How do you say "tiptoe" in Korean?

살금살금 걸어야 한다

salgeumsalgeum georeoya handa

Verb Hangul

In Korean, "tiptoe" is 살금살금 걸어야 한다 (salgeumsalgeum georeoya handa).

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Pronunciation

Salgeumsalgeum georeoya handa repeats salgeum twice, sal-geum-sal-GEUM geo-reo-ya han-da, said lightly and softly to match the quiet steps it describes.

Writing and usage

살금살금 걸어야 한다 is written using hangul. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

그들은 잠든 아기를 살금살금 지나친다.

geudeureun jamdeun agireul salgeumsalgeum jinachinda.

They tiptoe past the sleeping baby.

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How to remember 살금살금 걸어야 한다

Salgeumsalgeum can sound like 'sell gum, sell gum' whispered quietly, the way you'd tiptoe past someone selling gum silently.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 살금살금 걸어야 한다

How do you pronounce 살금살금 걸어야 한다?

Salgeumsalgeum georeoya handa repeats salgeum twice, sal-geum-sal-GEUM geo-reo-ya han-da, said lightly and softly to match the quiet steps it describes.

Is 살금살금 걸어야 한다 formal or casual?

살금살금 걸어야 한다 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 살금살금 걸어야 한다 written in Korean?

살금살금 걸어야 한다 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as salgeumsalgeum georeoya handa.

Where can I practice Korean words for free?

You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Tiptoe" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Korean language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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