What does ‘봄 타나 봐’ mean in English? I think it is a Korean idiom about friendship? I get as far as I get as far as 봄=spring 타나=burn/ride 봐=look/see.
Here is what my Korean pen pal wrote to me:
‘봄 타나 봐’ is very beautiful word. Do you understand what it means?
‘타다’ is verb. Burn, ride.
When we use burn, make fire. (불이 타다.)
Ride : ride bicycle. (자전거를 타다.)
‘봄 타다.’ : Hew!! It’s so hard to explain with my poor English.
Season fall down every year same time. Specially, Spring is different with other season.
All life rise up and more activity after through cold winter, painful sore cold wind etc…
Finally, if Spring come again, our life is definatly defferent than before. We couldn’t speak any word. That time we always feel fresh and different feeling than usual.
Suddenly warm temperature grasp atmosphere. Sometimes, feel sleepy with drowsy.
We used to say ‘봄 탄다.’ When we talk to friend, ‘봄 타나 봐.’
How they translate that in English?
Spring fever.
나 봄 타나 봐.
Na pom tana ba.
I have spring fever.
1 Like
Bruce, you should get the points for answering my translation request, but I do not know how to do it. Do you have to go over to translations and reply?
Here is what a Korean friend told me.
"봄 타나봐 means I might be so sensitive to spring so I cannot concentrate on my work. I am lonely and feel empty in mind even though I have spouse and family and I don’t know why. Korean people say, men are sensitive to Fall and women are sensitive to Spring. "
In korean dictionary, “봄 타다” is lose one’s appetite in the spring;get spring fever. usually we often say “봄타나봐” when I get peevish or can’t concentrate on doing something from a man point of view.
However, from the perspective of woman , “봄 타나봐” is more sensitive feeling than male. as you say in above.
1 Like
Answer from my Korean teacher at KoreanDigitalAcademy
“타다” also has a different meaning “to be sensitive to”
So, 봄 타나 봐 means I have spring fever/I’m suffer from spring fever.
People tend to get depressed after winter because your body has to be re-adjusted to new season.
After harsh weather, you get drowsy/sleepy while your brain clock trying to balance your body with fine spring days.
제가 무슨 말 하는지 알겠어요?
Hope my e-mails helps you understand better about 봄 타나 봐!
So much meaning in so few words. Wonderful!
My dictionary just tells me 타다 (t’a-da) means to get in, catch, board, ride, etc.: a vehicle, bicycle, horse, etc.
So the way I understood it, to ‘catch’ spring (an abstraction) meant to have/get spring fever.
But clearly “to suffer from” is the more descriptive way to understand this expression.
“I am suffering from spring.” Sounds very eastern!
But to ‘catch’ a cold, I learned 걸리다 (kOl-li-da):
감기에 걸렸어요.
I have / I am catching a cold.
1 Like
Here is the KPOP to KTalk song study that started this whole discussion. Seo In Guk’s 봄 타나봐 Bomtanaba (Mellow Spring)!
http://www.kpoptoktalk.com/weekly-song-study/category/seo-in-guk