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Quit Bad Habits: Start Your ‘God-saeng’ Now!

Introduction

Hello! This is [Daily Hangeul], here to upgrade your Korean skills to the next level! 👋

Today, we are going to talk about a very important topic: “Setting Goals and Quitting Bad Habits.”

Have you heard of the term “God-saeng” (갓생)? It’s a huge trend among Korea’s Z generation right now. It combines the word “God” and “Saeng” (Life), meaning a diligent and exemplary life where you achieve your daily goals. To live a “God-saeng,” the first step is often saying goodbye to bad habits like scrolling through social media all night or eating late-night snacks.

Let’s learn how to express your determination to quit bad habits in natural Korean!

Key Expressions (3~5)

Here are the essential expressions you need to declare your new resolutions.

1. 끊다 (To quit / To cut off)

• Pronunciation: [Ggeun-ta]
• English Meaning: To quit (a habit) / To stop
• Detail: This is the most direct way to say you are stopping a bad habit completely, such as smoking, drinking, or even coffee. It literally means “to cut,” so it shows a strong will.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Even though it is written as 끊다, it is pronounced [끈따 (ggeun-ta)].
  • This is because of the ‘ㅎ (h)’ in the final consonant ‘ㄴㅎ’. The ‘ㅎ’ sound disappears (becomes silent), and it makes the following ‘ㄷ’ sound harder, turning it into a tense ‘ㄸ (tt)’ sound.
  • Example: 끊고 (quitting and…) is pronounced [끈꼬 (ggeun-kko)].

2. 줄이다 (To reduce / To cut down)

• Pronunciation: [Jur-i-da]
• English Meaning: To reduce / To cut down on
• Detail: If “quitting” feels too difficult right away, you can say you will “reduce” it. You can use this for screen time, spending money, or weight.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • When the final consonant ‘ㄹ (l/r)’ meets the vowel ‘이 (i)’, the sound carries over.
  • So, instead of ‘Jul-i-da’, it flows smoothly as [Ju-ri-da]. This is called ‘Liaison’ (연음 법칙). It makes your Korean sound much more fluid!

3. 작심삼일 (Giving up after 3 days)

• Pronunciation: [Jak-sim-sam-il]
• English Meaning: Short-lived resolution / Giving up easily
• Detail: This is a famous four-character idiom (Sajeoseong-eo). It literally means “Firm heart for three days.” It is used when someone makes a resolution but gives up very quickly.
  • Usage: “Don’t let your plan be Jak-sim-sam-il!”

4. -기로 하다 (Decided to…)

• Pronunciation: [-gi-ro ha-da]
• English Meaning: I have decided to… / I plan to…
• Detail: This is a crucial grammar point for B1 learners. You attach it to a verb stem to show that you have made a decision or a promise to yourself (or others) to do something.
  • Usage: 술을 끊다 (Quit alcohol) + -기로 하다 = 술을 끊기로 했어요 (I decided to quit alcohol).

Sample Dialogue

Let’s see how these expressions are used in real life. Two friends are talking about the recent “Dopamine Detox” trend.

Minji: 요즘 너무 피곤해 보여. 무슨 일 있어?
(You look so tired these days. Is something wrong?)

Jason: 응, 밤마다 숏폼 영상을 보느라 잠을 못 잤어. 이제 진짜 스마트폰을 줄이기로 했어.
(Yeah, I couldn’t sleep because I was watching short-form videos every night. I’ve really decided to cut down on my smartphone usage.)

Minji: 오, 그거 좋은 생각이다! 요즘 ‘도파민 디톡스’가 유행이잖아.
(Oh, that’s a great idea! ‘Dopamine Detox’ is trending these days.)

Jason: 맞아. 이번에는 작심삼일이 되지 않게 노력할 거야!
(Right. I will try not to let it remain a short-lived resolution this time!)

Culture Tip & Trend Analysis: The “God-saeng” Challenge

Why is everyone in Korea talking about “God-saeng” (갓생)?

In a fast-changing society, young Koreans (MZ Generation) find satisfaction in controlling small daily habits rather than chasing vague, distant successes.
* Miracle Morning: Waking up early to study or exercise before work/school.
* Dopamine Detox: Intentionally staying away from stimulating content like TikTok or Instagram Reels to regain focus.

If you use the phrase “저도 갓생 살기로 했어요!” (I also decided to live a God-saeng!), Koreans will be surprised by how trendy and natural your Korean sounds. It shows you understand the cultural context of self-improvement in Korea!

Conclusion & Practice

Today, we learned how to talk about breaking bad habits and setting goals. Remember, the most important thing is to start!

📝 Mini Quiz:
Fill in the blank to complete the sentence using the grammar we learned today (-기로 하다).

• Question: I decided to quit smoking.
  = 저는 담배를 _____________. (끊다)

Answer: 끊기로 했어요.

Your Turn!
What is one bad habit you want to quit this year?
Please leave a comment below using “~를/을 끊기로 했어요” or “~를/을 줄이기로 했어요”.

See you in the next lesson! Annyeong! 👋