입틀막 (ipteulmak) — A surprised hand over the mouth.
Lesson 84 in our Korean Slang series, adapted from Korean Your Teacher Doesn’t Teach You by Injin Hwang. This expression appears in the book’s shortened expressions section.
What 입틀막 means
A sudden plot reveal or unexpected gift may prompt 입틀막 in a caption. It shortens 입을 틀어막다, describing the gesture of covering your mouth. The situation and tone help determine how natural the expression sounds.
A short conversation
A: 마지막 장면 봤어?
B: 응, 반전에 입틀막했어.
A: Did you see the last scene?
B: Yes, the twist made me cover my mouth.
Use it with care
It is dramatic reaction language. It does not require that the person literally made the gesture every time they type it.
A neutral or polite alternative: 너무 놀라서 입을 가렸어요. — I covered my mouth in surprise.
Try it yourself
What gesture is behind 입틀막?
Answer: Covering the mouth in shock. 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.
