Never call someone a fox in Korean?! 🦊🚫

what does this have to do with mythology?!

2022. 8. 19.

Teugether Today

Tale of the Gumiho
Cultural Context: 여우짓/여우
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Hi friends!!!

Hope you all had a great week and that you were all productive on your Korean language journeys 💖 This week is going to be a little different on Teugether because we’ll be talking about something we haven’t yet: Korean Mythology 😀

On my first day as an intern I asked our discord community what they wanted to hear more about on our newsletters and (to my surprise) it had nothing to do with the actual language! Haha! You guys wanted to hear about Korean myths/folklore. Well...ask and you shall receive!

I’ll be introducing to you a popular myth and then explaining the significance it has even today by connecting it to some common phrases that Koreans use 😈 I’m sure this will be new to most of you so I’m hoping you can all enjoy it regardless of your individual Korean levels 💜✌

First of all, I’d like you guys to learn some basic vocabulary ⬇️⬇️

Okay, just by looking at our vocabulary list I’m sure some of you K-drama fanatics will have a clue as to which myth we’re going to be talking about. For those of you haven’t caught on yet...Do these titles ring a bell...? 🛎

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho
My Roommate is a Gumiho

Well! You guys guessed correctly because the gumihos in these two dramas are–in fact–alluding to the traditional Korean myth about the nine tailed fox or the Gumiho.🙈💓

pls tell me I'm not the only one who remembers Shin-Min-ah in this drama ⬇️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlbhoVKhVVk

1. 구미호 🦊

The Gumiho or the “nine-tailed fox” is a mythical creature that has the ability to transform into various things. The most common form that a Gumiho takes, however, is that of a sly girl that seduces men. The Gumiho is featured in countless well known myths that all follow similar themes usually related to deception. 🤫🤥

In The Maiden Who Discovered a Kumiho Through a Chinese Poem, The Gumiho transforms into a young man who attempts to trick a Maiden into marrying him. In this story, the Gumiho was revealed by a dog who was able to catch the scent of a fox parading as a young man. In Transformation of the Kumiho, the Gumiho transforms into a bride at a wedding and no one was able to tell that this switch took place–including the bride’s own mother. The Gumiho is only revealed after the ceremony when her clothes were removed. 🤭

You might be asking yourself now, how on earth would this mythical story be relevant in Korean culture today?! Well, you’d be surprised. Let me start by explaining a term that native Korean speakers use. 😈

2. 여우짓 🦊

So, if you remember from the basic vocabulary I introduced to you in the beginning of this newsletter, the Korean word for fox is 여우 (yeo-u). So what is 여우짓 (yeo-u-jit)??? Well it’s actually a phrase used to describe a person’s actions.

🚫 Before we get into this deeper, I’d like to give a bit of a disclaimer since this phrase is usually used to describe women but I assure you these actions/the term itself are NOT restricted to just women and are DEFINITELY applicable to men as well and can be used to describe men as well. 🚫

Here is the definition of yeo-u-jit:

여우짓: To flirt but not outwardly or directly; acting sly and sneakily trying to win someone’s romantic favor or attention.

Watch this video to understand some common "여우짓" in action:

Just as the Gumiho from mythology lured men in with her deceptive charm and beauty, a person who does “여우짓” is known for flirting but in a subtle way. While 여우짓 refers to someone’s actions, you can also just directly describe someone as a fox. 🦊 For example, if you see a girl flirting with your man and you’re talking with a friend you can say: “Woah, she is such a fox do you see that?”

As you can see, mythology and folklore–while they might be a thing of the past–are still very prominent in Korean culture today. Now that you know where these words and phrases come from, you’re one step closer to being a true native speaker! Congratulations~ 🎉🎉🎉

P.S use these words wisely ✌🏼

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