잘 그린 기린 그림이다. (Nega geurin girin geurimeun mot geurin girin geurimigo, naega geurin girin geurimeun jal geurin girin geurimida.)
Meaning: geurin, girin and geurim rotate through nearly the same syllables with only the vowel moving.
Literally: The giraffe you drew is a badly drawn giraffe; the giraffe I drew is a well-drawn giraffe.
Origin: Perhaps the best-known Korean 잰말놀이 (jaenmalnori, 'quick-word play'), taught to schoolchildren.
More Korean tongue twisters
- 앞 집 팥죽은 붉은 팥 풋팥죽이고, 뒷집 콩죽은 햇콩 단콩 콩죽이다. (Ap jip patjugeun bulgeun pat put-patjugigo, dwitjip kongjugeun haetkong dankong kongjugida.) Stacks Korean's aspirated p and k against the final consonants, so every word ends where…
- 저 분은 백 법학박사이고 이 분은 박 법학박사이다. (Jeo buneun Baek beopakbaksa igo, i buneun Bak beopakbaksa ida.) Baek and Bak are a single vowel apart, and 법학박사 piles four stop consonants into one title.
- 간장 공장 공장장은 장 공장장이고 된장 공장 공장장은 강 공장장이다. (Ganjang gongjang gongjangjang eun Jang gongjangjang igo, doenjang gongjang gongjangjang eun Gang gongjangjang ida.) A 'gong/jang/gang' syllable storm — the two surnames (Jang/Gang) swap while the rest stay…
- 경찰청 철창살은 외철창살이고 검찰청 철창살도 외철창살이다. (Gyeongchalcheong cheolchangsal eun oe cheolchangsal igo, geomchalcheong cheolchangsal do oe cheolchangsal ida.) A 'cheong/cheol/chal' onslaught — Korean's aspirated stops and affricates in relentless s…
Explore another collection: Compliments & Insults
Compliments and insults from around the world, from the sweet to the savage.
- Tu déchires You're awesome — you totally rock.
- Eres un sol You're a lovely, warm-hearted person.
- Eres más bueno que el pan You are a genuinely good, kind soul.
Keep exploring