Sticky Summer? Korean Humidity 101!

Introduction

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

How is the weather where you are? In Korea, summer isn’t just hot—it’s incredibly humid! Lately, with the Jangma (monsoon season) approaching, everyone is talking about how “sticky” the air feels. Even if the temperature isn’t crazy high, the humidity can make you feel tired and annoyed.

Today, we are going to learn how to talk about humidity and the “discomfort index” in Korean. These expressions are super useful right now because discussing the weather is the #1 small talk topic in Korea during the summer! Let’s dive in! 💦

Key Expressions

Here are 3 essential expressions to survive the Korean summer conversation!

1. 습해요 (Seuphaeyo)

• Pronunciation: [Seu-pae-yo]
• English Meaning: It is humid.
• Detail: This is the most basic and common way to describe humid weather. You can use this with anyone—friends, coworkers, or strangers.
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Notice how ‘습(seup)’ ends with ‘ㅂ(p)’ and ‘해(hae)’ starts with ‘ㅎ(h)’?
  • When ‘ㅂ’ meets ‘ㅎ’, they combine to make a strong ‘ㅍ(p)’ sound. This is called Aspiration.
  • So, instead of saying “Seup-hae-yo” with a pause, say it smoothly like [Seu-pae-yo]. It sounds much more natural!

2. 끈적거려요 (Kkeunjeok-georyeoyo)

• Pronunciation: [Kkeun-jeok-geo-ryeo-yo]
• English Meaning: It feels sticky.
• Detail: This describes the physical sensation of your skin feeling sticky due to sweat and humidity. It comes from the mimetic word “끈적끈적” (sticky/gooey). Koreans use this all the time in July and August!
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • Pay attention to the double consonant ‘ㄲ(kk)’ in the beginning. It requires a stronger, tenser sound than a regular ‘k’.
  • Imagine holding your breath for a split second before releasing the ‘K’ sound. It’s not “keun,” it’s [Kkeun]!

3. 불쾌지수가 높아요 (Bulkwaejisuga nopayo)

• Pronunciation: [Bul-kwae-ji-su-ga no-pa-yo]
• English Meaning: The discomfort index is high.
• Detail: This sounds a bit advanced, but it’s very common in news and daily conversation. ‘불쾌(Bulkwae)’ means unpleasantness/discomfort, and ‘지수(Jisu)’ means index. It basically means “The weather is making everyone cranky!”
• 💡 Pronunciation Tip:
  • In the word ‘높아요(nopayo)’, the bottom consonant ‘ㅍ(p)’ moves over to the empty circle ‘ㅇ’ in the next block.
  • This is the Liaison Rule (linking). So, you don’t pronounce it as “Nop-a-yo,” but rather [No-pa-yo].

Example Dialogue

Let’s see how Min-ji and Jason talk about the weather while walking outside.

Min-ji: 와, 오늘 날씨 진짜 습해요.
(Wa, oneul nalssi jinjja seuphaeyo.)
Wow, the weather is really humid today.

Jason: 맞아요. 가만히 있어도 몸이 끈적거려요.
(Majayo. Gamanhi isseodo momi kkeunjeokgeoryeoyo.)
That’s right. My body feels sticky even if I stay still.

Min-ji: 오늘 뉴스 보니까 불쾌지수가 높아요. 우리 빨리 카페로 가요!
(Oneul nyuseu bonikka bulkwaejisuga nopayo. Uri ppalli kapero gayo!)
I saw the news, and the discomfort index is high today. Let’s go to a cafe quickly!

Jason: 좋아요! 에어컨이 필요해요.
(Joayo! E-eo-keon-i piryohaeyo.)
Great! I need air conditioning.

Culture Tip & Trend Analysis 🇰🇷

Did you know about the “Ah-Ah” survival tactic?

When the 불쾌지수 (discomfort index) skyrockets in Korea, you will see cafes packed with people. Why? Because electricity bills can be expensive in Korea, so many people go to cafes to enjoy the strong air conditioning! This is sometimes called “Cafe-cance” (Cafe + Vacance).

Also, the absolute must-have item for Gen Z in Korea during this humid season is “Ah-Ah” (아아). This is short for “Iced Americano” (아이스 아메리카노).

If you want to sound like a local, say this when you enter a cafe on a humid day:

“너무 습해서 아아 마셔야겠어요!”
(It’s so humid, I have to drink an Iced Americano!)

Conclusion & Practice

Great job today! You are now ready to complain about the weather like a true Korean local. Remember, sharing complaints about the weather is a great way to bond with people! 😉

📝 Mini Quiz!

Fill in the blank with the correct expression we learned today:

“My skin feels so ___________ because of the humidity.”
(습기 때문에 피부가 너무 [ 끈 _ _ _ _ 요 ].)

1. 습해요
2. 끈적거려요
3. 추워요

Leave your answer in the comments below! And tell us, how is the humidity in your country right now? See you in the next lesson! 👋