Do You Know What It Means To Call A Couple “Sesame” In Korea

Learn why you would associate a happy couple with sesame seeds!

Unless you’re Korean or speak Korean, you may not have heard of calling a cute couple “sesame” before.

Source: Seong Phil Jang/Unsplash

Thankfully, Korean lifestyle vlogger Rachel Kim explained on her eponymously named YouTube channel exactly what it means and why Koreans say it!

If you don’t know the expression, it might sound like, ‘What? What did you say?’

—Rachel

 

When you see a “cute couple that is so in love” you would say, “kkae-ga sso-da-ji-da.” (This means “sesame is pouring out”.)

This expression comes from Korean farmers because it is related to harvesting sesame. When we harvest sesame seeds, we cut the plants and dry them in the sun. Then we hold a bundle of the dried sesame plants and we tap the bundle with a stick so that the seed pods come out.

—Rachel

Source: Rachel Kim/YouTube

Rachel said that “just like sesame seeds pouring out, a couple who are in love can be happy by even just staring at each other.” That is why, she explained, when you see a couple who are cute and happy, you say, “sesame seeds are pouring out“.

Rachel gives cute example sentences in her video, so be sure to check it out below!