안녕하세요~! Hello! Today, I wanted to share with you guys how to play hide and seek in Korean! My daughter adores this game, and it is such a versatile game that can be enjoyed anywhere and at any age. In Korean, the game is called “숨바꼭질”. Here, I will share with you the vocabulary and phrases that you will need to know in order to play the game in Korean and to teach others how to play the game in Korean. I will go over two variations of the game, as well as videos, songs, and books that showcase the game.
How to Play Hide and Seek With a Baby / Beginner Korean Learner
Hide and seek can be simplified to play with a baby or a beginner Korean learner. All you need to know is one phrase:
____ 어디 있지? Where is ____?
You can then call the person you are looking for by name or title as you search for them. Once you find them, you can shout their name or title!
Ex:
아빠(가) 어디 있지? Where did Dad go?
아빠~? 아빠~? 아빠~! Dad? Dad? Dad!
누나(가) 어디 있지? Where did your sister go?
누나~? 누나~? 누나~! Sister? Sister? Sister!
태준이 어디 있지? Where did Taejoon go?
태준아~? 태준아~? 태준이(다)~! Taejoon? Taejoon? It’s Taejoon!
Now I will go into detail on how to play hide and seek in Korean.
How to Play Hide and Seek in Korean: Variation One
At the start of the game, a seeker needs to be chosen. If playing with a young child, feel free to ask them who they would like to be the seeker in the first round. In Korean culture, usually the seeker is decided by a game of rock, paper, scissors. The loser ends up being the seeker. When choosing the next seeker, you can either do another round of rock, paper, scissors, or you could have the first person to be found be the seeker next round.
The first variation is similar to the way I played hide and seek growing up. The seeker closes their eyes, says a little chant a number of times: “꼭꼭 숨어라 머리카락 보일라” (hide well, we might catch a glimpse of your hair), and/or counts to a predetermined number, usually ten. While the seeker is counting, all the other players hide. Once the seeker is done counting, they announce they are now seeking: “찾는다!” (I’m searching!) The seeker then looks for all the hidden players. The seeker keeps seeking until all of the players are found. The seeker does the seeking on their own, rather than getting help from the players they have already found. If the seeker finds everyone, they win. If the seeker can’t find the hidden players, they can call out, “못 찾겠다 꾀꼬리!” (I can’t find you, you tricky nightingale.) The players who are not found win.
The goal of the seeker is to find everyone. The goal of each player who hides is to not be found easily. Really, the goal of the game is just to enjoy playing with each other, to enjoy the suspense of the game, and to make each other laugh.
How to Play Hide and Seek in Korean: Variation Two
In the second variation, the start is the same. However, the goal is different. First, among several children, the seeker is determined by playing rock-paper-scissors. The seeker then designates a base by a house pillar, wall, or fence, closes their eyes, and counts to a predetermined number. Meanwhile, the other children hide to avoid being caught by the seeker. After counting, the seeker opens their eyes and searches for the hiding children. If a hiding child touches the base before being caught by the seeker, they are safe, but if the seeker touches them first or catches them by calling out their name, they are “caught” or “out.” However, in some regions, if the hiding child manages to touch the base before the seeker, they are considered safe. The game ends when all the hiding children have been found.
우선 여러 명의 어린이 중 가위바위보로 술래를 정한다. 술래는 집 기둥, 벽, 담벼락 등에서 술래 집을 마련하고 얼굴을 대고 눈을 감고는 미리 정해 놓은 수를 센다. 이때 다른 어린이들은 술래에게 들키지 않도록 숨고, 이후 술래는 눈을 뜨고 어린이들을 찾는다. 숨은 어린이가 나와 술래보다 먼저 술래 집에 손을 짚으면 살게 되지만, 술래가 먼저 짚는다든가 그 어린이의 손을 대면 죽게 된다. 또 술래가 숨은 어린이를 찾아내어 그 이름을 부르면 죽게 되지만, 지역에 따라서는 뛰어나와 술래 집을 먼저 짚으면 살게 된다. 이렇게 해서 숨어 있던 어린이들이 모두 밖으로 나오면 놀이가 끝나게 된다.
[출처] 한국학중앙연구원 – 향토문화전자대전
This information was taken from the Digital Dobong Culture Exhibition 디지털도봉문화대전.
Sentences:
가위바위보로 술래를 정한다 decide the seeker by playing rock, paper, scissors
술래 집을 마련하다 prepare the base
얼굴을 대고 눈을 감아 cover (your) face and close (your) eyes
수를 센다 to count
수를 세어봐 go ahead and count
꼭꼭 숨어라 hide well
머리카락 보일라 I/we might catch a glimpse of your hair
찾는다 I’m finding/searching!
술래에게 들키지 않도록 숨어 hide to avoid being caught by the seeker
눈을 뜨고 어린이들을 찾는다 open (your) eyes and find the children
먼저 술래 집에 손을 짚으면 살게 된다 If (you) touch the base before the seeker, (you) are safe
술래가 먼저 짚는다든가 그 어린이의 손을 대면 죽게 된다 If the seeker touches them first or catches them, they are ‘out’
술래가 숨은 어린이를 찾아내어 그 이름을 부르면 죽게 된다 If the seeker finds a hidden child and calls out their name, they are ‘out’
숨어 있던 어린이들이 모두 밖으로 나오면 놀이가 끝나게 된다 the game ends when all the hidden children come out
Korean Culture Deep Dive:
When playing hide-and-seek in Korean, if the seeker really can’t find anyone, they can shout “못 찾겠다 꾀꼬리” (“I can’t find you, tricky little ones”), signaling for the hidden players to come out, which essentially admits defeat for the seeker. It’s also the title of a song by Jo Yong Pil. It is a well-known song in Korea and can help you master the difficult pronunciation of the phrase.
