[Korean Culture & Language] Heights of the acorns

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

The above video is a song that won the 2nd place in the Creative Children’s Gugak (Korean Traditional Music) Festival (창작국악동요제), and it tells the story of three acorn brothers measuring and comparing their sizes.

The lyrics are as follows:

깊고 깊은 산골짜기에 도토리 삼형제 살았었지

Once upon a time, three acorn brothers lived deep in the forest.

옹기종기 모여앉아 키재기 하였더래

They sat down and compared and measured their heights.

뗴굴떼굴 떼구르르 떼굴떼굴 떼구르르

Rumble, Rumble

뛰어보자 폴짝

Try and jump (Bounce)

내가 더 크다

I’m taller than you.

아니다 내가 커

No, I‘m taller than you.

내가 더 크다

I’m taller than you.

아니다 내가 커

No, I’m taller than you.

뛰어봤자 도토리 키재기다

Even when we jump, there’s no noticeable difference in our heights. ’It’s like measuring the heights of the acorns.’


Photo by Nicolas Ruiz on Unsplash

‘도토리 키재기’ is directly translated to ‘Measuring the heights of the acorns’.

도토리 is an acorn/acorns, 키 means height, and 재기 means measuring.

Since 도토리(acorns) are usually small, measuring and comparing the sizes of two or more acorns is usually pointless. So, the phrase is used when someone is comparing two that seem the same.

Ex)

A: 내가 너보다는 인기가 많지

A: I’m more popular than you.

B: 무슨 말이야, 내가 더 인기가 많지

B: What? I’m clearly more popular than you.

C: 내가 보기엔 너네 둘다 똑같이 인기 없어. 도토리 키재기 그만하고 밥이나 먹으러 가자!

C: From my point of view, neither of you are popular. Stop measuring and comparing the heights of the acorns and let’s go eat.

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