반짝반짝
[반짝빤짝]banjjakbanjjak
Guess first, then learn. Three questions take about a minute, and the full explanation is right below.
twinkle-twinkle — sparkling, glittering, shiny
Meaning & nuance
반짝반짝 describes small lights that flicker on and off — stars, jewelry, city lights — and things polished until they shine.
It also works for bright eyes (눈이 반짝반짝) and, as plain 반짝, for an idea that suddenly lights up: 좋은 생각이 반짝 떠올랐어요 (A good idea flashed into my head).
Examples
Forms & politeness
- 반짝반짝하다
- to be sparkling, shiny
- 반짝이다
- to twinkle, to glitter
Hangul blocks
Good to know
Korean sound words change their feel with the vowel: 반짝 is a small, light twinkle, while 번쩍 is a big, strong flash. It is said [반짝빤짝], but the spelling and the romanization keep ㅂ: banjjakbanjjak.
Related words
Dictionary: 표준국어대사전 · 반짝반짝 ↗
Meanings are written in our own words. The link opens the Standard Korean Language Dictionary entry.
Past days
All expressionsEarlier expressions will appear here from tomorrow.