Korea’s Newest Trend: How to Say “I’m Quitting Smoking!”
Hello! This is [Daily Hangul], here to upgrade your Korean skills!
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? Or are you trying to build a new, healthy habit? Today, we’re going to learn some essential Korean phrases to talk about a very important decision: quitting smoking. This is a super useful topic, especially when you want to share your goals with Korean friends or talk about your health.
Lately in Korea, there’s a huge trend of “healthy living” and self-care, especially among young people. You’ll often see K-pop idols or actors sharing their healthy routines on social media. Because of this, talking about positive changes like quitting smoking has become a very common and supportive topic of conversation. Let’s learn how to join in!
Core Expressions You Need to Know
Here are the key phrases to talk about your decision to quit smoking.
1. 금연 (geum-yeon)
* Pronunciation: [geum-nyeon]
* English Meaning: Quitting smoking; No Smoking
* Detailed Explanation: This is a more formal word you will see on signs everywhere in Korea (like in restaurants or on the subway). It’s made from two Chinese characters: 금 (geum) which means “to forbid,” and 연 (yeon) which means “smoke.” You can also use it in conversation when talking about the act of quitting, like “금연 시작했어요” (I started quitting smoking).
2. 담배를 끊다 (dambae-reul kkeun-ta)
* Pronunciation: [dam-bae-reul kkeun-ta]
* English Meaning: To quit smoking
* Detailed Explanation: This is the most common and natural way to say “to quit smoking” in everyday conversation. 담배 (dambae) means “cigarette,” and 끊다 (kkeun-ta) is a powerful verb that means “to cut off” or “to sever.” So, you are literally “cutting off” the habit of smoking. Remember to conjugate the verb, for example: “담배를 끊었어요” (I quit smoking).
3. 새해 결심 (sae-hae gyeol-sim)
* Pronunciation: [sae-hae gyeol-ssim]
* English Meaning: New Year’s resolution
* Detailed Explanation: This is a must-know phrase for the beginning of the year! 새해 (sae-hae) means “New Year,” and 결심 (gyeol-sim) means “decision” or “determination.” You can use this to talk about any goal. For example: “제 새해 결심은 금연이에요” (My New Year’s resolution is to quit smoking).
4. 건강을 위해서 (geon-gang-eul wi-hae-seo)
* Pronunciation: [geon-gang-eul wi-hae-seo]
* English Meaning: For (my) health
* Detailed Explanation: This is the perfect phrase to explain why you are making a healthy choice. 건강 (geon-gang) means “health,” and -을/를 위해서 (-eul/reul wi-hae-seo) is a grammar pattern that means “for the sake of…” You can attach it to any noun. “저는 건강을 위해서 담배를 끊을 거예요” (I am going to quit smoking for my health).
Example Conversation
Let’s see how these expressions are used in a real conversation between two friends, Sora and Minjun.
A: 소라 (Sora)
B: 민준 (Minjun)
A: 민준 씨, 요즘 얼굴이 좋아 보여요! 좋은 일 있어요?
(Minjun, you look so well these days! Is something good happening?)
B: 아, 고마워요. 사실 제 새해 결심이 담배를 끊는 것이었어요.
(Ah, thanks. Actually, my New Year’s resolution was to quit smoking.)
A: 와, 정말요? 대단해요!
(Wow, really? That’s amazing!)
B: 네, 건강을 위해서 큰맘 먹고 금연 시작했어요.
(Yes, I decided to start quitting smoking for my health.)
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive
In Korea, the concept of 자기관리 (ja-gi-gwan-li), or “self-management,” is extremely important. It refers to taking care of your appearance, health, and skills. This is why when a famous celebrity, like an actor from a hit drama, mentions they quit smoking, it becomes big news and inspires many people to do the same!
You’ll also notice that Korea has very strong public anti-smoking campaigns (금연 캠페인). These campaigns are often very creative and visible, so knowing the word 금연 will help you understand a lot of posters and advertisements you see on the street or on TV. If you tell a Korean friend you’re quitting smoking, you will almost always receive a lot of enthusiastic support and encouragement!
Let’s Practice!
Time to review what you’ve learned. Try these simple exercises!
- Fill in the blank:
- My New Year’s resolution is to exercise.
- 제 ___________은/는 운동하기예요.
- Make a short sentence:
- Using the phrases we learned, how would you say, “I quit smoking for my health”?
Great job today! You’ve learned some very practical and trendy Korean phrases. Now you can talk about your healthy goals with confidence.
Why not try using one of today’s expressions in the comments below? Share your New Year’s resolution with us in Korean!
