Korean Dictionary
How to say "Get Cold Feet" in Korean
“Get Cold Feet” in Korean is 발을 빼다 (pronounced "Bareul Baeda").
발을 빼다
Bareul Baeda
Usage & Context
Getting cold feet means becoming fearful or hesitant at the last moment. In Korean, this is expressed as pulling back one's feet, indicating retreat or hesitation.
Example Sentence
결혼식 전날에 갑자기 발을 빼고 싶어졌어요.
I suddenly got cold feet the day before the wedding.
How to use 발을 빼다 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Get Cold Feet” is 발을 빼다, romanized as Bareul Baeda.
Usage tip
Learn this word together with a complete Korean sentence. Meaning often depends on particles, politeness level, and word order.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 발을 빼다.
Pronunciation Guide
For '발을' (ba-reul), 'ba' sounds like the 'ba' in 'banana', and 'reul' is like 'rule' but with a soft 'r' sound. For '빼다' (ppae-da), 'ppae' is a tense 'p' sound, similar to 'pa' in 'pad' but with more lip tension, and 'da' sounds like 'da' in 'dad'.
Formal & Casual Forms
Formal (존댓말)
발을 빼시다
Bareul ppaesida
Honorific form, used when the subject is older or of higher status.
Casual (반말)
발을 빼
Bareul ppae
Informal form, used with close friends or subordinates.
More Example Sentences
A friend scolding another for abandoning a group project.
팀 프로젝트에서 갑자기 발을 빼면 어떡해?
What if you suddenly back out of the team project?
Reporting on a failed business deal.
투자자들이 마지막 순간에 발을 빼서 계약이 무산됐어요.
The investors got cold feet at the last minute, so the deal fell through.
Reflecting on overcoming hesitation.
중요한 결정을 앞두고 발을 빼고 싶었지만, 용기를 냈어요.
I wanted to get cold feet before the important decision, but I gathered my courage.
Cultural Context
'발을 빼다' literally means 'to pull one's foot out.' It vividly describes the act of retreating or withdrawing from a commitment or situation due to fear or hesitation. This idiom is commonly used in everyday conversations, K-dramas, and news to describe someone backing out of a deal, a relationship, or a responsibility. The nuance is often negative, implying a lack of commitment or courage, but it can also be used neutrally to describe a change of mind.
Editorial note
We review entries like 발을 빼다 for pronunciation, example sentence fit, and learner mistakes so the page answers more than a direct dictionary lookup.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
발을 빼지 마세요.
Don't get cold feet.
발을 뺄 수 없어요.
I can't back out now.
왜 발을 빼려고 해?
Why are you trying to back out?
Related Expressions
망설이다
Mangseorida
to hesitate
밀어붙이다
Mireobuchida
to push through, to go ahead
포기하다
Pogihada
to give up
물러서다
Mulleoseoda
to retreat, to step back
More Idioms & Proverbs Words
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