Ensuring children’s safety while biking is paramount, and convincing them to wear a helmet can sometimes be a challenge. This guide provides essential Korean phrases and strategies for parents to effectively communicate the importance of wearing a helmet and persuade their children to prioritize safety during bike rides.
Table Of Content
Core Expression
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Expression: 헬멧 써야지.
Pronunciation: hel-met sseo-ya-ji.
Meaning: You should wear your helmet. (Common, slightly firm way to tell a child)
Persuasion Phrases
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Expression: 자전거 탈 때는 헬멧 꼭 써야 해.
Pronunciation: ja-jeon-geo tal ttae-neun hel-met kkok sseo-ya hae.
Meaning: You must wear a helmet when riding a bike. -
Expression: 헬멧 쓰는 거 잊지 마.
Pronunciation: hel-met sseu-neun geo it-ji ma.
Meaning: Don’t forget to wear your helmet. -
Expression: 안전을 위해서 헬멧을 쓰자.
Pronunciation: an-jeon-eul wi-hae-seo hel-met-eul sseu-ja.
Meaning: Let’s wear a helmet for safety. -
Expression: 헬멧 쓰면 더 멋있어 보여.
Pronunciation: hel-met sseu-myeon deo meot-it-sseo bo-yeo.
Meaning: You look cooler wearing a helmet. -
Expression: 엄마/아빠도 헬멧 쓸게. 같이 쓰자.
Pronunciation: eom-ma/a-ppa-do hel-met sseul-ge. ga-chi sseu-ja.
Meaning: Mom/Dad will wear a helmet too. Let’s wear them together. -
Expression: 헬멧 안 쓰면 자전거 못 타.
Pronunciation: hel-met an sseu-myeon ja-jeon-geo mot ta.
Meaning: If you don’t wear a helmet, you can’t ride the bike. -
Expression: 네 머리를 보호해야 하니까 헬멧 써.
Pronunciation: ne meo-ri-reul bo-ho-hae-ya ha-ni-kka hel-met sseo.
Meaning: Wear a helmet because you need to protect your head. -
Expression: 헬멧 쓰는 건 아주 중요한 거야.
Pronunciation: hel-met sseu-neun geon a-ju jung-yo-han geo-ya.
Meaning: Wearing a helmet is very important. -
Expression: 헬멧 쓰면 넘어져도 덜 다쳐.
Pronunciation: hel-met sseu-myeon neo-meo-jyeo-do deol da-chyeo.
Meaning: If you wear a helmet, you’ll get hurt less even if you fall. -
Expression: 우리 약속했잖아, 헬멧 쓰기로.
Pronunciation: u-ri yak-sok-haet-jan-a, hel-met sseu-gi-ro.
Meaning: We promised, didn’t we? To wear helmets. -
Expression: 헬멧 쓰는 습관을 들이자.
Pronunciation: hel-met sseu-neun seup-gwan-eul deu-ri-ja.
Meaning: Let’s make wearing a helmet a habit. -
Expression: 헬멧 쓰면 안심하고 자전거 탈 수 있어.
Pronunciation: hel-met sseu-myeon an-sim-ha-go ja-jeon-geo tal su it-sseo.
Meaning: If you wear a helmet, you can ride your bike feeling safe.
Explaining Importance
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Expression: 헬멧은 네 머리를 안전하게 지켜줘.
Pronunciation: hel-met-eun ne meo-ri-reul an-jeon-ha-ge ji-kyeo-jwo.
Meaning: The helmet keeps your head safe. -
Expression: 만약 넘어지면 머리를 다칠 수 있어.
Pronunciation: man-yak neo-meo-ji-myeon meo-ri-reul da-chil su it-sseo.
Meaning: If you fall, you could hurt your head. -
Expression: 헬멧이 충격을 흡수해줘서 덜 위험해.
Pronunciation: hel-met-i chung-gyeok-eul heup-su-hae-jwoseo deol wi-heom-hae.
Meaning: The helmet absorbs impact, so it’s less dangerous. -
Expression: 머리는 우리 몸에서 가장 중요한 부분이야.
Pronunciation: meo-ri-neun u-ri mom-e-seo ga-jang jung-yo-han bu-bun-i-ya.
Meaning: The head is the most important part of our body. -
Expression: 사고는 언제 일어날지 몰라.
Pronunciation: sa-go-neun eon-je il-eo-nal-ji mol-la.
Meaning: Accidents can happen anytime. -
Expression: 헬멧을 쓰는 건 자신을 사랑하는 방법이야.
Pronunciation: hel-met-eul sseu-neun geon ja-sin-eul sa-rang-ha-neun bang-beob-i-ya.
