Everyday life Korean idiom : What does 파김치가 되다 mean? The origin and realistic example sentences! Plus, get some knowledge about kimchi and Korean culture.

Like every other language, Korean has tons of fun and witty idiomatic expressions.

The question that can arise when learning Korean idioms on your own is, "But do native Korean speakers actually use these expressions in everyday life?".

So here's a heads up. I guarantee that the Korean idioms I introduce in this blog are only the ones that are actually very common among the many Korean idioms.

Today, we're going to learn "파김치가 되다" as an idiomatic expression in Korean.

I don't know every language, so I can't say for sure, but I can surely guess that many languages have one thing in common.

That is, each language would have many idioms that reflect the culture of the country. For example, English has idioms using like 'bacon' or 'chip', and French has idioms using like 'cheese' or 'baguette'.

Similarly, Korean has quite a few idioms using 'rice' or 'kimchi'. LOL~!

This common ground is a frequent topic of conversation between the French co-author of this blog and me.

Today's idiom consists of very simple minimal elements.

If you've studied a little bit of Korean, you'll recognize the literal meaning of today's idiom. However, the pride is short-lived. The question "What the hell does ‘a human turns into kimchi’ mean???" will immediately follow.

The more different the literal meaning is from the actual meaning, the more "idiomatic" it is, so today's idiom is just that.

Let’s start by breaking down the phrase "파김치가 되다" word by word.

파 : [noun] green onion, spring onion, Scallion

파김치 : [noun] green-onion kimchi

~가 : A suffix to make a noun a subject or a complement (a complement in this idiom)

become : [verb] become, turn into

Yes. The literal meaning is quite simple. It means “to become green-onion kimchi”.

Are you now thinking about what the difference is between 'green-onion kimchi' and 'regular kimchi'? That's an admirable attempt, but I'd say 'you don't have to go that far', because things called 'idioms' don't necessarily have a logical reason.

Let's start by talking about kimchi.

There are many kinds of kimchi in Korea. (Officially, there are 336 kinds of kimchi).

Off the top of my head, as an ordinary Korean, I can probably name about ten different kinds of kimchi that I eat on a daily basis.

Although there are many types of kimchi, the process of making them all starts the same. The first step is to salt and smother the vegetables that are the main ingredient. You don't want the kimchi to be too brothy, so you want to remove some of the water from the vegetables beforehand, but you also want to make sure the seasoning is just right.

"green-onion kimchi" is of course "kimchi made with green-onion", and it's one of the most common types of kimchi that the ordinary Koreans eat on a daily basis.

To make ‘파김치’, we Koreans use slender green-onions, not thick green onions. It’s because it's easier to make and easier to eat because it salts faster and softens more quickly.

(You : So what the heck does it mean to become green-onion kimchi?!!!)

(Whoa, whoa, we're getting there!)

This is where you can use your imagination.

So, picture this.

Before the salt is applied, the vegetables are vibrant and springy. But after a few hours of being covered in salt, they're dead, lifeless, and shriveled.

Together, these fragments can explain today's idiom.

In conclusion, the Korean idiom “파김치가 되다" means "to become so tired (physically)”. 

It's helpful to visualize a green onion that has gone from being plump and vibrant to shriveled up after spending hours covered in salt. 

The best English word that comes to mind when you picture “someone who has become so tired” is “be exhausted”. The difference between the idiom and “be exhausted” is that ‘파김치가 되다’ is only used to describe physical exhaustion. There are also “be worn out” and “be dead tired”.

Some of you may be wondering, "But why ‘green-onion kimchi’ in this idiom, out of all the kimchi out there?".

To this question, I just have to say, "Your guess is as good as mine."

Speaking of vegetables that go from plump to soggy when turning into kimchi, I’d say basic cabbage kimchi or cucumber kimchi are not far behind.

Let's just take it at face value and use it diligently in our daily lives, because that's what our adorable idioms want from us humans, right? 

I'd like to add one more thing.

The image in your head from this explanation might be “a human being turning into kimchi”. So this expression may seem very funny to you, but it's not the only way the idiom is used.

Basically, of course this idiom doesn’t have a very heavy or serious mood, but it doesn’t mean this idiom is always used in a very funny way, either.

For Koreans, it's not particularly funny, it's just a flat tone that expresses that you're physically very tired. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, it can be used in a serious or even emotional way, depending on the context. (like in examples 5 and 6 below)

I'll give you some realistic examples.

These are examples that many Koreans actually use in their daily lives.

[1] 일을 얼마나 한 거야? 파김치가 됐네! 우선 좀 쉬어! 내가 저녁 준비할게.

How long have you been working? You're exhausted! Get some rest, I'll make dinner.

[2] 어제 전화 못 받아서 미안. 퇴근하고 완전 파김치가 돼서 바로 잠들어 버렸어. 

I'm sorry I missed your call yesterday. I was so exhausted after work that I went straight to sleep.

[3] 일 끝내. 너 내일 첫 기차 타야 하는데 오늘 파김치 되면 어쩌려고 그래?

Finish your work. You have to catch the first train tomorrow. What if you get totally worn out today?

[4] 나, 차 사야겠어! 지하철로 출퇴근하니까 매일 파김치가 돼.

I need to buy a car! I commute by subway, and I become exhausted every day.

[5] 이제 우리 아빠도 인생을 즐기셔야 해. 우리를 위해서 평생 파김치가 되도록 일하셨거든.

Now my dad should enjoy life, he's been working so hard for the family his whole life that he became exhausted.

[6] 나 이제 아빠가 됐으니까 일을 더 많이 할거야. 파김치가 돼도 상관없어!

I'm going to work more now that I'm a dad. I don't mind becoming worn-out!

If this post was helpful to you, please leave a comment.

It will be a great motivation for me to continue this Korean Idiom series.