That's been bothering me / I'm worried about that

Day 139 — That’s been bothering me / I’m worried about that | Korean Blueprint

Today’s Phrase

그게 마음에 걸려요

geu·ge mae·u·me geol·lyeo·yo

geuge maeume geollyeoyo

That’s been bothering me / I’m worried about that

Cultural Insight

Korean has many body-based emotional expressions: 마음에 걸리다 (weighs on the heart), 가슴이 아프다 (chest hurts = heartache), 눈물이 나다 (tears come out). The connection between emotions and physical sensations is built into the Korean language itself.

Phrase Breakdown

그게

geuge

that thing (subject)

그것이 contracted to 그게

마음에 걸려요

maeume geollyeoyo

weighs on my heart

마음 (heart/mind) + 에 + 걸리다 (to be caught/weigh)

Literally ‘that is caught in my heart’ — describes something that has been troubling your mind.

Example Phrases

어제 한 말이 마음에 걸려요.

Eoje han mari maeume geollyeoyo.

What I said yesterday is weighing on my mind.

어제 = yesterday; 한 말 = words that were said.

그 사람이 괜찮은지 마음에 걸려요.

Geu sarami gwaenchaneunji maeume geollyeoyo.

I’m worried about whether that person is okay.

-ㄴ지 embeds an indirect question (‘whether’).

마음에 걸리는 게 있으면 말해요.

Maeume geollyeoneun ge isseumyeon malhaeyo.

If there’s something bothering you, tell me.

-는 게 있으면 = if there is something that…

Related Phrases

걱정이 돼요

geokjeong dwaeyo

I’m worried

General expression of worry.

신경이 쓰여요

singyeongi ssuyeoyo

It’s on my mind

Something is taking up mental attention.

내려놓을 수가 없어요

naeryeonoheul suga eopseoyo

I can’t let it go

Unable to stop thinking about something.

Quick Review

잘 부탁해요

Can you recall what this means?

jal butakaeyo

Please take care of me / I’m counting on you