엄지척 (eomjicheok) — a thumbs-up; enthusiastic approval.
Lesson 16 in our Korean Slang series, adapted from Korean Your Teacher Doesn’t Teach You by Injin Hwang.
What 엄지척 means
엄지 is the thumb and 척 evokes a quick, emphatic gesture. Say 엄지척 to praise a person or their work; you might also write it in a message or make the actual gesture.
A short conversation
A: 오늘 발표 어땠어?
B: 엄지척! 정말 잘했어.
A: How was my presentation?
B: Thumbs up! You did really well.
How to understand it
Start with the context in the dialogue. The speaker uses 엄지척 to mean “a thumbs-up; enthusiastic approval.” A word-for-word reading can miss the tone. Compare the Korean lines with the natural English translation, and notice which part of the situation makes the meaning clear.
Use it with care
It is cheerful and casual. In a formal evaluation, say specifically what went well.
A more neutral or polite alternative:
발표를 정말 잘했어요.
You gave a very good presentation.
Try it yourself
What gesture goes with 엄지척?
Show the answer
A thumbs-up gesture.
Read the conversation aloud, then try the neutral alternative. Think about which one fits a friend and which one fits a polite conversation.
Based on the author’s slang collection, with additional learning notes. AI-generated illustration created for this lesson.
