용두사미 (yongdusami) — A strong start followed by a weak finish.
Lesson 51 in our Korean Slang series, adapted from Korean Your Teacher Doesn’t Teach You by Injin Hwang. This expression appears in the book’s fandom and entertainment section.
What 용두사미 means
Use this for a drama, presentation, or plan that opens impressively but loses momentum at the end. The situation and tone help determine how natural the expression sounds.
A short conversation
A: 그 드라마 마지막 회 어땠어?
B: 시작은 좋았는데 용두사미였어.
A: How was the finale?
B: Great beginning, disappointing ending.
Use it with care
The word combines dragon head (용두) with snake tail (사미). It judges the overall shape of a story or project, not a person’s worth.
A neutral or polite alternative: 처음은 좋았지만 마무리가 아쉬웠어요. — The beginning was good, but the ending was disappointing.
Try it yourself
Does 용두사미 praise a satisfying ending?
Answer: No. The ending falls short of the promising start. Read the Korean exchange aloud, then replace one detail with something from your own life.
Learn the rest of the series in Basic Korean Grammar. Find more expressions in the Korean slang book on Amazon.
