미역국이 · 미역국을
seaweed soup (eaten on birthdays)
Example
생일 아침에 엄마가 미역국을 끓여 주셨어요.
On my birthday morning, my mom made me seaweed soup.
Word parts
미역 'sea mustard, brown seaweed' + 국 'soup'.
Good to know
Pronounced [미역꾹]: ㄱ becomes tense after ㄱ. Mothers eat it after giving birth, which is why it is eaten on birthdays. 미역국을 먹다 is also slang for failing an exam; it is usually explained by slippery seaweed suggesting 미끄러지다 'to slip', but that is a popular explanation, not a proven origin.
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