In the Busan region, it’s said, “춤 추고 나오면 살려준다 If you dance and come out, you’ll be spared.” Even though players are spared anyway, some really do come out dancing.
In the Daegu region, there’s an expression: “못 찾겠다 꾀꼬리, 깨끗발 집고 나와라” (“I can’t find you, you tricky little one, come out with clean feet”).
These expressions are similar to the one used in America, “Olly Olly Oxen Free,” which also has variations.
Information taken from NamuWiki 나무외키
Videos:
Sentences:
우리 숨바꼭질하자 let’s play hide and seek
엄마도 부르자 let’s call mom too
우리 같이 숨바꼭질해요 let’s play hide and seek together
가위, 바위, 보! rock, paper, scissors! (scissors, rock, paper is the literal translation)
이겼다! (I) won!
꼭꼭 숨어라, 머리카락 보인다 hide well, we might catch a glimpse of your hair
여기 숨어야 겠다 I should hide here
절대 못 찾겠지? There’s no way they will find (me), don’t you think?
이제 찾는다! I’m looking(searching)!
어디 갔지? Where did they go?
혹시 여기 있나? Could they be here?
아무도 없네! There isn’t anyone!
이번에도 여기 숨었나? Did they hide here again this time?
다들 어디에 있지? Where is everyone?
도대체 어디에 있는거지? Where on earth are (they)?
여기가 이상한데? Something’s weird here…
찾았다! Found (you)!
없네 not here
저기인가? could (they) be here?
내가 술래네 I’m the seeker…
이게 뭐지? what’s this?
이번에 여기에 숨었나? Did they hide here this time?
어디 숨었을까? Where could (they) have hidden?
혹시 여기 숨었나? Did they hide here, perhaps?
에잉 Dang…
Sentences:
누가 먼저 술래 할까요? Who should be the seeker first?
안 내면 진다 가위, 바위, 보! If you don’t play, you lose. Scissors, rock, paper!
안 숨었어! I haven’t hidden!
다 숨었니? Did you all hide? (to younger or inferior)
여기네요 (you’re) here!
자짠! Ta-da!
이제 ____ 찾아보자 Now, let’s find ______
여기에 있었네요 Oh, you were here!
___만 찾으면 게임이 바로 끝납니다 if we just find ____ the game will end
가장 먼저 들킨 사람이 술래를 하는거 죠 the first person to be caught will be the seeker, of course.
들켰다! Caught (you)! / (I) was caught!
엄청 잘 찾는다 You find(seek) really well.
어디 갔지? Where did they go?
___에 있을거야 (She) will be at/ in the _______
수아다! There is Sua!
___에 숨어 있었는데 (I) was hiding at / in _____
이번에 ___가 술래야 This time, ____ is the seeker
왜 봐? why are you looking?
보지 마! don’t look!
이제 ____ 찾아야돼 now (we) need to find _____
수아가 들킨거예요 Sua was caught
업드리고 있었는데 (I) was laying down
오랫동안 제가 버텄습니다 I held out for a long time
꼭꼭 숨어라~ 숨바꼭질 대장! | 엄마까투리 하이라이트 | 시즌1 제7화
Sentences:
다른 대로 가! go somewhere else!
싫어, 여기가 좋단마리야 no, this is a good spot
어디 숨었어? where did (you) hide?
어디 숨었냐고? did you ask where did (you) hide?
내가 가르겨준겨야 I showed (him)
Songs about Hide-and-Seek in Korean:
Sentences:
모두 모두 숨어라 everyone everyone hide
빨리 빨리 숨어라 quickly, quickly hide
살금 살금 걸어서 tip toe tip toe walking
당춘 당춘 뒤여서
날랑 날랑 걸어서
꼭꼭 숨었니? did you hide well?
거기 보인다 I see (them) there
졸랑 졸랑 뒤어서
Sentences:
엉덩이가 보일라 we might catch a glimpse of your bottom poking out
꾹 참아라 hold it in
웃음 소리 들리라 (they) could hear your laugh
쏙 들어가 go in all the way
그림자가 보일라 (they) might catch a glimpse of your shadow
못 찾겠다 꾀꼬리 (I) can’t find you, you tricky little one (you nightinggale)
춤추면서 나와라 come out dancing
Books:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GVlTJ9e-a0
Sentences:
여우가 술래가 되었어요 The fox became the seeker
난 여기 숨을래 I want to hide here
감쪽 같지 않았어요 It seemed suspicious
너무나 잘 보였어요 (He) was too visable
외치는 소리를 들렸어요 (we) heard (him) yelling
어떡하지? what should (I) do?
나는 아직 못 숨었는데 I haven’t hidden yet
숨을 곳을 찾아 두리번거렸어요 (he) looked around for a place to hide
그래! 난 여기 숨어야지! Of course! I should hide here!
친구들이 찾기 시작했어요 (he) started looking for (his) friends
어디에 숨었을까요? where could (they) have hid?
Another Hide and Seek Book:
아슬아슬 숨바꼭질: Close Call Hide and Seek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGyRo_KabmE
Sentences:
깜짝 놀랐어 (I) was surprised
뭔가를 움직이는 것을 보았어요 (he) saw something moving
아슬아슬 close call
Thank you for reading!
~Korean at Home