Meaning: Wearing a helmet is a way to love yourself. -
Expression: 법으로도 헬멧 착용이 권장돼.
Pronunciation: beob-eu-ro-do hel-met chak-yong-i gwon-jang-dwae.
Meaning: Wearing a helmet is also recommended by law. -
Expression: 안전 규칙을 지키는 건 중요해.
Pronunciation: an-jeon gyu-chik-eul ji-ki-neun geon jung-yo-hae.
Meaning: Following safety rules is important. -
Expression: 헬멧 없이 타면 엄마/아빠가 걱정돼.
Pronunciation: hel-met eop-si ta-myeon eom-ma/a-ppa-ga geok-jeong-dwae.
Meaning: Mom/Dad worries if you ride without a helmet. -
Expression: 나중에 후회하지 않으려면 지금 써야 해.
Pronunciation: na-jung-e hu-hoe-ha-ji an-eu-ryeo-myeon ji-geum sseo-ya hae.
Meaning: You should wear it now so you don’t regret it later. -
Expression: 헬멧은 생명을 지켜줄 수도 있어.
Pronunciation: hel-met-eun saeng-myeong-eul ji-kyeo-jul su-do it-sseo.
Meaning: A helmet can even save your life. -
Expression: 잠깐 타는 거라도 헬멧은 꼭 써야 해.
Pronunciation: jam-kkan ta-neun geo-ra-do hel-met-eun kkok sseo-ya hae.
Meaning: Even if you’re just riding for a short time, you must wear a helmet.
Addressing Objections
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Expression: (아이가: 헬멧 쓰기 싫어!) 알았어, 왜 싫은지 말해줄래?
Pronunciation: (a-i-ga: hel-met sseu-gi sil-eo!) al-at-sseo, wae sil-eun-ji mal-hae-jul-lae?
Meaning: (Child: I don’t want to wear a helmet!) Okay, can you tell me why you don’t want to? -
Expression: (아이가: 답답해.) 조금 답답해도 안전이 더 중요해.
Pronunciation: (a-i-ga: dap-dap-hae.) jo-geum dap-dap-hae-do an-jeon-i deo jung-yo-hae.
Meaning: (Child: It feels stuffy.) Even if it feels a little stuffy, safety is more important. -
Expression: (아이가: 안 어울려.) 아니야, 너한테 아주 잘 어울려.
Pronunciation: (a-i-ga: an eo-ul-lyeo.) a-ni-ya, neo-han-te a-ju jal eo-ul-lyeo.
Meaning: (Child: It doesn’t look good on me.) No, it looks really good on you. -
Expression: (아이가: 친구들은 안 써.) 다른 친구들도 쓰는 게 좋아. 안전이 최고야.
Pronunciation: (a-i-ga: chin-gu-deul-eun an sseo.) da-reun chin-gu-deul-do sseu-neun ge jo-a. an-jeon-i choe-go-ya.
Meaning: (Child: My friends don’t wear them.) It’s better if other friends wear them too. Safety is the best. -
Expression: (아이가: 머리가 눌려.) 자전거 다 타고 나서 머리 다시 만지면 돼.
Pronunciation: (a-i-ga: meo-ri-ga nul-lyeo.) ja-jeon-geo da ta-go na-seo meo-ri da-si man-ji-myeon dwae.
Meaning: (Child: It messes up my hair.) You can fix your hair again after riding the bike. -
Expression: 헬멧 쓰는 게 조금 불편해도 금방 익숙해질 거야.
Pronunciation: hel-met sseu-neun ge jo-geum bul-pyeon-hae-do geum-bang ik-suk-hae-jil geo-ya.
Meaning: Even if wearing a helmet is a bit uncomfortable, you’ll get used to it quickly. -
Expression: 네가 좋아하는 스티커를 헬멧에 붙여줄까?
Pronunciation: ne-ga jo-a-ha-neun seu-ti-keo-reul hel-met-e bu-cheo-jul-kka?
Meaning: Shall I put your favorite stickers on the helmet? -
Expression: 이 헬멧 디자인 정말 멋지지 않아?
Pronunciation: i hel-met di-ja-in jeong-mal meot-ji-ji an-a?
Meaning: Isn’t this helmet design really cool? -
Expression: 헬멧 쓰면 프로 선수 같아 보여!
Pronunciation: hel-met sseu-myeon peu-ro seon-su ga-ta bo-yeo!
Meaning: You look like a pro athlete when you wear a helmet! -
Expression: 잠깐만 써보자. 생각보다 괜찮을 거야.
Pronunciation: jam-kkan-man sseo-bo-ja. saeng-gak-bo-da gwaen-chan-eul geo-ya.
