사족

Sino-Korean word from 蛇足, from 蛇 (“snake”) + 足 (“feet”), with the implication that it is as unnecessary as drawing feet on a picture of a snake. Originally a Chinese chengyu, from a story in the ancient Chinese history Strategies of the Warring States, see 畫蛇添足／画蛇添足 (huàshétiānzú) for more.

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:

사족 • (sajok) (hanja 蛇足)

1. something superfluous, unnecessary

   좋은 글을 쓰려면 사족을 걸러야 합니다.

   Jo'eun geur-eul sseuryeomyeon sajog-eul geolleoya hamnida.

   To write well, one must eliminate the superfluous.

   사족으로 덧붙이자면 […]

   sajogeuro deotbuchijamyeon [ … ]

   just to add something superfluous

   (used to add further information in a humble manner)

Sino-Korean word from 四足, from 四 (“four”) + 足 (“feet”).

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

사족 • (sajok) (hanja 四足)

1. (of an animal) four legs, four feet

   사족보행로봇

   sajokbohaengnobot

   quadruped robot

2. (of a person) four limbs, arms and legs

   단 게 있으면 사족을 못 쓴다.

   Dan ge isseumyeon sajogeul mot sseunda.

   They have a sweet tooth. (idiom)

   (literally, “If there is something sweet, they cannot use their four limbs.”)

Sino-Korean word from 士族, from 士 (“scholar-official”) + 族 (“family, lineage”).

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key):
• Phonetic hangul:
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

사족 • (sajok) (hanja 士族)

1. (historical) a powerful aristocratic family or a scion of such a family