머리가 굳었어요 · 머리가 굳어서 (…)
to be slow to learn new things, one's mind gets rusty; to become rigid in one's thinking (lit. the head hardens)
Example
나이가 드니까 머리가 굳어서 단어가 잘 안 외워져요.
Now that I'm older, my brain has gotten rusty and words just don't stick.
Word parts
Like clay or cooked rice that hardens over time, the mind loses its flexibility.
Good to know
Often said self-deprecatingly about age or a long break from studying: 머리가 굳었나 봐요.
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