Meaning: Let’s just try wearing it for a moment. It’ll be better than you think. -
Expression: 헬멧 안 쓰면 다칠까 봐 엄마/아빠는 너무 걱정돼.
Pronunciation: hel-met an sseu-myeon da-chil-kka bwa eom-ma/a-ppa-neun neo-mu geok-jeong-dwae.
Meaning: Mom/Dad is so worried you might get hurt if you don’t wear a helmet. -
Expression: 우리 같이 안전 규칙을 잘 지키는 멋진 가족이 되자.
Pronunciation: u-ri ga-chi an-jeon gyu-chik-eul jal ji-ki-neun meot-jin ga-jok-i doe-ja.
Meaning: Let’s become a cool family that follows safety rules well together.
Korean Culture Notes
In Korea, safety awareness, especially for children, is increasingly emphasized. While helmet usage for bicycles wasn’t always strictly enforced culturally, there’s a growing understanding and legal encouragement for wearing them, particularly for children.
Korean parents often use a mix of firm instruction (헬멧 써야지 – hel-met sseo-ya-ji) and reasoning (안전을 위해서 – an-jeon-eul wi-hae-seo) when guiding children. Explaining the ‘why’ behind a rule is common.
Appealing to appearance (더 멋있어 보여 – deo meot-it-sseo bo-yeo) or making it a shared activity (같이 쓰자 – ga-chi sseu-ja) can be effective persuasion tactics, reflecting a collective family approach.
Setting clear boundaries, like linking riding the bike to wearing the helmet (헬멧 안 쓰면 자전거 못 타 – hel-met an sseu-myeon ja-jeon-geo mot ta), is also a parenting strategy used in Korea.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: A parent (A) is getting their child (B) ready to go for a bike ride.
Roles: A = Parent (엄마/아빠 – eom-ma/a-ppa), B = Child (아이 – a-i)
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Expression: A: 자, 자전거 타러 나가자! 헬멧 어디 있지?
Pronunciation: ja, ja-jeon-geo ta-reo na-ga-ja! hel-met eo-di it-ji?
Meaning: A: Okay, let’s go out to ride bikes! Where’s your helmet? -
Expression: B: 헬멧 쓰기 싫어요. 답답해요.
Pronunciation: B: hel-met sseu-gi sil-eo-yo. dap-dap-hae-yo.
Meaning: B: I don’t want to wear a helmet. It feels stuffy. -
Expression: A: 조금 답답해도 꼭 써야 해. 안전이 제일 중요하잖아.
Pronunciation: A: jo-geum dap-dap-hae-do kkok sseo-ya hae. an-jeon-i je-il jung-yo-ha-jan-a.
Meaning: A: Even if it’s a little stuffy, you must wear it. Safety is the most important thing, right? -
Expression: B: 친구들은 아무도 안 써요.
Pronunciation: B: chin-gu-deul-eun a-mu-do an sseo-yo.
Meaning: B: None of my friends wear them. -
Expression: A: 다른 사람이 안 쓴다고 너도 안 쓰면 안 돼. 네 머리를 보호해야지. 만약 넘어지면 크게 다칠 수 있어.
Pronunciation: A: da-reun sa-ram-i an sseun-da-go neo-do an sseu-myeon an dwae. ne meo-ri-reul bo-ho-hae-ya-ji. man-yak neo-meo-ji-myeon keu-ge da-chil su it-sseo.
Meaning: A: Just because others don’t wear it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. You have to protect your head. If you fall, you could get seriously hurt. -
Expression: B: 그래도…
Pronunciation: B: geu-rae-do…
Meaning: B: But still… -
Expression: A: 엄마/아빠도 같이 쓸게. 봐봐, 우리 둘 다 헬멧 쓰니까 멋있다! 자, 이제 쓰자.
Pronunciation: A: eom-ma/a-ppa-do ga-chi sseul-ge. bwa-bwa, u-ri dul da hel-met sseu-ni-kka meot-it-da! ja, i-je sseu-ja.
Meaning: A: Mom/Dad will wear one too. Look, we both look cool wearing helmets! Okay, let’s put it on now. -
Expression: B: 네… 알겠어요. 쓸게요.
Pronunciation: B: ne… al-get-sseo-yo. sseul-ge-yo.
Meaning: B: Yes… Okay. I’ll wear it.
Practice Tips
Role-playing is a great way to practice these phrases! Try taking turns being the parent and the child~ You can also practice saying the phrases while actually putting on a helmet before a bike ride. Listen to how Korean parents talk to their children in dramas or reality shows for more natural examples! Remember, consistency is key. Using these phrases regularly will make them feel more natural and help instill the importance of safety habits. 화이팅 (hwa-i-ting – You can do it)!
